Cardiff-By-The-Sea...The Quintessential Southern California Beach Town

Cardiff (this is a link to a virtual tour with music, so turn on your sound and enjoy) is a quaint and charming seaside village with a long surfing history, located about 20 miles north of San Diego, sandwiched between Solana Beach and Encinitas. The town has gorgeous views of the Pacific as well as the San Elijo Lagoon which forms the south border, and is a popular tourist and surfer destination.

Cardiff is a community of approximately 4550 housing units, both owner occupied and rentals. Recent surveys indicate that only about 149 units were unoccupied. The town covers an area of about 1.9 square miles. The most recent population survey shows 10,366 residents, with about 56% of the them owning their homes, and the rest are renting.

The town was founded by J. Frank Cullen, a Boston painter turned developer. He purchased the land (about 600 acres) originally developed as farmland and sold off lots. Cullen supposedly selected a Spanish name for the town (pretty common in the area) but was persuaded to name it Cardiff, after his wife's native Wales. Driving through the town you will notice that most of the streets have English names (Oxford, Cambridge, Manchester, Glasgow, and so on). Victor Kremer developed the area north of Birmingham now called the Composer District (again, the names are a give-away - Mozart, Verdi, Chopin, Rubinstein). It is believed he may have added the By-The-Sea to the name, although most people simply refer to it as Cardiff.

A bit more history...Cullen built a hotel in town which still stands at the corner of San Elijo and Chesterfield (now called the Mercantile Building). The building has housed many different businesses over the years, including a grocery store and library. Patagonia, an upscale retail store, currently occupies the ground floor. The pier built by Cullen, just north of today's Restaurant Row (right middle photo), was destroyed in a storm in 1916.

As noted, Cardiff's history as a popular spot for surfers has added to the charm that continues today. The Rob Machado Surf Classic is a popular event, offering a variety of competitions including longboard  and shortboard for men and women in a variety of age categories, a paddleboard race, and an open swim. There are also a number of vendors and plenty of entertainment - one recent event (the 5^th) attracted 20,000 visitors. If you spend any time in town, you will see lots of surfboards heading down the hill under arms, on bikes, in the backs of trucks and running across the coast highway to the beach. A number of surfing related shops and eateries, too.

 Cardiff real estate, like other coastal communities, offers a range of housing, but at a hefty price tag, at least near the coast. Limited inventory, beautiful views, and overall desirability combine to keep home prices in Cardiff high. As of the end of February there were 34 detached homes for sale in Cardiff (ranging in price from $599K to about $3 million), and 18 attached homes for sale ($390K - $1.89 million). At the current rate of sales the town has about a 5.5-month supply of detached and 2 month supply of attached homes. The median attached home price as of January 31, 2007 was $1.1 million (average = $1,230,800); the median for attached homes was $479K. There are a variety of styles, including bungalows and cottages, twin-homes, contemporary and Spanish, as well as apartments and condominiums; there are several gated communities of attached and detached homes. Upside-down homes are common on the hill (living space is upstairs, bedrooms down) to take advantages of the glorious views, and many are 3 stories. Cardiff has enacted building height restrictions to prevent owners from adding on too much space above existing levels to take advantage of the views, and thereby blocking views of neighbors. Good for some, not good for others.

While Cardiff is not known as a gourmet food capital, there are some decent places to feed yourself, especially if you want to eat while looking at the ocean. Restaurant Row, on the Coast Highway, offers a number of different restaurants (Chart House, The Beach House, Charlie's By The Sea, Las Olas ), several of them directly on the ocean where you can enjoy watching the surfers, the surf, and take in spectacular sunsets. Mexican, California, and seafood are the primary offerings. Pipes is one of the best known breakfast places around, and while I have not eaten at Trattoria Positano I understand it is quite good and popular with locals. Yogi's, a sports bar and pub, is another popular eatery that attracts residents and visitors, although I have heard mixed reviews.

The beaches, of course, are spectacular, and offer great surfing, sunbathing, kite flying or just enjoying the views. You will often find stone sculptures created by seasoned sculptors and beginners, which disappear over time, only to re-emerge. Parking along the 101 is free and fairly easy to find in the off-season, but summers find parking, as expected, more difficult.

Children attend 1 of 2 elementary schools depending on their grade - they both have great reputations from what residents have told me, and from reviews on the Internet. Older students attend Encinitas schools. There are several private schools in Cardiff as well, including Montessori and the Sanderling School.

There is some nice outdoor space in Cardiff as well. In addition to the beaches, you can enjoy the community park in downtown, running along the train tracks, and George Berkich Park in the Composer District. San Elijo Park and campground (San Elijo State Beach, between Cardiff and Encinitas) also offers nice space, a great beach, and a popular camping destination. Glen Park, on Orinda Drive, offers a nice play area for young kids, and horseshoes, basketball, tennis and beach volleyball.

Neighboring Encinitas offers many other things to do, including lots of shopping, more than 20 restaurants, the Quail Botanical Gardens, and The Self-Realization Temple. Head south to Solana Beach to enjoy more varied and upscale shopping, especially in the Cedros Design District, or take in a live music show at the Belly Up Tavern.

Cardiff-by-the-Sea offers the classic seaside town lifestyle with a strong surfing history that continues even today. Perfect weather, a laid-back atmosphere and small-town feel, and a diversity of residents, old and new, provide the perfect mix of Southern California outdoor living in a healthy, but pricey, housing market. Why not dream YOUR dream here!

Are you thinking of a relocation? Drop by Relocation A to Z for more information on how to relocate successfully. If you are a first time buyer and are interested in Cardiff real estate, take a look at First Time Buyer Central for all you need to know about buying your first home. Don't hesitate to ask if I can provide any information or answer your questions about the housing market in in Cardiff or other areas of Southern California.