Summerland

This town’s name says it all. Summerland is a classic California beach town. The community is built on a set of coastal bluffs right next to the ocean. It is bordered on the West by Montecito and on the East by the exclusive beach community of Padaro Lane and Carpinteria. Just five miles south of Santa Barbara, swing off Highway 101 to meander down Lillie Avenue, with its quaint antique stores, cozy cafes, and locally owned shops punctuated by charming cottages. The town’s central beach is framed by Lookout Park, where you can watch the breakers from above and take in the breathtaking views. 

 

In 1883, Spiritualist and real estate speculator H.L. Williams founded the town of Summerland. In 1888 he divided his land tract, on a moderately sloping hill facing the ocean, into numerous parcels. He promoted the tiny lots, 25’ x 60’ to fellow Spiritualists, who bought them in quantity and moved to the area. The spiritual center of the town was a Spiritualist Church, with a séance room, demolished only when Highway 101 was put through in the 1950s.

 

Today Summerland is home to approximately 1,450 residents living in approximately 690 homes. The architecture is predominantly Cape Cod with some remnants of the turn of the century Victorian construction.