Editorial: Santa Barbara is the place to spend your 20s

By Amanda Marroquin

In the city that marks the beginning of California's central coast stretch, an exclusive high society sea breeze gusts throughout. Santa Barbara, coined as the American Riviera, is too often mistaken as a land for coastal aristocrats with its high rent prices and decadent assortment of familiar faces who call it home, like Prince Harry and Oprah Winfrey.  

The "riviera" nickname not only stems from Santa Barbara's Mediterranean climate, but the elite crowd it draws similar to St. Tropez or Nice. The elitist ethos the city boasts largely excludes so much of its culture, championed through its younger tenants.

The expansive vineyards tucked away in the Santa Ynez mountains are a backdrop to mom and pop coffee shops and the many cultural events like film, food and wine festivals. Sleepy beach town to some and American Riviera to others, the city's inhabitants include surfers, students, young professionals and central coast natives who live amongst their high profile neighbors.

There is an entire population of young 20-somethings that make up the underbelly of the city. Santa Barbara’s blend of coastal charm with a vibrant social scene make it not so much a backdrop - but more of a centerpiece - for any person figuring life out in their 20s.

Professionally speaking, the central coast is home to many innovative startups that draw a young workforce driven by a craving for socially impactful work. State Street runs through the city and the downtown is lined with bars, nightclubs and speakeasies. However, the social scene in Santa Barbara is dispersed, with the quirkier Funk Zone being a popular and preferable choice to some. Right off the 101 Garden Street exit, the small pocket draws locals to its selection of breweries, winetasting rooms and occasional sites of live music.

Uniting both a younger and older crowd, the annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival draws talent to it each year, most recently Angelina Jolie, Adrien Brody and Timothee Chalamet among many others. However A-list this might seem, the tickets for celebrity tributes are open to the public and do not cost much, encouraging a crowd with passion for culture and film. Celebrities are not the only ones who walk the red carpet during the film festival - breakout filmmakers also showcase their work there.

Weekends in Santa Barbara can include brunch, bottomless mimosas and an afternoon walk-it-off stroll by the water. For others, weekends are a jog culminating in a trip to a staple Santa Barbara coffee shop like Handlebar or Dart. Or, a journey to the Montecito Hot Springs followed by a glass of wine and artisan pizza from local favorite Bettina. Or, getting the friend group together for sushi with a view at Oku and ending the night with a pint of beer in hand at Biergarten in the Funk Zone - the leisurely options are relaxed, sophisticated and healthy.

Santa Barbara is a haven for those who might feel overwhelmed by big city atmospheres, like New York or Los Angeles, but crave a culturally rich environment. Unlike popular cities that promise to host just the right amount of qualities for someone to "find themselves," Santa Barbara is actually a safe space to do so - socially thriving, but not over-stimulatingly so. The Santa Barbara lifestyle allows for balance, something that is a rare gem, even for laid-back California.