I live in Carmel Valley. I love the view into the Canyon and open spaces off the back of my house north into Cielo, Rancho Pacifica, Santa Luz, Fairbanks Ranch and Carmel Mtn. Ranch in the distance.
In the last few years two beautiful new high schools have been built – Cathedral (replaces University High School) and Academy. They are stunning schools.
Carmel Valley is safe, clean, has great schools, highly intelligent residents and fantastic weather.
My neighbors are wonderful and we watch out for one another (not that it’s necessary).
Where I live, an 8,000 SF lot with a 3600 SF home (with a pool and nicely landscaped) goes for $ 1.7 to $ 2.0 million, depending on the view.
Yes, illegals live in our canyons as well as most canyons in San Diego. It has been estimated that as many at 10,000 illegals live in the canyons of north San Diego county – this came to me from an unnamed source working in the Immigration Department).
Drive through Carlsbad, Encinitas, San Marcos or Vista (or Del Mar or Rancho Santa Fe) some day and you will see them standing by the side of the road, hoping to find work.
Late in the evenings you sometimes see them returning from shopping, walking or riding their bikes back to their makeshift homes. I have never seen or heard them in the canyons but one day on a walk, my neighbor discovered an entire community under some thick bushes, about a half mile northwest of my home.
It was basically several homes outdoors – furniture and all. He called the Immigration Department and they did nothing. Then he realized the land was open space owned by Pardee, who came out and cleaned out the encampment.
Are illegals dangerous? Not to the residents but maybe to each other (I know of one murder several years ago that was committed in the canyon). Does their presence impact home prices in this area? Not one bit as it doesn’t impact prices anywhere else.
But believe me, illegals are everywhere in San Diego. No community is immune from their presence. Anywhere there is a canyon, you will find them living there. And San Diego has hundreds and hundreds of canyons.
I am fortunate in that I can live anywhere in the world (and have traveled extensively) but choose San Diego and Carmel Valley specifically because it is convenient, clean, organized, not stuffy and has great schools (I still have a teenager at home who attends Torrey Pines).
My child’s friends are Indian, Chinese, Russian, European and Latino. They are highly intelligent and mature young adults, just the kind you want your children to associate with as they grow up. Their parents are highly educated, successful people, interesting and diverse in their customs and occupations.
Carmel Valley is a great place to live and is expensive (relatively speaking) for a reason. Overall, all factors considered, it’s the best place to live in San Diego.
Oh, one more snippet about crime in this area. I have a friend who is a policeman and he said the department sends all the rookies up to Carmel Valley because nothing scary ever happens up here. A few wild teenagers, a cat stuck in a tree, a toilet papered house after a football game is about as exciting as it gets. So my crime meter is the ages of the police men and women who patrol our community. As long as they stay fresh faced and look like college kids, I know our community is safe from major crime.
