Beach communities north of San Deigo?

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by NorthSDLifer

It's more OC-like in Vista and Escondido?!? Or are you talking about Carmel Valley/Golden Triangle (San Diego's tribute to OC)?

Garden Grove and Santa Ana are in OC too.

For the OP - I think it's either going to be Leucadia or Encinitas or as a distant second, OB. I don't think you'll find the liberalism, but you'll come close enough. Too far east of 5 in much of North County is unfortunately indistinguishable from Mission Viejo.

Carlsbad is almost 100% tract, especially south Carlsbad. The village is somewhat older and charming but not bohemian. Del Mar, La Jolla, is big money and is more or less closed to those without it. South of that, PB, OB, etc... is city beaches and not geographically very similar to what you are coming from at all.

One area I would recommend that has not been mentioned is in the LA metro - Malibu. Big money again, but wide open spaces compared to most SoCal beaches. And more liberal and progressive than most of San Diego County. Also - perhaps look at Laguna Beach.

[NorthSDLifer]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

Garden Grove and Santa Ana are in OC too.

For the OP - I think it's either going to be Leucadia or Encinitas or as a distant second, OB. I don't think you'll find the liberalism, but you'll come close enough. Too far east of 5 in much of North County is unfortunately indistinguishable from Mission Viejo.

Carlsbad is almost 100% tract, especially south Carlsbad. The village is somewhat older and charming but not bohemian. Del Mar, La Jolla, is big money and is more or less closed to those without it. South of that, PB, OB, etc... is city beaches and not geographically very similar to what you are coming from at all.

One area I would recommend that has not been mentioned is in the LA metro - Malibu. Big money again, but wide open spaces compared to most SoCal beaches. And more liberal and progressive than most of San Diego County. Also - perhaps look at Laguna Beach.

I don't think the poster was referring to Santa Ana and GG.

I think your "Carlsbad is almost 100 percent tract" is off the mark. Consider the whole area west of 5 and north of Palomar Airport Road. Plus there are the east parts of Old Carlsbad - east of the 5, generally north of Tamarack - that are non-cookie cutter. And then there's La Costa, which has been around a while and isn't all tract. But I realize I'm dwelling on a point off the target of the OP's question. Not to mention that Mission Viejo comment. Parts, sure. But Shadowridge only consumes so much of Vista; Rancho del Oro only so much of Oceanside.

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by NorthSDLifer

I don't think the poster was referring to Santa Ana and GG.

I think your "Carlsbad is almost 100 percent tract" is off the mark. Consider the whole area west of 5 and north of Palomar Airport Road. Plus there are the east parts of Old Carlsbad - east of the 5, generally north of Tamarack - that are non-cookie cutter. And then there's La Costa, which has been around a while and isn't all tract. But I realize I'm dwelling on a point off the target of the OP's question. Not to mention that Mission Viejo comment. Parts, sure. But Shadowridge only consumes so much of Vista; Rancho del Oro only so much of Oceanside.

Just I think from the OP's perspective, comparing the income / socioeconomic class level or Marin to an SD inland community, you end up in tract homes (or somewhere like RSF I guess). And aside from the one area you mentioned... Carlsbad (at least it's current boundary) is mostly large developments at this point. I know what you are saying though, it wasn't always like that, but at this point the land area of sprawling tract is greater than that original small-town. And re: GG and Santa Ana, I mean to say that Vista is North County San Diego's Santa Ana, more or less.