I think the neighborhood you’re referring to was built during the late 1990s – the homes there are nice and the immediate neighborhood itself is pretty reasonable. However, the schools that service the area draw from the older apartment areas around Libby Lake and the older residential neighborhoods to the east, which is where all the action is. The other hotspot in the San Luis Rey Valley area is the area south of the River, over by the Drive-in / Swapmeet.
The way I look at it is that you are who you shop for groceries with.
Access was even harder/longer before they built out the 76 freeway.