Its beautiful here! - 1/17/2007

But you pay the price for the beauty. We have mountains and beaches and great weather. Its a good thing the beach walks and mountian hikes are free (except for parking fees, and adventure passes) because we wouldn't be able to afford to enjoy them otherwise. Housing cost is extremely high and salaries are not. Good luck if you plan to move here...

[Comment on this Posting]

Looks like paradise, feels like a small town - 1/3/2007

I've been living here for over 5 years now, and I both love it and hate it. You're truly fortunate if you live here, and also trapped economically and geographically. Santa Barbara is extremely expensive, but a middle-class person can live here if you make rent your first priority above, say, any leisure spending. If your combined household income is above $100K, buying a condo might be do-able. If you're a working class kinda person, you may find yourself living with 2 roommates in a quirky house just to afford it, or you and your partner living in a 1-bedroom apartment. It's a great place to live or retire if you're well off. This town is actually quite small, so anonymity is impossible, but big enough that you have several choices of entertainment, from a mid-size downtown area (complete with nightlife), to lots of access to hiking, surfing, kayaking, etc. The attitude in Santa Barbara is all of these things: conceited and conservative, liberal and enviro-friendly, community-minded, classist, preppy, and anti- anything related to eyesores like strip malls or walmart. There's a world-class farmers market, great local theatres, a decent Indy newspaper, cool Festivals. There's also not a Target for 40 miles, and a mind-boggling lack of ethnic diversity. You're more likely to spot people who'll spend $1K on a doggie sweater or couture jeans (or a celebrity!) than someone with an eccentric color of hair, or an 'adult' store. On the other hand, I feel safe here, and the freaks n' geeks are around if you really get to know people. I've seen folks come out for peaceful protests and gay pride events, but I've also seen more Beamers and trust fund brats than I cared to. Santa Barbara: low on excitement, danger and diversity; big on yoga, scenery, and high-class living.

[Comment on this Posting]

Santa Barbara is wonderful! - 12/26/2006

Overall a wonderful place to live! Low crime, perfect weather, plenty of educational, recreational and cultural opportunities as well as fantastic restaurants! The ocean, mountains and vineyards--you can't beat it! The only drawback is the ridiculously expensive real estate. The price of paradise I suppose...

[Comment on this Posting]

Decided to move - 12/19/2006

We also decided to move away from Santa Barbara last year. I grew up in the small coastal city, but it has now changed dramatically. First of all, it has a huge gang problem so it is not safe to be out at the beach or downtown at dark. The schools are 90% and getting worse. The housing is too expensive and the traffic a nightmare. The scenery is gorgeous and the climate good,except for foggy June. We now live in a place with good schools, affortable houses and little gangs if any. Sorry Santa Barbara you are not the place you used to be.

[Comment on this Posting]

So long Santa Barbara - 11/19/2006

After debating for years, my husband and I have decided to leave Santa Barbara and Southern California. The two best things going for Santa Barbara is the climate and the scenery. However, everything else doesn't make it worth it anymore. First there's the ridiculous housing prices. The public schools are pathetic unless you live in the really expensive area. What good is the amenities of a town when you're always working to afford them? The traffic is horrible and the drivers are worse. The city is just crowded and I honestly believe it's making everybody crazy. Life is just getting more and more hectic and chaotic here. If you're young and single or old and rich, then maybe it's the place for you. But it's no place to raise a family with morals and proper values.

[Comment on this Posting]

beautiful and pricey - 10/4/2006

Santa Barbara is perfect if you are looking for a wonderful year-round mild climate, lots of sunny days, outdoor activities, and some cultural outlets. The downside is the cost of living. It is difficult to enjoy the cultural events and top restaurants on $20K a year wages. It is very hard to find professional level jobs, although there are a few tech companies in Goleta. The cost of housing is out of this world. Many college grads stick around and work retail jobs or at restaurants. It is nearly impossible to break into the housing market, with shacks going for $900,000. But if you want to live the laid-back CA lifestyle, there are plenty of students and happy go lucky slackers to hang out with in SB!

[Comment on this Posting]

resort climate - 9/24/2006

Is it possible to love every day in this city? ANSWER: Yes. After living here for 3 years, and having traveling & worked in every state & most major cities, and several countries - this area has the best year-round weather! Not boring like some temperate climates; something new & beautiful every week. The mountains meet the sea - and across the 18 mile Santa Barbara channel is the Channel Islands! - usually in view!

[Comment on this Posting]

Not for 20somethings--nice vacation getaway. - 7/13/2006

Jeez, what to say about Santa Barbara... On the one hand, it is one of the most beautiful places you'll ever likely see. On the other, I think it's best left as a vacation getaway rather than the headquarters. I loved it the first few months I lived there, and perhaps if I were a millionaire I would have loved it more, but I quickly became fed up with how impractical it was to live there and went south to Ventura. State Street is a cool place that's always bustling and has a pretty good night life scene. However, since virtually everything is downtown, every time you want to run an errand you'll have to deal with State Street traffic and parking. The cost of living is absurd. Put it this way: after I lived in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles suddenly seemed cheap. Santa Barbara has really strict building codes, which helps maintain its asthetic appeal, but also makes it impossible to find an apartment unless you want to live on Isla Vista with UCSB kids (you don't, unless you are one). You won't see apartment complexes (save for a few, most of which are for senior citizens), and there is virtually no way to find one easily on the internet. If you plan to move there, go visit, buy a newspaper, and plan on driving around a lot. The median price for your standard 3-4 bedroom/2 bath home is now over $1 million. The average 500 sq ft apartment goes for around $1250/mo. And if you're not from California, I should probably warn you that if you make the mistake of asking, "Is there central A/C?" you will most likely be answered with a half-mocking, half-puzzled, "No." The 101 is the main way to get to town. The 101 goes from being a six-lane highway to being a four-lane highway (3 and 2 lanes per direction, respectively) around Carpenteria, traffic has a tendency to get extremely backed up during rush hours (7-9am, 3:30-7pm). Being stuck in traffic in L.A. was never as bad as it was in Santa Barbara, and Ventura almost never had bad 101 traffic. I guess maybe it's because you expect it in a bigger city, but when it takes you an hour to go fewer than 10 miles in a city of 80,000 people, it's really irritating. A lot of people who work in Santa Barbara live outside and commute to work, which is cheaper but adds to the traffic situation. My last complaint is the shopping inconvenience. Need to go to Target? That's a 70 miles round-trip to the nearest store (Ventura). It seems that Walmart is not too popular in southern California, but I

[Comment on this Posting]

living in paradise - 6/22/2006

Beautiful for the senses but hard on friendships and relationships as economics swell. We are loosing many of our great teachers and artists. We are unable to atract fresh out of school doctors and young adults. They smartly refuse to take on the high cost of living here while trying to pay back school loans. Our infrastructure is crumbling as the McMansions keep getting built and folks that want to retire take their money and run. What was once a small feeling town with many friendly faces both young and old has grown into a town of flipped houses that now sit empty and working folks looking tired and worn.

[Comment on this Posting]

Santa Barbara Ca. - 6/19/2006

Santa Barbara is really quite beautiful. It is located on the coast between Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo. It is a very wealthy community mixed with a large mexican immigrant population that for the most part live harmoniously here. We are definitely getting too crowded which is ruining it for me. Real estate is sky high and holding although prices are softening, no one thinks we are ever going to tank here.

[Comment on this Posting]

Forget about it. - 2/9/2006

Do not go---it is one of the most scenic places in North America. You'll love it! No city you visit thereafter will compare. Great climate, vegetation, terrain, and everything is held to a higher standard.---Expensive, very expensive. Very upscale. great beaches. Home of the newlywed and the nearly dead.

[Comment on this Posting]