santa barbara marina - 9/26/2008

Of all marina's on the US west coast, the one in Santa Barbara ranks as one of the most pretty. Beautifull back drop of palm trees, cliffs, mountains, ocean and sometimes (depends on ocean fog) islands views. Downtown state street, beaches, musea, wharf, and great bike path's within walking distance. Harbor relatively small (1104 vessels), yet interesting mix of vessels and occasional super yachts. One meets people from literally all walks of life within a few acres and many foreigners and sailors from around the world. Excellent sailing weather with predictable winds in the afternoons. Harbor restaurants extremely popular. The funny thing is that quite a few yacht club members have no boats but enjoy the scene so much they joined anyhow. On the down side is the scarce availability of boat slips and if you have a multi hulled vessel, forget it. Micro climate better than the city itself due to the ocean breeze. A stunning place. "Wet Wednesday" during the Summer months provide competitive sailing opportunities and beatiful vista's of inflated spinnakers sails as seen from the breakwater. Seakayaking, spear fishing, beach volleyball, and scuba all add up to a diverse pleasure ground.

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What You See is Not What You get - 9/22/2008

Although Santa Barbara is still a very beautiful coastal gem, it went missing on the caliber of people who visit especially on State St. I been is SoCal for over 50 years and am not comparing the way it used to be kind of thinking. I am not a snob but I have never seen such a freak show as I have on the last few time visiting. There are more homeless and scrungy people who would probably be there no matter what the state of the economy is. The locals and store owners/staff never acknowledge you or even have a simple greeting. I walked downtown and the pier for hours and not one person said hello. I got to view numerous tatoos, cheesey outfits and outfits that came from a real lack of class or style. The prices for products and food is so far out of range you wonder why you went here in the first place. After many years of visiting the Santa Barbara area, I will probably not have a desire to go back, I would drive further up the coast and hopefully not find another area that has not been so distorted by the freaks, geeks, tweekers,loosers, drunks, snobs, and anyone who lost track of the real reality.

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Looking for the best climate?? - 7/20/2008

I am glad that my mom left Ohio early in her teaching career to live in California. I am fortunate to have lived in Santa Barbara, Ca. my entire life. Is the housing a lot more? Yes. However, we don't have bugs, humidity, and I can golf year-round with average temps. around 72. Many visitors from all over the World venture to this city each year and marvel at its beauty. There is plenty to do all year long. We have a great diversity of culture, so if you prefer a "one size fits all" type town, this might not be your place. SB is very accepting and it is one of the things that my wife and I love about our city.

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Beautiful Santa Barbara! - 6/5/2008

I have lived in Santa Barbara my whole life. Yes...it is expensive, but if you can find a way to manage the cost, you are living in one of the best cities in the world. It is a little on the small side, so if you like big cities you may think SB is too small. Lots of things to do for a city its size there is the beach and the mountains, and nice people.

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lovely santa barbara - 5/2/2008

santa barbara california is certainly a jewel amongst cities. it's beautiful sandy beaches look out to the channel islands in the distance, with 4,000 foot coastal mountains as it's backdrop. the city has strict ordinances about building, building design, advertising, signage. all of this is designed to keep the city looking as gorgeous as it does. downtown and residencial streets are treelined and landscaped, the streets are windy and picturesque. neighborhoods meander up into the foothills and residences of santa barbara take pride in their homes and gardens. downtown is charming and an easy stroll from beachfront hotels. santa barbara is expensive as is most coastal united states cities, but santa barbara's temperate climate adds to its liveability, as well as it's moderate population. it takes a total of 20 minutes to drive across town. how very civilized!! i love santa barbara, it is my home and my hometown.

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lovely santa barbara - 5/2/2008

santa barbara california is certainly a jewel amongst cities. it's beautiful sandy beaches look out to the channel islands in the distance, with 4,000 foot coastal mountains as it's backdrop. the city has strict ordinances about building, building design, advertising, signage. all of this is designed to keep the city looking as gorgeous as it does. downtown and residencial streets are treelined and landscaped, the streets are windy and picturesque. neighborhoods meander up into the foothills and residences of santa barbara take pride in their homes and gardens. downtown is charming and an easy stroll from beachfront hotels. santa barbara is expensive as is most coastal united states cities, but santa barbara's temperate climate adds to its liveability, as well as it's moderate population. it takes a total of 20 minutes to drive across town. how very civilized!! i love santa barbara, it is my home and my hometown.

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our beautiful home - 5/2/2008

santa barbara california is certainly a jewel amongst cities. it's beautiful sandy beaches look out to the channel islands in the distance, with 4,000 foot coastal mountains as it's backdrop. the city has strict ordinances about building, building design, advertising, signage. all of this is designed to keep the city looking as gorgeous as it does. downtown and residencial streets are treelined and landscaped, the streets are windy and picturesque. neighborhoods meander up into the foothills and residences of santa barbara take pride in their homes and gardens. downtown is charming and an easy stroll from beachfront hotels. santa barbara is expensive as is most coastal united states cities, but santa barbara's temperate climate adds to its liveability, as well as it's moderate population. it takes a total of 20 minutes to drive across town. how very civilized!! i love santa barbara, it is my home and my hometown.

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our beautiful home - 5/2/2008

santa barbara california is certainly a jewel amongst cities. it's beautiful sandy beaches look out to the channel islands in the distance, with 4,000 foot coastal mountains as it's backdrop. the city has strict ordinances about building, building design, advertising, signage. all of this is designed to keep the city looking as gorgeous as it does. downtown and residencial streets are treelined and landscaped, the streets are windy and picturesque. neighborhoods meander up into the foothills and residences of santa barbara take pride in their homes and gardens. downtown is charming and an easy stroll from beachfront hotels. santa barbara is expensive as is most coastal united states cities, but santa barbara's temperate climate adds to its liveability, as well as it's moderate population. it takes a total of 20 minutes to drive across town. how very civilized!! i love santa barbara, it is my home and my hometown.

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Outrageously expensive - 4/8/2008

Santa Barbara can't be beat in terms of climate, and as a result, housing prices here are out of the ballpark for most of us. I don't even think the recent national downturn in housing prices has happened here.

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Housing is Overpriced - 3/4/2008

I have been living in Santa Barbara for 3 years now. There are many good things about living here besides the obvious, very beautiful surroundings - beach, mountains, climate - it's lovely. The people are very kind and there is much to do in a small-town way. I'm fortunate that I have a great job with a great salary, but rent for my 615 sq.ft. apartment is $1,350! I've been looking for 2 years to move into a better, quieter place, and unfortunately rents have gone out of control (just check Craigslist and you'll get the idea). Studio apartments with kitchenettes are renting for $1,200-$2,350 and 99% of places do not allow pets. Before you move here, take into consideration that there is a high student population, so you will be vying for living space with students who are forced to shack up in increasing numbers in a town that is very, very limited in decent, quality rentals/homes. Also, there seems to be a high population of illegal immigrants who don't mind squeezing an entire family tree into 2 bedrooms, so that limits the housing even more...and perpetuates slumlords. If you want to buy a home, well, I hope you are either rich, included housing in your salary negotiations or have a lot of money saved. I hear that property taxes on newly-purchased homes is out of control (hence people are renting rooms at exorbitant prices just to keep up with their mortgage). It's important to get to know the neighborhoods because a listing with a "reasonable" price is most likely in a not-so-great area: anything around Milpas St., Ellwood Beach area, Carrillo St. and the 101 or Cottage Hospital. Drive around the area first. Some listings are right next to the train tracks (even nice condos in Montecito) or the freeway. Montecito is known for being a snobby neighborhood. I personally have not had any negative experiences there. But people will rent their places for even more money because they think it's special...maybe because Oprah has a home there?? Other than that :oP, I have had lots of fun around town: "Nights" in the summer at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, endless festivals, beach time, hiking in the hills, day trips to the Santa Inez Valley, great restaurants and shopping (although, some of the good stores are starting to leave because the rents are too high). There is easy access to many walking trails and the bike path. If you can swing the housing, it's definitely a very nice place to live. Hope you found this helpful - good luck!

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Santa Barbara CA - 3/1/2008

Santa Barbara CA - It is the American Riviera and I moved here before Oprah! Simply put it's beautiful, not cheap, but well worth the price if you can afford it, although I wouldn't go broke trying. Personal freedom is much more beautiful than Santa Barbara. I am the president of the www.SantaBarbaraREIA.com and can give you a good rundown on the housing market. Drop me a line and check out www.SantaBarbaraCA.com Thanks Dan Ringwald

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Considered an international "Best Place On Earth T - 1/18/2008

Know as the American Riviera, Santa Barbara California is viewed by most that live here and visit here as the finest place in the world. With annual average temperatures between 55 and 75 degrees F. a pristine beach front coast line, a diverse culture with universities, international film festivals, a sophisticated art and business community, and abounding social and recreational activities year round, it’s no secret that those who can live here, do. No place “has it all” like Santa Barbara does. As such, the housing market here has enjoyed great appreciating growth, and has been and continues to be one of the most reliable and solid financial investments. Even through the recent national housing down turn, Santa Barbara properties have maintained a positive annual appreciation. The median single family home price in Santa Barbara is right around $1 million. The condominium median price is about $ 650,000. While these medians are more than double the national average, the annual appreciation of these homes has maintained a positive movement between 4% and 17% consistently for the last 20 years and now looks to continue that trend because of increasing demand and local government slow growth platforms. Fact is, most of what is developable in Santa Barbara is already completed and done so in an extremely conscientious way, with strong architectural standards to maintain neighborhood integrity. With little of Santa Barbara left to build, and with what’s existing increasingly more desirable, the future value of Santa Barbara real estate and housing looks most promising for the “Best Place On Earth” to live. In the high end market of Santa Barbara, the entertainment industry has arrived in Santa Barbara some time ago, culminating with the record Oprah Winfrey home purchase in 2001 of $52 million (now estimated to be worth $90 million) in Montecito, a small high end Santa Barbara sub section,. Many entertainment “who’s who” live here as well as an affluent international community. The Santa Barbara real estate market had numerous record sales recorded in 2007, including a $25 million historic downtown office building and a $109 million coastal ranch property, even while the rest of the country’s real estate market flattened, demonstrating Santa Barbara’s market strength. For select slide shows of some of the most beautiful properties in the world located in Santa Barbara California, visit www.RareEstates.com for more information.

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Expensive!! - 12/10/2007

Santa Barbara is beautiful, beautiful beautiful!! BUT, it is extremely expensive, and so homogeneous! I enjoy the diversity of a metropolitan area, therefor I have been really disappointed in this town in terms the lack of diversity

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Absolutely Gorgeous!!!.....But so Expensive!! - 8/18/2007

Santa Barbara is so beautiful....but housing costs a fortune. Great little downtown with some really cute shops and fun restuarants. If it weren't so expensive I would move here in a second!

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If your planning on moving here... - 8/7/2007

take it from me... as someone who has lived here for 26 years... if you are moving here... lol these are ur options... either u are rich and care not about money, you plan on living with about five other buddies in a 3 bedroom apartment or house and still have to shell out $500/mo. for ur ration of the rent... or lol u have family here already and ur moving back in with them. Sounds like a great place yeah? Oh... by the way all 3 instances are true... ask some other locals! Jobs are horrible here... especially if you are an artist like meself... good luck trying to get the time of day from someone about being hired for art!

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The best part about the place! - 7/8/2007

Really, the climate remains the best reason to live here - almost enough to overrride the high cost of living and some of the other negatives. Summers are warm - but not hot - winters are cool - but not cold. Perfect, if a little boring, and always good for being outdoors.

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ruined by hollywood - 6/13/2007

Santa Barbara was a nice town in the 80's before all the movie stars moved in and turned it into Rodeo Drive. Overpriced and overrated.

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Expensive to live in SB! - 5/2/2007

Santa Barbara is the home of the newly wed and nearly dead -- no middle class lives here as folks with kids cannot afford to live hear. We enjoyed living in Santa Barbara for 5 years, but when kids came, we moved. The city after it voted for state water has undergone lots of new development.

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santa barbara - 2/27/2007

have lived here on and off inbetween travelling abroad and i can safely say i have found heaven

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about sb's jail - 1/30/2007

if you ever move to santa barbara, be sure not to get arrested. the county jail is the pits. very old, lots of violent gang members (especially watch out for members of the latin american gang "trece" or "thirteen"), corrupt guards who abuse prisoners, and terrible food. not that anyone reading this would ever go to jail, likely, but just something to think about if you're moving to sb, ca.

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