Faraday Spectrum

Carlsbad

Carlsbad's Quality of Life is Unmatched.
Where else would you find a seaside community that is small enough to have village charm yet large enough to be a world-class business environment?

Carlsbad is a community with near-perfect weather and two world-class resorts. It supports economic development yet sets aside 40 percent of its land for open space. It has attracted an international theme park and has become the golf capital of the world. Carlsbad has a commuter train, great bus service and the busiest single-runway airport in the nation. A great place to live, with miles of beaches, a wide variety of housing options, terrific shopping, a world-class public library and excellent schools.

Where else but Carlsbad, California? Fortune Magazine rated Carlsbad as 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. In 1999, Where to Retire Magazine rated Carlsbad among the best retirement towns in Southern California.
Carlsbad’s population has grown considerably as more and more people become acquainted with the area. In fact, the population has increased five-fold since 1960, but the city’s award-winning Growth Management Plan ensures that the city retains its small-town charm. Despite Fortune calling us a retirement haven, Carlsbad has a relatively young population, with a median age of 32, and 78 percent of residents under age 55.

Founded during the land boom of 1880s, Carlsbad was named for a Bohemian spa whose waters were found to be identical to those in a local mineral well. Later known as the Avocado Capital of the World, the area was for years an agricultural community of "gracious houses and small farms." Carlsbad incorporated as a city in 1952 and has in the decades since then benefited from a far-sighted city government that always planned for a grand future. For more on local history and an online database of historical pictures, check the Carlsbad City Library Website.

 

Known as the "Village by the Sea," the city is located on the Pacific coast, 31 miles north of San Diego and 86 miles south of Los Angeles – far enough away to be peaceful, but close enough to provide access to urban amenities when you want them. Carlsbad boasts one of the most attractive climates in Southern California and the nation. Temperatures range from an average of 58 degrees in January to 73 degrees in July. Annual rainfall averages about 10 inches, most of it falling between December and March.
The city’s famed Flower Fields draw 200,000 visitors from Southern California and beyond each March and April when more than 50 acres of brightly colored ranunculus burst into bloom.
 

Biotechnology and other technology-related companies already have a firm foothold in North County. Invitrogen (Nasdaq: IVGN), Isis Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ISIS) and ViaSat Inc. (Nasdaq: VSAT) are among the region's top employers. Some of the other large companies in North County are Anacomp Inc. and Cardiff Software Inc.
 

 


Long enjoyed by visitors from the Southwest, Carlsbad is becoming a world-class tourism destination. The internationally renowned La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad features two 18-hole professional golf courses, several restaurants, tennis courts and a spa that attract visitors year-round. In 1997, another world-class resort, the Four Seasons Resort Aviara, opened to critical raves on the shores of Batiquitos Lagoon. Aviara’s beautiful golf course was designed by golf pro Arnold Palmer. Carlsbad has four championship golf courses including one, owned by the city, that is scheduled to open within this year. Carlsbad is host to major sporting events such as the Carlsbad 5000 and the Carlsbad Triathlon for runners, plus the PGA and Andersen Consulting Golf Championships and Acura Tennis Classic at La Costa Resort & Spa.