Santa Barbara / Montecito
Santa Barbara is the American Riviera. The seascape. The weather. The architecture. The geography. The culture.
Living here simply does not get better.
Located about 90 miles north of Los Angeles, along the coast. Geographically Santa Barbara nestles into a curved coastline which faces south ~ not west ~ and to its back, a line of dramatic coastal mountains. Off the coast, are a group of five islands which serve to buffer harsh seas and weather.
Our year round weather is due in part to this very unique geography of islands, south facing beaches and a coastal range of mountains to the north.
Santa Barbara’s regional airport accesses larger air hubs and is also home to Stearns Wharf and a wonderful boat harbor with a small working fleet of fishing vessels. The collection of islands off the coast also provide wonderful boating adventures and the channel waterways between island and mainland are home to abundant sea life including a migratory route for whales going to and from Baja California and their homes to the far north.
Early History:
In the late 18th century the Spanish arrived to the area as part of their California exploration and settlements. They built the Presidio in Santa Barbara, the Mission Santa Barbara and the Mission Santa Inez farther west in the Santa Ynez Valley.
As part of this process the Spanish deeded large land grants to families who helped with their settlements and for the next century, the area was ranched and farmed. The “go west” idea that encompassed much of the United States during the 1800′s brought other settlers, drawn to the area by its beauty and weather. The harbor enabled building supplies to be brought, including redwood, and over the years the City of Santa Barbara was built and developed.
A large earthquake occurred during the late 1920′s that proved to be pivotal event, forever changing the architectural look of Santa Barbara. Many of the buildings and much of the infra structure of Santa Barbara was destroyed. A group of individuals and architects decided, that in the rebirth, a Spanish / Mediterranean architecture would prevail in the rebuilding of the town and now today, the wonderful tile roof architecture is prevalent throughout Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara is also a university town. The University of Santa Barbara has helped spawn a lively tech business environment for the community as well as providing a cultural and intellectual base of activities.
From downtown, you are just minutes away from another world famous enclave ~ Montecito ~ or a short drive to the gorgeous Santa Barbara wine country of Santa Ynez Valley. The Valley, with its breath-taking vistas, is home to renowned vineyards and equestrian farms. (See Santa Ynez page tag)
The regions beautiful beaches, majestic mountains, tile roof architecture and colorful culture make the town a world class premier destination to live, work and play.
Santa Barbara is the jewel of United States West Coast!
Montecito
Montecito:
It is difficult to imagine, especially considering the beautiful and gentile environment that exudes in Montecito today, but in the middle of the 19th century the area was known as a haven for bandits and highway robbers! They would hide in the vast oak groves and verdant canyons, preying on traffic on the coast route between the towns that developed around the Spanish built Missions. By the end of the 1860s the bandit gangs were gone, and Italian settlers arrived. Finding an area reminiscent of their homes in Italy, they built farms and gardens similar to those which they had left behind.
Around the end of the 19th century, rich tourists from eastern United States began to buy land in the area: it was near enough to Santa Barbara for essential services and was beautiful, secluded, boasted perfect weather. Montecito had several nearby hot springs that became well known for health ailments – plus, at the time, land was cheap.
From the 1920′s through the 1930′s many wealthy easterners came and built large, lavish, estates in Montecito. Noted architects, Reginald Johnson, Joseph Plunkett, Lutah Riggs, Winsor Soule, Carlton Winslow, George Washington Smith, Adison Mizner were among the creative sources that provided an architectural style and integrity to the area. They partnered with landscape notables, like Lockwood de Forest, to create classic and lasting gardens. The Italian stone masons, who had immigrated to the area at the early part of the century, created stonework that still exists today.
Most of the early inhabitants made their fortunes elsewhere. They migrated to this area to live the California dream lifestyle, often to escape harsher weather regions or they came for health reasons, but many came to raise their families in this ideal environment. Montecito was as close to paradise as they could get. Some will say the grandness of old Montecito was due mostly to the ideals and large vision of these early residents.
Another key element to establishing the unique quality was the street layout design for Montecito. The streets are not laid in grids. They were purposely designed with narrow and winding lanes to slow traffic down, not to move people as fast as possible from place to place.
After WW II, the fortunes of many declined and for many the upkeep and maintenance of these grand estates became increasingly difficult. Many of the larger properties were broken into smaller sections, parcels sold off and for the most part the old homes fell into disrepair. It was not until the 1980′s that a small visionary group of people began to buy and restore these old homes and whatever land and gardens still remained.
A renaissance began. Montecito started to re-invent itself. The estates, large and small, the gardens vast and intimate began to be restored and coveted. People, not only from Southern California, but also throughout the United States and indeed, throughout world, saw this area as the haven offering an unrivaled beauty and quality lifestyle.
With the ocean on one side, the mountains on the other, there is a finite geographical limitation to the quality real estate. Prices escalated rapidly.
Today, Montecito has retained the character acquired early in the 20th century, an area of exclusive estates and second homes and exquisite lifestyle.