Santa Barbara Real Estate

Located along the longest coastline on the West Coast of United States, the city of Santa Barbara is situated in the Santa Barbara County in the state of California. The city is often referred to as the American Riviera. Santa Barbara’s magnificent beaches, imposing mountains and a rich vivid culture make it a leading resort and tourist destination in the world. Although tourism plays an important role in the development of the city’s economy, Santa Barbara economy is also governed by other industries such as education, technology, large service sectors, finance, agriculture and health care.

The local government pays special emphasis on education. The city is home to some of the finest education institutions in the country like the University of California, Santa Barbara, the Brooks Institute of Photography, Santa Barbara City College, Westmont College and the Antioch University. The city is well connected by air and the Santa Barbara Airport operates hundreds of flights to various destinations across the nation. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Amtrak also operates numerous trains in and out of the city. The city is connected to Los Angeles to the south and San Francisco to the north via the U.S. Highway 101.

The discovery of the remains of Arlington Springs Man in the 1960s on the Santa Rosa Island dated Santa Barbara’s history way back to over 13,000 years. The city’s population grew rapidly after the Second World War. Many soldiers and servicemen, who had been to Santa Barbara during the war, came back and settled in the region after the war ended. This caused a drastic development in the city’s economy and infrastructure. During this time the Highway 101 was being built through the town and the newly built Lake Cachuma supplied water to the town. The city’s economy soared to greater heights between 1950s and 60s with the aerospace industries such as Raytheon and Delco Electronics setting up their operations here. Today Santa Barbara is a thriving economy with a wide range of industries generating thousands of job opportunities.

Santa Barbara is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Tourism has always been a major source of income for the city, generating over one billion dollars per year. Visitors are attracted to the city’s cultural heritage and many other popular destinations within the city. Some of the popular tourist attractions include Mission Santa Barbara, founded on December 4, 1786 is located just two miles inland from the harbor. This national historic landmark is an active place of worship and a sightseeing halt. The Santa Barbara County Courthouse is also frequented by visitors. This red tiled Spanish-Moorish construction offers a far-reaching view of the downtown area from its tower. The city also hosts a number of events and festivals throughout the year. Most notably the famous annual Fiesta and the Summer Solstice Parade brings in thousands of visitors each year.