View Now | Santa Barbara Homes of the Rich & Famous
Did you know that Santa Barbara is the secret hiding place for many of Los Angeles’ ultra rich and famous?
Yes, Santa Barbara is not known as “The American Riviera” for nothing. The city, which sits on the Pacific Ocean about two hours north of Los Angeles is truly an American treasure. The city is nestled at the base of the Santa Ynez Mountains so it has the combination of beautiful mountains on one side and gorgeous beaches on the other. The placement makes way for it’s commonly highly regarded “Mediterranean” like climate.
Where Hollywood Hides
by Robert L. McCullough
It’s excellent geographical placement and spectacular climate is of course not the only reason the city is of interest to it’s visitors. This cozy little town has excellent appeal to the rich and famous, so much so that our friend Robert L. McCullough from Where Hollywood Hides wrote an entire book about it. You can take a glance at his book and even order your own copy by clicking here: Where Hollywood Hides – Santa Barbara: Celebrities in Paradise
So, let’s take a closer look at some of the names in the American Riviera that you may be familiar with:
- Tim Allen
- Marc Anthony
- Ed Asner
- Jeff Bridges
- Kevin Costner
- Tom Cruise
- Whoopie Goldberg
- Jennifer Lopez
- Julia-Louise Dreyfus
- Steven Spielberg
- Eric Schmidt
- Dick Wolf
- Brian Wilson
- Stevie Nicks
Santa Barbara has some of the richest communities in Southern California surrounding it with a list of residents reading like an issue of Forbes magazine.
The limelight, the paparazzi and the overall celebrity appeal isn’t as prevalent in the Santa Ynez mountains quite like it is in the Hollywood area, making way to a quiet and peaceful community for these extremely well-to-do’s.
This is one of the reasons why the world’s most famous television talk show host Oprah Winfrey famously purchased a mansion in Montecito, a city of Santa Barbara County. She acquired the home for $48 million when she visited Santa Barbara and fell in love with the city.
Oprah’s riviera palace is a fully renovated estate that includes 6 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, 10 fireplaces, a modern high tech gourmet kitchen. It also has a state-of-the-art theatre, a wine cellar, a barn, orchards, two ponds, an outdoor theater, tennis court, a 4,500 sq. ft. guest house with pool, an outdoor entertainment area, and even a man made lake stocked with fish. Like many homes in the area, it has both mountains and ocean views.
View Now | Ellen DeGeneres Estate
Santa Barbara, CA
But Oprah is not alone, her neighbors in Montecito include none other than Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia DeRossi. The pair bought a 13 acre estate there for $22.5 Million, though the place was listed for $26 million in 2013.
The property has a two-story, 10,500 square foot home that was built in the late 1920s using locally quarried stones. The living room is 800 square feet; there are nine fireplaces and a Roman column that dates from 200 B.C. stands in the gardens.
Visit: Ellen DeGeneres Estate Photos/Address
Have you ever heard of the famous Neverland Ranch? This popular historic landmark was once owned by Michael Jackson. It’s quite the magical paradise getaway in the Santa Ynez mountains where Jackson lived for over 20 years.
Jackson named the Ranch Neverland after the fantasy island in the story of Peter Pan, a boy who never grows up. Back in it’s time, the ranch was fully staffed and contained it’s own theme park. On the ranch, Jackson owned several pets, including two tigers, four giraffes and three chimpanzees. The property still houses several barns and a petting zoo with goats that live there to this very day.
Today, you can visit the property gates, home to one of the biggest Jackson tributes in California. These gates attract thousands of yearly visitors who love to leave flowers in memory of their favorite Pop star.
Address: Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch on Google Maps
View Now | Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch
In 2009 Thomas J. Barrack Jr., an American private equity real estate investor, purchased this historic landmark in his conquest for distressed celebrity properties. The property hit the market again in 2015 for $100 million and is still for sale today.
The Neverland is not the only property owned by Tom Barrack in the Santa Barbara area. Mr. Barrack is also the owner of the Piocho Ranch situated at his Happy Canyon Vineyard in Downtown Santa Barbara. Piocho ranch was acquired in 1992 and is home to one of the most prestigious winery and polo facilities in the California area.
And speaking of polo, the exclusive game played by and watched by the well-to-do is also central to Santa Barbara. If you are in the area and want to delve a little deeper into the polo scene, consider a visit to the The Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club to experience a polo circuit event. These events are known to attract the best polo players and teams every summer. This is an excellent way to brush shoulders and network with the area’s super elite.
View Now | Jeff Bridges Estate
Santa Barbara, CA
And who would have guessed the dude would abide his way into the Ynez mountains? Yes, none other than Jeff Bridges and his wife Susan have been long time residence of the Santa Barbara area with a 20-acre property in one of the most premium areas in all of Montecito.
His home, a rather stunning five-bedroom, 10,000 square foot Mediterranean villa, was purchased from the musician Kenny Loggins all the way back in 1994 for $7 million dollars. Today, the property is worth well over $25 million. Not bad for a property that includes a vineyard, greenhouse for orchids, multiple guesthouses, walking trails and a swimming pool that spectacularly oversees the ocean and surrounding mountain views. And hardly expected for a less than flashy Jeff Bridges and his humble presence in the movie industry.
Visit: Jeff Bridges Estate Photos/Address
The Santa Barbara area may indeed have more celebrities per square mile than the more known cities like Beverly Hills. And maybe that is part of the attraction for the many that flock there. It is not in an area as easily accessible considering its distance from Los Angeles. But on the other hand, it may be as simple as the fact that Santa Barbara is truly one of the most beautiful places in the world.
