Best Places to Live – Imperial Beach
Did you know that Imperial Beach is the site of the annual U.S. Open Sand Castle Building Contest? Thousands of spectators and competitors from around the world come here each July for it. The creations range from fairytale to science fiction to fantasy and other inspired forms. The party lasts all weekend, with a street fair on Saturday and main event on Sunday.
It is home to a unique outdoor museum that displays surfboard silhouettes anchored to the sidewalk that trace the history of surfboard shapes and designs throughout the history of surfing between 3rd Street and Seacoast Drive. Many of these boards were designed by Imperial Beach natives.
It is home to estuarine lagoons and river mouths and is a great place for bird-watching enthusiasts to come to. The National Wildlife Refuge park service offers guided nature hikes and visitor information.
There is also the bike path that runs from Imperial Beach to Coronado, 13 miles long and 26 mile round trip, provides beautiful views of southern San Diego bay, the salt flats and Silver Strand State Beach.
Last year, big names like Coronado Brewing Company and the Pier South Resort hit the scene, while the non-profit IB Beautiful launched the bustling oceanside farmers market held every Friday evening. You can witness sweeping views of Los Coronados Islands, epic sunset views, and dolphin sightings from the pier, which happens to be the most southerly located pier on the west coast and a prime fishing spot. You can also swim there but around the pier where the lifeguards are on duty at and where the water is clean. It’s not advised to swim anywhere else due to hazardous surf and contaminated water from the Tijuana River.
The city has a Mediterranean climate with summer temperatures often in the upper 70s and winter temperatures in the 60s. Because of the comfortable year round temperatures many homes in Imperial Beach are built without air conditioning. The Farmer's Almanac consistently ranks the area within the Top 10 Best Weather Cities in America.
The Walk score, which is a number from 0-100 that helps you find a walkable place to live, is 59. Hop on your bike if a place is too far to walk!
The median home in Imperial Beach is about $425,000, which is 13.2% higher than the past year and is expected to rise more in the next. The average rent is around $1,800.
Check out Oceanside if you like Imperial Beach.
Sources: San Diego Magazine, Walk Score, Zillow, sandiego.com, sandiego.org
