FWIW, I have lived in Encinitas for the last 10 years and the change in the typical resident has been astounding. I have a several friend that have lived here their entire lives and they are even more astounded. Encinitas used to be a very laid back, non-pretentious town. It is still a great place but to a great degree it has been yuppified considerably and will never go back to what it was. In 1997, you couldnt find a place to eat dinner after 9 pm now many options abound. In 1997, you couldn’t find a decent meal unless you drove to Del Mar, now there are numerous fine dining options. Whole Foods is opening in downtown Encinitas. The Forum Shops on the border of Carlsbad and Enicnitas brought high end retail to the area. La Costa Glen brought hundreds of very wealthy seniors to the area. Encinitas Ranch brought a massive planned community with golf/ocean views and thousands of 3,000+ sq ft homes. In 1997, the only homes that big were in Olivenhain. In the beach area, bungalows are now torn down and replaced by luxury custom homes at an alarming rate.
