Oliver Rd, West Mesa

Oliver Road is a wide street in the heart of the Mesa neighborhood of Santa Barbara, lined with typically California ranch-style homes with large front lawns, two-car garages, and picket fences. It's close enough to walk to the beach; the Thousand Steps down to the water are just a few blocks away. The Mesa beach is one of the best beaches in Santa Barbara; as beautiful as all the other ones, but enough off the beaten path that it doesn't get much tourists and can even be fairly secluded at certain times of day.

Oliver Road also close enough to all the amenities of the Mesa shopping centers, including the incredible Lazy Acres grocery store, Blenders, coffee shops, drugs stores, and other necessities. Even so, I wouldn't want to live here without a car; the Mesa doesn't have anything and you'll need a car to get downtown and to other parts of Santa Barbara. There isn't much in the way of public transportation.

There is a good neighborly feel to the street, and although it isn't the nicest in the neighborhood, it offers probably one of the best values on the Mesa. The homes are affordable, it's a quiet street, even on weekends, and there's not much traffic; it would be a great place to raise a family.