Santa Barbara
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Gay Travel Santa Barbara
Given its relatively conservative and affluent reputation, it’s surprising that Gay Santa Barbara has a sizable GLBT community. Of course, this is a blissful place to live, and there’s always a steady stream of gay visitors escaping from points further south. The integrity of the architecture and landscaping is a consistent strength. Gracious sandy beaches fringe the city’s southern coastline, with sailboats bobbing in the Marina and rugged mountains forming a northern backdrop. Downtown, travelers experience a healthy art scene amidst the Mission-style red-tiled adobes that house many exceptional restaurants.
The climate is often graciously compared to the Mediterranean, with Santa Barbara even sometimes referred to as the “American Riviera.” It is indeed balmy, and has the glamour of an idyllic yet exclusive beach enclave. Year-round, the climate is extraordinarily conducive to happiness—320 days of sunshine, low humidity and cool breezes.
The overall gay presence in Santa Barbara has expanded in recent years, and the dyke scene—as one local lesbian explained it—is a comfortable balance of northern California’s granola-and-Birkenstock types and southern California’s chic club-goers. As is often the case in heavenly lands, the old guard here claims that Santa Barbara has become increasingly “discovered” and somewhat less appealing. While this may be true to a degree, the city still looks green, clean and quite striking without feeling tourist-ridden or over-developed.
