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Anyone here familiar with Santa Barbara, California?

Ringodoggie

Well-known member
Premium user
I am clearing my house and going walkabout next Spring. My initial destination is Santa Barbara. I plan to stay in a hotel or suite just long enough to find a nice little place on or near the beach to rent for 6 months to a year while I look for a place to live and a house to buy Maybe more, maybe less.

I have seen a number of places on Craigslist and Zillow. Looks like $3k a month will get me a decent shack on or near the beach.

Furnished or unfurnished, I don't care. I assume they have cheap furniture stores where I can grab a couch and some tables.

Once I get it livable, I am going to head out to see where I want to live. I presume somewhere in Cali but, there are plenty of nice places nearby like Tahoe and Vegas. Mexico would be my dream but the wife is scared to death to leave the country. Poor thing lives in a very small box. This move is freaking her out. LMAO San Fransisco is a dream but the weather is not great and I am a total outdoor person.

Anyway, any tips are very cool. Like... Goleta or Carpentina (sp)? Goleta looks cheap because it's all the college kids. Which is great for me because I hate old people. I'm 65 going on 22. LOL The music scene is probably cool around the kids and I play drums and don't plan on quitting.

And, I'm not really stuck on Santa Barbara. I was there a few years ago and it's a beautiful, quaint little town. I may end up in San Fransisco or LA but I don't want to start there. Santa Barbara just hit my heart and soul. And, it's central to the area I am looking to buy a home and live. (San Fran to San Diego).

However, just down the road closer to Ventura, it seems to get way cheaper. And, going toward Malibu even cheaper yet. I don't imagine it's the hood anywhere along the beach is it? Anyplace within a block from the beach should be a nice, safe and comfortable place to stay..... Yes?

Can't imagine why it gets cheaper towards LA. I would expect it to get more expensive.Perhaps I'm not the only one who loved Santa Barbara. LOL

Anyway, I would love to hear from people who know the area with any suggestions or warnings. Especially warnings, I guess.

Oh, and I am bringing my dog. He is a big dog (Golden Retriever) but I have been a dog trainer for 12 years and this dog is better behaved than ANY child I have ever met. LOL So, hopefully, it won't limit me too much. Are dogs allowed on the beach? Are sand fleas a problem?

This is one of my dreams come true to move to California and spend my final days dipping my toes in the sand of my back yard..... the Pacific Ocean.

Thanks in advance for any help.
 

Ringodoggie

Well-known member
Premium user
Might be a good idea. I hate to double post.

I can tell you what's going on in Ohio too..... snow. That's why I'm going to California. LOL

We have not had a dry day in weeks. Or sunshine. LOL
 

GOT_BUD?

Weed is a gateway to gardening
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Did you know that Wisconsin gets 65 more days of sun than Ohio?

I don't remember where I heard that. But it was odd enough that it stuck in my brain.
 

Gypsy Nirvana

Recalcitrant Reprobate -
Administrator
Veteran
I lived in California from 1978 - 1982, so I really don't know so much how things might be today and most of it was in SF - although I did stay in L.A. and Santa Cruz briefly and most places were absolutely gorgeous - fine weather most of the year.

What I might suggest is that you try and get a place that is away from where these many forest fires burn - since I know people that have in recent years been very adversely affected by this yearly problem California has. Malibu is not such a good idea.
 

Ringodoggie

Well-known member
Premium user
Yeah, I must admit, all the fires this year have me a tiny bit discouraged. However, I would rather stand in front of that fire with my pants down, peeing for my life..... than face another fucking Winter in Shithole, Ohio (Shithole, Ohio is a small town outside, Depression, Ohio.) I just hate the cold weather and the lack of sunshine. We only average 42 sunny days a YEAR. Not quite Colorado. LOL

Besides, if the fires come, I simply get in my car and drive somewhere else until they are done. I am pretty care free so I can go somewhere else for months at a time if I want.

Thanks for the input, gang.
 

St. Phatty

Active member
There is nothing on the horizon to indicate that California will have a better year wildfire wise, in 2019 or 2020, than in 2017 or 2018.

More, to the contrary.

One of the things I used to like about driving in California, whether it was highway 5 (inland) or 101 (on the coast), was getting to know the discount motels.

The Super 8 with the Curry smell because it's run by an Indian family. The Motel 6 which has fresh coffee at 5 AM (instead of 6) because that's just the way they did it.

The OTHER Motel 6 (in Eureka) where you could just use your nose to find the room with the finest OG Kush.

Most of those places aren't gone. They're filled with wildfire refugees.

Same for campgrounds, etc.

2019 & 2020, it won't get better, because the fire year is determined in advance, by preparations. And there are no material preparations in California. Meanwhile CO2 levels are rising, so there will be a new and bigger crop of combustible fuel in 2019.

I suggest having a vehicle that allows you to put a mattress in the back, so that you are more independent of motel & campground vacancies. Then you can stay at highway rest areas if need be.

In many towns, scope out the Walmart parking lot to see if camping is allowed - right there, in the Walmart parking lot.

Also, the fire in Paradise will create some buying opportunities, especially if you have cash. The recent un-controlled burn will protect the town from another fire for about 5 years. Show up with $10K or $20K and you might be able to buy a lot.

Also, Paradise is pretty much in California gold country. One of the primary problems lately in gold country is - nowhere to stay.

I also suggest having a squeaky clean vehicle. All turn signals working, etc. Plenty of California (and Oregon, and Washington) cops would love to score office brownie points by impounding your vehicle - for no real reason whatsoever.


If you start at Santa Barbara, I suggest driving North on 101 to Santa Maria area. There's about 100 miles of coastline there.
 

vta

Active member
Veteran
SB is nice, I'm there several times a month. In all of Santa Barbara County, I would only live in two places. Carpinteria if you want the beach...it is also a major cannabis hub. You can't drive past on the 101 without smelling all the greenhouses. Great town.

Santa Ynez is another beautiful area. Especially if you like wine. I think there are over 250 wineries now. Also a little cheaper than SB proper. Warmer.

South in Ventura you get cheaper rents but more crime. Great beaches and plenty to do. Revamped downtown with tons of live music on the weekends. South of that is Oxnard. 3rd world cesspool. Don't even consider it.

San Fran is a shithole...literately. LA is just as bad. Unless you live in the suburbs...I wouldn't live directly in either one.

That said I love LA ! And always live within a couple hours. I am also a music lover and go to a ton of shows there. Everything you could think to do, LA has it.

Check out Carpinteria...bet you would dig it.
 

igrowone

Well-known member
Veteran
...
Also, the fire in Paradise will create some buying opportunities, especially if you have cash. The recent un-controlled burn will protect the town from another fire for about 5 years. Show up with $10K or $20K and you might be able to buy a lot.
...

funny, i was having some similar thoughts about the area
is it the future? migrations following the burned out areas
every disaster leaves opportunity in its wake
 

MedResearcher

Member
Veteran
Born and raised in Cali. Have spent time in many places including the Central Coast, which is what I would consider S.B.


If you head South you end up in Ventura and the greater LA area pretty quickly. North of S.B. is nice, besides Santa Maria to Oceano. Not that those places are terrible, just not great imo. I have a couple sets of retired Aunts/Uncles in Cayucos. Nice sleepy beach town, not to far from S.L.O. Anywhere around S.L.O is nice, just land on the coastal side of the grade unless you like hot summers. The inland side of the grade is warmer, drier, and cheaper though. Santa Margarita is an interesting small town, Templeton is really nice to, both located right on the 101.


Mr^^
 

Ringodoggie

Well-known member
Premium user
Wow, thanks so much for all the feedback.

Thanks VTA, I was wondering why it got so cheap as I headed towards Oxnard. Santa Ynez looks very nice. It definitely just went on the 'visit me' list.

Phatty, I remember Santa Maria from the last time we were there. And, we stayed in SLO for a while. The wife loved Pismo Beach.

Thanks again for all the input, gang. It's really helping me to think this through before I make too many mistakes. LOL


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St. Phatty

Active member
Wow, thanks so much for all the feedback.

Thanks VTA, I was wondering why it got so cheap as I headed towards Oxnard. Santa Ynez looks very nice. It definitely just went on the 'visit me' list.

Phatty, I remember Santa Maria from the last time we were there. And, we stayed in SLO for a while. The wife loved Pismo Beach.

Thanks again for all the input, gang. It's really helping me to think this through before I make too many mistakes. LOL.

There's a Motel 6 in both Pismo & Santa Maria. Maybe 1 or 2 in each town.

If you want a room with a bath tub, sometimes you have to rent one of the wheelchair accessible rooms.

People camp on those dunes all the time. Maybe a camping permit is all it takes to not get hassled for camping. $10 a day. Could it be so easy ?

Given how nice it is there, I figure there has to be a catch. Or there'd be 10,000 people living on the dunes in Pismo. Maybe 100,000.

Heck, you can use human poop as crab bait, I think.

There, I just cured the homeless problem. Just give them tents & sleeping bags and permission to feed their turds to the crabs & lobsters off the central coast.


I've lived near Market & Van Ness in SF, about as downtown as you could get. I never saw people pooping or people castings piled on the sidewalk.

It sounds as if they closed the bathrooms - or there are just a LOT more homeless people in SF.

I think it helps to have a vehicle where you can get to the back without leaving the cab and crawling through a camper shell door. A van.

I camped in SF for 5 weeks once looking for an apartment, and had to be a fvcking ninja to not be seen lifting the hatch & crawling in.
 

St. Phatty

Active member
If you're travelling in the winter, you have more options.

You can probably get a camping place at Seaside in Cardiff.

Between Encinitas & Solana Beach. There used to be a pay camping ground there.
 

Bobby Boucher

Active member
Santa Barbara is one of the only places in cali, outside of SD county, that I really enjoyed.

The people of San Diego though are just so friendly and cosmopolitain.. Something about being surrounded by crime on all sides I think keeps the people very tight-nit, regardless of color or creed.

The hispanics all seem very driven to submerge themselves into our culture and language, while the anglo's seem very driven to embrace their neighbors latin culture and language.

It's pretty cute. I miss it every day. Here in Chicago "cultural diversity" is something you see in the street, not something we really practice in our hearts. Most of the 1st gen immigrants I run into here would rather face a firing squad than try and submerge themselves into our culture. And thats cool too, just saying.. SD is a very friendly and open-minded place.
 

pop_rocks

In my empire of dirt
lots of great replies here!

If you're travelling in the winter, you have more options.

You can probably get a camping place at Seaside in Cardiff.

Between Encinitas & Solana Beach. There used to be a pay camping ground there.

its still there but availability can be tough, call ahead and reserve a spot if you plan on visiting
its a great place to camp

i agree with b.boucher
san diego has a very friendly vibe and is a great place to visit
lots of fun things to do and see, plus some of the best ethnic foods you will ever eat!
/the mexican and asian food here are top notch
 

packerfan79

Active member
Veteran
I worked at UCSB for a few weeks. We stayed in Carpenteria due to no rooms available around Santa Barbara (spring break). Carpenteria was nice, but no nightlife. The whole town shuts down at 8 o'clock.

I really liked SLO when we were there. Santa Maria was pretty ghetto. Pismo beach is a great place. Small town feel.
 

St. Phatty

Active member
Here's a picture from some article about the wildfire refugees, that was in today's news.

This shows an area where they are arranging housing for the people who lost homes in the Redding and Paradise fires.

attachment.php


Sort of, inside the shaded area, you can't travel so easily without motel reservations, like you could all of time till a few years ago.
 

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Ringodoggie

Well-known member
Premium user
Thanks again, everyone so much for all the input. I am starting to narrow it down.

It is between 2 landing zones... San Diego proper. Or, what someone above referred to as 'the central coast'. That's from like Pismo/Monterey to Ventura.

It sure is beautiful in that central coast area. And, it is more.... well, central. So, as I troll around the state to see where I like best, coming back to the landing zone will always be convenient. More so than San Diego.

However, San Diego has a lot to offer in terms of cheaper places to stay and other conveniences.

I am going to fly out a few times between now and then and spend a week in several different locations to try to narrow t down.

Looks like all this change is a little too much for my narrow (in mind only) wife of 40 years so it looks like I'll be leaving her behind. Kind of sad but I refuse to stay in Depression, Ohio another day.

I suppose they have women in California that like twisted old men with lots of money???

Again, thanks so much for all the input. It really is helpful more than you may know.






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Bobby Boucher

Active member
If you are looking for something more affordable in SD county, Escondido is bad ass. I felt more welcome there than anywhere else. If you have the money though, La Jolla is astounding. Downtown is downtown. Quaint, but it ain't as quaint as La Jolla, and costs roughly the same.

This reminds me how badly I need a vacation.
 

Ringodoggie

Well-known member
Premium user
Well, I think I have finally made a decision between San Diego and Santa Barbara.

There is so much more available for housing and so many choices of where to live in SD. And, I imagine the weather is slightly better since it's further South. However, everything I liked was in a crowded area (Downtown or beachfront) and I am going to have my dog. So, staying in a 5th floor apartment or condo, or anything right on the street, is definitely going to be more hassle in terms of the dog. And, I'm not sure about the rules and regs of walking your dog on city streets in downtown SD. I imagine there are plenty. LOL

In Santa Barbara, there is less to choose from but the options are much better suited for the dog. Most of what is available to rent is a house, rather than a condo or apartment. Many with a little fenced yard for the dog.

And, Santa Barbara was such a quaint little town. I really fell in love with it last time I was there.

So..... Santa Barbara it is. Well, actually, central coast would be more accurate. I am good with anything from Pismo to Ventura.

I would love to hear about any place to avoid in that range but from what I can tell, it's all good from Pismo to Ventura.

Also, if anyone has rentals or knows of anything special, we will be coming out in Spring of next year. I'll be out once or twice between now and then to scope out rentals but in Spring we will be coming out to stay.

Thanks again for all the input. It's really been a big help.








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