Goleta ranked #79 in the “Best 100 Places to Live” once again!

Goleta is being touted as a great place to live. Our small city placed #79 in the Best 100 Places to Live in the United States. This is the second-annual ranking of the best small to mid-sized cities in the U.S. by Livability, an online resource.

“The rest of the country is finding out what we already know – that Goleta is a great place to live and work,” said Mayor Michael T. Bennett. “Events like the Lemon Festival and the Dam Dinner, the community feeling, great schools and the beautiful setting make Goleta a true gem.”

According to their site, “As Livability’s editors and writers crisscross the U.S in search of great stories, we find that time and again, the best tales are told in the Main Street diners, corner churches, park benches and even the mayor’s offices of small to mid-sized cities and towns. Far from letting time pass them by, these communities are doubling down on livability for their residents. Our second-annual ranking of the Top 100 Best Places to Live celebrates the work they are doing.”

Livability worked with globally-known partners to analyze the best public and private data sources. They were advised by the leading thinkers, writers and doers in the place-making space.. More than 2,000 cities were ranked, so every city on this list is in the top 5 percent of livable communities in the U.S.

Santa Barbara, CA. - Locals know Santa Barbara is a great place to live. But others around the country are now taking notice as well.

The website “Conde Nast Traveler” has ranked Santa Barbara the sixth best small city in America.

Here’s what the article had to say about why Santa Barbara is a great place for visitors and residents:

“Blessed with an unbeatable location—between the Pacific and the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains, a mere hundred miles north of Los Angeles—this capital of the American Riviera is as easy on the eyes as can be imagined. Add a balmy climate, a multitude of wineries, museums, nature preserves, and beaches, and there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Book well ahead for guided tours of the 37-acre, 1940s Lotusland estate—filled with topiary, exotic plants, and lotus ponds.”

“Conde Nast Traveler” ranks Santa Fe, New Mexico as the top small city in America.

Want to see the rest of the list? Visit: www.cntraveler.com

Cachuma Lake 2-Hour Wildlife Cruises – Offered mornings 10am – noon Saturdays & Sundays, and afternoons 3pm - 5pm Fridays and Saturdays. Santa Barbara County Park Naturalists lead 2-hour cruises that focus on wildlife, local birds, flora, geology, and Native American and settler history. $15/adults $7/kids (4-12 years old; please, no children under 4). Reservations: (805) 686-5050 weekdays, (805) 686-5055 weekends. $10 Park Admission per vehicle. Call (805) 688-4515 for more information or visit www.cachuma.com and click on “Nature Cruises”.

The City of Goleta received a Best in Category award for the roundabout at Los Carneros and Calle Real from the American Public Works Association - Central Coast of California Chapter.  The award was given in the category of Transportation Projects under $5 million. Capital Improvement Program Manager Rosemarie Gaglione attended the APWA Awards luncheon to accept the award on the City’s behalf.

The City’s contractor, Granite Construction, built the roundabout last summer, and completed it on time and under budget.  Wallace Group designed the project which funded through a combination of sources including Goleta Transportation Improvement Program (GTIP), State, Local Partnership Program (SLPP) grants, Measure A and Regional Surface Transportation Program funds.

This is the second award the City has received from APWA.  Last year the City’s Cathedral Oaks Overcrossing and Overhead Replacement Project won a Best in Category award for projects over $10 million

During one weekend in late June, local railfans and history buffs will have a special opportunity to enjoy the experience of riding two historic American railcars during two scenic one-day roundtrip excursions up the coast to San Luis Obispo. This “Vintage Rail Sampler” event is organized and sponsored by the South Coast Railroad Museum.

Seating is limited to only 52 passengers during each of the two separate daytrips, which take place on Saturday, June 22 and Sunday, June 23. Passengers on each trip will ride the same two vintage railcars, Acoma and Overland Trail. All passengers will ride one of the cars in the morning and the other during the afternoon return, changing cars during the midday stopover in San Luis Obispo.

Sullivan Goss presents their fifth solo exhibition for Santa Barbara based painter, Angela Perko. Riffing on early Modernist approaches as diverse as Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Cubism, Perko renders a world composed of highly stylized, rhythmic forms. The resulting images evoke a sense of movement that suggests that reality itself is too dynamic to paint as a static image.

Having developed into one of the community’s most distinctive voices in just over a decade, Perko’s exhibition will be accompanied by a catalog featuring the newest works in the exhibition as well as an overview of her evolution over the last ten years. ANGELA PERKO, her eponymous catalog, will feature remarks by Contemporary Curator Susan Bush and renowned songwriter and collector Will Jennings. In addition, there is a lush selection of 51 illustrations. Copies of the limited edition book will be available for sale at the opening reception on 1st Thursday

In her newest body of work, the artist made a pronounced move towards the figure with a series of five large scale paintings of women. Drawing on art history, poetry, and prose, as well as her thoughts on the role of women in both life and art, Perko’s new figurative works at this scale may well challenge people’s perception of her and her work. She has been painting the figure for years, but her representations of the female form are often her most abstracted works, and they have never been seen at this scale.

There will also be a lively selection of the artist’s architectural landscapes. Santa Barbara’s architectural landmarks have all been recast: the Courthouse, the Mission, the Arlington, the Granada, Saint Anthony’s Seminary, the Church of Christ Scientist, Trinity Church, Plaza Rubio, and Crocker Row. Santa Barbara, the small, quiet, elegant city erupts into a brio of color and bold, kinetic shapes.

Angela Perko studied with landscape painter Michael Drury before beginning her exhibition career 11 years ago.