2022 Carlsbad 5000 is May 21 and 22 There are several premier athletic events held during the year in Carlsbad. The Carlsbad 5000, on May 22 and presented by National University, is reported to be the world’s fastest 5K race. Several world and US records have been set, and broken, over the years, and runners will likely attempt this again! [photo is of runners from a different event in Carlsbad] There’s still some time to register online for the 5K and the Junior Carlsbad. The All Day 20K, consisting of four 5-K races, has sold out! There are multiple races on Sunday the 22nd. Junior Carlsbad race for kids ages 4 to 12; either a ½ mile (ages 4 to 6) or 1 mile (ages 7 to 12).The big race, the Carlsbad 5000 (5K).The All Day 20K (four 5-K races) with 4 categories of runners.The Elite Invi... 05/11/2022

Quail on the Lookout We have lots of birds at our house which backs up to a canyon - some are around all year (finches, hummingbirds, scrub jays, mockingbirds, thrashers, hawks, warblers, woodpeckers, mourning doves, towhees, vireos), while others are migratory (orioles, grosbeaks and others).  We particularly enjoy seeing the quail...sometimes as many as 10, and on rare occasions with little ones. They make a variety of different sounds which the grandkids enjoy mimicking.  Sometimes they make it up to our yard, but they are pretty skittish and the slightest noise sends them flying back to the safety of the bushes in the canyon. This one was out the other day apparently keeping on the lookout for danger, and enjoying our beautiful spring weather. 05/08/2022

What’s the Value of My Carlsbad Home? Carlsbad Market Report for April 2022 The Carlsbad real estate market continues to change, with shifts from last month and 1 year ago. These statistics do not include private sales, mobile homes or multi-family housing (the numbers are taken from the MLS and are believed to be accurate at the time they are reported but are not guaranteed). Media reports speak in general terms, and do not reflect local Carlsbad housing market conditions. Current data, and analysis, about the local market conditions will benefit you so you can make educated buying and/or selling decisions about Carlsbad homes for sale. READ MORE ABOUT CARLSBADCarlsbad Village by the SeaWhy I Like Living in Carlsbad 127 homes sold in Carlsbad in April (92008, 92009, 92010 and 92011), 2... 05/04/2022

Jacarandas are Blooming in Carlsbad One of the prettiest blossoming trees (my opinion) is now blooming in Carlsbad, adding a bright violet amidst the greenery. Jacarandas are a semi-tropical tree from south-central South America that typically bloom in late April into May.  While pretty as a stand-alone, I like the clusters of trees we see...the Plaza Real Shopping Center in South Carlsbad (corner of El Camino Real and Aviara Parkway) has a particularly nice collection. They are pretty to look at, but falling blossoms can be kinda messy on the ground - don't park your car underneath if you can help it.  I thought these views with the Flag were interesting.  05/03/2022

April 2022 Carlsbad Art Wall The 2nd mural of 2022 for the Carlsbad art wall, now in its 8th year, is up and it’s a beauty. Plus it’s interactive…more on that in a moment.  The most recent Carlsbad Art Wall was completed recently by children’s writer/illustrator/artist Janell Cannon. Ms. Cannon may be best known for her award-winning children’s book, “Stellaluna (1993).” The book is about a young fruit bat who is separated from her Mother and finds her way to a nest of birds. They adopt her and she learns some bird behavior, yet retains some of her bat tendencies. It’s a very clever book and beautifully illustrated. Cannon’s mural is called Hang with the Bats, for obvious reasons.  Now for the interactive part! Viewers are invited to have their photo taken while standing in front of the... 05/02/2022

4-Bedroom Homes for Sale in CarlsbadMarket Update 4/29/2022  Some Carlsbad home buyers desire, or need, more space than a 3-bedroom single family detached home can provide. This could be for a variety of reasons - a growing household, multi-generational living, need for an at-home office, or extra room for regular guests. A 4-bedroom (or more) home can provide that much needed space.  Here’s the most recent market report for Carlsbad at What’s My Carlsbad Home Worth - Carlsbad Home Sales for March 2022 for a summary of the market conditions including recent sales, inventory, and average/median sales prices. As of this report, there are 20 days of inventory of 4-bedroom single family detached homes, based on the rate of sales for the last 3 months, a very strong sellers’ market. 4-bedroo... 04/29/2022

Carlsbad Alley Art Wall in Carlsbad Village Carlsbad’s public art scene has a new, and special, addition in our community. The Carlsbad Alley Art Wall, conceived and curated by well-known Carlsbad artist Bryan Snyder, was recently dedicated in the Village.  You’ll find the Carlsbad Alley Art Wall at 550 Grand Avenue, on the Tyler street alley wall adjacent to the former Café Ground Up. The Café has closed and a new restaurant, the Village Kabob Mediterranean Grill, will be taking over the space.  This public art wall consists of 17 murals by different artists, the latest completed in January 2022. There is also a large Recreation Mural Space where aspiring muralists…mainly kids…can practice their painting. It’s ever-changing space, so stop by to see what’s been created, or to watch kids... 04/26/2022

Carlsbad Art in the Village 2022  Carlsbad art lovers will be pleased the 24th Annual Art in the Village Fair is back for 2022. The fair was canceled in 2020 and was virtual last year. This annual and popular fine art event showcases local and regional artists, and takes place Sunday June 26th.  The fair runs from 9 am until 5 pm and is free. Art in the Village takes place along State Street and Grand Avenue covering about 4 blocks. [photo is from a prior art fair].  Art in the Village is sponsored by the Carlsbad Village Association, and you’ll find both new and returning artists. Artists are jury-selected so you can expect high quality, and all artwork is handcrafted and unique. Carlsbad is well known for its 1-day art fairs. Whether you are an art lover and collector, or not, strolli... 04/23/2022

Single Story Homes for Sale in Carlsbad  April 20, 2022 Market Update Carlsbad home buyers often prefer a 1-story single family house when looking for a new home.  It may even be a requirement, and the reasons vary from person to person. Some buyers are OK with buying a 2-story home, provided there is a master bedroom with full bath on the main floor. But that type of floor plan is harder to find; often the 1st floor bedroom is a smaller guest bedroom and the bath is a half bath. The overall Carlsbad inventory remains limited, homes are selling quickly in many cases, and often sales prices exceed asking price. Here’s the March 2022 Housing Market Report for Carlsbad. At the time this report was written there is only an 18-day supply of single story detached homes, based on rate of sales... 04/20/2022

Carlsbad Village Faire May 1, 2022 One of the favorite arts and craft fairs returns to Carlsbad Village on Sunday May 1. Supposedly, the Carlsbad Village Street Faire is the largest outdoor 1-day fair in the US (other than perhaps its counter-part, the November Carlsbad Village Faire). The Carlsbad Village Faire takes place from 8 am until 5 pm, so you have plenty of time to enjoy hundreds of vendors and shop all you want. The Carlsbad Village Faire is in the heart of town, along Grand Avenue from Carlsbad Boulevard to Jefferson. The Faire will spill over onto side streets, including State Street over to Carlsbad Village Drive. [note - photo is from a different art fair in the Village]  Signs are already out warning everyone about this special event, since much of the parking will not b... 04/18/2022

Carlsbad Flower Bed 4/16/2022  We were heading out to run some errands this morning and I spied this brilliantly-colored flower bed at a house along Carlsbad Village Drive. The bed was huge, about the size of 2 cars parked side by side. On the way home I had to stop and grab a photo. While we have lots of beautiful flowers right now, these really stood out, particular on a rather gray, gloomy morning. “Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.” – Luther Burbank 04/16/2022

There’s a New Beach Chair in CarlsbadDo You Know Where? Carlsbad now has another beach chair added to the growing collection of public art around the city. And our reputation as an arts community continues to grow. The imagery is perfect for our Village by the Sea.  The new chair was installed in the recently-completed gateway to the Calavera Hills Community Park in Carlsbad, at the corner of Carlsbad Village Drive at 2997 Glasgow Drive. This 1-acre entry-way to the park offers a shaded picnic area, several pieces of exercise equipment (also shaded), and plenty of grass and flowers. It’s a very appealing access point to this popular park (also the site for 3 concerts in the annual TGIF Concerts in the Parks series). The colorful and whimsical imagery, “The Island of Christopher P.,” is ... 04/13/2022

Carlsbad Village Clean-Up April 16 Come celebrate Earth Month 2022 and join in the Carlsbad Village Clean-Up on April 16th. The Carlsbad Village Association (CVA) joins members Pure Project Carlsbad and Handel’s Ice Cream in sponsoring a tobacco waste-focused clean-up focused. Think cigarette butts and e-cigarettes. The clean-up takes place from 9 am to 11 am on Saturday April 16th. Those who wish to help out should meet on the front patio at the Pure Project Carlsbad. Pure Project is a local brewery and taproom at 2825 State Street by the Carlsbad Train Station and adjacent to Handel's Ice Cream.  The clean-up sponsors will provide participants with gloves, burlap bags, buckets and grabbers, while the supplies last. You are welcome to bring your own supplies, too. There are gift certif... 04/12/2022

Hanging Out on a Bush in Carlsbad  It's a little cooler in Carlsbad today...about 90...and this squirrel was taking advantage of the cooler temps to hang out on a bush overlooking our canyon to take in the views. And no doubt scoping out potential food sources. As long as it doesn't come digging in our gardens, and keeps away from the bird feeders, I'm OK with it hanging around...probably can't do a thing about it anyhow.  Hopefully it doesn't have any friends around - they can be pretty destructive with their eating and digging. Fortunately we haven't seen one for many months but maybe there is lots of good eating around our house this spring. 04/08/2022

Today's Weather Forecast in Carlsbad Today - HOT!!  It feels like a warm summer day in Carlsbad right now. No, make that hot! According to my iPhone the temperature is 95 degrees, but our thermometer says 102. Either way, it's unusually hot for this time of year. And rare for it to be this warm even during the summer near the beaches, except when the Santa Ana winds blow.  It's only been in the low 60s recently during the day, so it's nice to have the warmer weather for a couple of days before the cooler days return. No doubt the beaches, and the ice cream stores, are mobbed today!! It's not good for the increased fire risk, however. 04/07/2022

Carlsbad's TGIF Concerts in the Parks Series June 24 - August 19, 2022 The first day of summer is June 21, and the annual TGIF Concerts in the Parks series starts a few days later. There’s no doubt the free TGIF Concerts in the Parks are a highlight of summertime in Carlsbad. Plus it’s exciting to have the live concerts again after being canceled in 2020 and only virtually in 2021. This free outdoor concert series may be the best entertainment option around North San Diego County! You can’t go wrong with a combination of great live music, in one of our beautiful Carlsbad parks, on a Friday summer evening, for free. It doesn’t get much better! 2022 will be the 35th season of Carlsbad’s popular TGIF Concerts in the Parks series, presented by the City of Carlsbad’s Cultural Arts Office. TG... 04/06/2022

What’s the Value of My Carlsbad Home? Carlsbad Home Sales for March 2022 The Carlsbad real estate market continues to shift, with changes from last month and 1 year ago. These statistics do not include private sales, mobile homes or multi-family housing (the numbers are derived from the MLS and are believed to be accurate at the time they are reported but are not guaranteed). Media reports speak in general terms, and do not reflect local Carlsbad housing market conditions. Current data, and analysis, about the local market conditions will benefit you so you can make educated purchase and/or sale decisions about Carlsbad homes for sale. READ MORE ABOUT CARLSBADCarlsbad Village by the Sea 104 homes sold in Carlsbad in March (92008, 92009, 92010 and 92011), 17% more than in February, anoth... 04/03/2022

Planning to Sell Your Home? Where Are You Going to Go? There’s a lot to think about if you are planning to sell your Carlsbad home. This is true whether you are an experienced seller, or selling for the first time. Let’s start off with an important and practical question if you are planning to sell. Where will you go? SOME KEY QUESTIONS TO CONSIDEROf course this has always been an important question for home sellers to consider, and plan around.Do you plan to buy a replacement home, and if so when?Are you planning to relocate somewhere else?Do you plan to rent?Do you already have another home you can move to?Are you moving in with someone else, e.g., a friend or family member? Because of the housing market conditions this becomes a much more complicated issue, depending on your personal... 03/26/2022

Carlsbad Village Makers Market is April 2 The 2nd Makers Market of 2022 takes place Saturday April 2nd, hosted by the Carlsbad Village Association. This is the 6th year of the Carlsbad Village Makers Market events, with multiple fairs during the year. The Carlsbad Village Makers Market takes place on the campus of St. Michael’s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church. St. Michael’s is at 2775 Carlsbad Boulevard south of McGee Park. The Makers Market: A Crafter’s Showcase is open from 9 am until 4 pm. Attendance is free, and 50 or so artisans will showcase their handicrafts. Don’t forget those credit cards and cash for shopping!  The Makers Market Crafter’s Showcase offers a wonderful shopping opportunity, with self-designed and handcrafted items from local and regional artisans. (photo is from a pr... 03/24/2022

First Day of Spring in Carlsbad Well, of course it's the 1st day of spring in lots of places, and no doubt many are pretty pleased. Let's hope the weather cooperates in those wintry places.  Today was a beautiful day and a wonderful time to relax for a bit at the beach in Carlsbad. All you needed was this gorgeous weather and the sound of the waves to slip right into relaxed mode. Didn't take me long at all!   03/20/2022