San Diego 4th of July Fireworks for 2008
June 30th, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad, Coronado, Del Mar, La Costa, San Diego Activities
San Diego’s mortgage meltdown and budget constraints have forced Chula Vista to cancel its big annual fireworks display, and Valley Center has fire safety issues, but the 4th of July fireworks displays in the rest of San Diego County will light the skies this Friday night.
San Diego’s real estate market notwithstanding, you shouldn’t have to drive far from your San Diego home to find a good spot to picnic and watch the fireworks:
2007 Fireworks Schedule in San Diego County
SAN DIEGO
Coronado: Glorietta Bay and Silver Strand
July 4, 9 p.m. Day-long festivities with a parade at 10 a.m.
(619) 437-8788.
La Jolla Cove
July 4, 9 p.m.
(858) 454-1444
Mira Mesa Recreation Center
July 4, 9 p.m. Food, rides, games and entertainment in Mira Mesa Community Park during the day.
(858) 538-8122.
Mission Bay Yacht Club
July 4, 9 p.m.
(858) 488-0501.
Ocean Beach Pier
July 4, 9 p.m.
(619) 226-8613.
Mission Bay: Paradise Point Resort
Thursday, July 3 at 9 p.m. with BBQ at 6 pm
(858) 274-4630.
Downtown: Petco Park
Saturday July 12, Fireworks follow the Padres game
(619) 795-5005.
San Diego Big Bay
July 4, 9 p.m.
(858) 751-5755.
Mission Bay: Sea World
July 4, 9:30 p.m.
(800) 25-SHAMU.
EAST COUNTY
Santee: Town Center Community Park Ballfields
July 4, 9 p.m.
(619) 258-4100 x201.
Spring Valley Park
July 4, 9 p.m.
(619) 479-1832.
Campo: Golden Acorn Casino
Saturday, July 5, 9 p.m.
619-938-6000[
NORTH COUNTY
San Marcos: Bradley Park
July 4, 9 p.m. Food and music are part of the celebration happening earlier in the day.
(760) 744-9000.
Vista: Brengle Terrace Park
July 4, 9 p.m. Daylong festivities.
(760) 726-1340, ext. 1574.
Camp Pendleton: Del Mar Beach
July 4, 9 p.m. All day activities including music, food and games.
(760) 725-2313.
Escondido: Grape Day Park
July 4, 9 p.m. Afternoon festivities, including game and food booths, music and entertainment.
(760) 745-1159.
Carlsbad: Legoland
July 4, 8:30 p.m. included with admission
(760) 918-LEGO.
La Costa Resort and Spa
July 4, after dark
760-438-9111
Oceanside Pier
July 4, 9 p.m. Part of the O’Fest All-Day Carnival
(760) 967-2005.
Ramona: Olive Peirce Middle School
July 4, 9 p.m. Grounds open at 5 p.m. for town picnic including food booths and games.
(760) 789-1311.
Rancho Bernardo High School
July 4, 9 p.m. Daylong festivities kick off at 10 a.m. in Webb Park.
(619) 889-8505.
Del Mar Fairgrounds
July 4, 9 p.m. included with admission
(858) 755-1161.
Valley Center High School
Canceled this year. Back in blazing colors in 2009!
(760) 670-7062.
SOUTH BAY
Chula Vista: Bayside Park: Canceled
Wednesday, 9 p.m. Food, music, and entertainment will be featured beginning at noon.
(619) 420-6603.
National City: Kimball Park
Wednesday, 9 p.m. Carnival rides, games and food booths also.
(619) 336-4290.
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Fun and Food at Oceanside Beaches
June 1st, 2008 Categories: Oceanside, San Diego Activities, San Diego Beaches, San Diego Events
by: Roberta Murphy
Villa Sotheby’s International Realty is opening an office near the beach in downtown Oceanside at the new and luxurious Oceanside Terraces. We look forward to meeting our new neighbors at or near Oceanside beaches, including homeowners of the San Miguel condos, North Coast Village, Marina Towers, the Aegean, and Oceanside’s Row Homes–to name just a few.
Great places to meet downtown Oceanside neighbors are at community events (Sunset Market) and along Oceanside beaches and the pier, where local vendors offer everything from surf lessons, bicycle rentals, Italian ices, steaming coffee and expressos, fresh-squeezed lemonade and other fun foods. Many of these foods and services are only offered during the summer season and fold up after Labor Day.
So when you are visiting Oceanside beaches this summer, you might want to keep this list on hand as a handy community guide. And if you are in the market for Oceanside real estate, please stop by our office at 301 Mission in the Oceanside Terraces to discover what this quintessential California beach city has to offer.
You may decide to stay for a lifetime!
Oceanside’s Beach Services
Courtesy of downtown Oceanside’s Main Street Association
Asylum Surf. Body boards, surf boards, swim fins & wetsuit rentals in the kiosk south of the amphitheater, on the north edge of Betty’s Lot. 760-722-7101 http://www.asylumboardshop.com
Surfin Fire. Surf lessons - 1st time or to improve skills. North of the Oceanside Amphitheater on the Plaza. 760-889-6775 http://www.surfinfire.com
Wheel Fun Rentals. Exciting products, like Surreys, Quad Sports and Choppers, designed for singles, couples, kids, or bring the whole family! Located under the Oceanside Pier. 805-650-7770 http://www.wheelfunrentals.com
Mobile Money. ATM machine next to the Oceanside Beach Community Center. (coming soon)
FOOD:
Cafecitó. Espresso, Coffee, Tea and 100% Fruit Smoothies, pastries and snacks. New for this summer: Ultra-thin organic pizzas. South of the Oceanside Pier Plaza, adjacent to the north amphitheater entrance. 760-473-1947 http://www.cafecito.org
Dad’s NY Hot Dogs. Assorted hot dogs, toppings, prepackaged beverages, chips and candies. Tyson Street Park area near the restrooms - Life Guard tower #5. 760.805.6448
Kokomo’s Beach Café. Best Burgers at the Beach - variety toppings. Beef/veggie dogs, wrap sandwiches, ice cream & specialty desserts. 2 for 1 SPECIALS. South of the Oceanside Amphitheater, adjacent to the south entrance. 760-967-1234 www.kokomosbeachcafe.com
L’Limone. Fresh squeezed lemonade, soft frozen Minute Maid lemonade cups and authentic salt water taffy. North of the Amphitheater on the Plaza.
Nutty Bavarian. Roasted nuts and assorted canned and frozen beverages. Tyson Street Park area near the restrooms - Life Guard tower #5.
Oh My Gosh Donuts. Hot fresh mini donuts - various toppings; deep fried candy bars - Snickers, Baby Ruth, & more; hot & cold drinks. North of the Pier on the Plaza. 760-579-1775
Skweezrz NY Italian Ices. Better than ice cream. Tyson Street Park area near the restrooms - Life Guard tower #5. 760-707-9559
Surf & Sea Hawaiian Shaved Ice. Various cool and refreshing flavors of Hawaiian shaved ice. Seagaze Park area.
Food and services are available daily through Labor Day. Weekend hours are 9:00 am to sunset. (Note: weekday hours may vary slightly through mid-June.)
You may also wish to read:
Phantom Art Galleries in Oceanside?
Downtown Oceanside: Moving Up?
Oceanside Urban Luxury: Oceanside Terraces
San Diego Baby Boomers: The Wish List
Fun at Oceanside and San Diego Farmer’s Markets
Oceanside and San Diego a Bargain for Foreign Investors
Things to Do with Kids in Oceanside and San Diego
Oceanside and San Diego Real Estate Irresistible to Foreigners and Expats
Things to Do in Downtown Oceanside
Testimonials from Our San Diego Real Estate Clients
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Phantom Galleries for San Diego
May 22nd, 2008 Categories: Oceanside, San Diego Activities, San Diego Events
Here’s another blog post that has nothing to do with San Diego real estate or homes, but everything to do with walkable shopping areas and the potential for fine eye candy.
Late yesterday, I received a fun call from April Game, CEO and Founder of the San Diego Fine Art Society. She explained their goal of allowing area artists to display their works in San Diego’s empty storefronts that are barren ugly or otherwise unremarkable.
It is an idea that would encourage walking, conversation–and perhaps a new appreciation for the arts and the artists who share their works.
I immediately thought of the ground floor retail space at Oceanside Terraces in downtown Oceanside. What a great visual display it would be for art to replace the empty window spaces that populate this luxurious building and residence.
On this San DIego Realtor’s to-do lists for today? Make some calls and try to secure some empty storefront windows in downtown Oceanside.
This phantom gallery project appears to be well-underway in Los Angeles, and the San Diego metropolitan area just may outshine its northern neighbor (right, April?)
To be continued….
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Save trees: (How to) Stop Junk Mail
May 8th, 2008 Categories: Real Estate News, San Diego Activities, San Diego Events, San Diego Real Estate
Here’s a little tip that might save a few trees and the good nature of more than a few San Diego home owners.
I don’t know about you, but there is nothing more annoying than to have solicitors intruding into your life by telephone. Millions rejoiced when Do Not Call lists were instituted and we all reclaimed precious time in our lives by signing up.
Now if we could just find a way to stop those pesky surveys.
Not quite so intrusive is all the junk mail that clogs our mailboxes, trash cans and landfills. I would be delighted to never receive another offer to refinance my home, buy more insurance, open a Capitol One credit card, or borrow money of any sort.
I am also more than a little annoyed that credit bureaus are allowed to sell our information, FICO scores and other data to these soliciting firms. Were you aware of this practice?
Want to opt out?
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you have the right to opt out from these offers and prevent the credit reporting companies from selling or providing your credit and contact information to these solicitors.
To do so, just go to OptOutPreScreen and complete a simple form.
By doing so, Equifax, Experian, Innovis and TransUnion will be unable to share your information for at least five years. If you wish to permanently do so, instructions are provided for doing so by snail mail.
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Downtown Oceanside: Moving Up
May 6th, 2008 Categories: Oceanside, San Diego Activities, San Diego Communities, San Diego Events
by Roberta Murphy

Late yesterday afternoon at a Carlsbad Cinco de Mayo fest, I met two wonderful ladies who had spent the last 20 years with their families living in downtown Oceanside.
Their kids went to school in Oceanside–and for the umpteenth time, I heard rave reviews about the downtown Oceanside community spirit, and the friendliness and caring of its residents.
“People here don’t just come home from work and pull down their garage doors. We truly connect and socialize with our neighbors,” one explained.
Oceanside, CA is a great place to spend a weekend, a two-week vacation, or even a lifetime (say local residents). It offers a great coastal climate, broad sandy beaches, relatively affordable homes, condos and townhomes, and lots of activities for all ages.
Visitors to Oceanside (many arriving by train) marvel at the downtown building and bustling activity. High rise condominiums, such as the newly-constructed Oceanside Terraces, are reshaping the local skyline, while the historic Oceanside Pier continues to draw fishermen, sightseers or those out for a lengthy ocean stroll.
For those seeking museums and missions, Oceanside has many rich offerings. For example, the California Surf Museum located at 223 North Coast Highway is a surfers’ mecca. Not only do they offer displays showing the evolution of surfing, but they also have a large display of surfboards, ranging from single-finned woodies to contemporary four-finned and lightweight fiberglass models.
If you are interested in the visual and fine arts, there is the edgy Oceanside Museum of Art, located at 704 Pier View Way. In addition to their eye-opening and provocative art displays, the museum also hosts their School of Art, which offers instruction in a variety of media, including painting, pottery and ceramic sculpture, along with drawing and drumming. The Oceanside Museum is housed in the classic Irving Gill-designed building that preserves the 1930s flavor of Southern California.
Oceansides Mission San Luis Rey de Francia is California’s King of Missions. It was established in 1798, and is located just four miles east of downtown Oceanside. This early and largest California mission is still a center of Catholic Church activities and events. Visitors are welcome to stroll through the Mission Church and the surrounding gardens and grounds.
The Oceanside Farmers Market is a local’s favorite and is held every Thursday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Pier View Way, between Coast Highway and Ditmar Street. The event reopens in the late afternoon at 4 p.m. to the delight of both downtown residents and visitors. All can find just-picked and local fruits and vegetables, fresh fish, fragrant and steaming hot tamales, bouquets of local flowers, and other culinary surprises. Bring your appetite and sense of adventure!
Restaurants are abundant in downtown Oceanside, and range from seafood spots by the Oceanside Harbor, to Cuban, Japanese Mexican, French and California Nouveau cuisine. For a taste of history (but not yesterday’s fare ), you may wish to stop for a cup of coffee or a meal at the 101 Cafe, located at 631 S. Coast Highway. This roadside treasure has been around since 1928, and offers visitors glimpses of what life was once like in this scenic California beach town.
For additional information about Oceanside and life in San Diego’s prime North County, you may wish to view the following:
Oceanside Urban Luxury: Oceanside Terraces
San Diego Baby Boomers: The Wish List
Fun at Oceanside and San Diego Farmer’s Markets
Oceanside and San Diego a Bargain for Foreign Investors
Things to Do with Kids in Oceanside and San Diego
Oceanside and San Diego Real Estate Irresistible to Foreigners and Expats
Things to Do in Downtown Oceanside
Testimonials from Our Real Estate Clients
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