Like much of Southern California, it has become too crowded with too much traffic.
Commute times have doubled and tripled, because of the increase in the density of housing.
This is what happens when real estate developers call the shots.
This all sounds great, but the schools in Encinitas are so impacted now. Teacher caseloads are at a peak! Also, they are a K-6th grade district only.. not a Unified K-12 like it's neighboring cities. Don't just up and move there based on this "rose colored" article!!
1
No mention of SRF , self realization fellowship?
@hindudr See the pictures.
@hindudr It is mentioned with photo included.
Love Encinitas and neighboring communities. We live in South Carlsbad, our kids go to schools in Encinitas union and we do all of our outdoor activities, beach going, dining and shopping in Encinitas. Old timers complain it’s gentrified, new ones complain it’s dirty and hippie but to us it’s just perfect. Love that people live here because they wanna live here, even though it means some sacrifices in square footage, other vacations, etc. Wish there would be more employment options in north county but beyond that we are very happy to call it home.
2
I've been living in Encinitas for 5 years now and have one important correct. It is NOT a sun-drenched place. The author does not have a clue about May gray and June gloom - two months of mostly cloudy weather. And let's throw in those cloudy rainy days in the winter. Additionally, the number of days when the sun comes out before noon is significantly reduced by coastal fog. All in all, if you want sun, move to Phoenix or go inland. This location is not particularly sunny compared to other west coast spots.
5
Responding to all the comments regarding diversity, or lack thereof, that is a phenomenon found all over the country. I was born in SD in 1948, and lived mostly in the South Bay, Chula Vista and Bonita, and left in 1980 for DC. The racial and ethnic change in the county since then is extraordinary. In essence, (and this my personal observation) State route 52 is the dividing line between the mostly affluent mostly white north county and the very ethnically and economically mixed south county. Why this happened I can't say, but this type of segregation is found all over the country including specifically here in the greater DC metro area and it has profound implications for a variety of public policy areas, including for example, the perceived quality of public education which is so strongly influenced by test scores. Note for example the increase in private schools in SD county since the 60s. I have no suggestions for what to do about this circumstance, but, I don't think it bodes well for the future of our country.
2
HA! I'm a Del Martian, with many long years in the East Bay/Oakland area. My BIL and sister are Dieguito alums, and I'm first full-four from Torrey. I grew up in Leucadia and Del Mar, and had a dream about having coffee with my first boyfriend on a foggy morning the Pannikin last night. Really, I did. So it was a nice surprise to see this article today. The 101 corridor from Leucadia to Del Mar was a string of sleepy beach towns, and I miss the magic hippie-beachy childhood in the 1970s.
6
We live in old Encinitas. It isn't a bad place to live. But it isn't perfect. It is a bedroom community. I read a letter from the mayor that claims that 95% of the people that work here don't live here. And 95% of the people that live here don't work here. I commute 15 miles south.
SAN airport is not 20 minutes away! I give myself at a minimum 45 minutes. Longer during rush hour.
Our elderly parents complain the streets around our house are too steep and hilly to enjoy their walks when they visit. My mom complains that she feels like she is driving in San Francisco.
My wife complains that there isn't a nice coffee shop scene after 9pm. The only thing open late are a handful of pubs.
We are famous for being a city that has a ban on dancing. Seriously. No dancing allowed. So we don't have night clubs.
We recently had a fancy hipster restaurant open up (Salt N Sea). The only tourist lodgings are small motels or camping. There is a small B&B near us. They are building the first resort hotel in Leucadia.
The home prices are actually reasonable compared to much of coastal California. You can buy a house for less than $1.5M.
3
Encinitas prices are high for a lot of reasons but realtors like Mark Caspersen and some of his clients are part of the current problem where they are being greedy and using the lack of inventory to raise the price of homes even further. The prices of these homes are not always justified but they do not care. You guys are no different than the developers scooping the few houses that are for sale and doing horrible renovations before placing than back on the market for + $300k. That being said, we love Encinitas and plan to purchase a home here that is not a flip or is listed by Mark or his team.
1
@Clos How dare Mark do a great job and help his clients get the highest price for their homes. What a monster!
Pretty classless move to target someone like this for simply being good at their job.
The world would be a much better place with more people like the Caspersen’s.
1
Our “vibe” and “funkiness” has been destroyed by crowds, entitlement, snobs, too much money and homogeneity.
7
Don’t be fooled by NYT depiction of Encinitas. It’s a rough town. High crime rates. Street toughs pick fights with old ladies and the locals in the water will snap your surfboard in half and wax your car. The food is awful. Terrible air pollution and trash all over the streets and sidewalks. Stay away!
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@Cooper Ackerman
Yeah right!
2
@Cooper Ackerman Ha ha- your depiction won't work, it's paradise and one walk through the town heading south, viewing the blue green ocean, will erase your warning words. I moved here 45 years ago to attend UCSD and have never left.
8
@Reader shhhhhh!!!
4
Lived off and on in SoCal for about 20 years. There are a few things worth noting. While Encinitis remains a “surf town,” there is still lots more to do there than in Del Mar, Solana Beach, or Cardiff. There is also a bit more petty crime, but the traffic issue spans the entire area. Probably the biggest omission in the article, especially regarding real estate, is the instability of the bluffs along the beach. Homes on Neptune and elsewhere with great views are in jeopardy, and with a policy of coastal retreat in the state, there is little remediation that is allowed.
11
Turn the time back to the 50's and I bet I'd love it there.
7
The postcard vignettes and lucky real-estate stories paint a distorted, annoying picture of Encinitas--a tiny rural train stop turned agricultural center turned insane boomtown with out-of-control traffic.
Cost of housing is 225% the nat. average, and avg pay is $17.79/hour, according to Payscale.com. Do the math. Working people often must commute long distances in sick traffic; as noted, affordable housing is de minimis.
Yes, a few lucky souls can stroll two blocks to the beach or telecommute without being assaulted by noise or traffic. But unmanaged growth has degraded life everywhere else. As have the selfishness and entitlement that comes with inequality--luxury cars reflexively tailgating, not waiting their turn, passing right on the freeway at 80mph. With no effective mass transit and few chances to randomly meet people unlike yourself.
Families who purchased homes years ago are grandfathered in--think rent controlled tenants in NYC. But many have sold out and moved on. Seniors are prey to unscrupulous developers and constant knocks on the door.
Encinitas was always defined by economic apartheid. What's new is the frigid intensity of wealth and economic disparity.
A few rays of hope: The City Council is taking steps toward traffic calming. There's a committed social services sector and a local community college providing skills and affordable education to all comers. The Hispanic population remains vital and dynamic.
6
As a native of San Diego, I am going to say: please don’t come. We have a wonderful place in the world, and I’m never trading it in, but we have enormous problems (homelessness, lack of water, seasonal fire, super expensive housing and a lack of even that, traffic!). Perhaps some of you may consider that rude or mean, but I think you should rethink where you live and find the joy there.
14
It's strange to read about your home town from a publication across the country. I grew up here, but I don't want to buy a place here. With every wealthy family that moves in the laid-back funky vibe erodes.
11
In just the last 8 years traffic congestion has gone up at least 20 percent....its a full free for all with bikes , cars, the train, skateboards , and pedestrians all in each others lanes going as fast as they can, yet somehow in their Own Zen some calm some Brutal yet searching to coexist in the mystical mayhem of the Now/ yea it's hard not to LOVE Encinitas!
1
‘20 minutes to the airport’ laugh/cry that’s never true!
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@Annie Mack 25-30 minutes with no traffic is accurate.
3
@Clos
Hah! All you need to do is look at the drive time on Google maps and see that it is currently 55 minutes.
@Annie Mack I live in Village Park and fly weekly for work, at various times of day. 20 minutes is definitely an exaggeration, but most of the time I make it in 35 minutes. Even during morning rush hour. The only time it takes me longer is during evening rush hour - going either north or south. That’s pretty predictable, though, and I feel lucky to have 35 miles take me under an hour during the worst traffic of the day - a lot better than I could do in most other urban areas!
1
One thing rarely mentioned in these glossy articles about Southern California is the lack of racial diversity. One third of San Diego county is Mexican American or Mexican immigrants, yet costal enclaves like Encinitas (my family moved there several years ago) are almost exclusively non-Hispanic white. Having grown up in South Texas, where Mexican, black, and white ethnicities regularly interact and intermarry, I was disappointed to see how segregated this area continues to be. Californians here love their fish tacos; they love to name their streets “El Camino Real” and “Pulgas Road,” but, otherwise, they show no interest in engaging in the rich cultural heritage of its original inhabitants or their descendants. And, I’m sure most of them would be surprised to learn that “pulgas” are fleas.
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@MDB I think you do make a good point. However, it would be unfair to say no one shows interest in engaging in the culture. My kids attend a dual immersion program in the city and we have a lot of support from local families, the school administration and PTA. That being said, I agree that gentrification has taken a toll on the local latino families, actively displacing them. This place still remains a lot more diverse than any New Jersey suburb.
3
You clearly know nothing about New Jersey or its suburbs. My one street has families from Poland. the Philippines, India, China, and African-Americans and we're pretty typical of New Jersey.
2
I like Encinitas but 20 minutes to the airport? Do you mean Palomar? If you’re going to SAN you are traveling at illegal speeds in the wee hours.
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Also in Encinitas: the best public library anywhere.
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Thank you!! I work there!
4
No, no, no.
Don't tell anybody! This was my planned secret retirement hideaway.
3
NO NO NO Don't live in California! It's terrible! You'll hate it!
4
$1.4 million for rodents and termites. Enjoy!
1
I have lived in Encinitas since the late 70's and have traveled all over the USA and the world and there is no place I would rather live regardless of cost. It is a welcoming community, the people here care about the environment and each other. There are unlimited outdoor options. And when you subtract the cost of heat and air conditioner cost ( my windows are open year round) I live 3 blocks from the coast, lots of safe bike lanes and running, it's a clean safe community, low crime and still has that beach city feel. This article does a great job at describing the town i have called home 42 years and will for the rest of my life.
17
Share your joy ... though only 2 years in. Solar panels help too :-)
3
We moved here in 2010. The change is hard to believe. We got to know Pete Caspersen (mentioned in article) when we first moved here and fwiw he has a heart of gold.
3
Regarding schools in Encinitas, do any locals have any thoughts on what it is like for special needs children? The Times did a great profile on the schools overall. I have been traveling to Encinitas for years to surf and enjoy my native family and many friends there. We wish to come back home soon but that barrier to reentry is pretty steep- particularly for someplace near Beacons Beach which is my fav surf spot other than Swamis. We have a special needs child and wish for them to enjoy paradise stateside.
1
@Land Locked Surfer My son goes to one of the schools in the Encinitas union district.... the teachers, staff, the assessments and subsequently, the IEP accommodations he has received there have all been nothing short of amazing. I am so thankful.
2
@Nikki That is great to know! Thank you. I hope your son continues to thrive.
We bought our home in Encinitas since the early 90’s. We are semi retired and thought about down sizing but we would have to pay more to get less.
We vacation in the summer near Two Harbors on Catalina and in Vermont usually in the fall. I lived in Pacific Beach in the 70’s and like others have said as I got older I needed something quieter. Southern California costal living is exactly what I needed for after growing up on Long Island. Everything was lots less expensive years ago. An opportunity opened up and I never seriously looked back.
2
We live just over the border in Carlsbad but do most of our shopping, dining, and recreation in Encinitas and our children came up in EUSD and SDUHSD. Yes, the quality of life can be wonderful, as is the weather, but the cost of living is high and the traffic can be horrible.
The lack of affordable housing is a major problem that the local NIMBYs have exacerbated for years, and I don't see a solution coming any time soon. Honestly, I'm not sure how many of the people here now can afford it. The only young families moving into our neighborhood are affluent professionals.
1
I never want to live in California. I don't want my vacation spot to go away. Every couple of years, pack your bags and spend 10 days in beautiful California. It's a dreamland for me and I want to keep it like that.
11
We are 30 year residents of the Village Park area. Being retired (in our 70s), we could not afford to buy or rent our condo now. While a great city, it lacks diversity and has a small group of people who are against the goals of the Leichtag Foundation to help the homeless. The Foundation's plan includes vetting of those homeless people who own cars. No dopers. Single parents are given priority. It's an outstanding first step for those in need.
Mayor Blakespear has done an outstanding job. Lots of positive innovations and great leadership. She led the fight to comply with the affordable housing mandates. Those fighting against her are the same ones against the Leichtag's plan for the homeless.
19
As everyone now knows, especially coastal California is beyond the reach of most. Where is it going to end? Is there going to be another 2008? or will many of these very basic track houses in a year or two be 2 million or more. Frankly..beyond reason..
6
@RH Everyone wants to live at or by the beach in a perfect climate, there is limited beach land that meets that definition so the law of supply and demand comes into play.
5
Just to point out that for many folks $1400 per month for a studio would not warrant the descriptor "as little as".
52
@Lex, Where would you rather live in Salt Lake City or Encinitas? A studio in SLC is the same price.
1
It's sad but true, it is expensive living here by the beach in Southern California. However, it seems everywhere I go you pay a premium to live by the ocean. One can buy a house just 10 miles inland in San Marcos/Vista for much less money.
No easy solution when people want more housing density and yet complain about crowded roads.
6
The lack of affordable housing is a problem up and down the California coast.
One of the main reasons residents don’t want more development on the coast is the lack of room for it. The infrastructure cannot handle the traffic it would create.
For all the faults people find with living here, it’s still a wonderful place to live. I just wish it was more affordable for young families. We need a younger demographic to keep it vibrant.
13
@C Hunt The main reason residents dont want more development is because they dont want their property values to fall. Infrastructure is just a convenient excuse.
San Diego County residents keep voting against allowing multifamily housing units to be built, and then turn around and complain that their grown children can't afford to live in the towns they grew up in. Hmmm... cause and effect?
38
I just left, after returning for one year. I lived in Cardiff. It is not the way humans should live.
The air pollution is never talked about; it is horrible because of the absurd amount of vehicles on the road.
The roads are permanently locked down: It can take 30 min. to go 5-10 miles, almost any time of day. It can take 30 minutes to go 2 miles, as well.
The tap water is not good.
The people are entitled and boring.
The housing situation is forcing people to live in less than dignified ways. Everyone pays more than 50% of income on rent. People are putting "Granny Flats" in their back yard; a 400-500 sq. ft. dwelling in which I hope one would not put their grandmother. This will not help the housing situation as it only provides space for those who can pay $2,500 for 400 sq.ft.
Did I mention the air pollution, which is as bad as any major city?
I live in France, now........much better.
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@Douglas Air pollution in Cardiff? I think you've got the wrong city. I agree about the tap water - in all of San Diego, the tap water is not tasty because of the added minerals.
19
@Douglas
I, too, question whether you've ever been to Encinitas. Almost all of these images, of the 'real' Encinitas, are west of the hills that block off the 5 freeway. The breeze is onshore, the air is clean, any pollution from the 5 happens to people living east of it, which isn't really the beach town part of Encinitas.
17
@Douglas
I second the air quality concerns in old Encinitas coastal areas. I rented a 2 bedroom in Cardiff west of the I-5 on Cambridge ave, and loved being walking distance to the beach. However, the famous sea breeze is often non existent or blowing I-5 pollution to the west during the night and early morning hours. Our patio was covered in soot at all times from the high volume of traffic and trucks on I-5. My daughter had constant respiratory issues, and we moved to new Encinitas much further from I-5 to get away from these issues. There are studies showing being close to an interstate is no bueno, and much of Coastal Encinitas sadly falls in this zone. See works by Suzanne Paulson for more info.
19
While many of your readers already live in or have lived in high-tax states, these articles should mention the very high real estate taxes. Newcomers are penalized via the old Prop 13 model and are paying a very steep entry-level tax that adds considerably to the purchase price and annual costs. In addition, the traffic in the San Diego area is horrible...I-5 is bounded by the ocean, train tracks and mountains so there are few surface-street options especially for north-south travel and doing anything before 10 a.m. and after 2 p.m. means sitting...and sitting...and sitting, which means taking advantage of the many beaches, hiking, cultural opportunities, etc. gets difficult.
14
Yeah, Encinitas -- and you forgot its Olivenhain area, which was one of three towns combined to make Encinitas when the city was incorporated in large part to fight a freeway being built to allow commuters better access to San Diego -- is a nice place. IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT. Fact is its a hub of elitism only affordable for very wealthy people and not the general public and getting worse. You might avoid this fawning tone and half-truth approach to provide an actual realistic portrait of the city, a city with significant affordable housing issues, and other issues related to life and equality.
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@Bob Jack Everyone wants to live at or by the beach in a perfect climate, there is limited beach land that meets that definition so the law of supply and demand comes into play.
6
I moved to Leucadia is 1996 and back then, it was still idyllic and wild, traffic was ... sleepy even. Now, it is practically unrecognizable. Where once stood acres of avocados and poinsettias, urban sprawl now resides. Even I got in on the tail end of this paradise working at both Ada Harris and Cardiff Elementary Schools. My husband was born at Scrips La Jolla and grew up in Leucadia. As he recalls, it was an old cow town. Everyone rode horses or bikes. When you heard the train whistle, you beat feet down to the surf. We have lived on O'ahu for the last dozen years, and every trip back home, it becomes more a shell of its former glory.
11
@Leslie
My husband was born and raised on Oahu, and when we go back we feel like it is "a shell of its former glory." Crowded and crime-filled. Used to be idyllic, just like Leucadia was . . .
1
Lived in Encinitas, now live in Hawaii. But my favorite beach is still in Encinitas https://moonlightbeach.com/ great sand, vibe, locals love it, families with kids prefer it, woody car shows, beach volleyball, beach walks... Real slice of SoCal from yesteryear.
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no don’t come here! the surf is terrible!
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Your secret is safe with me.
3
Gonna check it out anyways just to be safe!
2
Park Dale Lane Elementary alum here. We are also in Encinitas!
Lack of support and pushback on more affordable housing is probably the single thing I'm least proud of about being from Encinitas.
6
Rather amazed that you can write such a seemingly complete profile of a city in Southern California in 2020 without any mention of ethnic and racial diversity.
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@rdelrio
There's very little ethnic or racial diversity in Encinitas, strikingly so. Reminds me of Portland.
@rdelrio Because there is no ethnic, racial and increasingly, income diversity in Encinitas.
2
@rdelrio Encinitas has a strong latino and asian representation .
3
I hope this is not too harsh, but my research shows that most of North County is 85-90% white, with almost no african americans among the balance. Are these residents purposefully segregating themselves?
21
@william hayes
I think the real issue is that most people who can afford to live in Houston can't afford to live in Encinitas.
14
@william hayes It depends on how you define "white". There is a large Hispanic population here. A few of the elementary schools are dual language Spanish/English allowing children from Spanish-speaking homes to learn in their native language, if they choose to do so. I would guess that the population of people of Asian descent mirrors that of the US generally, but that is just a guess. It is true that there are not many African Americans. I don't know why that is. But to claim that the residents are purposefully segregating themselves is ridiculous. Come see for yourself. We welcome anyone.
7
@william hayes "but my research shows that most of North County is 85-90% white."----I bet you if also do your research on the tundra areas of Canada, 85-90% of the population is non-white. Maybe those residents should also make conditions more amenable to "diversity" as well, right?
12
The two elementary schools, Capri and PCE run the ever popular Dual language immersion program in English and Spanish, all schools have programs in yoga, music and offer gardening clubs to kids, no surprise that families are willing to stretch their budgets to get their kids into the school districts here.
9
In 1973, my family moved from Manhattan Beach to Encinitas where I grew up. I still love the area - it's my hometown - but the financial pressure from real estate prices mean that my own young adult children may not be able to afford a home.
In my case, it has required much of the income of two working parents, both in engineering/tech fields, to raise our family here.
Young families have been driven from our coastal cities by housing costs. This is reflected in plummeting enrollment in our schools. Those families have to move inland to more affordable housing.
Encinitas is a beautiful place to live, but it comes at a price.
15
With climate change and a dramatically increased population, that’s the future in every desirable a area, and it’s only going to get worse.
5
@Mike Everyone wants to live at or by the beach in a perfect climate, there is limited beach land that meets that definition so the law of supply and demand comes into play. So yes it is expensive
5
surprised to see encinitas, and specifically our little micro-village of Cardiff-By-the-Sea, featured in our daily newspaper, the NYT. Sadly, traffic (the one subject capable of unifying all of us here in encinitas) has made our once-idyllic community less so as time moves on. We've been here nearly 40 years, and the heavy I-5 traffic, which was once sporadic (maybe 30 minutes each morning and night), is now endemic, so that "rush hour" is now "rush HOURS"--especially during the summer months (when the hordes descend on Coastal North County beaches) where traffic is sluggish from sunrise to sunset. Our other bane--gentrification-- has inevitably pushed out many long-time residents, but the "woodsy-beachy" feel of the coastal micro-villages (Cardiff, Olde Encinitas, and Leucadia) that comprise Encinitas (the other components are the inland components of Olivenhein and New Encinitas) is something we hope never to leave.
4
My parents bought a home in Vista for under 15 grand in 1962. I have great memories of going to all the beaches from the harbor south to Cardiff in the 70s. Encinitas was my favorite town. I still like driving along the coast and visiting the coastal towns but no way in hell would I want to live there, even if I could afford it.
3
East coast (Boston/Chicago) transplant here. I've raised my 3 children past 20 years in Carlsbad which is the next town up the coast on the PCH. Real estate is slightly more affordable here in 92011/92008, but the schools are at least as good and we have 7 miles of beaches. You can find more rural and affordable properties in the eastern zips of 92009 and 92010. With about 100k residents, it's a little larger than our next door neighbor, but about 20 years ago when I was choosing between Encinitas and Carlsbad, i selected Carlsbad to raise my family since it seemed more mainstreamed (larger library system, more streamlined city services, etc.), less of a quirky surf town and slightly more of a typical suburban town in general. Although I love Encinitas, I've always been happy with my choice.
13
@Justin 92009 resident here. Where is the open space.? Been here since 2005 to escape the traffic of West LA and love it. Price skyrockets as you go west anywhere in California. But I challenge you however to find any 3 bedroom 2000 sq ft house in 29009 under $800,000
1
If I could live anywhere, and money was no limitation...I'd likely choose Encinitas.
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@h king
Fair enough.
But they are waiting for a massive earthquake over there.
I stick with the south of France. No earthquakes and better wine and food.
@Ronald Grünebaum
Have to agree with you about the wine and food!
And for the record I’ve been waiting for the “Big One” since the 60’s. I’m sure it will eventually come!
2
@Ronald Grünebaum
I love France. Been to Paris a couple of times. I have an anti-talent for languages, unfortunately. Spoken French is a delight for the ears, however.
I live in the frozen Midwest where the typical tragedy involves slipping and falling on the ice. I've been on the "5" in San Diego more than once and found it something I couldn't tolerate in the day to day. Too many people but I sure understand why they want to live there. My oldest son lives in North Park. Try to move him!
1
Another local shout-out to the Modern Times restaurant in the heart of Encinitas; an all vegan menu with fantastic local beer. It's a welcome respite from mediocre restaurants that line
Coast Highway 101.
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@Left Coast
Love Modern Times, a favorite spot to take our out-of-town visitors.
2
@Left Coast One gets drunk faster as a vegan, it's having cleaner arteries.
Just giving a shout-out to the Lux Art Institute, also in Encinitas. They have an incredible monthly artist-in-residence program as well as art education and classes for all ages in their education pavilion. Lux is a bright spot in Encinitas!
25
@Nancie Have never been to Lux because last time I looked there was a $10 admission, steep for a single show. But now I see they're pay-as-you-wish, so I'll be going.
I would also recommend visitors to see the local historical societies.
Encinitas Historical Society, in the 1883 schoolhouse at 4th & G downtown; free and open Friday-Sat midday
San Dieguito Heritage Museum, with an interesting small museum and historic/recreated buildings on the grounds (on Quail Gardens Drive near the San Diego Botanical Garden--which is also terrific).
Olivenhain has a historic meeting house if you're passing by, and an informative web site.
1