Paradise for the body, wasteland for the soul.
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11/26/2022
I've lived here 2014-now (2022). I obviously like it, and so do many other people. It's a "destination wedding" location, draws tourists from around the world as well as locally, and many of the richest people who could live anywhere, choose here (at least for one of their homes). Of course, downside of this is everything is expensive, all the home prices are extremely high and going higher, blah blah blah.
Sorry, you are not going to find a lot of places where everything is amazing, but you're the only one who wants to be there. When it's good, it draws a crowd, and SB does that. There are actually a couple factors keeping it from being even worse, such as our smaller airport, limited access for cruise ships, and highway 101 corridor flanked by the Pacific Ocean on one side and the steep Santa Ynez mountain range looming on the other side. City planning gatekeeps high-rise buildings and high-density dwellings. It's beyond a sleepy beach town anymore, but doing its best to remain a quality community.
My main gripe with this town is because of the expense, hustle, temporary students, temporary tourists, overworked locals, & the rich & famous, it is very difficult to have any deeper friendships. People are either not going to be here a year from now, or they are so focused on their own life, that if you don't "add value", they'll clinically drop you from their schedule. Or they are very rich/famous and can be a lot of fun, but hard to keep up with if you're on a budget, and don't want to be a leech.
I do love the climate here, and there is a lot of opportunity to make money, but I was happier in Northern California where my relationships were not superficial and/or work based. The money does create mo' problems. People are definitely wonderful here, but don't make time to delve into community on the level I am used to.
Boop | Santa Barbara, CA