Moving away from our parents is not easy. Yeah... sometimes this is all we have been wishing for. You might be just moving from a different city in California or a state in the U.S., but the "moving" part is much more intense for exchange students. The cultural adaptation, homesickness, and loneliness that comes with the first few months it's all part of the journey. More maturity about your choices and the type of living situation that you are looking for yourself is going to become much more important if you chose to move away from your country, state, or city.
In this blog post, I'll share with you some insights on what you have to look for and think about when searching for a place here in Santa Barbara. And also, I'll share my thoughts on what I perceive to be the pros and cons of the following neighborhoods: The Mesa, Downtown/East Beach, Goleta, and Isla Vista
Basically, I asked myself "what would have helped me finding a good place when moving to Santa Barbara?" And the answer it's what follows.
Variables To Be Analyzed
We're going to analyze three main variables that will help you knowing more about housing in Santa Barbara
- Pricing around Santa Barbara
- Location & Locomotion
- Your Living Situation
Pricing Around Santa Barbara
If you don't live here in California, probably you have no idea how expensive things are around here. Coming from Brazil, and already living in Australia, I felt that here is different in terms of pricing. What you should be looking for is to pay around $750-$1200 per month for a single room. And in some places, such as Buena Vista, or Beach City (apartment complexes next to school), an one year lease is required, plus a security deposit. So keep that in mind. However, you can find places that charge monthly. But you will need to make a security deposit, which is normally the same price as the rent that you're paying if you chose to close the deal.
Location & Locomotion
Santa Barbara is relatively small, with the population of only 92,000 people (2018 census, from Santa Barbara County). This is good because most things aren't that far, and you won't have to deal with much traffic if you happen to buy a car around here. Also, you can manage your routine with the buses that the city provide, SBCC students can get them for free with our student ID in hands. One thing though, is that the bus schedule is very limited, so you are going to have to build your routine and schedule with this in mind
Your Living Situation
You can't have it all. If you want to live in a quiet house, do not expect to be able to make pull up the living room table, stack some red cups and play blasting music. If you want to live in a party house, do not expect to be lighting up incenses and reading a book with a cup of tea on your Friday night. So, chose what you want. I would say that you can choose to live with people of your age, older folks, and a family. I've lived with all of them, all are good (except for the family) With students, if you find people that resonate with you, you're going to have more fun at home, and hang out more often. Also, you might meet more people because everyone is making friends and connecting with each other. This is the good part. But keep in mind that most students are lazy regarding household duties (a.k.a. doing dishes, laundry, keeping things clean in the bathroom...) So you might live in a mess... but that's not certain. You never truly know until you live the experience.
With older folks (in their late twenties or thirties), it's fun too. But it is a different kind of fun. No partying, more talking about life, going to restaurants, and any other random subject that comes up. People are more mature, and therefore you should expect a more respectful, clean and "home-like" environment. This is the type of living situation that I liked the most so far.
Living with a family is not that good, because you are out 1000 miles from the student life. And families have discussions, and they are at their house. So if you are renting a room, expect to live in the room. No more than that. And I did not like that idea.
Now let's look at the neighborhoods around town
The Neighborhoods Around Town
The Mesa
School is located at the Mesa/West Beach. So you can find places that are walking distance from the College. This is nice because you don't have to worry about buses and all of that.
Pros:
- Near school
- Supermarkets Available
- A lot bus stops
- Great for people who do not have a car
- Quiet neighborhood
- Amazing sunsets.
Cons:
- Don't expect to find $750 single rooms too easily. I would be expecting a $1000+ month for a single in a good spot.
Downtown/East Beach
This is the most populated area of Santa Barbara, and it is near everything. Also, there is the transit station, which you can get buses to anywhere in town.
Pros:
- Near shops, places to walk/visit, supermarket, laundry mats
- Buses to school available
Cons:
- Difficult to park if you have a car and no parking spot.
Goleta
This is a city located near Santa Barbara, I don't consider outside of Santa Barbara because both cities connect. It is a good, organized place to live.
Pros:
- Can find cheaper housing options
Cons:
- Relatively far from school if you don't have a car
Isla Vista
Isla Vista, known as IV, is next to UCSB, and it is a university town. There are a lot of students there, and parties too.
Pros:
- Student environment
- You meet a lot of people
- There are plenty of parties
Cons:
- Too much partying, difficult to study and focus at school
- It is not so safe (people might steal your bike)
- It is far from SBCC (there is an express bus though)
- If you live in a party house, there will be strangers there, so it's riskier to have your stuff hanging around the house
Bonus: Be Careful w/ Scammers (They are out there)
If you're looking to find places to live here, you would probably have to go to craigstlist.com and search for housing there. However, I would recommend you to beware of scammers. The most common type is when someone says that he/she is out of town, but can send you the keys if you send them the security deposit. I know, it sounds so obvious... but if you're looking for a place to stay, you might be stressed out. Therefore, this could be your "only hope." But don't act too quickly if this situation comes up to you.
Another classic "scam" is when people post an unbelievable room with cheap price and ask you to sign in on Roomster or any housing website. They're not trying to sign you up for your good, they earn a commission based on that. Therefore, I would say that 95% of these postings, the room is not even real.
To Sum:
This is a helpful guide to decrease a bit of your anxiety if you're planning to come on over. However, it is still going to be a difficult process to find a place and settle. Just pay attention to how much you want to pay, what environment you want to live, and who is offering the place, and you will be good! I wish you all of the best
Resources that might be helpful:
Sbcc housing list: https://www.sbcc.edu/housinglist/
Best, Antonio
Studying abroad in Santa Barbara means to me discovering the intriguing, great and beautiful country in the United States on my own, being almost independent by living on my own with a great international community thanks to my lovely parents caring a lot for me! 
