Carlsbad does seem pretty nice to me, looks like a great family town.
I’ve narrowed my search down to Encinitas and Carlsbad. Both cities have great beach cultures and seem to offer the quintessential California beach culture along with a high quality of life. Both towns have a great feel about them. Encinitas does have a more laid-back, granola feel to it.
Hate to offend you Pacific Beach or Ocean Beach fans, but I was not too impressed, perhaps PB/OB are great places to hang out a few years after College. Del Mar and Solana beach are too expensive and snooty. Oceanside is the pits.
I personally moved to the San Diego area, in part to experience some of this “beach culture” and live in a decent place.
