Neighborhoods

Santa Barbara is world renowned for its physical beauty, its Mediterranean climate, and the casual, easygoing lifestyle that its inhabitants adopt. The City of Santa Barbara, which lies tucked between the four thousand foot Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, is home to 80,000 people (another 300,000 live throughout the county). Santa Barbara is large enough to support the amenities of bigger cities, yet still maintains a small-town feel. The people who live here feel strongly about their close-knit community, and actively defend the town they are proud to inhabit (Santa Barbara building restrictions, architectural codes, and zoning laws are some of the most judicious in the country). The end result is a city whose beauty rivals paradise.

Geography
Perhaps Santa Barbara's geography is what sets it apart. The region is located on a transverse mountain range—the only transverse range from Mexico to Alaska—which creates a unique marine environment, and helps to maintain Santa Barbara's famous weather. In addition, the Channel Islands, located just twenty miles (or an hour and half by boat) off the coast, do their part to shelter the coastline, while offering an unspoiled sanctuary to native flora and fauna. With over 300 sunny days a year, the annual rainfall averages fifteen inches, and the average temperature lingers at sixty-five (maximum and minimum temperatures rarely sway more than twenty degrees). It's a paradise for beachgoers, hikers, and gardeners alike.

Culture
With a world class art museum, a thriving music and art scene, and numerous cafes and clubs, Santa Barbara is the cultural hub for the Central Coast. It's not hard to find top-notch food in many of the city's restaurants—most fare is fresh and local, whether coming from nearby farms and orchards, or the abundant waters of the Santa Barbara Channel. There's a Farmers Market for every day of the week, and just north of the city, up and over the coastal mountain range, the Santa Ynez Valley produces some of the world's best wine. Downtown Santa Barbara is dotted with historical buildings dating back to the period of Spanish rule, while north of downtown, the Santa Barbara Mission crowns the city.

Downtown
The spirit of Santa Barbara is captured by its downtown. It's the commercial and cultural center of Santa Barbara, lined with galleries, theatres, shops, clubs, cafes, and some of the best restaurants in California. The buildings of downtown are predominantly of Spanish Revival architecture, imparting an Old World flavor to even modern structures. The Paseo Nuevo mall, just over ten years old, has the feel of an ancient Spanish city. State Street is the heart of downtown, bustling with activity at all hours of the day and night; the street runs through the city down to the beach, where it extends into the Pacific as Stearns Wharf.

The residential communities of downtown offer a blend of craftsman, Victorian, and Spanish style architecture. Most lots are small, or have been subdivided; most homes are small or medium-sized, and there are plenty of apartments and condos. Current prices range between $600,000 and $2,500,000.

Upper East Side
The Upper East Side boasts some of Santa Barbara's finest residential opportunities. Stretching from the Santa Barbara Mission south to State Street and east along the foothills of the Riviera, this is one of Santa Barbara's most established neighborhoods.

Many of the homes in this area are over a hundred years old, and have been well preserved; Craftsman and Victorian architecture abounds, offering distinctive charm and spacious living within easy walking distance of downtown. Current prices for these fine old single-family homes range from $1,000,000 to $3 million.

Riviera
The Riviera skirts the foothills that lie directly north of the City of Santa Barbara. As the name implies, this neighborhood has a distinctive European charm. Many of the houses are built on hillsides, which affords every property with breathtaking views of downtown Santa Barbara and the harbor. Several homes are Mediterranean or Spanish in architecture, which fits well with the region's twisting rock walled streets. There is no major commercial district in the Riviera, though there is a movie theatre, a great private school, and a few office buildings. Downtown is a short drive down the hill. Prices range from $1,200,000 to $3 million.

San Roque
San Roque is one of Santa Barbara's most promising localities. Located between upper State Street and Foothill Road, this quiet family neighborhood boasts comfort and privacy while maintaining some of the most affordable property values in the area. Originally developed from the 20s to the 50s, San Roque has all the charm of a mature neighborhood, with winding tree-lined streets and spacious front yards. The single family houses in this area run the gamut—from ranch-style bungalows to colonial to Spanish-Mediterranean. Although much of the area was originally developed as suburban tracts, most houses in this area have undergone significant remodeling. Current prices range from $900,000 to 1.5 million.

The Mesa
The Mesa stretches from Santa Barbara's harbor up the coast to Hope Ranch. Originally developed in the 30s and 40s as a beachside community, the Mesa is mostly comprised of little cottages and beach-style bungalows. Many of these older houses are seeing remodeling, and the hillside above the Mesa continues to be developed with luxurious estate properties. Most houses have terrific views of the ocean, and are within walking distance of the beach. The Mesa does have its own shopping area, replete with cafes and restaurants, and one of the city's best parks (Shoreline Park is a mile long swath of bluff-top grass overlooking the Pacific). Due to the marine influence, temperatures are a bit cooler on the Mesa. Family homes in this area range from $900,000 to $2 million.

Hope Ranch
Hope Ranch lies just up the coast from downtown Santa Barbara, stretching from the westernmost edge of the Mesa to southeastern Goleta. It is a private community, yet is still a part of the City of Santa Barbara. It was developed in the '20s as a ranch-style residential area and today boasts some of Santa Barbara's premier properties. It is a beautiful, secluded, densely wooded neighborhood, with spacious properties and extravagant estates. Several equestrian trails wind throughout the properties, and homeowners also enjoy access to Hope Ranch's private beach, as well as golf and tennis at La Cumbre Country Club. The homes here range from ranch-style estates to Mediterranean mansions; prices start at $900,000, and quickly rise to upwards of $20,000,000. The median sales price is currently at $2,000,000.

Montecito
Montecito is an unincorporated suburb immediately southeast of Santa Barbara's city limits. For more than a century it has been one of the most exclusive residential communities in the country, and today is home to more than 13,000. Several movie stars make their home here, including Kirk Douglas, Jonathan Winters, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Martin, Dennis Franz, and John Cleese. Lot sizes are kept at a one-acre minimum, which gives this town a lush, secluded ambiance. Montecito's streets are lined with beautiful stone walls, thick hedges and densely wooded grounds. There are two major commercial areas in Montecito—Coast Village Road, and the Upper Village (off of East Valley Road). Both enjoy world-class restaurants, galleries, and upmarket shops. Montecito properties vary from luxury estates to older ranch-style homes. Single-family houses start from $1,000,000, and can surpass $40,000,000; the current median is at $1.9 million.

Summerland
Summerland is a small village just south of Montecito, tucked between the Pacific to the south and Ortega Ridge to the north and west. Originally built in the early nineteen hundreds to support local oil drilling (the oil piers were demolished over fifty years ago), the town has a variety of older houses and fishing cottages, as well as newly developed single-family houses and apartments. Throughout the fifties, sixties and seventies, Summerland was an artistic community, and still maintains a bohemian charm, though current residents are increasingly professional or family-oriented. Calle Real, the main frontage road off 101, is Summerland's commercial hub, lined with family-style restaurants and enough antique stores to keep a person busy for days. In recent years, property values in Summerland have seen significant growth: the current market ranges between $550,000 for a condo to $1,200,000 for a family home.

Carpinteria
Carpinteria is a small coastal town fifteen miles south of downtown Santa Barbara, home to about 16,000. Most residents in Carpinteria are working-class professionals who work locally, though many also commute up the coast to Santa Barbara. Local industries include farming and flower growing, a few hi-tech firms south of town, and of course tourism. Though growth is not restricted quite as severely as in Santa Barbara, Carpinteria has maintained its small-town charm. Residences here run the gamut—from small seaside cottages to old farmhouses, to luxury estates in the foothills. The weather in Carpinteria is similar to Santa Barbara's, and often warmer in the hills behind the town. Prices range from $450,000 for condos to more than $3,000,000 for ranch estates.

Goleta
The recently incorporated City of Goleta is Santa Barbara's neighbor to the west (up the coast about fifteen miles from downtown). Home to 80,000 people, Goleta is a growing city. In contrast to Santa Barbara, Goleta encourages growth; in the last few years many housing developments and shopping areas have gone in. The result is a family-oriented city, with an array of housing opportunities, most of which are the most affordable in the area. UCSB has a significant impact in Goleta—the University is the largest employer in Santa Barbara county, and has about 20,000 students in attendance. Housing opportunities are quite varied—from new homes and apartments to older ranch-style estates in the foothills. Most single-family homes were built as part of tract developments, though many have been remodeled. Prices range from $500,000 to $1.5 million. Entry level homes start in the high $700,000's.

Elwood
Elwood comprises the westernmost, coastal region of Goleta, from Isla Vista west to the city's edge. Because of its proximity to the University, Elwood is home to many UCSB employees, as well as a few students. Most houses here are mid-sized, single family dwellings and were built during the housing developments of the seventies and eighties. There is no commercial hub to Elwood, though the newly developed Calle Real Plaza, which has everything from movie theatres to grocery stores to cafes and bookshops, is just two miles down the road. Elwood abuts a recently preserved bluff-top park (Elwood Shores), a Monarch butterfly sanctuary, and the Sandpiper Golf Course. Bacara, the four-star world-class resort, is just a few miles west.

Isla Vista
Isla Vista is a small Goleta community adjacent to the University. It's a college-town, home to about 10,000 residents, more than half of them students. Pedestrians rule in Isla Vista—because of the foot traffic, it's often faster to walk than drive. Most residences here are apartments and small family houses, and several beach cottages lining the coastal bluff. Real estate opportunities include small beachside houses, as well as student rental properties. Most property in this area is held solely for investment and rented to students.

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