Welcome to the community of Carmel Valley.

The City of San Diego has been called a “City of Villages,” and Carmel Valley is one of those villages.

Carmel Valley is a master planned community that began with the institutional name “North City West.” When originally proposed, the residents of Del Mar were concerned about the impact of this new development. Lawsuits were filed to prevent this urbanization (see July 1, 1982 Reference).

The Carmel Valley name comes from the community's location--in a wide valley immediately to the north of Carmel Mountain, which is a minor feature at the intersection of I-5 and SR-56. There is, in fact, a Carmel Valley Fault, which I assume runs through or near the valley.

Originally only occupying a small area, Carmel Valley has grown by leaps and bounds. With the development of Torrey Hills and other adjacent areas (which I will include in “Carmel Valley,” even though they are not part of the original planning area), the community now fills the entire 92130 zip code.

Carmel Valley is often grouped into the area known as “North County,” where North County consists of areas like Carlsbad, Encinitas, Escondido, Oceanside, Poway, San Marcos, Solana Beach and Vista. In reality, due to its ties with the City of San Diego, Carmel Valley has more in common with its southern neighbors: Sorrento Valley and La Jolla.

The community of Carmel Valley has a bit of an identity problem. We are Carmel Valley, at the foot of Carmel Mountain. However, there is a community of Carmel Mountain (or Carmel Mountain Ranch) on the I-15 corridor, near Rancho Penasquitos. And there's another Carmel Valley in California, adjacent to the City of Carmel (on the Monterey penninsula, in northern California), which adds to the confusion. If you have a sharp eye, you'll occasionally see pictures of the northern California community where the author meant otherwise.

The area, positioned roughly half-way up the San Diego County coastline, is convenient to almost everything. Located adjacent to the beaches at Del Mar and Torrey Pines (and Torrey Pines Reserve), with UCSD and its surrounding biotech and communications industries only minutes away. To the immediate south lie Sorrento Valley and La Jolla's Golden Triangle, which are large employment centers complete with a shopping mall and many fine restaurants. A quick twenty minute drive south brings you to the airport, downtown San Diego, Balboa Park, the Zoo, Mission Bay, Sea World and more. To the north are developing centers around La Costa and Palomar Airport, as well as the Flower Fields and Legoland. In the next few years, the completion of SR-56 will connect the community with the eastern suburbs of San Diego--Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Escondido and more. This area provides access to more jobs, more shopping, and cultural spots such as the California Center for Performing Arts and the Wild Animal Park.

In addition to all this, Carmel Valley will be at the start of the San Dieguito River Park, which will wind from the Pacific Ocean at the Del Mar Fairgrounds to the mountains near Julian.

The weather here is great, as long as you don't like much change. I always tell people that we have two seasons: shorts and long pants. To see real Carmel Valley weather (at my house), see the Weather Page. If you expect it to be hot here because we're so far south, or expect it to be dry here because we're in the desert, you'd only be partly right. A warm summer day might be in the 80s, with a cold winter day in the 50s. Of course, it almost always gets cool at night (so, bring a sweater!), and we get lots of fog and clouds. The weather is really controlled by the nearby Pacific Ocean, which moderates the temperature and keeps the humidity up (humidity tends to be 70% to 90%). Of course, we don't get much rain (10 inches per year on average).

Given the cost of housing and the recent run-up in prices, there's a lot of local interest in real estate. If you're thinking about moving into the area, be ready for a shock (unless you're from San Francisco!) There are lots of big tract houses on small lots--the current trend seems to be a 4000 sq. ft. house on a 6000 sq. ft. lot.

Community (back to top)
Clubs, Houses of Worship, Community Service Center

Many groups try to bring people together and create a sense of community. There are churches of every denomination, clubs and groups to fit every need.

The City of San Diego has just opened a Community Service Center and Police Storefront, where local residents can go to perform many transactions that used to require a trip downtown. If you need to make contact with the City, try the Community Service Center first.

Parks & Rec Council, Planning Board

The Carmel Valley Planning Board oversees new development projects in the area, hearing community input and making development recommendations to the San Diego City Planning Board and City Council. The Park & Rec Council helps the City of San Diego Park & Recreation Department with organizing activities in the local parks, designing new facilities and taking community input.

Minutes and agendas for the Planning Board and the Parks & Rec Council can be found on their pages.

Schools (back to top)
Torrey Pines, CV Middle School, Solana Highlands, Carmel Creek

People come to Carmel Valley for the schools, which are some of the best in the nation. It may surprise new residents that the schools are not San Diego city schools, and there is not a single school district that is responsible for the space. Yet, there are enough students to go around! The average elementary school has 5 or more classes of kindergarteners, with around 800 students per elementary school! New schools open and fill to capacity in no time. Torrey Pines High School is projected to have over 4000 students in just a few years, with a new High School to be built to absorb some of the over-capacity.

The Solana Beach School District covers the elementary schools in the northern part of Carmel Valley. Currently operating Solana Highlands and Carmel Creek in Carmel Valley (as well as other schools in the surrounding cities), the district has plans to open 2 more schools in the near future.

The Del Mar Union School District covers the elementary schools in the southern part of Carmel Valley. The district has schools in the hills just west of I-5, and a number of schools in Carmel Valley including Carmel Del Mar, Ashley Falls and Sage Canyon. Surprisingly, none of the schools operated by the Del Mar Union School District are actually in the City of Del Mar!

Carmel Valley Middle School and Torrey Pines High School are operated by the San Dieguito School District.

In addition to the public schools, a number of private schools are being built. The San Diego Jewish Acadamy, which will serve grades K-12, is under construction. A Catholic High School is also on the books.

Carmel Valley is immediately north of UCSD and the tech center that has developed around the University's campus.

Library (back to top)

Our local library is a branch of the City of San Diego Public Library. The branch is still fairly new, having celebrated its fifth birthday in 2000.

Parks & Recreation Center (back to top)
Parks & Rec Council

The new Community Park, opened in 1999, is a testament to the doggedness of the local Park & Recreation Council. A site that many deemed unacceptable (due to the slope) was terraced and turned into a gem. The site contains playing fields, pools and water slides, indoor and outdoor basketball courts, tennis courts, kids play areas and more.

Organized youth sports are increadibly popular, overloading all of the parks with thousands of kids who want to play soccer, softball, lacross, football and more (see the Sports Page for links.) So many kids want to play that even parks that were not designed for active sports use are being permitted for organized sports.

There are a few golf courses in the area, including Torrey Pines and The Meadows (see the Sports Page).

Entertainment (back to top)
Movies, Dining, Library Concerts

The events and entertainment in Carmel Valley are centered around the parks and the library. The Carmel Valley Library presents two different music series, and many activities for kids (storytimes, arts & crafts, book clubs and more.) The Recreation Center hosts many classes and activities for kids and adults, including swim lessons, dance, team sports, art, gymnastics and bridge. There used to be summer concerts in the parks, but they are gone now. You might find some in the local shopping centers in July and August. See the Calendar for more on events.

Of course, there are a number of restaurants in Carmel Valley and a single movie theater, with more being easily accessible via the freeway.

The shopping centers in the area host a number of activities of their own. Del Mar Highlands Town Center has its own summer concert series in August. All the centers have activities for Halloween and Easter.

While there is not a great deal of arts and entertainment in Carmel Valley, there is a lot within the region. Balboa Park houses museums, a theater and a Science Center. There are many theaters and concert halls in downtown San Diego. Escondido has its Center for the Arts. Chula Vista has the Coors Amphitheater. Of course, we have attractions and amusement parks in abundance: The San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, Legoland, Knotts Water Park (Soak City), Sea World, The Flower Fields, and (a bit further away) Disneyland, Universal Studios and Knotts Berry Farm. The Del Mar Fairgrounds hosts a number of equestrian events, the Thoroughbred Races in August, and the Del Mar Fair in June.

The North County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau have a wealth of information on the area.

Shopping (back to top)
Stores, Restaurants, Del Mar Highlands Town Center, Piazza Carmel, Carmel Country Plaza

Carmel Valley has three shopping centers, with more on the way (south of SR-56). The existing centers are Del Mar Highlands Town Center, Piazza Carmel and Carmel Country Plaza. Additional shopping is available to the north, along El Camino Real in Encinitas; and to the south at UTC (University Towne Center). UTC is the most accessible shopping mall, and contains Nordstrom, Sears, Macy's and Robinsons/May.

Local Companies (back to top)
Medical, Financial, Services

The area is developing into one of the most desirable commercial zones in the county. Numerous commercial buildings house corporate offices for companies such as Pardee, Peregrine and Oracle. Carmel Valley sits at the intersection of I-5 and I-805, immediately north of La Jolla's "Golden Triangle," and UCSD. Rancho Santa Fe, La Jolla, Del Mar and Fairbanks Ranch are all easily accessible. Given the prime location and the access to good schools and upscale housing, this is one of the most expensive commercial areas in San Diego.