Carlsbad was the only city in San Diego County to be named one of the 100 Best Places to Live and Launch a business by Fortune Small Business Magazine.
Carlsbad is ranked No. 32 on the list. The magazine states that the city's pros are a fun-based economy that includes booming tourism thanks to LEGOLAND, adventure sports outfitters and major golf equipment manufacturers. The only con cited is an aversion to growth.
“Carlsbad has a strong entrepreneurial community, with the fastest-growing businesses catering to the tourist crowd and incoming business travelers,” the article states. “While the city suspects it would be at build-out in the next 10 years, officials are also aggressively redeveloping several underused zones, enhancing them with amenities such as parking spaces and parks, and making the neighborhoods more attractive to business owners and consumers.”
Denise Vedder, the city's communications manager, said they were informed of the ranking on March 26.
“It's exciting. We've always known Carlsbad is a great place, but it's nice to receive national recognition,” Vedder said.
She said she believes there are a number of reasons why Carlsbad was chosen, including its great schools, airport, beautiful beaches, proximity to major roadways such as Interstate 5 and state Route 78 and growing number of biotech, action sports and technology industries.
“Carlsbad is the unofficial golf capitol of the world. We have Callaway and TaylorMade,” Vedder said. “We have a number of businesses that have attracted people to live here.”
The article points out that Carlsbad boasts the second-largest business community in San Diego County. In fact, the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce is the second largest chamber in the county and the 10th largest in the state.
Ted Owen, the president and CEO the chamber, said Carlsbad is a true utopian society.
“It has an above average income level, very little outside debt and an award-winning master plan that stipulates all projects are required to set aside 40 percent of their developable land for open space,” Owen said. “The city is putting a measure on the June ballot to get voter approval to become a charter city, which would allow city leaders to exercise more control over quality of life issues.”
The article states that Fortune picked the 100 best by ranking 296 Census-designated metro areas by business friendliness and lifestyle offerings. Then, through reporting, the magazine picked the town within each of the top 100 metro areas that best blends business and pleasure.
Kurt Burkhart, executive director of the Carlsbad Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the bureau helped secure the story in Fortune and provided the writer with contacts in the community to interview.
“This coverage provided an earned media value, unpaid advertising, for the bureau of $195,000,” he said. “More importantly, circulation was 1.3 million with a readership of 3.9 million.”
Burkhart said this is not the first time Carlsbad has been highlighted by a credible source.
“Many will recall Carlsbad's recognition on 'Good Morning America' with Carlsbad being named as having one of the five best beaches in America,” he said. “Fortune simply reinforces the allure that many of us already know.”
To view the 100 cities chosen by Fortune, visit money.cnn.com.