Carpinteria

10 miles from dowtown Santa Barbara, Carpinteria is a small incorporated city of 20,000 at the southern edge of the greater Santa Barbara area.  A quaint main commercial strip (Linden Avenue) reaches 8 blocks to the beach, and is lined with low-key eateries and shops.  There’s a 2-block stretch along the sand of condominiums and apartments, many of which are used as lower-cost (compared to Santa Barbara) beach vacation rentals.  Within a 1-mile radius of the beach are several cottages and some 2-4 unit buildings.

Going further away from the beach, there are about a dozen newer condominium complexes from the 1980’s to the present, as well as neighborhoods of typical suburban homes from the 1960’s.  Condominium prices in Carpinteria away from the beach are relatively affordable, from $400K-$800K, while single family residences start at $650K.