Today Carlsbad seems to be a mini-northern European town with its half-timbered Tudor and quaint Queen Anne styled buildings downtown and grand windmill along the freeway. Nearby dozens of acres of Giant Tecolote Ranunculus flowers, roses, and poinsettia fields bloom six to eight weeks a year (March – May) at the world famous Flower Farm. The massive amount of colors that greets the eye is stunning. The farm is the only Ranunculus farm in the world open to the public and is considered to be a Southern California Heritage Site.
Carlsbad’s 90,000-person population is active year around with activities such as ArtSplash, Art in the Village, Oktoberfest, street fairs, a Mexican Fiesta and local theatre productions. Mountain bikers enjoy the runs down the nearby foothills while surfing lessons are popular and available on the excellent beaches. Even the Army/Navy Military Academy prep school (conveniently situated on a bluff above the beach) has surf lessons for its students. A military cadets life need not be just about practicing marksmanship and marching drills.
Semi-rural Carlsbad is within easy commute of San Diego and other county business centers, and sports a small high-tech and science industrial park of its own. The Legoland children’s theme park, the Aviara and La Costa golf and tennis resorts, numerous lagoons and estuaries filled with hundreds of species of flora and fauna, un-crowded beaches, the Mount Palomar Astronomical Observatory, and miles of hiking and biking trails - all combine to give Carlsbad’s fortunate residents and visitors a break from the otherwise fast life of Southern California.
Founded by conservative nature loving Germans who today still comprise 20% of the population – the community works actively to preserve its semi-rural tranquility. The famous La Costa Hotel, Resort and Spa, features two 18-hole designer golf courses, 19 tennis courts, gourmet restaurants, upscale boutiques, the Dr. Deepak Chopra Center and many luxury condominiums for purchase. In February, La Costa Resort & Spa hosts events such as the Accenture Match Play Championship and The Acura Classic- the largest professional women's tennis tournament (WTA) in the world.
Condo buyers can choose the lifestyle they prefer in Carlsbad ranging from coastal village neighborhoods to more rural settings with views of mountains, valleys, lagoons and the coast such as found at the 1,000 acre Aviara community. Built around a Four Seasons Aviara Resort, a 331-room, five-star golf and spa hotel - Aviara features an 18-hole Arnold Palmer public golf course integrated within a gated housing development.
Condo buyers or renters will enjoy tree-lined streets with miles of hiking, running and biking trails to explore overlooking nearby Batiquitos Lagoon and the Aviara golf course. Carlsbad real estate is known to be among the most pricey in the nation with average home prices – number 3 behind La Jolla and in Rancho Santa Fe – both upscale communities located in San Diego County.
Local industries include hotels and spas, golf equipment manufacturer Calloway, K2 the winter sports equipment company, and bio-tech companies. Legoland the childrens theme park makes its California home here as well as the Army-Navy Academy – the only facility of its kind offering military prep school education to boys from around the world. Carlsbads downtown Village retains a turn of the century old world ambience with many shops and restaurants to peruse. Your condominium home or vacation rental in Carlsbad will take you back to a time less hectic, and closer to nature as California used to be.
For more information about Carlsbad California, contact the Carlsbad Convention and Visitors Bureau
