State Street Underpass
State Street Underpass
4.5
Points of Interest & LandmarksHistoric Walking AreasScenic Drives
About
Seven straight miles of shops.
Duration: < 1 hour
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
2,394 reviews
Excellent
1,184
Very good
850
Average
253
Poor
76
Terrible
31

Claudia B
1 contribution
Jun 2022 • Couples
State street stinks (from the underpass to Victoria St - about 10 blocks). It became a big open-air urinal. Homeless everywhere. Not sure how visitors can handle the bad smell while eating outdoors. Not sure how restaurants and shops owners can handle that either. It seems like locals don’t care about it.
Nothing special about the underpass. It’s narrow. I wouldn’t walk there in the evening. It doesn’t seem safe.
Written June 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LightPacker786951
3 contributions
Mar 2021 • Family
State street is very different than it used to be! It's getting over run with homeless. You have these high end lovely shops but with numerous homeless right outside their doors. It's changed so much. My son and I even witnessed a homeless threatening another homeless with a knife. It's sad that the city of Santa Barbara is letting this happen.
Written March 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jerome W
4 contributions
Jan 2023 • Solo
It’s an underpass. The city is beautiful, but this is just a piece of the freeway.

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah
Written March 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Inspire30468
1 contribution
State Street is the cultural and commercial hub (spoke?) of Santa Barbara. However, unless you are a high school or college student, or homeless, I would recommend very strongly that you avoid it on weekends, especially during the summer. If you want to keep your family from second hand smoke - well you're just out of luck. Every cigarette sucking redneck and eurotrash east of the Santa Ynez River is there on weekends. Each homeless person has his/her own block where they harass people for money. The smell of haute cuisine mixed with man who hasn't showered in a year permeates the sidewalk. In a word, State Street is gross. Off season is another matter, though. At least the rednecks and eurotrash are gone, and the Christmas shopping season is a real joy, with beautiful decorations and lighting, and an all around festive atmosphere. I love State Street - I just hate the smoke, odors, and tourists.
Written June 16, 2006
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Schiegs
Laguna Niguel, CA43 contributions
May 2018 • Solo
Having previously lived and worked in SB, I have seen a continual slow slide of State Street over the years. In the past, it was a delightful collection of boutiques, coffee shops, wine bars, and restaurants, all on a sun drenched palm tree lined street. Sadly, the long-term ignoring (accommodating in some cases) of aggressive panhandlers, homeless sleeping bags, dog excrement, and other eyesores has covered that old charm with an ugly patina. This is also borne out in the plethora of vacant properties.
Written May 22, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Leon G
Anthem, AZ1,461 contributions
May 2021
Not much to say about an underpass. It takes you under-the-pass. Solid construction. Wet. There’s an echo.
Written May 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

susyernie
San Diego, CA196 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
Unfortunately I remember state street when it was vibrant and bursting with tourists and shops. Now you smell urine on the streets and storefronts and there are sadly homeless people on every block.

I have not encountered aggressive homeless people but it appears there are many potentially schizophrenic people wandering the streets and yelling. They have been here for years but with so many shuttered empty storefronts they have more places to hang out at.

Pervasive smell of urine.

State street is a grande dame who has seen better days and is dressed in gaudy finery but you cab see the vestiges of her beauty if you look closely enough.

I’m still glad I visited but it’s not the same as it once was
Written July 8, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SLOJon
San Luis Obispo, CA839 contributions
Jun 2018 • Couples
We used to look forward to walking State Street on every trip to Santa Barbara. That is no longer the case. We’re not sure what has happened, but the bulk of the street is in decline. It seems like about a third of the storefronts are empty; another third are now low budget places we have no interest in entering; and another third are the kind of nice places we’ve enjoyed in the past. Two exceptions to this decline are the Funk Zone area near lower State Street and the upper State Street area around the Arlington Theater. This was sad to see.
Written June 29, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

conners107
florida29 contributions
Jul 2011 • Friends
Lots of great strolling down St. Street. Loads of shops, restaurants and bars.. We found excellent Mexican on a side street (Los Arroyas). Happy hour at the Sandbar, which really hops at night. We tried Baccatini (was recommended for Italian), but the manager got angry that my husband placed a napkin under a leg of the table to keep it from tipping. He angrily scolded him, " You should have asked first!". He was amazingly rude! We tipped our waitress for wine not touched and left. Then let others know what happened...So we all went down to Joes and it was delish~ lots of choices and everything ordered was terrific. Service is super, and we heard open for b'fast lunch and dinner. Big place for locals at the bar, very cool, like an old Boston bar. Lots of organic cafes and options on State Street.
Written July 31, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

GKB1959
Reading, UK48 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
This is not an attraction! It is a necessity to get from State Street and surrounding area to the beach and Stearns Wharf. It was very noisy but the pavement was wide and felt safe in day light. Not sure if it would in the dark!
Written August 4, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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