Carmel Valley

Carmel Valley is a planned community in the northwestern corner of San Diego, California, United States. The community is composed of commercial offices, residential homes and apartments, hotels, retail stores and restaurants.

Niche.com ranks Carmel Valley as  #4 in the Best Neighborhoods to Raise a Family in San Diego. Residents who were polled answered that Carmel Valley has a good sense of community and that new residents get to know the neighbors as soon as possible.

The employment market is strong. Companies with offices nearby include US Bank, Scripps Health, Sony, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, Fish & Richardson, Morrison & Foerster, and The Allen Group. The headquarters of Neurocrine Biosciences and ICW Group Insurance Companies are also located in the neighborhood.

Location and History

Carmel Valley is bordered to the north by  Pacific Highlands Ranch; to the south by Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve and Torrey Hills; to the east by  Del Mar Mesa; and to the west by Interstate 5 and Torrey Pines. 

The area has a rich history. Native Americans are documented as having lived in the area going back some 7000 years. Following the Mexican-American War and the California Gold rush, the area developed to support agriculture and horse farms. Carmel Valley as we know it today,  is a relatively new series of neighborhoods, formed by the city of San Diego in 1975,  with development starting in 1983. It had already been known as Carmel Valley by the locals , named after a Roman Catholic group of nuns called the Carmelite Sisters of Mercy who had established a monastery and a dairy farm in the valley. 

Lifestyle

If you love the great outdoors you will love Carmel Valley.  Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is close by and is great for hiking or a day at the beach. You can find rare Torrey pines trees, pristine beaches, and a lagoon used by migrating seabirds.

Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve is another natural treasure that has 12 miles of trails. You can hike, enjoy the museum, an historic adobe ranch house, and a community garden

The community has a number of walkable local parks to take the kids to play or walk the dog. 

If you love shopping, Carmel Valley has plenty of options, such as Piazza Carmel, Del Mar Highlands Town Center & Carmel Country Plaza. They have plenty of upscale boutiques, grocery stores for the essentials as well as a cinema and lots of great dining options. 

One Paseo opened recently and it’s a great place to spend a day shopping or for al fresco dining. Stores include Sephora, Soul Cycle, Shake Shack, Salt & Straw and Blue Bottle Coffee.

Perhaps the best thing about living in this neighborhood is its close proximity to the coast. In ten minutes you can be in nearby Del Mar or Solana Beach and enjoy a day at the beach, surfing or hiking. Californian living at its best. 

Schools

Carmel Valley has an overlay of various school districts. For the elementary schools, the northern section is part of the Solana Beach School District (K-6). The southern section is managed by the Del Mar Union School District (K-6). Overlaying the entire community, the San Dieguito Union High School District manages the middle schools and high schools. Some Carmel Valley residents attend schools in the bordering communities of Pacific Highlands Ranch, Torrey Hills, and Torrey Pines. Carmel Valley schools are known for outstanding education and rigorous academics.

Elementary schools

Ashley Falls (Del Mar Union School District)

Carmel Creek (Solana Beach School District)

Carmel Del Mar (Del Mar Union School District)

Del Mar Pines (private, nonsectarian)

Ocean Air (Del Mar Union School District)

Sage Canyon (Del Mar Union School District)

Solana Highlands (Solana Beach School District)

Solana Santa Fe (Solana Beach School District)

Solana Pacific (Solana Beach School District)

Solana Ranch (Solana Beach School District)

Sycamore Ridge (Del Mar Union School District); actually in Pacific Highlands Ranch

Torrey Hills (Del Mar Union School District); actually in Torrey Hills

Middle schools

Carmel Valley Middle School (San Dieguito Union High School District)

Pacific Trails Middle School (San Dieguito Union High School District)

Earl Warren Middle School (San Dieguito Union High School District); actually located in Solana Beach

K through 8

Notre Dame Academy (Roman Catholic)

Del Mar Pines School (Private)

High schools

Torrey Pines High School (San Dieguito Union High School District)

Canyon Crest Academy (San Dieguito Union High School District)

Cathedral Catholic High School (Catholic)

Westview High School (Poway Unified School District)

K through 12

San Diego Jewish Academy (Jewish)

One of our favorite parts of helping families move to Carmel Mountain is making sure they understand their school options and helping them align their purchase or sale to match the school year and application deadlines in some cases! 

We would love to show you around this wonderful community. Please reach out to find out more.