Isla Vista |
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History of Isla Vista
Chumash Native Americans were the first to settle in Isla Vista. Franciscan fathers established the Santa Barbara Mission in 1786 which became the center of Spanish life for the area. The United States took over California in 1848.
For years the area was used for bean farming since the crop could be cultivated without much water.
Isla Vista was laid out as a speculative development in the 1920s. Only a few cottages were built before the 1940s because water had to be trucked in and sewage and garbage collection were inconsistent.
On February 23, 1942, a Japanese submarine attacked the Ellwood oil field west of Isla Vista. In response the United States Marine Corps moved in taking over the land that is now the University of California Santa Barbara Campus. It also established the air station nearby which stayed open through the war.
In 1954 UCSB moved from downtown Santa Barbara to its new campus adjacent to Isla Vista. As baby boomers aged, the student population swelled.
By 1967, Isla Vista had hundreds of cheaply constructed apartment buildings, and a commercial center with medical offices, book stores and a movie theater which got raided that year because it showed an art film with frontal nudity.
In 1969, the Santa Barbara oil spill sent 100,000 barrels of crude oil onto local beaches, prompting growth of the nation’s environmental movement. The culture class between students and the county culminated in the riots of 1970 which resulting in the burning of the local Bank of America Branch.
Today the area remains a center of
student life, although most of the conflicts with police are for
public intoxication.
Description of Isla Vista
Isla Vista is unincorporated so it’s governed by Santa Barbara county. It is bounded by El Colegio Road to the north, Ocean Road to the east, the beach to the south, and Camino Majorca to the west. It is only 0.6 square miles, one of the most densely populated areas in California. The seaside area rests on a bluff about 30 ft above the beach. Many paths lead down to the sea.
Residents of Isla Vista
Most of the residents are college students at UC Santa Barbara although some also attend Santa Barbara City College. Most of Isla Vista's property owners don’t live in town. There are 18,000 residents with a median age of 23, a decade younger than the median age for the state as a whole. 73% of the population is between 18 and 24. They are 69% White, 20% Latino, 12% Asian, and 2% Black. The median household income for the community is $53,000 but 24% of the population has income below the poverty level.
Rentals in Isla Vista
Most of the buildings in Isla Vista are post World War II beach style buildings. Most apartments rent for between $1000-$2000 a month. 59% of the residents are renters.
Fun Things to do
In the warm year round weather, Isla Vista residents enjoy sunbathing, surfing, soccer, Frisbee. Swimming is less popular than might be expected because of the natural oil seepage from the bay that often accumulates on the beach below Del Playa Drive.
The University is the center of most of the social life in the area offering a range of activities from sports, to dances, films and more.
Because of the large student population coffee shops and many other local businesses keep open past midnight. Some don’t close at all during finals week.
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