Carlsbad, CA

zip codes:  92008 and 92011

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Carlsbad is a coastal resort in the San Diego North County region.

Carlsbad is located 87 miles south of Los Angeles and 35 miles north of downtown San Diego.

High property values, very high median family incomes, and high education levels have made Carlsbad one of the wealthiest communities in California and in the United States. The majority of San Diego County's top 25-employers are located closer to Carlsbad than San Diego.

A coastal location, thriving commercial sector, and award-winning school district all contribute to the high standard of living in the area. The city is mainly known for shopping, tourism, a booming high-tech industry, and resort style living.

Carlsbad was incorporated in 1952, in large part to generate sufficient funding to connect with the water pipeline running through San Diego County, but also the intent of Carlsbad being incorporated was to avoid being annexed by Oceanside.

The city has drafted ordinances protecting sensitive wildlife habitat, becoming one of the first municipalities in the State of California to do so. The city has also pledged to protect a specified amount of land within the city limits from development of any kind and spends significant funds to restore habitats destroyed by newer development projects.

History

Carlsbad's history begins with the Luiseño people who located one of their villages, Palamai, near what is today Agua Hedionda Lagoon.

In the 1880s a former sailor named John Frazier dug a well in the area. He began offering his water at the train station and soon the whistle-stop became known as Frazier's Station. A test done on a second fresh-water well found the water to be chemically similar to one of the most famous spas in Europe.

To take advantage of the find, the Carlsbad Land and Mineral Water Company was formed by a German-born merchant from the Midwest named Gerhard Schutte together with Samuel Church Smith, D.D.Wadsworth and Henry Nelson. The naming of the town followed soon after, along with a major marketing campaign to attract visitors. The area experienced a period of growth, with homes and businesses sprouting up in the 1880s.

Agricultural development of citrus fruits, avocados and olives soon changed the landscape. By the end of 1887, land prices fell throughout San Diego County. However, the community survived on the back of its fertile agricultural lands.

The site of John Frazier's original well can still be found at Alt Karlsbad, a replica of a German Hanseatic house, located on Carlsbad Boulevard.

Word has it that the world's first skateboard park started right here and known as the Carlsbad Skatepark. It was built here in March 1976. It was located on the grounds of Carlsbad Raceway and was designed and built by inventors Jack Graham and John O'Malley.

The northwestern quadrant is Carlsbad's oldest region. The quadrant is located north of Palomar Airport Road and west of El Camino Real and is concentric with the ZIP code 92008. Though there are some newer developments, the area features many more established single family homes, including apartments and condominiums. The fact that many areas in this quadrant existed many years ago is apparent by the fact that some streets (notably Highland Drive) lack sidewalks and/or street lighting.

Hosp Grove, a grove of trees relatively untouched by development and now designated by the city for recreational use, is located in the northwest quadrant, along with the Buena Vista and Agua Hedionda Lagoons. The Buena Vista Lagoon is one of three the subject of controversy. The Concerned Citizens of Carlsbad is currently floating a Petition to stop the city council from rezoning the fields into new homes and a state of the art City Hall complex. San Diego Union Tribune article

• Carlsbad Village, or downtown Carlsbad, is generally located along Carlsbad Village Drive (formerly "Elm Avenue", the 1991 name-change prompting local consternation, a "Locals Call it Elm" bumper-sticker campaign, and later license plate holders reading "Locals Still Call it Elm"

• Regular events in the village sponsored by the Carlsbad Village Association include a farmers market held every Saturday and Wednesday from 1-5pm, an Annual Art Street Faire

• "Art in the Village" the second Sunday in August from 9am - 5pm,

• Thursdays on the Coast Art Walk, an ongoing event with opening night receptions on the last Thursday of each month,

• Flavors of the Village Restaurant Week, and Carlsbad Village Clothes Show draw many people from throughout the region to downtown Carlsbad.

• The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce hosts a bi-annual street fair, called the Carlsbad Village Street Faire, on the first Sunday in May and November.

• The Village Street Faire is the largest single day street faire in North America with almost 1,000 vendors and well over 100,000 people in attendance.

Olde Carlsbad refers to the area south of the Buena Vista Lagoon, west of El Camino Real and north of Cannon Road. These were the original boundaries of the city of Carlsbad. The area features many historic buildings. It is perhaps the most socio-economically diverse section of the city, where home size range from enormous mansions to modest, one story homes. Architectural styles in the area vary widely as well.

Carlsbad's only historic museum, the Magee House, is located in this area, and it is the home of the Carlsbad Historical Society.

Oscar Castillo

BROKER - REALTOR®

(858) 775-1057

DRE# 01140298