Carlsbad Village

Very cool quaint coastal village. The village is best during the day with exploring shops, restaurants and the beach. There are also seasonal events and a cool street art scene that are worth the visit. You can usually find convenient street parking for the beach, except in the summer when parking is always tricky.

Located in the heart of downtown Carlsbad, the Village is great for so many reasons. Tons of little shops, tons of eateries, bars, etc… and only a few blocks from one of the best beaches in North County.
I’ll be back!

I’m surprised the Village only has three reviews because this place is always jumping on the weekends. I really don’t come here during the day but at night it can get a little crazy from The Cantina to Coyote and really late at Señor Grubby. Everything is in walking distance so no need to call a cab or an Über to get around. Also if you’re going to be drinking just call a cab or Über because the cops are everywhere.

The «Village» part of Carlsbad is really cool. Emma J wrote a very detailed and accurate account of everything the Village has to offer and I highly recommend you read it. I’m just an occasional visitor that enjoys taking the family for some beach fun and a meal.
Tips
–I’d consider this part of North County to be pretty safe, but I’d stay closer to the Ocean and touristy business locations.
— Carlsbad Village is about 10 degrees cooler than Escondido making it a desirable place to cool down on a hot summer night.
— Las Olas is a good family friendly dining option.
— The Village Faire Shopping Center has a lot of shopping and dining options with a fountain and fake grass area in the middle for the kids to run around. Be sure to check out Gaia Gelato for a nice treat!
— There are parking lots in the area. There is one off Washington that is walking distance from the main shopping center and street.
— If you’re looking for antiques/​junk/​used the Village has all of that too. In fact, you could make a morning or afternoon of just browsing all those shops.

The collection of stores which compose Carlsbad Village tend to be quite fun. There are food stores, gift stores, book stores, clothing stores and so on. Parking is abundant, but potentially it won’t be close to any given store in particular.
Some memories that I have are going to Carlsbad Chocolate Bar and a nearby bookstore. Both were intriguing and intellectually stimulating. The proximity to the beach is what defines the village.
Carlsbad is lucky to have such a neat village.

Carlsbad is known for Legoland, long stretches of beautiful beach, and a budding microbrewery scene. But since moving to the area, discovering Carlsbad Village has been the most pleasant surprise of all!
Carlsbad Village is located in the northwest corner of the city & is a great place to be, day or night. Just steps from the beautiful coast, Carlsbad Village streets are lined with delicious restaurants, stylish wine rooms, cozy cafes, and every type of specialty shop. Drop by on a weekend or evening, and it’ll be easy to find some great live music too (try Relm, Coyote, and Armenian Café.) The happy hour scene is also very popular, so it’s a perfect place to relax after a day at the beach (check out Compass, Board & Brew, and Paon.)
I love the Carlsbad Village layout. Unlike nearby cities’ downtowns that are just long strips of businesses on a single street, Carlsbad Village actually covers several city blocks and is reminiscent of Carmel-by-the-Sea’s downtown. You can mosey down each and every street & just let yourself get lost in the area’s charm (I promise you’ll stumble across some cool wall art & hidden book stores!) The adorable German-​style traditional buildings give the Village an old-​town feeling, yet peep inside those buildings & you’ll discover old and new businesses alike (Al’s Café is the delicious breakfast classic & Café Topes is the stylish new kid on the block.) And if walking isn’t your thing, the Village offers several places to rent bicycles, scooters, kayaks, and surfboards too.
Carlsbad Village is absolutely a must-​see while in the area. And if you’re visiting from out of town, try to coordinate your trip with the great Carlsbad Village Faire which happens every November & May — now in it’s 40^th year, the city closes Village streets to car traffic & puts on a great (FREE!) music, food, & local business festival that’s attended by over 100,000 people!

Everyone who visits or that lives here loves the village. It’s a beautiful place. Warm or cool that’s our weather.