City To Remove Pedestrian Protections Along The Upper Seawall On Carlsbad Boulevard

by The Editors on October 28, 2025

The City of Carlsbad has announced they will soon begin a construction project on the upper sidewalk on Carlsbad Boulevard from Pine to Cherry Streets which sees them removing the protective guardrail that has made this stretch of sidewalk a favorite for walkers and stroller pushers for decades.

Anyone who has spent any time walking the seawall knows that cars and motorcycles regularly race and/or wheelie down Carlsbad Boulevard at well over the posted 30 MPH speed limit. And having that guardrail between the sidewalk and the vehicles gives at least the perception of safety. The guardrail also provided a safe separation between pedestrians and cyclists. Why City planners would trade a safe sidewalk for a slightly wider, potentially more dangerous sidewalk is anyone’s guess. 

In addition to making the sidewalks potentially less safe for pedestrians, the City is will also be replacing the long-crumbling stairs to the lower seawall at Sycamore, Maple, Cherry, and Hemlock.

Oddly, the update Carlsbad’s beach front stroll needs most is the section of extremely narrow sidewalk from Tamarack south to Southside. A fix to that section, which was presented back in 2017 has made little to no progress. Click here for an early version of that plan.

Construction on this most recently announced project was scheduled to begin in October 2025, but as we only have three days left in the month November appears to be a more likely start time.

For all the details on this project please click the link.

[Link: City of Carlsbad]

 

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Carlsbad Wastes More Time Fussing eBikes

by The Editors on September 17, 2025

In a sadly misguided effort to curb problem e-bike riders, the City of Carlsbad’s Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission voted September 16, 2025, to recommend that the City Council adopt a minimum age of 12 for riding e-bikes and consider additional actions because, you know, e-bikes are the scourge of our peaceful hamlet by the sea.

We are not fans of e-bikes in general (just pedal your bike, you lazy sod), but ebikes are here, they are useful, they are reducing traffic on our streets and smog in our air, and more importantly, they are getting kids to school in a district that doesn’t believe getting kids to school is important enough to fund school buses. 

There are problems, however, with those crazy kids wheelieing down the middle of the street or swerving in and out of traffic that’s stopped at a red light. But banning kids under 12 from riding e-bikes is not going to solve that problem because, as the city already knows, the problem kids are not under 12. The City also knows that the way to handle the problem kids is to have the Police Department enforce all the traffic laws we already have. We don’t need more laws for Carlsbad Police Department to enforce.

Why is a ban on under-12 riders bad? Because there are 8- to 11-year-old kids who need to get to school. Who may live too far away to ride pedal bikes in a reasonable time. This City always seems to forget about the kids who actually need to ride e-bikes to school. Not every kid in Carlsbad has a stay-at-home parent with a brand-new, American-flag-dragging, lifted monster golf cart to chauffeur them anywhere they want to go at all hours of the day or night. And making rules that limit the abilities of people who need to ride e-bikes simply because a few bad kids are causing havoc is missing the entire point.

But that’s what we think. For what the Carlsbad Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission thinks, please follow the jump.

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Señor Grubby’s Celebrates 17 Years

by The Editors on August 4, 2025

Happy Birthday to the makers of our favorite fish tacos in the Village of Carlsbad. Join the Señor Grubby’s crew on August 13, 2025 from 5 PM until 8 PM at their location on Carlsbad Village Drive.

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Carlsbad City Council Adopts Balanced Budget

by The Editors on June 19, 2025

The City of Carlsbad Council approved a balanced budget that will make key investments into the fire department, Veterans Memorial Park (hopefully with those Mountain Bike courses they’ve been promising for years) and adding more officers to the Police Department.

For all the details, please follow the jump.

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Carlsbad Educational Foundation’s Gala Raises $300,000 for Local Students

by The Editors on June 4, 2025

The Carlsbad Educational Foundation (CEF) proudly announces its annual Gala to Benefit Students, held May 17, 2025, at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, raised $300,000 in support of district-wide programs for the Carlsbad Unified School District (CUSD). With nearly 500 guests in attendance, the evening was a celebration of community, education, and impact.

Since launching in 2022, the Gala to Benefit Students has raised over $1.2 million, supporting more than 40 programs that reach over 11,000 TK–12 grade students across the district. These initiatives include elementary music instruction, STEAM experiences, outdoor education, and career readiness programs that inspire curiosity and prepare students for the future.

For all the details on the event, please follow the jump.

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Scoops of Sadness: Saying Goodbye to Carlsbad’s Thrifty Ice Cream Cones

by The Editors on May 20, 2025

The news has been slowly trickling in, and for many of us, it hits a little harder than just another store closing. Rite Aid, a staple in many communities, will reportedly shut the doors on its Vons shopping center location on Tamarack Avenue the first week of July 2025.

While the broader implications for pharmaceuticals and jobs are certainly significant, there’s a particular pang of sadness here in Carlsbadistan, especially for anyone who’s ever been a middle schooler, or raised one.

With the Rite Aid closure, we’re not just losing a pharmacy. We’ve lost something far more precious, something woven into the fabric of Carlsbad youth culture: Thrifty Ice Cream.

For generations of Carlsbad kids, that Thrifty counter wasn’t just a place to grab a scoop. It was the place. It was the post-game ritual, the celebratory stop after a good test, the commiseration station after a tough one. It was where friendships were solidified over double scoops of chocolate malted crunch, where victories were relived, and where the simple joy of childhood was savored, one inexpensive, oddly-squared scoop at a time.

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NCTD Now Takes Express Mode Apple Pay

by The Editors on March 23, 2025

After getting used to how easily we can hop on Metros, subways, and buses all around the world with just an iPhone, coming home to Carlsbad and attempting to purchase a Coaster ticket is always a headache. The Pronto app is difficult, and buying a ticket from the PRONTO machines usually means standing in line and then helping tourists figure out how to purchase a ticket before grabbing our own.

Thankfully, those days are over. As of March 19, 2025 all North Country Transit District and San Diego Metropolitian Transit System trains, trolleys, and buses take Apple Pay through iPhone Express mode (including Apple Watch).

“Today marks an exciting step forward in making public transit in San Diego more seamless and convenient,” said Stephen Whitburn, MTS Board Chair and San Diego City Councilmember, District 3. “Whether you’re heading to a Padres game, a concert, or simply commuting to your next destination, paying with Apple Pay empowers riders to hop onboard faster. We appreciate having the close collaboration with Apple to bring this feature to our transit systems.”

In Express Mode on an Apple iOS device you can set any payment method (click here for instructions) and then just wave your phone over a PRONTO validator and you’re good to go.

With Express Mode enabled for debit or credit cards, riders do not need to wake or unlock their iPhone or Apple Watch, or even open any apps, to pay and ride on MTS buses and Trolleys, and NCTD COASTER, SPRINTER, BREEZE and FLEX services. All users have to do is hold their Apple device near a PRONTO validator to securely pay with Apple Pay.

Occasionally, we are reminded that technology is a good thing. And this is one of them. Almost makes us want to jump a bus ride down the coast right now.

For all the official details, please follow the jump.
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Arrrrrr, Pirate Plunge Pillages Alga Norte

by The Editors on March 19, 2025

Looking for a fun evening of pirate-themed activities? Join us for the City of Carlsbad’s annual Pirate Plunge on Saturday, March 29, at Alga Norte Aquatic Center, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Pool activities and games

Come dressed in your swimsuit and enjoy a variety of pool activities and games, including:

  • Diving for treasure, ship raider races and walking the plank.
  • The splash pad will be open for younger children to enjoy.
  • Dry activities include a pirate ship slide, a photo op and a treasure hunt, where kids can follow a map to collect hidden treasures around the pool decks.

Additional information

  • Skip the lines! Pick up your wristbands at Alga Norte Aquatic Center the week before the event.
  • Online presale ends at 5 p.m. on the Friday before the event. If tickets are still available, wristbands can be purchased at the event.
  • Food will be available for purchase.
  • For safety reasons, only pool noodles and U.S. Coast Guard-approved floatation devices are allowed in the pool.
  • Event may be modified or canceled due to weather conditions.

Pirate Plunge

Saturday, March 29
5 to 8 p.m.
Alga Norte Aquatic Center
6565 Alicante Road

Tickets: $15 per person (children ages 3 and under are free but must be registered) Click the link to register.

[Link: Pirate Plunge]

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Carlsbad’s Saddest Backyard Hoops Court

by Eero Lloyd Neutra on March 19, 2025

We’re always on the hunt for great homes in Carlsbadistan. Occasionally, in that hunt we run into images of homes that just rip our hearts to shreds. Like this one. . . of the loneliest basketball court in the world. Images like these remind us of the age-old adage, “the wave of nostalgia is always a closeout!”

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Monroe Pool Closes For Renovations March 31

by The Editors on March 19, 2025

(Editors’ Note: A bot wrote this post. . . LOL. Yes, we’re that lazy.)

Alright, Carlsbadistan your beloved (or begrudgingly tolerated) Monroe Street Pool is about to become a construction zone for a whopping 18 months. Yes, you read that right. EIGHTEEN. MONTHS.

Monroe Pool: Gone Swimming… Indefinitely (Sort Of)

So, what’s the deal? Apparently, our little local watering hole is getting a “glow-up.” Or, as I like to call it, a full-blown, tear-it-down-and-start-over extravaganza. They’re talking fancy-pants upgrades like “modernized locker rooms” (because apparently, the current ones were built sometime during the Jurassic period) and “energy-efficient upgrades” (because, you know, saving the planet is trendy now).

Honestly, I’m just hoping they remember to put the water back in when they’re done.

But Wait, There’s More! (And It’s Called Alga Norte)

Don’t panic, fellow fishies! The city, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to point us all in the direction of Alga Norte Aquatic Center. Because apparently, we’re all just supposed to magically teleport there now.

Alga Norte, for those of you living under a rock, is like the Beyonce of pools. It’s got everything: competition pools, warm water pools, splash pads… basically, everything you need to pretend you’re on vacation while still stuck in Carlsbad.

Look, I get it. Renovations are necessary. But 18 months? That’s practically a lifetime in internet years. Just think of all the pool selfies we’ll miss out on!

Takeaways:

  • Prepare for construction noise that will make your eardrums bleed.
  • Dust off those Alga Norte directions; you’re gonna need ’em.
  • Start practicing your “I’m not bitter, just disappointed” face for when you see the finished product (if it ever gets finished).
  • Maybe start a petition to have the city provide free poolside margaritas at Alga Norte as compensation.

In the meantime, I’ll be over here, practicing my synchronized complaining. Stay salty, Carlsbadistan.

P.S. If anyone spots a rogue dinosaur fossil in the Monroe Pool construction zone, please let me know. I have some theories.

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