This topic has come up quite a few times before, and it might be useful to read some of the old threads. I don’t know how much things have changed, but this one is from 2011:
All in all, we loved living [in Scripps Ranch]. As I said in a previous post, I think Scripps Ranch is a real sweet spot. The weather isn’t too hot, there are lots of families, the schools are good, and the houses are less expensive than CV. If you want to pay 15% more for slightly better schools, 8-10 degree cooler weather in the summer, a shorter drive to the beach, and, depending where you work, maybe a shorter commute, then Carmel Valley is a good spot for you.
And I still feel that way. Scripps Ranch is nice.
But there is one neighborhood in Carmel Valley that has what I think is a rare sense of community these days: Palacio Del Mar. We have lots of friends who live there, and many of them talk about how much they love the sense of community. It’s a gated community, and it’s perceived as relatively safe. Nowadays, there aren’t as many kids playing outside as there used to be. You’ll find more kids playing outside there than any place else I’ve seen recently. Halloween is a big deal there. Parents seem a bit more likely to let their kids go unsupervised (within the community) than most places. Which, in my opinion, is a good thing. They have a 9-hole golf course and two nice community pools. The HOA fees were around $270/month last I checked, but I believe the houses are slightly cheaper than most of Carmel Valley. There are a lot of smaller (and therefore more affordable) houses there. Obviously that won’t be a great fit for everyone, but something to consider.
A word on the weather. You may already know all this, but just in case…
In May and June, we have “May gray” and “June gloom.” It’s frequently cloudy in the mornings and at night. Sometimes all day. The further you go inland, the less cloud cover you’ll have.
Also, it’s pretty cool (temperature-wise) near the coast. If you like highs in the upper ’60s and low ’70s, right along the coast is good. Every mile you go inland makes a difference. In Carmel Valley (about 3 miles inland) it’s in the low ’70s almost every day in the summer. Which sounds really nice. And I guess it is. But I’ve found it a bit cool for my taste. And it’s cool every night (except a few nights during the strongest Santa Anas). Great sleeping weather, but you’ll need a jacket if you want to spend much time outside at night. Even in July and August. In Scripps Ranch and Poway (9-12 miles inland), it’ll be 6-15 degrees warmer than Carmel Valley, depending on the microclimate where you are. That usually varies depending on how much air flow you get from the ocean. The more seabreeze, the cooler, obviously. You’ll get less cloud cover out there, too.
The real beauty is you can pick exactly how warm you want it to be. La Jolla and Del Mar, Carmel Valley, Santa Luz (you might check that out) and Rancho Penasquitos, Scripps Ranch, Poway. Each of these is a bit warmer than the previous.
Good luck and enjoy the great weather!
