Montecito, California, has a history as colorful as its stunning sunsets. Inhabited for over 10,000 years by Chumash Indians, Montecito has seen Spanish explorers, bandits and highway robbers, and Italian settlers. Eventually, wealthy tourists began establishing homes in Montecito, largely due to its desirable location—close enough to Santa Barbara to be convenient yet far enough away to be secluded—but also because of the availability of land and the nearby hot springs.
Technically unincorporated, Montecito is a census-designated place that hooks visitors, locals, and celebrities alike with it’s Mediterranean climate, great restaurants and shopping, and tree-shaded lanes. The area’s natural assets make living in and visiting Montecito a pleasure. With stunning coastline, Miramar Beach, Hammonds Point, and Butterfly Beach, there’s something for every water enthusiast to enjoy. Not only are the outdoor activities seemingly unending, but there is so much history and culture crammed into the tiny area that it’s a wonder it all fits. From Lotusland to the Music Academy of the West, there is plenty to learn about in the area. If those museums and gardens aren’t enough for students struggling in the classroom, however, Montecito tutors are a perfect alternative.
Thanks in large part to all the area has to offer, as well as its chic vibe, luxury, and promise of seclusion, Montecito is the celebrity home-seeker’s paradise. With big names like Drew Barrymore, Jeff Bridges, Ellen DeGeneres, Rob Lowe, Jane Seymour, Patrick Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, and Al Gore calling Montecito home, it’s no wonder that the area boasts some of the most expensive real estate in the nation.
The rich and famous who call Montecito home now are just a few in the long-standing tradition of the wealthy making the move. The area is infamous for the amount of residential work completed by famed architects George Washington Smith and Lutah Marie Riggs, the first licensed female architect in Santa Barbara. For instance, Casa del Herrero—one of the finest examples of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in America—was designed by George Washington Smith for the Steedman family; while Riggs completed a fair amount of residential work in Montecito, as well, she’s best remembered for the work she did on the Alice Erving house. It’s siting and design juxtaposed privacy with expansive views of Montecito through floor-to-ceiling windows.
With such caliber of talent and celebrity, Montecito is a luxurious, chic, and beautiful area that anyone could fall in love with, so whether visitors or locals are looking to escape into a life of leisure or an environment to concentrate on tutoring in Montecito, this is the perfect seaside haven.