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Mesa Lane leads down from Cliff Drive straight to the top of the Thousand Steps, which in turn lead down to a gorgeous, world-class beach. Cliff Drive itself is the quintessential Santa Barbara beach street, with quirky houses on either side of the road obviously owned by former beach bums who've made it financially. You're more than likely to see at least one truck or van being unloaded or loaded up(depending on the time of day) with surfboards and gear; the Mesa is a pretty decent surf spot.

The Lane is made all the more beautiful by the median that runs down the entire street, from which grow numerous eucalyptus trees. The eucalyptus trees give the street a delightful aroma and the bark it sheds make the street seem especially arboreal and pleasant, like a constant New England autumn.

During certain times, the street can get very crowded - the fact that it leads down to the beach is no secret, and it can be frustrating when overloaded with tourists. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful street, and the beach it leads to is fantastic.

Although it is a fairly nice, tree-lined street, something about Elise Way has always felt a bit off to me. Perhaps it is the fact that, unlike the rest of the Mesa, Elise way is mostly filled with small apartment buildings and other forms of shared housing. Or maybe it is because it is in fact so close to the Mesa shopping center that it gets too much traffic.

Maybe I am being too harsh - Elise Way is still a pretty street and it may be among the most affordable on the Mesa. It retains all the benefits of the Mesa - it's just a short walk from gorgeous beaches, is less pretentious than much of Santa Barbara, and is a nice place to settle down and start a home. Elise Way is right near the shopping center, including the fantastic Lazy Acres super market, a Blender's in the Grass, a fantastic Mexican food place (Mexican Fresh), and maybe the best pizza in Santa Barbara county, Mesa Pizza.

Shoreline Drive is a gorgeous stretch of road that winds along the cliffs of the Mesa area of Santa Barbara, revealing a greater and greater expanse of the bright blue Pacific Ocean, until it begins to climb down the Mesa grade and end downtown at Carillo Street. One side of the street is lined with homes, not necessarily huge (by Santa Barbara standards), but quite expensive due to their excellent location and unparalleled views.

The road itself is actually very calm and quiet due to the many stop signs and speed bumps that slowdown cars that would otherwise barrel down the well-paved road. This is fantastic news for the many users of the park-like strip that follows the road on the ocean side. The long park is covered in lush green grass, well cared for by the city, the occasional palm tree, and, of course, stunning views. In the middle of the grass runs a thin paved path for biking, roller blading, walking, etc. All along the park are stairs that lead down to the beach.

At the end of Shoreline, you'll see La Playa field, the home field for the Santa Barbara City College football team, on your left, and an entrance to a harbor on your right. The harbor has a number of beach-side restaurants that are more often than not a bit overpriced, but worth it if you are willing to pay for ambience - you can eat, of course, right on the beach.

There isn't much to do on Las Positas except to use it to get somewhere else. It's part of California Route 225, and for most of the road, the speed limit is 55 MPH - although most drivers take it at at least 65. It runs all the way from Cliff Drive on the Mesa near the ocean towards the mountains until it terminates at upper State Street. Along the way, it passes by Elings Park, the 101 California Freeway, the Earl Warren Showgrounds, and the Santa Barbara Golf Club. It's a commuter street - early in the mornings and after work, the street becomes filled with traffic and is slow going.

Nevertheless, it passes by some interesting places. Elings Park is a huge park situated in the foothills above the Mesa. Elings Park has baseball fields, soccer fields, and tennis courts all open to the public as long as there are no scheduled games or tournaments going on. There are also a number of trekking paths in Elings that curve up into the hills. The Earl Warren Showgrounds host a variety of events, including local fairs, car shows, and other trade shows. It used to host horse-racing, but doesn't anymore. Occasionally there will be a musical performance there, although nowadays most big musical acts coming through Santa Barbara play at the Greek Theater, a much nicer venue. The Santa Barbara Golf Club is a world famous golf club and is only open to private members.

Las Positas is an exit off of the 101 freeway, and from it you can get back on the freeway going both North and South. Before it hits Upper State Street, Las Positas passes by a shopping center with a large grocery store, a CD/DVD store, a book store, and other similar amenities.

Because it is so big and busy, it's not a good place to live, although there are some houses along the road between the freeway and State Street.

Alan Road is a quintessential place to raise a family; quiet, safe, affordable, and pretty. It's a windy road, making it quiet, and all the houses are well kept and have well manicured lawns and topiary. Most of the houses are typical California ranch-style homes, but you can tell that the people on Alan Road care about their property. There are a number of families here, most with grade-school and high-school age children. At the end of Alan Road is some untouched land of coastal chaparral forest, with hills to climb and trees to play in. Unfortunately, this land has been bought by a developer and it looks as though it will be covered in new development as soon as the economy picks back up. In the meantime, this land is a great place to bike around in or take your dog.

Alan Road is just a few blocks away from Arroyo Burro Beach, a world-famous and world-class beach. Since it is world-famous, the beach is usually packed to the brim with tourists and locals alike. At Arroyo Burro Beach there is a high end restaurant called the Brown Pelican, which recently reopened with new management, a stunning redesign, and a new menu. I can tell you from personal experience that the quality of the restaurant has increased exponentially.

The main drawback of Alan Road may be a benefit for some: its seclusion. To get to any real amenities or necessities you will need a car to drive up either Cliff Drive to the Mesa, or Las Positas to Upper State Street.

If for nothing else, you'll love West Figueroa Street for Los Arroyos, the hands-down best California-style Mexican food to be found in Santa Barbara, a town loaded with good Mexican food. Los Arroyos can be found on the section of West Figueroa between State Street and Chapala Street, a small stretch of road surprisingly packed with great restaurants and nice shops. Around the corner on Chapala is Don Q's pool hall, the best place to play pool in Santa Barbara, and Weird Fish, the best bar in Santa Barbara. Weird Fish serves up insanely creative and delicious cocktails, and has a small but well curated whiskey and spirits menu. It also has delicious seafood. West Figueroa terminates on State Street right by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, which often has surprisingly good exhibits on display. Sundays are "suggested admission fee" days, so try to visit then. Check out their website. The best sunday you can have in Santa Barbara can be spent entirely on West Figueroa: lunch at Los Arroyos, a trip to the museum, and dinner and cocktails at Weird Fish afterwards.

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.

Cliff Drive is the main street on the Mesa, leading all the way from Arroyo Burro Beach on one end (where Hope Ranch begins) to Castillo Street and downtown Santa Barbara on the other. Along the way, it passes Elings park, the Mesa shopping center and Santa Barbara City College. There are some homes along the way, but since Cliff Drive is part of California Route 225, it is a very busy street and not the best place to live for families. On the other hand, Cliff Drive is the commercial hub for the Mesa, with the neighborhood's best restaurants and almost any amenities you could ask for: groceries, drug stores, copy shops, coffee shops, etc. It doesn't have everything; you'll most likely end up driving to either upper or lower State Street at some points, which can be really frustrating. Down on the south end, Arroyo Burro Beach is a world-class, cliff lined, white-sand beach. Part of the beach allows dogs off collar. Of course, since it is a world-famous beach, its crowded pretty much all the time. Towards downtown, Cliff Drive becomes City College territory, passing by the College campus and a number of apartment complexes that house students.

Edgewater Way is one of the most beautiful streets on the Mesa in Santa Barbara. It's a quiet street that winds with the natural curves of the cliffs of the Mesa that overlook the Pacific ocean. One end of the street terminates near the Thousand Steps, which lead down to a beautiful, secluded beach. Instead of going to the gym, just climb up and down the steps a few times! At the other end of the street is a small lookout to see the ocean. Of course, if you're lucky enough to live in one of the houses on the ocean side of the street, you won't need to even leave your house - all of these houses have beautiful ocean views and backyards. All of the houses on the street are nice and well-kept, and many are hidden behind long drives and wooden fences. The street itself doesn't have sidewalks, but that just adds to the beach feel of Edgewater. Edgewater Way is also close by to the shops of Cliff Drive and the Douglas Family Preserve, one of the best places in all of Santa Barbara to take your dog on a walk or jog.

Via Sevilla is a small - only one block long - but beautiful street on the Mesa in Santa Barbara. It's a quiet, shady, tree lined street with houses ranging from small ranch-style homes to huge multi-storied beach mansions. The houses are painted in bright colors, making the small street a feast for the eyes. Besides being quiet and quaint, Via Sevilla is perfectly located for those who love the beach. It is just a half a block away from the Thousand Steps leading down to a beautiful and fairly secluded beach.
Via Sevilla also just a few blocks away from the Douglas Family Preserve (formerly the Wilcox Property), acres of coastal forest overlooking the ocean. For those with dogs, the Douglas Preserve is just about the best place to take your pet - much of the Preserve is off-leash friendly, and there are baggies and receptacles around for cleaning up. Close enough to amenities to be functional, but far enough away to avoid noise and traffic pollution, Via Sevilla is just about the perfect street for those who want to live a serene beach life.