What’s it like to be a celebrity living in Santa Barbara? In a word, refreshing. The American Riviera has been a magnet for the rich and famous for over a century and celebrities here can stroll down the street without getting stared at or otherwise bothered. In general, Santa Barbarans have an insouciant attitude towards celebrities, which is why it has been such a favorite among A-listers for generations.
Of course, that’s not the only reason why everyone from Hollywood luminaries to captains of industry find this particular stretch of California’s Central Coast so appealing. There’s a wealth of other reasons, ranging from the red-tile-roofed Spanish Colonial cityscape and the long stretches of south-facing beaches to the balmy, sunny climate, the exceptional dining options, and so on.
Silent Movies and Santa Barbara
Flying A Studios c.1920. West Mission St., Santa Barbara, CA
The Santa Barbara area has deep ties to the filmmaking industry, long before it was known as Hollywood. Around 1,200 movies were produced here during the silent film era of the early 20th century, though only a fraction of these have survived to this day. There used to be more than a dozen studios in town, the largest of which was Flying A Studios, and stars like Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. were frequent visitors. Even after film production moved south to the Los Angeles area after the 1920s, the industry’s movers and shakers kept coming back to Santa Barbara – as they still do to this day.
Some Famous Santa Barbarans
Oprah Winfrey at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival
If you’ve spent some time in the Santa Barbara area, then you’ve probably already had a celebrity sighting or two. The list ofproperty owners here can read like a veritable who’s who of movers and shakers in the entertainment industry, many of whom have opted for Montecito homes for sale. Among those who maintain homes here are Oprah, Kirk Douglas, George Lucas, Carol Burnett, John Cleese, Drew Barrymore, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Charlize Theron, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Kenny Loggins, Kevin Costner, and so on. And this is by no means an exhaustive list either.
Moreover, it isn’t just Hollywood stars that have chosen to make their home in Santa Barbara. The area has also long been a haven for quite a few literary luminaries as well. You might run into famous authors T.C. Boyle and Sue Grafton while you’re here – interestingly enough, the latter’s major influence, crime fiction author Ross Macdonald was also a Santa Barbaran, as was his wife, the novelist Margaret Millar. Other literary-minded folks who’ve made SB their home at one time or another include Pico Iyer, Fannie Flagg, Gayle Lynds, and Arianna Huffington.
Are you considering investing in real estate in the area? Find out what makes Santa Barbara the first pick of celebrities across various fields. Use the Santa Barbara MLS search tool on this site to check out currently available properties in Santa Barbara, Montecito, Hope Ranch, Summerland, Carpinteria, or Goleta. For more in-depth information on the property market here or for insights on the region’s lifestyle options, get in touch with me, Cristal Clarke, today.