inthewreckage

The title pretty much says it all, but allow me to elaborate. I live on the west side, near to the commercial heart of downtown (State Street, etc.) Like most downtown areas of cities, the living cost is high but unlike large metropolitan cities, most of downtown Santa Barbara is well-maintained and lavish. The climate is pristine and perfect almost year-round, and there is a bustling bar scene and nightlife.

It is also extremely easy to function and commute without a car here. Santa Barbara has an efficient (for the most part) bus system and is extremely bike friendly with plenty of bike lanes spanning for miles.

My only complaint for this neighborhood and Santa Barbara in general is the dating scene. Recently, I lucked out and finally met Mr. Right, but this was after a horrendous two-year stint of single living. Santa Barbara men are fond of toying with your emotions and stringing you along, guaranteed to make you feel slightly crazy after awhile. Male friends of mine have told me Santa Barbara women can be equally if not more heartless, so single people interested in moving here, beware. You will be in for interesting and painful ride which may or may not end up as you like.

Haley in close proximity to State Street and westward is not too bad. On the corner of Olive, there is Muddy Waters Coffeehouse, where plenty of SB DIY bands play shows. It has plenty of ambiance and good coffee.

But as you take Haley Street eastward, it becomes exponentially more and more shabby. At night, certain strips and corners are filled with prostitutes and vagrants.

Modoc is nice if you like being secluded from the more metropolitan part of Santa Barbara. By bike, Modoc will take you to an opening on the Obern bike path, which will take you to Goleta and UCSB. At night it's a bit eerie because there are long strips of road without street lamps of any kind. There are also some horse stables and open land, which makes it a prime location for families with children.

Cabrillo Boulevard is a beautiful street located at the end of State Street that runs along the waterfront. If you go east, it's a nice scenic car ride/bike ride down. The east beaches has plenty of nets and are good for playing volleyball. By bike, if you continue east all the way down, it will take you to Butterfly Beach in Montecito, which is a pristine and fine-kept beach in front of the Four Seasons Resort and Hotel.

Mission is an overall nice and peaceful street. For cyclists, it's a bit dangerous going under the freeway bridge near Castillo to get to Modoc Road, but there are newly-erected bike lanes which is tremendous help. For motorists, that area is central for 101 North and South ramps.

Garrett's is located on the corner of Mission and State. I love going to this place for breakfast; it's a quiet, discreet little diner with the best prices. My favorite is their pancake special; you get 2 pancakes, 2 eggs, and 2 pieces of bacon or sausage for $4.95. Their Monte Cristo sandwiches are also amazing; they're not on the menu, but the waitresses will know what you're talking about.

De la Vina begins off State Street just around the San Roque plaza. At the corner you'll find the local Trader Joe's which is also packed full of people all times of the day. If you're riding your bike, it's a nice progressive hill that lets you pick up speed and is fun to navigate. At the bottom when De la Vina crosses Mission, there is McConnell's Ice Cream which serves the best ice cream in town in a old-style parlor setting. Across from that is Derfs, which serves cheap and tasty hot dogs and burgers.

After Mission, De la Vina becomes mainly a nice, quiet residential area up until Anapamu.

Canon Perdido is a nice little street that is home to the downtown post office and to many great places to eat. Three Pickles Subs and Sandwiches has an awesome deal and gives free sandwiches in exchange for a couple avocados. The lavish Julienne is also located here which serves classic and contemporary French food; chef Anthony Bourdain wholeheartedly loved this restaurant and announced to his audience to eat there when he spoke at the Arlington Theater some time last year.

There is also the Grapevine Fine Food Market, which has an extensive array of the best food items money can buy. I love going to this street on my lunch break during work.

For cyclists, the best part about this street is the ability to fly down this street and beat traffic tenfold. It's a one way street going towards the ocean with a gradual but slight downward incline. If you start going a second before one of the lights turn green, you'll catch the rest of the green lights down Anacapa. A downside is that a lot of businesses and banks are located on this street, so it does get a bit congested and drivers do aggressive on this street around rush hour (5PM).

True Flight Cycle Works, the best and best-kept secret in Santa Barbara, is located on Anacapa between Haley and Guitierrez. They specialize in fixed gear and track bikes, but they also possess great knowledge of all other style bicycles.

The feature that most stands out for me about Chapala is that it's a nice traffic alternative from State Street. It's smaller, and becomes a one way towards Canon Perdido. A big 24-hour Ralphs is conveniently located on the corner of Carrillo and Chapala, and the transit center bus depot is also located across the street from it.

There is also Underground Hair, which is a good salon I used to go to for many years until my stylist moved location to Cowboys and Angels, which is located on State Street.

Don Q's Billiards is also located there, which is a low-key pool hall open until 2 A.M. most nights. A lot of singles and couples frequent it.

And last but not least, it is home to Lillie's Tacos! It's easily the best taco joint in all of Santa Barbara. A little hole in the wall, you can get the most legit tacos at a whopping $1.35 a piece. I highly recommend going there at least once if you like Mexican food.

I love Victoria street because it's so quiet and serene despite being in close proximity to downtown. The historic courthouse is gorgeously maintained and brings plenty of tourists and visitors. You can climb up the clock tower to experience its amazing views of the city and the sunken gardens is home to many parties and festive activities.

Victoria Street is also home to Art Essential, an art supply store that has an extensive amount of items to choose from. Right across the street is Other World Tattoo, one of the only two places in Santa Barbara that I would ever consider getting my work done.

I'm a senior at UCSB and just recently moved to this street a few months ago and it's been the best decision since being out here in Santa Barbara. My favorite part about living on the 100 block of Anapamu is that it's so centrally located to everything; it's one block away from the transit center and 2 blocks away from State Street and the heart of downtown. Sometimes it's a little sketchy at night with a homeless person here and there, so that's why I wouldn't recommend this place for families with kids, but it's a singles/couples' paradise.

If you go all the way down Anapamu it eventually turns in Milpas Street and takes you to the east side of Santa Barbara.