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University of California - Santa Barbara
- Local Atmosphere

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University of California - Santa Barbara - Local Atmosphere - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.85

Local Atmosphere

B+
Where does this grade come from?View all Local Atmosphere rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

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Quick Stats

Points of Interest
  • Campus Point
  • Coronado Butterfly Preserve
  • The Mission
  • Sands Beach
  • Santa Ynez Mountains
  • State Street
  • Stearn’s Wharf

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Isla Vista, once deemed the “student ghetto” and patrolled by the National Guard in the 1960s, is a square-mile town right next to campus. Most UCSB students live in Isla Vista—otherwise known as IV—and bike to campus every day—a 10-minute bike ride, max. The party street, Del Playa (DP), is on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Without a doubt, Isla Vista is one of the most unique and fun places most people will ever live. Where else can you choose from 10 to 30 parties on the weekend, hang out on the beach, and stand in line at 4 in the morning for burritos and pizza with hundreds of other college students?

The two beaches by Isla Vista are Devereux and Sands. If it’s at all sunny, you can bet that both will be crowded with tanners and surfers (actually, the surfers are there no matter what the weather). The mountains are about a 15-minute drive away and provide plenty of opportunities for hiking. Isla Vista also has casual and inexpensive restaurants, and most do not close before 2 a.m. any night of the week. Just consider yourself warned that, with such a great atmosphere, productivity can be very low. Some students know that they will only stay focused if they live outside of Isla Vista.

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UC Santa Barbara Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Local Atmosphere at University of California - Santa Barbara

melaniealessi

'15

Psychology

5.0
A+

UCSB: School of Champions

Santa Barbara is a coastal town with various options for entertainment. Beautiful weather,incredible beach scenery/activity, excellent shopping and dining are among the primary attributes for which Santa Barbara is known for. UC Santa Barbara, although known infamously as a "party school", is highly acclaimed for its science department, and ranks #7 out of 500 universities (both private and public). The people are friendly, the view is breath-taking, and the campus offers a variety of ways to get involved, including 400+ clubs and extracurriculars.

Jan 18, 2012

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Local Atmosphere at University of California - Santa Barbara

hellonikki

'15

Sociology

5.0
A+

Beaches, Bikes, and Breeze

Santa Barbara. Ah, the land of beautiful scenery of sunsets and sunrises. Living and studying near the beach is absolutely one of the best experiences I have come across in my life. It's the perfect mix of relaxation and down right good ol' education. If I could give the Atmosphere of Santa Barbara better than an A+, I would. It's all about location, location, location. Coming from busting Southern Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, to me, is considered "Northern Cali". The weather seems to always consist of a light breeze that cools the sun's warm rays that beats down at you at just the proper temperature. State Street, which is conveniently located just a bus ride away for UCSB students, is like an old town full of up-to-date shops. It also abundant with beautiful restaurants with patio seating and bars that fill up with eager college students watching a game. It might be tough to sum up all this bright town has to offer, and as for me, I'm just a freshman.

Jan 05, 2012

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Local Atmosphere at University of California - Santa Barbara

courtneyevans

'15

Elementary Education

5.0
A+

Very Entertaining

Santa Barbara is a very social school located in the center of a very social area! there are multiple night clubs, move theaters, shopping in downtown Santa Barbara, all types of dining, sports and entertainment shows, beautiful beaches, and beautiful people. You will NOT get bored here..

Jan 03, 2012

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Page 1 of 19

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate the local atmosphere on the following topics

What is the local atmosphere like at your school?

What is the proximity to other universities? Is there much interaction?

Can you see yourself living here after graduation?

Facts

Shopping Centers
  • Camino Real Marketplace
  • La Cumbre Mall
  • Paseo Nuevo Mall
  • Plaza Shopping Center
Major Sports Teams
  • Anaheim Ducks: hockey
  • Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: hockey
  • Los Angeles Clippers: basketball
  • Los Angeles Dodgers: baseball
  • Los Angeles Kings: hockey
  • Los Angeles Lakers: basketball
  • Los Angeles Sparks: WNBA basketball
City Web Sites
Distances to Nearest Major Cities
  • Las Vegas: NV: 5 hours
  • Los Angeles: CA: 1 hour, 30 minutes
  • San Francisco: CA: 5 hours
Did You Know?

Fun Facts about Santa Barbara:
• The first Kinko’s was in Isla Vista, created by a UCSB grad student.
• Big Dogs Brand, Patagonia, and Islands Magazine all have their headquarters here.
• JFK and new wife Jackie O. finished off their honeymoon in Santa Barbara.
• The Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the Santa Barbara Writer’s Conference are annual events.
• Santa Barbara County is becoming one of the best wine-producing regions on the coast.

Famous People Living in Santa Barbara:
Jennifer Aniston
Jeff Bridges
Julia Childs
John Cleese
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
“Bachelor” Andrew Firestone
Billy Idol
Kathy Ireland
Michael Keaton
Michael Jackson
Steve Martin
Brad Pitt
Ivan Reitman
Oprah Winfrey

Local Slang:
Hendry’s – The beach that non-locals know as Arroyo Burro
Carp – Carpinteria, a beach town just south of Santa Barbara
State – State Street, where all the downtown shopping and dining is located
APS – Alameda Padre Serra, the street that cuts across the top of the foothills, or “Riviera,” and has a great view of downtown and the ocean
Brooks – The photography institute in Montecito
RoCo – Santa Barbara Roasting Company, a downtown coffee shop

Movie TheatersWhat's This?

Camino Real Theatre
6950 Marketplace Dr.
(805) 963-9503

Fairview Theatre
225 N. Fairview Ave.
Goleta
(877) 789-6684

Isla Vista Theatre
960 Embarcadero del Norte

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Most Recent Student Author

College Prowler guides are in the hands of students throughout the entire process. Because you can't make student-written guides without the students, we have students at each campus who write, edit, and survey their peers for every guide that we publish. Thanks to our most recent student author at UCSB

Name: Michael Cooper

Hometown: Danville, CA

Major: Sociology/Sports Management minor

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