A Local's Guide to Encinitas, CA

[@jvs333]

I moved to Encinitas when I was 23 in 1967 I rented a small house with a small garage (shop) couple blocks from moonlight beach (corner of A st and 101. My rent for the house was $120 and $65 for the small garage shop. Back then you could buy a 3 bedroom house for $50,000+. Then it was a small hippie surfer town with the older WW2 type folks. It was so laid back. There was almost nothing east of I-5 but dirt biking hills. The beaches were never crowded. Inlanders would go to Carlsbad or Oceanside because it was easier to get to. Olivenhain/Rancho Santa Fe Rd didn’t go thru to San Marcos back then. I lived there had a family and a popular sign business. I did all the original sandblasted artistic signs for all the city when it first incorporated: beaches, parks, gardens and many businesses of the time, including the La Paloma theater. They’re all gone now (decades ago). But those designs set the style that are still copied to this day (but not as good if I can toot my horn). Left there in 2001. Great old memories

[@halspencer6613]

Lived in Del Mar, Solana Beach, Cardiff, Encinitas and Carlsbad over about 40 years or so - loved it back in the 60s and 70s. Today its impossibly expensive and crowded and I'm glad I left in the 80s

[@DanPBestLifeSD]

But if you didn't leave your home would be $$$

[@SharonDeCaro]

@@DanPBestLifeSD Same thing happened in Austin. Encinitas reminds me of Austin without the beach.

[@CFloPhotography]

Completely different experience even between the 90s/2000s and even today. It must’ve been cool to have seen horses at moonlight or seeing the gigantic plots of flower filled land, I got to see part of that. That something most “locals” will never get to say as much as they perceive things to be “laid back” today. When’s the last time you ever saw a beater VW Bus filled with travelers rolling down the 101?

[@CFloPhotography]

@@DanPBestLifeSDthe person cared about the experience. No amount of $$$ is going to ever buy to a slice of experience on how truly laid back it was pre-2000s

[@teresastaalcowley8521]

I moved to Encinitas, just east of El Camino Real, south of Encinitas Blvd, the summer of 1989. My home was close to 3000 square feet, red tile roof, solid plaster walls, 1/3rd of an acre. We purchased for $183,000. I sold my home after my late husband passed away and purchased a home in Olympia in early 2005. I moved for my children's middle school, high school, and college education. I was an accomplished artist in Encinitas and told I could experience the same in Olympia. Now my children are grown, moved across the country. I wish I could return home to Encinitas. My Encinitas home now is worth 1.5 to 2 million.

[@CNote415]

Encinitas is the dream spot to own a home. My friend has a place in Solana Beach and I love how it's such a quick drive to the heart of Encinitas. Can't go wrong living in that area of San Diego.

[@DanPBestLifeSD]

Agreed!

[@nazmehr1335]

ENCINITAS A PIECE OF HEAVEN ON THE EARTH 🌍❤❤️❤️❤️💯

[@alexwallace6120]

Thanks for showing is this beautiful community! It looks so beautiful ,especially the beaches. The shopping and restaurant choices look delicious .I hope you and your wife enjoy your new home!

[@DanPBestLifeSD]

I appreciate the love!

[@irishman3375]

I did a surf trip to SoCal and really really enjoyed Encinitas. Wish I could spend more time there, maybe one day :)

[@avi4767]

Amazing effort on this, loved the video as a local.

[@KevinKennedyTMI-m9n]

learned how to serve at Moonlight Beach SURF.

[@calimaciek]

Great video!

[@DanPBestLifeSD]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@chizzydd560]

Encinitas is awesome, but as a fan of parking, land, affordability, and greenery, Vista is where it’s at!

[@DavidJenkins-t9i]

I used to live here miss it bad

[@CoffeeplusVloggys]

I love your videos !!! Can’t wait to move to SD

[@kingsnationbaby4852]

I’ll be there in two weeks for vacation. Can’t fucking wait!

[@DanPBestLifeSD]

I'll see you then :)

[@rickquesada925]

Excellent video. Thank you. 😎🌊🦈

[@DanPBestLifeSD]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@markoakes8620]

Thank you.

[@DanPBestLifeSD]

You're welcome!

[@SharonDeCaro]

Were you there in 2005? It was a completely different city. Leucadia is no longer funky and all the mom and pop places are gone.

[@domi69ify]

Lol, I agree… All the nice funky places in California are being changed though. Used to live in Leucadia for a while back in the early 2000’s. Moved back to Oakland after school and it’s completely different too. That’s just how life is.

[@c.r.6832]

If your rich you can’t beat it if your not don’t bother. By rich I mean 1 million a year our more minimum. My friends mortgage is 10k a month he makes around 300k a year and hes so strapped he started waiting tables just for spending money and he said they tip terrible in Encinitas for the amount of money ppl have. He said when gas was 7 bucks he wasn’t even getting that as a tip average. So it’s supposed to be rich but ppl can’t afford a gallon of gas as a tip😂. I’m so glad I don’t work for tips. Man that’s gotta suck 😂

[@DanPBestLifeSD]

So you are saying someone needs to make at minimum $1 million annually to afford to live here? It's definitely an expensive place to live but that is absurd.

[@georgestark4100]

Not the same place I grew up in back in the 60’s And 70’s.

[@berlin990]

This place used to be really beautiful and special about 30-15 years ago, now it’s too built up and overrun with people.