Properties are not always available here, and it makes sense that owners want to hold onto what they’ve got: some rather large homes, some with stunning views of the mountains or even the ocean, valued at about a million to $2 million. What a special place from which to enjoy the beauty, leisure, and lifestyle of Santa Barbara.

Shop mom-and-pop markets and storefronts, walk under the freeway to retail, eating, and working downtown, and get to know your neighbors. A little more than 20 percent of the Lower Westside’s residents are owners. All of them are true, at-the-heart-of-it-all Sana Barbarans.

The Bonnymede and Montecito Shores developments include apartments and townhomes. Vintage bungalows and newer builds can both be found here, too. Properties may start at around a million dollars, but homes for $7 million and luxury estates for $20 million are on the market, as well. The exclusivity and charm of this beachfront dreamland make it well worth the cost for residents and vacationers from around the globe.

Wine and beer festivals, charity walks/runs, fireworks on the Fourth, and more are enjoyed in Chase Palm Park, on the palm-tree-lined lawn that meanders alongside walking and biking paths. You will see many travelers touring during the summer season, living their California dream of cruising with the top down along the oceanfront Cabrillo Boulevard, taking pictures of the palm trees or biking on beach cruisers and surreys between meals and shopping. All year-round, you’ll spy locals jogging and walking the paths, playing volleyball at the far end of the beach on popular courts, and resting on the sand.

Amid all these attractions, people live and vacation in properties ranging from about $500,000 to over a million dollars. Though a very short walk or drive takes you to all the usual markets, drugstores, shopping, and dining of the city, gems like Tri-County Produce Co. (for fresh, local food) and Stella Mare’s Bistro (for a relaxed French meal) are right within the neighborhood. Across from East Beach itself are El Escorial Villas and East Beach Town Houses. Nicely landscaped properties right across from the ocean have a tropical, world-apart feel.
There’s a lot to say about this gorgeous, idyllic California waterfront area, but a glimpse of Cabrillo Boulevard winding gently along the coast, palm trees towering above in a neat line, and the serene Pacific leading out to the horizon pretty much says everything.

Amid hotels and restaurants, there are multi-unit dwellings and B&Bs housing luxury seekers, vacationers, and Santa Barbara City College students. (The school’s stadium looks out over the sea, and its campus above does, too.) These sell for about half a million dollars to about $1.5 million, with newer/renovated builds going for a million to $3 million. Views of the Pacific out to the Channel Islands, surfing and stand-up paddle boarding just a few steps away, and fresh ocean air coming in your window, beckoning you out to get moving and get social: Living beachside in this special area will very likely put sand between your toes and pep in your step.