We get a lot of “walk-ins” in our office since it’s located right in the center of the village of Del Mar.  Many are visiting from areas east or Midwest, who, while vacationing at our beautiful beaches, start dreaming about the possibility of relocating or owning a second home here.  

One of the reasons they are so drawn to Del Mar in particular is because it is such a “walkable community”.  One can easily stroll to beaches, restaurants, markets, dry cleaners, and other amenities, from one’s home.  This is more common in the east coast and Midwest where development historically tended to occur organically around a focal point like a developing town center.  In contrast, here in Southern California, there are many “preplanned” communities, designed by developers sitting at a desk, and built from scratch on a vacant piece of land.  The plans generally include strategically placed strip malls to service the tract communities, but there is not usually a true town center or sense of “downtown”.

I often get the question, what other coastal communities in northern San Diego can one live in without having to get in one’s car to drive to basic amenities like shopping, restaurants, etc.  Unfortunately, there are only a few, and the residential options in each is fairly limited – either in numbers or by their high prices. 

To the south of Del Mar, La Jolla offers a much larger and more cosmopolitan environment, and is comparably picturesque and similarly high priced.  To the north is Solana Beach, home of the famed Design District.  While this area is known for its designed themed shops and boutiques, it is not a true village in the sense that it doesn’t offer many of the basic needs like markets, pharmacies, etc.  Further up the coast you’ll find charming Cardiff-by-the-Sea.  Even smaller than Del Mar, Cardiff does offer a true town center and is known for its  “walkability”, with the beach, lagoon, restaurants, markets, post office, library, restaurants and other services within easy walking distance.  Both the older coastal part of Encinitas and of Carlsbad have a village feel, but they are larger cities and not quite as quaint.  For the 5 cent tour, give me a call or visit our website for current available listings. 

Another interesting resource I happened upon recently is www.walkscore.com.  One can plug in an address, for example of a home you may be considering purchasing, and find out what grocery store, restaurants, libraries, gyms, etc. are within a mile of the property.   Check it out!