Editing Santa Barbara, California (section)

==Neighborhoods==
[[File:View of The Waterfront from W Cabrillo Blvd in Santa Barbara, California.jpg|alt=View of The Waterfront from W Cabrillo Blvd in Santa Barbara, California|thumb|View of The Waterfront from W Cabrillo Blvd in Santa Barbara]]
[[File:View of the Eastside and Riviera in Santa Barbara, California from the Stearns Wharf.jpg|alt=View of the Eastside and Riviera in Santa Barbara, California from the Stearns Wharf|thumb|View of the Eastside and Riviera in Santa Barbara from the [[Stearns Wharf]]]]
Santa Barbara has a range of neighborhoods with distinctive histories, architecture, and culture. The significant consensus among locals as to the [[Vernacular geography|vernacular]] names and boundaries of these neighborhoods is generally well-reflected by local media outlets' regular use of them in daily reporting. These widely accepted neighborhood definitions differ somewhat from the City of Santa Barbara's formal administrative maps of city neighborhoods which are sometimes more granular and little used in common parlance or media reporting.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CIty of Santa Barbara Maps |url=https://maps.santabarbaraca.gov/Html5Viewer/Index.html?configBase=https://maps.santabarbaraca.gov/Geocortex/Essentials/REST/sites/MAPS_Public_PROD_Portal/viewers/CityOfSantaBarbara_SecuredViewer/virtualdirectory/Resources/Config/Default |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=maps.santabarbaraca.gov}}</ref> Specific municipal service providers such as police, fire, public utilities, and private real estate entities may also use slightly varying neighborhood definitions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Neighborhoods - Santa Barbara City College |url=https://www.sbcc.edu/housing/neighborhoods.php |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=www.sbcc.edu}}</ref> The following is a list of the most widely accepted local neighborhoods, grouped by region.

=== Downtown ===

* '''Downtown''' is the central commercial district of Santa Barbara and hosts the highest density of restaurants, bars, and nightlife. It is generally bounded by the Granada Theatre in the Northwest, down State Street to the beach.
* '''Lower State Street''' is the portion of downtown from the area of [[Plaza de la Guerra]] (home to city hall) down to the beach. It hosts the highest density of restaurants, bars, and clubs and includes the [[Santa Barbara station|Santa Barbara train station]] and Funk Zone district, known for breweries and tasting rooms.
* '''The Waterfront''' comprises commercial and tourist-oriented business structures along Cabrillo Boulevard including [[Stearns Wharf]], the Santa Barbara Harbor, and the breakwater, and extending east toward the Bird Refuge and west along Shoreline Drive above the Santa Barbara City College campus West.

=== The Eastside ===

* '''The Lower Eastside''' begins east of State Street and runs northeast to the base of the Riviera. It generally includes [[Santa Barbara High School]], [[Santa Barbara Junior High School]], and the [[Santa Barbara Bowl]]. The Milpas street corridor, running from the Santa Barbara Bowl to the waterfront, is the second most important commercial strip in town, after State Street.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Indy |date=2022-04-14 |title=Catching Up with Santa Barbara's Calle Milpas |url=https://www.independent.com/2022/04/13/catching-up-with-santa-barbara-calle-milpas/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=The Santa Barbara Independent |language=en-US}}</ref>
* '''The Upper Eastside''' begins east of state street around [[Alameda Park]] and [[Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden|Alice Keck Park]] and comprises a primarily residential area bounded in the Northeast by [[Mission Santa Barbara]] and Alameda Padre Serra (APS) road at the base of the Riviera.
* '''The Riviera''' encompasses an ocean-facing hillside and back hillside extending for approximately two miles. The north side extends from Foothill Road to Sycamore Canyon Road, and the south side extends from the Santa Barbara Mission to Salinas Street. The ribbon-like Alameda Padre Serra road serves as the principal artery for the neighborhood. The area has been known as the "American Riviera" since at least the latter half of the 19th century due to its resemblance to the Mediterranean coastal towns of Italy and France.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L7URAAAAYAAJ&q=%22american+riviera%22+Santa+barbara |title=Sunset |date=1898 |publisher=Passenger Department, Southern Pacific Company |language=en}}</ref> The neighborhood has winding streets with intricate stonework terracing built by early 20th-century Italian immigrants. Most of the topography of the Riviera is relatively steep, making it particularly noteworthy for homes with outstanding views of the City of Santa Barbara and the Pacific Ocean.
* [[Mission Canyon, California|'''Mission Canyon''']] contains the wooded hilly area beginning at Mission Santa Barbara and extending along Foothill Road, north and east into Mission Canyon Road and Las Canoas Road. A popular spot as an entry-point for weekend foothill hiking, it is a rustically beautiful, though fire-prone area of Santa Barbara due to heavy natural vegetation. The area is administratively outside of Santa Barbara City limits.

=== The Westside ===

* '''The Westside''' begins west of State Street and is bounded on its western and southwestern flanks by the Mesa. The area includes residential and commercial stretches on both sides of Highway 101, and reaches down to Cliff Drive, incorporating [[Santa Barbara City College]]. At its northern extent, it includes the 'Oak Park' neighborhood and abuts Upper State Street.
* '''The Mesa''' stretches {{convert|2.5|mi|km}} from Santa Barbara City College in the east to Arroyo Burro County Beach (or "Hendry's/The Pit" to locals) on the west. The neighborhood has beach access to Mesa Lane Beach, as well as Thousand Steps Beach. Residential development began here in the 1920s but was interrupted by the discovery of the [[Mesa Oil Field]]. The field was quickly exhausted, and after the Second World War, building of houses resumed, although the last oil tanks and sumps did not disappear until the early 1970s.<ref name="Easton">{{cite book |last=Easton |first=Robert Olney |title=Black tide: the Santa Barbara oil spill and its consequences |publisher=Delacorte Press |year=1972 |location=New York, New York |pages=89–90}}</ref>
* '''Alta Mesa and Bel Air''' comprise most of the coastal highlands of Santa Barbara, north (landward) of the Mesa. The area is almost entirely residential and includes Honda Valley Park and [[Elings Park]]. The area's northern slope provides notable views of downtown Santa Barbara, the Riviera, the [[Santa Ynez Mountains]], and the coast towards Ventura. The southern slope provides views of the [[Santa Barbara Channel]] and [[Channel Islands National Park]]. Due to its position along Santa Barbara County's east–west-trending southern coastline, fall and winter sunrises occur over the ocean, a rarity on the Pacific coast of the United States.
* '''Samarkand''' is a residential area home to about 2,000 inhabitants. The name Samarkand is derived from old Persian, meaning "the land of heart's desire" and was first applied to a deluxe Persian-style hotel converted from a boys' school in the area in 1920.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Samarkand History |url=https://terryryken.com/santa-barbara-area-information/samarkand-history/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=terryryken.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Samarkand later became the moniker for the general neighborhood located between Las Positas road, State Street, De La Vina street, Oak Park, and Highway 101.

=== Upper State Street ===

* '''Upper State Street''' is the portion of State Street running east to west from the San Roque area in the east to just past the interchange of Highway 101 and [[California State Route 154]] in the west. It is a primarily commercial corridor bounded by San Roque to its North and Highway 101 to its south. It also generally includes the 'Hitchcock' area, comprising a residential portion, as well as the Earl Warren Showgrounds, and an adjacent golf course.
* '''[[San Roque, Santa Barbara, California|San Roque]]''' is located northwest of the downtown area, bounded to its south by Upper State Street and to its north by foothills. The area is considered to be somewhat more temperate than surrounding neighborhoods due to its relative distance from the ocean and shielding by the low coastal hills to the south of the 101 freeway. The area is almost exclusively residential except where it abuts the commercial corridor of Upper State Street.