Cristina Calderon

Lush, sun-drenched, relaxed and nestled seductively between Los Angeles and San Francisco, Santa Barbara is one of America's best-kept secrets. From State Street and the Santa Ynez Mountains to the Channel Islands and the wine country, Santa Barbara basks in sunshine, natural bounty, creativity, cultural sophistication and an appreciation for taking life at your own pace.

Santa Barbara is located on the West Coast of the United States, 92 miles North of Los Angeles and 332 South of San Francisco. This stretch of coast along southern Santa Barbara County is often referred to as the "American Riviera" due to its Mediterranean climate. The Santa Ynez Mountains, an east-west trending range rise dramatically behind the city, with several peaks exceeding 4,000 feet. Covered with chaparral and sandstone outcrops, the Santa Ynez Mountains create a famously scenic backdrop to the town. Directly east and adjacent to the Santa Barbara Mission is a hill locally known as the Riviera. The beautiful Santa Barbara Riviera is traversed by Alameda Padre Serra, or the pathway of Father Serra. The hillside, made accessible by the advent of the automobile early in the 20th century, is now built with exclusive homes throughout. A spectacularly beautiful area looking south toward the Pacific and the Channel Islands having sunrise to sunset views, Santa Barbara became the winter destination for the titans of post-Civil War America and then a refuge of the wealth of the world with the Russian Revolution and World War I. Private railroad cars clustered on the sidings at Santa Barbara. The Potter Hotel overlooking Santa Barbara’s West Beach was a world renowned resort. Titans of industry visited Santa Barbara and looked up at the foothills and chose Santa Barbara hilltops for their grand estates. Others preferred the beach and built in Sandyland Cove, Padaro Lane the city beaches and out to what is now Goleta. The city's best sites were covered with family homes which were staffed with family retainers. The city sustained heavy damage in an earthquake on June 29, 1925, which was followed by substantial rebuilding.

Much of the architecture in Santa Barbara is Spanish Mediterranean Neo-Colonial in style, although much of it was actually constructed in the 1920’s in connection with the Mission, or Spanish Revival movement. Soft white buildings with terra cotta barrel-tile roofs are a trademark sight. The city has enacted strict ordinances to grasp this 1920's "Old Spanish with Red-Tile Roof" image, and has met with some success. There are no large billboards in the town, along the main Highway (the 101 Freeway), and for miles in both directions. In addition, there is a strict sign ordinance for businesses with no large signing allowed. Many business identification signs look oddly small after years of Santa Barbara's citizen-volunteer boards and committees. See for example the renowned Santa Barbara Four Seasons Biltmore Hotel's sign at the hotel's major access from the Highway 101 Northbound off ramp. The off ramp leads into the busy intersection of Olive Mill Road (which becomes Channel Drive) and Old Coast Highway (formerly Highway 101).

According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 107.3 km² (41.4 mi² ). 49.2 km² (19.0 mi²) of it is land and 58.1 km² (22.4 mi²) of it (54.17%) is water. This is because the official city limit extends exactly four miles south into the ocean, in addition to a long "finger" of the city that extends out to sea and again inland, in order to make Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) adjacent to the University of California, Santa Barbara contiguous with the city.

Santa Barbara boasts one of the most pleasant year-round climates in the country. Temperatures range from the mid-60s to mid-70s (degrees Fahrenheit) throughout the year, though late summer highs climb into the 80s. Evening temperatures are refreshingly cool all year long. The area receives about 18 inches of rainfall a year. The inland and mountain portions of the county see hotter high temperatures — an average of 15-20 degrees Fahrenheit hotter during the day — and colder low temperatures.