Carlsbad

We've been here in the area for several weeks and love it. Stores and groceries are a few minutes by car. The neighborhood is friendly and very well maintained. The Calavera Trail system is spectacular, accessible from just behind our monthly rental.

Carlsbad is quaint, it has an achronistic feel to it and the dominant architecture is Disneyesque with you expect to see Heidi skipping down the nearest hillside with a bucket of milk. The nightlife there is pretty great will lots of different styles of venues. There is a good mix of locals and tourists and prices are fair for the location. No bargain, but not a ripoff either.

Parking is a bit of a pain and traffic can test your patience. The area of Carlsbad is located on a beachside bluff so you access the beach via periodic staircases that lead from street level down to the sand. I was suprised Carlsbad ranked so high in rankings and must be more of a testiment to internet saviness of locals than intrinsic goodness of Carlsbad. La Jolla, Del Mar, Encinitas, and Cardiff all have what Carlsbad has without the traffic and lack of parking.

I really enjoyed living in Carlsbad. I moved from Seattle to Carlsbad and I have to say "What a difference" the weather was fantastic and I felt so much more comfortable down there versus Seattle. The ocean was beautiful and relaxing and people in Carlsbad seem much frienlier compared to Seattle.