Santa Barbara’s Riviera neighborhood is one of several hills visible from the beaches downtown.
How cool is it to live in not just the town that calls itself “The American Riviera” but then also the neighborhood of the same name? Life is good here. It’s thought that this two-mile wide hill resembles the slopes of the Mediterranean coasts of France and Italy – hence, the romantic name. With it’s winding, steep roads, it can be difficult to get around, but the views of the city, ocean and Channel Islands are breathtaking.
The lovely Riviera Santa Barbarans admire today, as seen from the city below, dates from 1913. That year a group of investors calling themselves the Riviera Company, spurred by the imminence of a college campus, incorporated for $300,000 and bought the old Hawley Heights tract and additional acreage. Their chairman and majority stockholder, pink-bearded George A. Batchelder of Atherton, became known in years to come as “the father of the Riviera.”
So there’s some history. The Riviera neighborhood divides itself into “upper” and “lower”, with the road called Alameda Padre Serra (“APS” for short), dividing the two. Homes are often designed to maximize the views, resulting in sprawling lateral styles that hang over the hillsides.
Homes are designed to maximize the dramatic views
Parking is at a premium in this neighborhood and some driveways are so steep that cars occasionally bottom out, so you have to think about these things before you decide to live there. The Riviera encompasses homes both grand and modest, and now that prices have fallen, it’s possible to pick up a view home in this neighborhood for under $1M – it’ll need updating, but it’s more affordable than it used to be. Two of the my favorite spots in the Riviera are the Metropolitan Riviera Theater (on APS) and the Santa Barbara Bowl (Lower Riviera). The theater looks nothing like a theater from the outside. In fact, the complex of buildings it’s housed in used to be the campus for the early incarnation of UCSB, before it grew too large and moved to Goleta. There are no signs directing you to the theater, you just kind of have to know where it is once you park, or just follow the people, which is what I did the first time I went. They tend to show more of the foreign films and art films, rather than the blockbusters. It’s my favorite theater. There’s also a BEST KEPT SECRET about this theater that I’ll tell you if you want to email me. It’s a really good secret that you might not even know if you live here and you definitely won’t know if you don’t. It involves free movies. That’s all I’m going to say for now. 
“The Bowl” has been around since the 30’s, although it’s undergone major upgrades since then, and is now the premier music venue in the area. The outdoor amphitheater enjoys ocean views (it’s on the Riviera, right?), and attracts big names for 30 or so concerts they put on each year. This year some of the highlights include: Joe Cocker, Diana Krall, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Ben Harper, and Norah Jones.
If you’re interested in more information about SB’s Riviera neighborhood, or any other neighborhood, contact Karen Blackburn, your Santa Barbara Realtor.
Living in Santa Barbara 