What do you think of it ?

I've now lived here for seven years, and I'm most ambivalent about it.

This place just speaks to me, on a spiritual level. The eternal sea, the smell of salt in the air, the mountains on the other side, and, not least of all, the vast expanse of wine country that produces some of the finest red wines in the world !

In many ways, and for many reasons, I'm a proud Santa Barbarian, and have been for years.

But, and this is controversial to say the least ... I find the people here so SHALLOW and VAIN !!! We're only a couple of hours from Hollywood. With most folks here, I can barely get past the topics of "beach volleyball" or "the funk zone" (an area of downtown SB) or "surfing".

If you don't look like you're exposed to too much UV or have the keys to a Bentley here, you're not wanted. There is something fundamentally wrong with that, no ?!!!

What is your experience in/with Santa Barbara ?