For centuries, State Street has been more than just a promenade in Santa Barbara. In the past 150 years, this iconic thoroughfare in the downtown has stood witness to the city’s evolution, from a Chumash community – to becoming a daily travel path under Spanish and Mexican periods, to developing into a bustling commercial center after American statehood.
The devastating earthquake in 1925 marked a focal point in State Street and forever changed its landscape, giving it its signature Spanish Revival architecture.
Throughout its history, State Street has adapted to changing social, cultural, and economic trends, while maintaining its identity as Santa Barbara’s most recognized roadway.
Evolution of Historic State Street
Early Days of State Street
Considered the backbone of Santa Barbara, State Street runs from Stearns Wharf up to the city center.
Long before Spanish settlement, the route was used by the Chumash, the region’s original inhabitants.
Spanish soldiers began arriving in the city in the 18th century. The Presidio was built along the coast of Alta California in 1782 as a chain of four fortresses to protect missions and settlers living inside against any attacks and to guard them from any foreign invasion.
Extending from the southern limits of present-day San Luis Obispo County to the Pueblo of Los Angeles, the Santa Barbara Presidio served both as the governmental center of the region, and the military headquarters, according to the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation.
Currently, only two of the original sections of the Presidio have been restored.
During the Spanish and Mexican periods, State Street functioned as one of the community’s main roadways and was lined with modest adobe homes.
Santa Barbara saw rapid changes in 1848, when California became a part of the U.S. Already serving as a significant thoroughfare in the city, State Street was officially named in 1850 to mark California’s statehood.
The California Gold Rush helped Santa Barbara evolve from a sleepy pueblo to a thriving coastal town, bringing steamships from the eastern states. This paved the way for the historic Stearns Wharf, which was built in 1872, and also laid the foundation for State Street as we know it today.
Santa Barbara began to prosper economically when the silent film studios began setting up shop in the city, from 1912 to 1921, before the film industry made Hollywood its permanent home.
However, the earthquake in the early hours of June 29, 1925, changed everything, almost reducing the city and its structures to rubble. Most of State Street was also destroyed, except the newly built Granada Theatre.
A total of 13 people died due to the earthquake, and State Street had to be closed for six months for extensive repairs, with damages exceeding $15 million.
Although it caused massive destruction, the earthquake helped the city start afresh on a clean slate. In 1921, the Spanish Colonial architecture style was introduced across the city. The earthquake mobilized the adoption of this architectural style, especially along State Street.
With stucco walls, terracotta roofs, and Mediterranean courtyards, the Spanish Colonial style of architecture gave the city its unifying, signature look.
State Street Evolves into a Commercial Center
By the 1940s, State Street had become a major shopping center for the region and visitors.
The roadway continued to embrace changes every few years.
In 1964, State Street was narrowed from four to two lanes and parking lots and garages were created in the blocks off the streets to make more space for sidewalks and trees, according to California 101.
Paseos were created with courtyards and retail nooks, many of which we can still see today.
In the late 1980s, the two blocks between Ortega and Canon Perdida streets on the west part of State Street were redeveloped into Paseo Nuevo, an ambitious, open-air shopping mall. At the time, it was believed to elevate the shopping experience on State Street.
With a budget of $42 million, Paseo Nuevo opened in 1990 as a 462,000 sq. ft. shopping and parking structure.
As part of a broader push to revitalize the neighborhood, the State Street pedestrian underpass below Highway 101 was built in 1989 to connect lower State Street, Stearns Wharf, and the beach with the commercial center of the downtown and the new Paseo Nuevo mall, according to the American Planning Association.
State Street saw major enhancements in four phases from 1999 to 2007, as part of an $8 million beautification project, according to the American Planning Association. The redevelopment included replacing sidewalks and crosswalks, and landscaping.
Transformation to a Pedestrian Promenade
Much like the 1925 earthquake that forever changed Santa Barbara’s architectural character, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered one of the most significant shifts in State Street’s recent history.
In 2020, the City of Santa Barbara temporarily closed several blocks of State Street to vehicular traffic. Its goal was to enable businesses, especially restaurants, to offer expanded outdoor dining options while maintaining social distancing.
Restaurants and cafes were allowed to build ‘parklets’ to create additional seating areas on the road.
This created the State Street Promenade, allowing individuals to freely walk down the street without any cars.
These blocks, between Haley Street to Victoria Street, have since remained closed to cars, resulting in a remarkable transformation of the city’s public space.
The first few blocks north of Highway 101 at State Street are popularly known as Lower State, or the Entertainment District, according to California 101. This stretch offers casual restaurants, bars, pubs, and clothing stores.
The middle blocks are mostly dominated by Paseo Nuevo on the west side.
The northern blocks offer cultural destinations, including the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the Granada Theatre, The Arlington Theatre, and the New Vic Theatre.
Future of State Street
Even with the pandemic long over, State Street continues to be free from cars. Two local groups have been mobilizing community support for contrasting futures for the road.
While the Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association advocates for a limited, one-way traffic lane on State Street, Strong Towns Santa Barbara on the other hand launched a petition calling for the road to remain permanently free from cars.
As the city continues to debate over the future of State Street, it is clear that the iconic road is preparing to witness another era of change. As history has shown, State Street will continue to adapt and grow.
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State Street also had public transportation. 1876 to 1896 a narrow gauge mule drawn streetcar from Stearn’s Wharf to The Arlington. It was electrified, changed to standard gauge and expanded in 1896 and ran until Oct. 1929. The streetcar offered service to other parts of the city as well, including Cottage Hospital, The Riviera and Cabrillo Blvd.
State Street is no more. We now have a food court on steroids running through the former downtown corridor.
Restore it to its former glory! Open it up!
KANE – a “food court?” Hardly. There are some great restaurants down on State. Some of the best in the area. It’s far from a fast food wasteland like upper State.
Opening up those lower blocks takes away the outdoor dining options that so many tourists and locals have come to love.
Compromise is the answer to this. Leave those lower few blocks as is, open the rest.
No Sac, it’s a food court geared towards out of towners and tourists. I know several of the owners. It’s exactly what i said it is. Sure it’s not a fast food wasteland, it’s an over priced tiny portion thing geared towards tourism. Sac, the outdoor dining thing is a bit much to hold all of downtown hostage. These places did very well for decades with the road open. So a few of them have about 3-5 tables out front. That is not a draw to go eat there. I see way more people eating indoors and wanting to eat indoors than not downtown. Not every place is going to be the sandbar. I do respect you, so i respectfully disagree with your comment.
KNEIN – I appreciate your point of view, really. I just wonder why we can’t compromise and leave at least a couple blocks closed and then invest in them to create a really functional outdoor promenade? The Sandbar is awesome BECAUSE of the outdoor dining. If it’s true that cars on the road will somehow translate to more foot traffic, that foot traffic will find relief and beauty for a couple blocks of outdoor dining, art and maybe some music.
Most of these tourists are from Europe. Having traveled extensively there, one can’t help but to notice the HUGE swaths of pedestrian only areas that are the main hubs of the cities. If we invest and make a couple blocks attractive to tourists and locals alike while opening the rest to car traffic, it’s a win for everyone.
Sandbar was always and always had outdoor dining when there were cars. After the 500 block, business is dying. The 500 Block and the rest can still have limited outdoor dining in front of their restaurants, on the sidewalk. I do not understand you except that its obvious you do not frequent Stae Street or you could not possibly be constantly regurgitating this . I am there every 6 months for minimum 4 Days. It is worse everytime we go. More stores for lease, places that were booming, now gone. They just closed Pascucci’s. We saw the German Sausage place in Paseo Nuevo, a corner spot, always jammed…gone. Starbucks across the street from there….gone, Andersens , great, always busy breakfast -dinner. Amazing Marzipan pastries. now always dead. No one in the movies which were always happening.. Just admit when you are dead wrong. The Closure is a now becoming a disaster. Open the Street already!
CHUFF – It’s amazing you’re allowed to keep posting here… oh well….
” I am there every 6 months for minimum 4 Days.” – LOL, I live here. I shop, eat, drink and walk around State almost every weekend.
The “German Sausage place” (Hoffman’s Brat Haus) was gone LONG before the street was closed.
“Andersens , great, always busy breakfast -dinner. Amazing Marzipan pastries. now always dead” – Bull. I go there often and know the owner personally since childhood. They’re packed with a line almost every time I visit them.
“Just admit when you are dead wrong.” – You really don’t understand how to read, do you? How am I “dead wrong” in suggesting a compromise?
I’ll admit it might not work when YOU admit you’re just a poorly informed, racist waste of space who has no business trolling our local site.
You were correct The brat haus closed aug 2024 and Newsom’s closing of indoor dining, was in July 2020. My mistake.
Still, I stand by my my observation of the deterioration of State Street, being marked, since being closed to vehicles. It has become a dead street from the 600 block up, and is improving steadily below the underpass where traffic is allowed. I say there is a correlation. .One that is obvious.
Yes, the insane rental costs are indeed obvious.
i live and work downtown, i spend 50+ hours a week on State. REOPEN THE ROAD. This has gone on long enough….
The land under the Paseo Nuevo buildings is currently owned by the city, but there is a proposal to give it away to a developer. I assume that land multiple owners before Paseo Nuevo was formed? How much was spent to obtain that land?
I don’t recall any type of vote before our elected betters gave away our city property. Seems more like the action of a ‘king’ than a democracy.
Our city government has done a fine job of turning State St into a sad joke. Anyone walked on the new ‘pedestrian crossings’ lately? Covid is over, time to bring back State Street!
State Street and Santa Barbara no longer is a community focused town, it is a tourist focused town. This is a huge part of the reason why there is so much vacancy and small businesses cannot make it. Rents go up because the measuring stick is cocktail bars with huge margins. Buildings don’t get improved by cash-poor long term owners, so most uses are not possible in an empty building. Go to a town like Redlands and walk their State Street. It is vibrant, clean, and full of interesting and thriving businesses. It still serves its community. Oh, and guess what, it has car traffic and angle-in parking on both sides with the most walkable sidewalks I can imagine (something SB already has).