When my husband and I relocated a little over a year ago to the San Diego area, we had no idea where to look for property. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, we were thrilled to be leaving the rain and fog in favor of the temperate climate of San Diego. The only hiccup was that we had no idea about where we should live. My husband would be working in the city for a Carlsbad and Encinitas Real Estate Firm, but will two small children, we knew we wanted to live slightly outside of the city. After doing some research and asking friends and family who knew more about the area, we finally settled on North County San Diego for its great public education, low crime rates and general community feel.
With two small kids about to enter elementary school, it was important to us that they get the best they can. We looked into private schools but we ultimately decided to put our kids in public school because we wanted to put that money toward traveling with them and saving for college. When we found out that San Marcos Unified School District was one of the best in the area, we North County began to look like an excellent option.
Another reason we chose North County is because the real estate there is simply unparalleled. In an initial trip to San Diego to meet my husband’s new boss and to scope out real estate, we drove through both Encinitas and Carlsbad. We immediately fell in love with the sophisticated coastal style that embodies that part of the area. Of course we wouldn’t be able to afford most of those homes, but we had a great time drooling over them while we could. When we drive further into Carlsbad and into cities like Vista and San Marcos, we found the homes to be modest but more practical for our family. We also really liked that we felt a sense of community there.
We didn’t take the kids with us on our first trip, but when we saw the various parks and open spaces nearby, we knew the kids would love it there. On the day we went, there was a soccer game being played on the field and a bunch of neighborhood kids playing basketball in the court. Having been under a cloud for what felt like 3 months in Portland, I was so happy to be able to tell my son he could play outside in the park all the time!
Eventually, we ended up coming back to buy a house in Vista, a small but growing community in the North County. The crime rate is extremely low and it is only fifteen minutes away from the beach. For us Portlanders, this place is heaven.