The Riviera, so named due to its resemblance to slopes along the Mediterranean coast of France and Italy, bridges the two mile span that separates Montecito from Santa Barbara’s Old Mission. Italian stonemasons’ magnificent hand~cut masonry walls, steps and hitching posts are abundant along the winding roads throughout the Riviera. The Riviera is famous for its semi-tropical appearance, with lush plantings of acacias, eucalypti, pittosporum, eugenias, palms, hibiscus shrubs and other exotics. All unsightly utility wires and cables are underground. Santa Barbarans lucky enough to live on this ridge attach premium value to their homes because of their unsurpassed views of the city, ocean and islands.
Padres at the Old Mission were invited to name the winding streets on the Riviera. The main thoroughfare, which divides the “upper” from the “lower” Riviera, became Alameda Padre Serra (known as "APS" for locals) in memory of the founder of the California missions. Other names out of our Hispanic past were perpetuated ~ Jimeno, Ferrello, San Carlos, Oramas, Lasuen, Rubio, Paterna, Arguello are all Riviera street names to this day.
The main campus of the renown Brooks Institute of Photography is situated on the Riviera, as is the beautiful El Encanto Hotel and the Riviera Theater.
One of the older and most stable neighborhoods in the city, the Riviera also ranks as one of the wealthiest. Spanish Revival architecture predominates along with ranch style homes and cottages, with a sprinkling of distinctly Contemporary homes as well. Lots on the Riviera are oriented so that no home impairs a neighbor’s view of the city, harbor, ocean and Channel Islands. The “upper” Riviera, consisting of approximately 700 homes, offers superior views to the more densely populated “lower” Riviera, which contains approximately 1,100 homes.
