ESCONDIDO -- City officials say they hope a new Web site launched last week featuring businesses, attractions and events unique to Escondido will increase awareness of the city and bring more visitors here.

The city of Escondido and nine local organizations collaborated to create www.escondidoexperience.com, which they say is a rare type of Web site for a North County city.

While Escondido, like most cities, has its own Web site listing government meeting information, city departments, local businesses and events, the city's new site is designed to be a more attractive tool for out-of-towners and locals alike, said Jo Ann Case, manager of the city's economic development division.

"What we did was focus in on the very uniqueness of Escondido," Case said. "The arts and culture infrastructure is maybe unsurpassed except for the city of San Diego itself."

Cami Mattson, president and chief executive officer of the San Diego North Convention and Visitors Bureau, which is one of the site's sponsoring partners, said she doesn't know of any other North County city with a similar Web tool.

"I think this is exciting that a city wants to be actively engaged in marketing," Mattson said.

Escondido's growing arts scene, diverse downtown businesses and special events such as the weekly Cruisin' Grand classic car show all are among the attractions featured on the Web site, which launched July 23.

Escondido company D-life Design created the site, which cost about $25,000 to get up and running, and $15,000 has been spent so far on KPBS television ads to publicize the site, Bromstead said.

The city paid about 80 percent of the expenses, while the other sponsoring organizations together covered the remaining cost, she said. More publicity is planned and the eventual cost to maintain the site will be $1,500 annually, Bromstead said, not including her own labor in that cost.

Michelle Bromstead, marketing and public relations coordinator for the city, said the city hopes to make Escondido a destination location.

"First step, they'll visit us online, and then next step, come see for yourself," Bromstead said.

The site was first conceived of more than two years ago by city officials and representatives of the nine sponsoring organizations, which include: California Center for the Arts, Escondido; Escondido Arts Partnership; Escondido Chamber of Commerce; Escondido Children's Museum; Downtown Business Association; Escondido History Center; Mingei International Museum; San Diego North Convention and Visitors Bureau; and Mercado Business Association.

The user-friendly site contains many photos and short, colorful descriptions of places to visit in Escondido, from downtown restaurants and art galleries to "Queen Califia's Magical Circle" sculpture garden and Dixon Lake.

The Web site groups attractions in themes such as "The French Connection," under which four local French restaurants are listed. Most of the business profiles include a map and two useful lists, one of similar businesses (such as other French eateries) and one of nearby businesses (such as neighboring stores).

Michel Boucher, owner of French restaurant Bistro Le Bouchon, said the Web site is a great idea because Escondido needs more marketing.

"It's very difficult to be in business with a restaurant in Escondido," Boucher said. "It seems that it takes a very long time to be known."

New businesses and attractions will be featured on the site each month free of charge, particularly those at which new or noteworthy changes are happening, Case said. The site also has a calendar of events, which Bromstead said she plans to continually update.

Chain restaurants are less likely to be featured on the site, Bromstead said, noting that the locally owned downtown cafe Blue Mug Coffee and Tea and the downtown Metaphor Cafe are listed together.

"Nothing against Starbucks … but Blue Mug is uniquely Escondido," Bromstead said.

Contact staff writer Paul Eakins at (760) 740-5420 or peakins@nctimes.com.

On the Web

www.escondidoexperience.com