Neighborhood guide
State Street
State Street and the blocks that reward wandering off it
The walk
Downhill from the courthouse to the wharf, in order. Tap a chapter to open it.
Caje
Start with a coffee from Caje, in the fountain courtyard across from the Arlington. Order it to go; the walk runs downhill from here.
The Arlington Theatre
The Moorish movie palace with a tiled courtyard and a ceiling painted like a night sky. Peek in even if nothing is showing.
Santa Barbara Public Market
One roof, many kitchens: Thai, tacos, a wine bar, a bakery. A good place to graze or regroup before you drop into the core.
The Book Den
California's oldest used bookstore, founded in 1902 and tucked just off the plaza on Anapamu across from the library. The stacks reward a slow browse; leave more time than you think.
Santa Barbara County Courthouse
Climb the clock tower for the best free view in town, with hand-painted ceilings on the way up and the sunken gardens waiting below.
La Arcada Courtyard
The Spanish courtyard hiding off State: fountains, bronze figures tucked in corners, and a handful of small shops. The prettiest shortcut on the street.
El Presidio de Santa Barbara
The 1782 Spanish fort where the city began, restored adobe by adobe. Wander the chapel and the shady courtyard, plan on under an hour. It closes at 4:30, so make this the last stop in daylight, then it is a short walk to the evening's first drink.
Palihouse
A craft cocktail in the Palihouse courtyard, a fountain, pale pink umbrellas, and market lights strung overhead. The prettiest place to catch golden hour, tucked a few steps off the beaten path in the Presidio blocks, and an easy walk on to dinner.
Paloma
Dinner on the corner of Ortega under the old neon dove, wood-fired Californio cooking in a room that has fed this block for a century. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays; the patio is the seat to want.
State Street
State Street gets the postcards, but its best hours happen a block off it, in the courthouse gardens, the old bookstores, and the tiled arcades. Walk it downhill from the upper theaters to the old Presidio, and let the side streets do the work.
Best hour on State Street, ranked.
Three very different hours, all a short walk apart. String them together and you have done State Street right.