The Metamorphosis of East Mesa

I love doing these walks, but I hate trying to figure out new ways to start the write-ups, so let’s just jump right in: this one is about what Google Maps calls East Mesa, and what some real estate agents call Marine Terrace. I had planned on parking on La Marina—a few of the neighborhood’s streets are too cool for suffixes—but it’s prohibited on “school days.” (For SBCC?) That reminded me of one time, years ago, when I parked downtown in a zone that was apparently off-limits during school hours. “How am I supposed to know when school is in session?” I asked the cop ticketing my car, and he let it go.

Anyway, you can park on the streets west of La Marina. Maybe college students will only walk so far.

Inadvertently, I often take these walks on garbage collection day, which leads to big plastic bins being in the photos. This was no exception—and as a bonus, some of the streets were being repaved. It stunk up the air, but the machines were futuristic.

With some exceptions, houses in the heart of the Mesa are pretty modest and architecturally undistinguished—classic 1950s California tract homes. Upkeep runs the gamut.

That hasn’t stopped freshly renovated versions elsewhere on the Mesa—330 Salida del Sol, for instance, and 1442 San Miguel Avenue—for selling for over $4 million in recent months. And below is 232 Las Ondas, which came on the market for $4.125 million in July and has since been cut to $3.995 million.

More are on the way, judging from the houses undergoing thorough renovations.

As a result, it’s not uncommon to see a spiffy, house-proud property next to one with significant deferred maintenance.

On Shoreline Drive, of course, the old Mesa/new Mesa contrast has been evident for a while; vintage cottages sit side by side with showy new construction. The likely teardown at 1204 Shoreline Drive is on the market for $4.495 million after a $300,000 price cut.

You can’t blame people for wanting to build up when doing so delivers an ocean view. Homeowners have gone big in different ways and with various levels of success. The effect can be jarring—a bunch of small houses and then a jumbo one—but it does liven up the architectural mix.

Occasionally, one of these two-story houses will have a roof deck.

People have also updated their homes without expanding them—for instance, by giving them a Craftsman-ish makeover.

Wood cladding is another popular modification.

And in what I assume is a recent trend, a surprising number of homeowners have painted their houses black or gray. It reminds me of how teenagers here—and this has been true since I grew up in California many decades ago—wear black even though they live in a sunny, happy place.

A fair number of houses have been covered in shingles—a timeless look, and my favorite.

The crows that live at 1327 Los Alamos Place agree.

As everywhere in Santa Barbara, there are some architectural outliers.

I love the little fangs on that last house. And check out the overbite on the one below, which is for rent for $17,000 per month.

There’s also some contemporary architecture, which really stands out.

The house at the corner of San Julian Avenue and San Julian Place cuts a dramatic figure—or maybe two, because it looks like one house from the east and another from the south.

Some of the houses are very nice, and I’m sure the Mesa is a delightful place to live. Even so, I find it surprising how people are willing to spend $4 million in a neighborhood that just doesn’t feel as if it should cost that much.

The bars on these windows appear to be for security, not Neoclassical effect.

OK, that’s it for houses. Let’s talk about trees! While the neighborhood overall isn’t as wooded as others in town, there are some beautiful specimen trees.

Trees + kids = tree swings. Some of them are maybe six inches off the ground. Do kids stand on them?

Who doesn’t love a good game of kick the slow kid?

And here’s a top-notch treehouse. I actually did this walk in July—writing them up takes a while (waiting for the muse and all that), so the American flags make sense.

To a point, anyway.

I think this was for Fiesta.

I’m not in the prime Mesa demographic—no kids, and I could take or leave the beach—but the main reason the neighborhood isn’t for me is that there are basketball hoops everywhere. One bored kid can ruin your entire day.

Sometimes there are two right next door to each other.

Or even at the same house.

Basketball might be the least of the issues here.

That brings us to yardifacts and other funky design elements, of which there are plenty.

Something I hadn’t noticed about the Mesa till I walked the neighborhood: rather a lot of the houses have outdoor seating in the front yard.

Some even have outdoor kitchens.

It must add a nice neighborly feel when you can walk around and wave to people—if they actually sit there. And they do!

As you might expect by now, landscaping ranges from the spare…

…to overgrown and taking over.

A couple of the sidewalks are not for the ticklish (unless you’re into that).

And I’d never seen a hedge of loquats before. Or one property using two different plants as hedging.

This is just awesome.

As always, there were mysteries. Is the goal to trip visitors? Is the plant supposed to be tipped over? What’s the hanging tennis ball for?

And what on earth is going on here?

Or here?

Reading this post might take longer than walking the neighborhood. Let’s speed things up. Pretty plants!

Vintage cars!

An accident waiting to happen! But don’t worry…

…an ambulance is waiting nearby!

And on that note, I’m out. Until next time, brah.

················

Walk With Me…

Downtown Santa Barbara
• The Gritty Glamour of the Funk Zone
• The Upper Upper East Is Busting Out All Over
• The Presidio: In the Footsteps of Old Santa Barbara
• Brinkerhoff, Bradley, and Beyond
• Mixing Business and Pleasure in East Beach
• It’s Only Milpas Street (But I Like It)
• The Haley Corridor Is Keeping It Real
• The Small Pleasures of Bungalow Haven
• Is There a Better Neighborhood for a Stroll Than West Beach?
• E. Canon Perdido, One of Downtown’s Best Strolling Streets

Eastside
• Where the Eastside Meets the Lower Riviera

Oak Park / Samarkand
• The Side Streets and Alleyways of Upper Oak Park
• The Small-Town Charms of Samarkand

The Riviera
• The Ferrelo-Garcia Loop
• Scaling the Heights of Las Alturas
• High on the Lower Riviera

Eucalyptus Hill
• On the Golden Slope of Eucalyptus Hill
• Climbing the Back of Eucalyptus Hill

San Roque
• Amid the Saints of South San Roque
• Voyage to the Heart of the San Roque Spider Web

TV Hill / The Mesa
• The Highs and Lows of Harbor Hills
• Walking in Circles in Alta Mesa
• West Mesa Is Still Funky After All These Years
• A Close-Up Look at TV Hill

Hidden Valley / Yankee Farm / Campanil
↓↓↓ Campanil is a Neighborhood in Flux
• An Aimless Wander Through Hidden Valley
• The Unvarnished Appeal of Yankee Farm

Hope Ranch / Hope Ranch Annex / Etc.
• A Country Stroll on El Sueno Road

Montecito
• Out and Back on Ortega Ridge
• The Heart of Montecito Is in Coast Village
• Quintessential Montecito at Butterfly Beach
• Once Upon a Time in the Hedgerow
• Where Montecito Gets Down to Business
• In the Heart of the Golden Quadrangle
• Up, Down, and All Around Montecito’s Pepper Hill
• Montecito’s Prestigious Picacho Lane
• School House Road and Camphor Place

Summerland / Carpinteria
• A Stroll in the Summerland Countryside
• Admiring the Backsides of Beachfront Houses on Padaro Lane
• Whitney Avenue in Summerland

Goleta / Isla Vista
• A Tough Nut to Crack in Goleta
• Where the Streets Have Full Names
• The Past Is Still Present in Old Town Goleta
• Social Distancing Made Easy at UCSB

················

Sign up for the Siteline email newsletter and you’ll never miss a post.