SANTA BARBARA

THE AMERICAN RIVIERA

What is there to do in Santa Barbara? A lot! Exciting, gorgeous, trendy, classy, elegant…It’s a beautiful coastal city, situated an hour north of Los Angeles, and 5 hours south of San Francisco. But it is also a hub of eclectic economic vibrancy. A world-class university functions as an incubator for some of the world’s most dynamic future technology companies many of which are the result of a thriving research center. This gives Santa Barbara a “vibe” that is the perfect triumvirate mix of sexy, geeky, and nerdy.

Overall, Santa Barbara experiences a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. If you like history the Presidio of Santa Barbara Mission Santa Barbara known as “the Queen of the Missions,” was founded in 1786. The Mission and Painted Cave are both in what is now the city of Santa Barbara. This stretch of coast along southern Santa Barbara County is sometimes referred to as “The American Riviera.”

The Santa Ynez Mountains, the same mountain range featured affectionately in President Reagans personal diary, suffice to say he loved Santa Barbara, and especially his Santa Ynez mountain retreat tucked quietly and tastefully as far away from Washington D.C. An east-west trending range, the Santa Ynez Mountains rise dramatically behind the city, with several peaks exceeding 4,000 feet. This feat of Mother nature is second to none when it comes to her ability to boast.

As for the dominant architectural themes of Santa Barbara, you can’t ignore the Spanish Colonial Revival and the related Mission Revival style. Santa Barbara contains numerous performing art venues, including the 2,000 seat Arlington Theatre. If you’re a concertgoer few outdoor venues can rival the Santa Barbara Bowl for ambiance, natural acoustics and of course, the view. Oh, that view…

The Bolero Theatre is also a favorite venue for small concerts; and the Granada Theater, in addition to being the tallest building in Santa Barbara enjoys its own storied historicity. If architecture is your thing, the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, a red tiled Spanish-Moorish structure, provides a sweeping view of the downtown area from its open-air tower. You simply must see it to believe it.