Article - Where to Retire
Carlsbad named one of 10 best retirement towns in Southern California
Story by Richard L. Fox, reprinted from Where to Retire magazine. For a free trial issue of Where to Retire magazine, visit their web site at www.wheretoretire.com
Southern California is a compact mix of picturesque coastal towns, scenic valleys, seasonally snowcapped mountains and warm, dry desert. Professional sports, arts and culture flourish in Los Angeles and San Diego, while the entire coastline between these two cities boasts the best year-round climate in the country.
Manley and Linda Sarnowsky, formerly of St. Louis, MO, spent only three weeks in Carlsbad, CA, before deciding this was where they wanted to spend the rest of their lives. "We bought on our first visit," Linda says. "We knew we wanted to be near the coast, and once we found the right house we knew this was the place."
The Sarnowskys found California more affordable than they had thought, given its reputation for expensive real estate. "We considered retirement sites in North Carolina and New Mexico along with California," says Manley Sarnowsky, "but we thought it would be too expensive here. So we set a limit on what we would pay for a house, and it turned out to be what we paid almost to the dollar."
While Floridians rate their wonderfully mild winters as that state's most important attribute, coastal Southern Californians bask in a year-around temperate climate produced by moderating ocean breezes.
Many retirees say the topographical diversity of the area, climate, recreational and cultural opportunities and lifestyle choices are unmatched in other areas of comparable size. And if you've given up on the idea of a California retirement because you heard it was too expensive, you should reconsider, says Linda Sarnowsky.
"The cost of living is higher here, but that's the only negative," says Linda, pointing out that there always are choices that can help ameliorate expenses. "You may have to pass up some things that you would like in order to live in a beautiful place," she says.
While California real estate prices are higher - much higher, in some cases - than in most parts of the country, some retirees have found property taxes are lower than what they paid in their former hometowns. The basic tax rate is 1 percent of appraised value plus additional amounts approved by voters. Energy costs are usually lower, and food and clothing are comparable to prices elsewhere.
And if Carlsbad or Santa Barbara seem a little rich for your budget, take a look at Fallbrook, San Marcos or Temecula. Chances are that you'll find a place that will lure you for life.
Carlsbad, the Village by the Sea
Jack and Gwen Nelson of Metuchen, NJ, did their homework when seeking the perfect place to spend their retirement years. "We looked at 10 towns in Southern California, from Santa Rosa to San Diego," says Jack, noting that he and Gwen also considered cities in Colorado, New Mexico and Pennsylvania. "We wanted a walking community with sidewalks, a college nearby and a good library. We found these things and a whole lot more in Carlsbad," he says.
If its nickname, "The Village by the Sea," evokes mental images of a charming Mediterranean village with balmy sea breezes, sun-splashed sidewalks, delightful antique shops and boutiques, sidewalk cafes and friendly merchants, then you've conjured up a perfect description of this picturesque coastal community. Carlsbad has a plethora of attributes that make it perfect for retirement. Directly on the ocean, it has a temperate climate and provides good access to shopping, culture, sports and entertainment - or a fast retreat to a scenic rural getaway. Outdoor options include beach and water sports, golf, tennis, hiking and horseback riding. There is a wide range of housing, from restored historic homes to modern upscale developments east of the interstate offering spectacular views of ocean sunsets. Average housing cost is $303,000.
Quaint, quiet and uncrowded, downtown Carlsbad becomes a beehive of activity when the Carlsbad Village Faire, the largest one-day street fair in California, draws 90,000 shoppers to its byways in May and November. A popular farm market fills its streets weekly during the peak growing season.
MiraCosta College, next door in Oceanside, and Palomar College, 15 minutes away in San Marcos, offer community college choices, and the California State University campus in San Marcos has a range of undergraduate and graduate courses.
If you don't like the idea of a hectic 30-minute drive to San Diego on busy Interstate 5, you can take a more leisurely scenic route down coastal Highway 101, or, better yet, board the popular Coaster at one of two Carlsbad stations, sit back and enjoy a smooth, comfortable commuter train ride downtown.
Carlsbad synopsis:
- Population: 88,013
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Location: On the coast 31 miles north of San Diego.
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January temperature range: 47 to 65
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July temperature range: 68 to 78
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Annual rainfall: 7.15 inches
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Property tax: 1.02013% to 1.05949% of appraised value.
Information: Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, 5934 Priestly Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92008, (760) 931-8400, e-mail: chamber@carlsbad.org
Other communities on Where to Retire's "10 Best Retirement Towns" list:
- Ojai
- Lake Arrowhead
- Santa Barbara
- Fallbrook
- Rancho Bernardo-Poway
- Rancho Mirage
- San Juan Capistrano
- San Marcos
- Temecula
Did you know...? In 1997, Fortune magazine named Carlsbad one of the nation's five best places to retire. "An affordable Southern California dream lifestyle is still available in about one place: Carlsbad," the magazine boasted in August, 1997. Fortune pointed out that our community has ample open space, a low crime rate, a near-perfect climate, smog-free ocean breezes, and is not in an earthquake fault zone.
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