1949 Boat Houses San Diego Magazine
Consider it a glossy version of scrapbooking. We’re getting wistful over how many times North County has graced our pages over our 75-year tenure serving this city—and we should be.
In digging through the annals of SDM history, we’ve found that North County has been cropping up since the beginning. In 1949, we featured a couple who owned homes in Encinitas constructed to look like boats, but not seaworthy in the slightest. This was the first of many profiles that cemented North County as the county’s leader in design.
Through the ’50s, ads were placed beckoning our readers to dine with the likes of Bing Crosby in the racetrack- adjacent town of Del Mar. The ’70s saw North County open up as a leisure and entertainment destination, promoting townhome living and new restaurants, which parallels its current cultural climate. The issues of the ’80s and ’90s brought more of North County as the region itself grew in population and economic appeal.
As we wax this North County nostalgia on the page, take in these snippets of the past knowing that we are focused on including every inch of this county, which is why we dedicate an issue to this sprawling swath of culture—that just so happens to have a pretty amazing view.
Homes That Aren’t Houses, 1949
It must be the coastal breeze that makes every North County resident a little bit of a skipper. And in 1949, they might have worn those dapper nautical hats, too. But we’re not talking house boats bobbing along the bay. We’re talking a hull as a full-on house on dry, Encinitas land, as owned by the eccentric and aquatic Mr. & Mrs. Aden D. Gilder.
Cantina La Tienda, 1951
1951 Cantina La Tienda San Diego Magazine Ad
Thought Golden Hill was the destination for indoor BBQing and icy martinis? Think again. The original home of the Turf Club was, in fact, Del Mar. Catntina La Tienda, a Mexican Restaurant owned by Bing Crosby, was the first iteration of the space. But after a move across the highway, it was rebranded as the Turf Club. In 1982, we highlighted the rise of the dining scene in Del Mar, which included this much loved spot as a 24-hour eatery—where racetrack folk could still get an “eye-opener” from the bar at 6 a.m. if the mood, or need, should strike.
Rancho California, 1966
1966 Land Barons San Diego Magazine Ad
Let’s face it—some of our archival ads celebrate societal shortcomings rather than countering them. “Land baron” doesn’t quite have the same ring to it these days, but, in 1966, Rancho California promoted the chance to start your North County inland dynasty.
County Road, North County, 1968
1968 2 Kids Country Road San Diego Magazine
This isn’t the first time we’ve looked back. For SDM’s 20th anniversary, the editors ran a selection of archival pics, including this charming shot of NoCo tots.
Del Mar Restaurants, 1972
1972 Del Mar San Diego Magazine
In 1972, Del Mar had a restaurant boom with five new eateries along its coast. Highlighted in this issue were The Turf Club, a Catholic- church-turned-restaurant called Albatross, GRB (The Golden Rollin Belly, of course), Firepit, and the recently shuttered Bully’s North.
Pacific Villas at Rancho La Costa, 1976
1976 Pacific Villas San Diego Magazine Ad
Not a quite condo, not yet a mansion. This dream of middle-class living was alive and well in 1976. The groovy thing? They’re still around and in demand. Have your own 1,442-square-foot slice of the ’70s for just shy of an estimated $800K.
San Diego in The Xtreme, 1997
1997 X-games San Diego Magazine
If our embedded skateboarding culture wasn’t a big enough draw, maybe the backdrop of Oceanside sealed the deal. Back in 1997, we chronicled the athletes and North County spectators who flocked to see the extreme in action at the third annual X Games, where last month’s cover star and North County resident, Tony Hawk, took home the gold for a “perfect run” in the Skateboard Vert with a score of 97.5.
KKOS 96 FM Radio, 1981
1981 KKOS 96FM San Diego Magazine Ad
In its ’80s heyday, this Carlsbad airwaver played the pop gamut, from Adult Contemporary to Top 40, on its 95.9 dial. They were also, apparently, pretty cozy with easy listening’s adult beverage of choice. We can imagine it now: Slathering on Zinka and cracking a brew on South Ponto Beach with our transistor on in the background. This J. Geils Band anthem’s for you, North County.
There’s A Lot of Theres There, 1997
1997 North County San Diego Magazine
Tell us something we don’t know. Deep diving into the upper regions of our county, writer Tom Blair extolled the virtues of each little pocket, from Del Martians and their cigarette smoke ban (progress for the era) to the leisure of frou- frou blended libations and polo in Rancho Santa Fe and the migrant workers living in nearby Escondido. Shoutout Gertrude Stein.
Rhino Boom, 1997
1997 Baby Rhino San Diego Magazine
Forget Romper Room—in 1997 it was “Rhino Boom” in Escondido with four newborn Indian rhinoceroses arriving at the San Diego Wild Animal Park that November. Much like the recent condor birth at the park, this was a big deal. Constantly upholding zoological excellence, the Wild Animal Safari Park is a long-standing staple of North County education and culture.
Legomania, 1999
1999 Legoland San Diego Magazine
The Danish seem to do everything right. Between pastries, their status as one of the top three happiest countries in the world, and the Lego (Danish for “play well”) company selecting Carlsbad as their third theme park location, they are slowly winning our allegiance. Writer Rob Akins hyped up this great plastic hope as a way to bring jobs and tourism to this agrarian enclave of San Diego.
