do you have any info on those places you see at all? PB is fun but I would love to live in Encinitas
I don't recall if you had kids, so I will discuss as if you did. If you do not, then Cardiff, west of I-5 seems to be a fun little area, with a decent shopping center, and centralized places to hang out. A decent rental area for young families is east of I-5 in Park Place. Cardiff has it's own elementary school district, which is separate from Encinitas until they all merge into San Dieguito schools in the 7th grade. I'd rate people in that area as a bit less pretentious. (unfortunately for us star-gazer's less maintenance on the mom's) This are mostly twin-homes with some condos mixed in but there is a strong sense of community.
Housing-wise I see some long term duds for sale in my area, attempts at fixer-uppers, but asking close to 700K and no traffic to speak of. Cardiff is a place I just might not buy, but part of that is I am freed up since the kids are in private schools, but if I were thinking of starting a family or had a young family, I'd buy here. As it is I'll probably rent here for a while, as I am not interested in buying anywhere, anytime soon.
Bang for your buck wise though the part of Encinitas that starts at El Camino Real and Encinitas Blvd, all the way up to and including South Carlsbad/La Costa you get more for your money, and it's not that much further from the beach. If you consider where I live off of Birmingham, East of the 5, am I going to walk to the beach? I could but it's not very practical to carry a surfboard that far up hill. So if I have to drive to the beach why not go inland a couple of miles and get a decent house?
I can't speak to Carmel Valley it didn't really appeal to me.
As to star-testing between Encinitas or Carmel Valley, I say who really cares. If someone picked one town over the other for that reason I can't just can't see the point. Pick CV if you like the commute, like more condos, whatever, but the schools in Encinitas are more than adequate. I would recommend a new person to the area not even consider star-testing as a factor between the two communities.
From the kids I talk to, Torrey Pines can be a very hard place to go to HS if you are not an elite athlete, an elite academic, super wealthy, or just something that makes you stand out. The pressure put on kids to be the "best" at something is strong and for the average kid, they feel a bit forgotten there. Alternative academies are growing in both Encinitas and Carmel Valley for those not wanting to attend the huge high schools. Just remember our kids (even us Piggs) have a greater chance of turning out average, and it can make attending these elite high schools tough.
