Santa Maria

Welcome to Rosemary-Garey, a rural community about an hour north of Santa Barbara. Mountains and vineyards surround this sunny community, offering agricultural, equestrian and viticultural properties for buyers. Located about 10 miles from Santa Maria and Orcutt, the proximity of these towns' amenities makes it easy to live in seclusion without sacrificing convenience. "Residents will need to head into towns like Santa Maria for groceries, retail and those bigger necessities," says Realtor Joe Parker with The Santa Barbara Group at Berkshire Hathaway. Parker has been a realtor serving the South Coast area since 2001. Homes here offer buyers a mix of spacious ranches, agricultural properties and suburban bungalows. Out in the valley, buyers can scoop up homes with lots of acreage, perfect for having an equestrian property or starting a vineyard. Closer to Orcutt and Santa Maria, there are midcentury homes, Spanish-style villas and bungalows that offer more proximity to city amenities. Homes closer to the towns cost between $850,000 and $1 million, while more spacious properties cost between $1 million and $2 million. Students from kindergarten through sixth grade attend Benjamin Foxen Elementary School. The school earned an overall B-plus on Niche. Fesler Junior High School serves seventh and eighth-grade students with an overall C on Niche. Students in grades nine through 12 attend Ernest Righetti High School, which scored an overall B-plus on Niche. The school supports students through its tutoring program and college and career readiness center. Acres of lush farmland and rugged mountains surround the community of Rosemary-Garey. Residents can drive to nearby parks like Los Flores Ranch Park to hike, ride a horse or bike on mountain trails. Motorcross lovers will enjoy living close to nearby tracks like Cat Canyon Motorcross. In nearby Orcutt, Waller Park is a favorite for families. There are several playgrounds, picnic areas and a disc golf course. On hot summer days, residents can head to the Paul Nelson Aquatic Center. There's an Olympic-sized pool, plus a recreational pool. There's also a main rec building with a basketball court, art room and snack room. The area is only a 10-minute drive from the amenities of Orcutt and Santa Maria. Santa Maria has a wealth of commercial amenities, like Santa Maria Town Center, a mall with classic retail chains, department stores and a Regal Cinema. In the southeast corner of the town, there are big box stores like Walmart, Costco and Target. Santa Maria is known for its tri-tip BBQ, with many beloved restaurants serving the specialty alongside pinto beans and fresh salsa. Santa Maria Tri-Tip Company is a favorite amongst the many BBQ spots that call the community home. For those who have passion for wine, dozens of vineyards surround the community. "If buyers have seen the movie Sideways, then they'll know the Foxen Wine trail that's in the area, and that's popular to explore," says Parker. This spacious rural community is close to the Pacific Coast Highway, commonly called the 101. A car is essential for getting around here, but those closer to Orcutt or Santa Maria have access to public transportation. Orcutt and Santa Maria are about 10 miles away each, and Santa Maria is home to necessities like Santa Maria Airport and Marian Regional Medical Center. Residents can also take the 101 to get down to Santa Barbara, which has a wealth of amenities. Proximity to the area's offerings makes living in Rosemary Garey an excellent option for those seeking land close to nearby South Coast towns.

Set in the southwest corner of Santa Maria, 5 miles from downtown, Blosser consists of neatly organized housing subdivisions on the north side and Santa Maria Airport on the south side. Offering regional and short-range flights to nearby cities like Los Angeles, the airport is surrounded by distribution centers and community institutions, including several Christian and Baptist churches. Though proximity to Santa Maria Airport affords convenience, it comes with the sound of passing planes, especially during September's annual Central Coast Airfest, an airshow featuring military and vintage planes. “Santa Maria has a slower pace of living, and Blosser gives its residents a central location,” says Ray Vega, a real estate broker with eXp Realty of California. “It's practically five minutes from everything you need, like Target, or if you work at the Space Force Base.” Vandenberg Space Force Bases, a major military station on the central coast, is about 15 miles south. Gathering spaces like Waller Park, as well as locally owned, fast-casual restaurants, sit just to the east. Homes in Blosser are organized into suburban subdivisions from the early 2000s and late 2010s, mainly on the neighborhood’s north side, with wide streets and well-maintained sidewalks shaded by palm trees. Properties tend to be set close together, including Spanish Revival-style homes with barrel-tile roofs, stucco exteriors and small backyard patios, along with Modern Craftsman-style bungalows featuring gable trim, overhanging roofs and covered front porches. Two- to three-bedroom Craftsman-styles often sell for between $500,000 and $650,000, and Spanish Revival-style homes with three or four bedrooms tend to go for between $650,000 and $700,000. “Sales are down, and inventory is still very tight. When properties list, they move slightly slower than in the past,” Vega says. Local kids will attend two different school districts for public school, starting with the Santa Maria-Bonita School District for kindergarten through eighth grade and then the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District for high school. Within the Santa Maria-Bonita District, Liberty Elementary scores a C-minus from Niche, and the C-rated Arellanes Junior High features the Builders Club, an after-school program focused on fostering leadership and community service. The B-minus-rated Santa Maria High School is the second oldest school in California, established in 1893, and has multiple clubs, including the Future Business Leaders of America. Spanning 15 acres, Pioneer Park offers large fields dotted with oak trees, a large barbeque area and rows of picnic tables. The park can accommodate up to 900 people and has a small, shaded playground for local kids to enjoy. The nearby Waller Park is popular with birdwatchers, with plenty of blackbirds and mallards to spot, plus hiking trails, a disc golf course and pickleball courts. Waller Park is also connected to the Santa Maria Country Club, a private club with an 18-hole championship golf course. Just east of the Santa Maria Airport, there’s a small shopping plaza on Skyway Drive, which houses local restaurants like Viet Kitchen, which serves authentic Vietnamese cuisine. The Salty Brigade Kitchen is known for serving standard American fare made from farm-to-table ingredients and has a heated, dog-friendly patio. For groceries, Spencer’s Fresh Market is just east of the neighborhood, and Target is less than 2 miles away. State Route 135 runs along Blosser’s east side, taking locals less than 4 miles south to Orcutt and 16 miles southwest to Vandenberg Space Force Base, a major employer in the area. Los Angeles is 155 miles away on U.S. Route 101, while Santa Barbara is 60 miles away. The Santa Maria Regional Transit bus system has several routes that stop in or around Blosser, including Route 4, which runs from the Town Center Mall to Fairway Drive, just north of the Santa Maria Airport. The Marian Regional Medical Center is about 7 miles away. In addition to Santa Maria Airport, residents can head to Santa Barbara Airport, 60 miles away, or Los Angeles International Airport, 150 miles away, for more robust commercial flight options. Hosted at the Santa Maria Airport, the Central Coast Airfest typically takes place in September. It features vintage and military aircraft demos, food trucks, and vendors. Locals can attend the practice show the day before festivities begin at a discounted price. Santa Maria Airport was initially established during the 1940s during World War II as the Santa Maria Army Base, where pilots trained to fly B-25 aircrafts. Today, the two-runway airport serves as a hub for regional flights from small and medium-sized airlines, including Allegiant Air. Each weekend at the airport's Santa Maria Museum of Flight, locals can learn about the history of flight in the Santa Maria Valley. While planes can be heard taking off and landing throughout the day in Blosser, residents report that most noise pollution is brought by military aircrafts and air shows, which occur infrequently.

Set at the center of the city, Downtown Santa Maria offers a variety of local and chain shops and a diverse restaurant scene, all anchored by the Santa Maria Town Center Mall. “It’s more commercial than residential,” says Josh Carranza, local Realtor with eXp Realty of California. “It’s a busy part of town with the mall, different restaurants, and many mom-and-pop shops.” Though housing inventory is low compared to rental availability, homeowners here are within walking distance of all the local attractions, parks, and community spaces like the Paul Nelson Aquatics Center and the First United Methodist Church. The neighborhood comes alive every Friday night in the summer when the streets are blocked off for live music and food trucks at the intersection of Broadway and Main Street. Local Mom-and-pop shops line Main Street, offering a wide range of goods, from the vintage clothing of Main Thrift to the extensive selection of board games and Leisure Time Games. The Santa Maria Town Center Mall features national retailers like Bath & Body Works and Macy’s, as well as the Regal Edwards Santa Maria Movie Theatre. With a Cap Index crime score of 8, compared to a national score of 4, the risk of crimes like motor vehicle theft is most concentrated in areas with high foot traffic. As for dining options, Downtown Santa Maria boasts a culinary scene as diverse as its population. The North China Restaurant has been a local staple for Chinese food since 1982, while the Garden Mediterranean serves Mediterranean dishes like lamb shank and shawarma. Corner stores and specialty grocers like VSZ Asian Market are peppered around the neighborhood, and chain supermarkets like Vons are about a mile away. Though apartments and rentals make up the majority of the housing options downtown, there is also a selection of Craftsmen bungalows built between 1900 and 1950. Featuring wood gable trim and covered front porches, three-bedroom properties sell for between $450,000 and $650,000, depending on how recently the home has been renovated. “There’s a lot of construction going on in the area these days,” says local real estate agent Tom Brown of Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty. “They’re building condos and new housing.” Homes are set close together with small front yards and minimalist exteriors lined by wide sidewalks. From March to September, locals can head downtown every Friday evening to enjoy live music, food trucks and local vendors. Located at the corner of Broadway and Main Street, streets are blocked off for Downtown Fridays, transforming the area into a walkable hub with plenty of space for dancing. Downtown Santa Maria features a few smaller urban parks and plazas dotted around the neighborhood, including Central Plaza Park, which features a bandstand painted with a mural of happy families and a serene pond with a waterfall. Locals can swim at the Paul Nelson Aquatics Center on the neighborhood's south side. Residents live within walking distance of all the shops and attractions downtown offers. Broadway is the main roadway, cutting through the neighborhood’s center before turning into the Orcutt expressway, stretching to the town of Orcutt, 6 miles south. Los Angeles is about 158 miles away on U.S. 101, while Santa Barbara is 65 miles away. Most Santa Maria Regional Transit Bus Routes begin downtown before branching out, making it easy to get anywhere in the city. The Marian Regional Medical Center is the nearest hospital, less than 2 miles east. Nearby airports include the Santa Maria Airport, which is about 5 miles away, while a more extensive selection of commercial flights can be found 68 miles away at Santa Barbara Airport or 160 miles away at Los Angeles International Airport. Local students may attend Alvin Elementary, rated C-minus by Niche, or the C-rated Fesler Junior High. Most teens will attend the B-minus-rated Santa Maria High School, which offers agricultural mechanics classes that prepare students for farming, construction, or welding careers. Students can also participate in career development events through the school’s chapter of Future Farmers of America, a national organization that seeks to promote leadership through hands-on agricultural education.

Located near the heart of downtown Santa Maria, the Broadway neighborhood offers a pleasant mix of suburban comforts and urban convenience. “It’s close to downtown,” says local Realtor Tom Brown of Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty, “but it’s still a pretty quiet place to live; it definitely feels more residential. So you have easy access to bars and restaurants, many in walking distance, but you get to live in a very low-key neighborhood.” Located in California’s Central Coast region, Santa Maria is known for its picturesque landscape in the hills with soil that’s ideal for growing vineyards and enjoying the city’s signature barbecue with friends and family. Housing in the neighborhood is made up of a mixture of single-family homes, apartments, and townhouses, providing a variety of options suitable for a variety of buyers. Mid-century ranch-style homes, however, are by far the most common sight on Broadway’s residential blocks, offering locals a quintessential SoCal living experience. Homes typically sell for between $400,000 and $600,000, while offering between 1,000 and 1,700 square feet of interior space. Well-maintained front yards are a common sight throughout the neighborhood, reflecting a community that values tidiness and a pleasant environment. While the center of the neighborhood is decidedly commercial, there are well-manicured green spaces scattered around the neighborhood. Atkinson Park is the perfect spot for pick-up basketball and trips to the playground, while spacious Preisker Park offers walking trails, frisbee golf, and a wealth of other entertainment opportunities. Residents often use these spaces for leisurely strolls, casual sports activities, and gatherings. Shopping options are anchored by supermarkets like Vons, alongside smaller boutiques offering specialized goods. Major retail spots like the Crossroads at Santa Maria provide a hub for shopping needs, making it a practical locality for both day-to-day purchases and occasional buys. The dining scene includes a mix of local restaurants and familiar chain establishments, including a number of eateries serving the nationally renowned Santa Maria-style Barbecue. Other local favorites include Mediterranean spot King Falafel and popular food truck Taqueria Charly, one of the many Mexican eateries in the area. Schools in and around Broadway are overseen by the Santa Maria-Bonita School District. Alvin Elementary has a C-minus grade on Niche, while Fesler Junior High School has a C grade on the site. Pioneer Valley High School has a B grade on Niche. It offers a variety of career and technical education pathways, including agricultural business and biotechnology. Broadway offers a comfortable residential experience, catering to the essential needs and lifestyle preferences of its residents without the necessity of excessive travel or commutes for basic amenities and services. Neighborhood residents can take Santa Maria Regional Transit (SMRT) buses to get around the city or the Santa Maria Airport south of town. For trips out of the city, folks can reach Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo or Los Angeles by taking Highway 101.

Segmented from the rest of the city by U.S. Route 101, about 3 miles east of downtown Santa Maria, Northeast Santa Maria stands at the intersection of the city’s agricultural past and urban future. While the neighborhood may feel suburban, locals are only a few blocks away from working farms, reminiscent of those that drew settlers to the Santa Maria Valley over 200 years ago. Homes are organized into neat subdivisions with uniform setbacks, interspersed with pocket parks within walking distance. In addition to parks, the Santa Maria River Levee Trail lines the outskirts of the community, offering distant views of the San Rafael Mountains to the east. While most shopping and dining options sit on the other side of the highway, the Marian Regional Medical Center, Santa Maria’s only major hospital, is conveniently located on the neighborhood’s south side. “People typically want to be on the east side, it’s more sought after just because it has less traffic and noise,” says Josh Carranza, local Realtor with eXp Realty of California. “It’s nice to have the hospital down the street.” The neighborhood’s wide, suburban streets are lined with a combination of Minimal Traditional-style bungalows from the 1970s and 80s on small lots with covered backyard patios. In newer subdivisions from the 2000s, Minimal Traditional-style homes feature large front yards with low-water plantings, while Spanish Revival-style properties have barrel-tile roofs, turrets and pergolas. Late 20th-century bungalows with two or three bedrooms sell for between $200,000 and $500,000, while four-bedroom 21st-century properties often sell for $550,000 to $800,000. Manufactured homes can be found in Casa Del Rio Mobile Estates, a gated 55+ community on the east side, where two-bedroom units sell for around $100,000. Younger students can attend Tunnell Elementary or Fesler Junior High, both of which score a C from Niche. The B-rated Pioneer Valley High offers career and technical education pathways in fields like Agricultural Business, Industrial Technology and Biotechnology. Pioneer Valley students can join after-school activities like the Ballet Folklorico group, a Mexican Folk dance club. U.S. Route 101 separates Northeast Santa Maria from the rest of the city, including downtown, about 2 miles west, and stretches more than 150 miles southeast to Los Angeles. The Santa Maria Regional Transit bus system has three lines that pass through the neighborhood—Routes 2, 3 and 9—all ending at the Santa Maria Town Center Mall. The Marian Regional Medical Center is located on the neighborhood’s south end. The Santa Maria Airport is about 9 miles away, while more regional flight options can be found at Santa Barbara Airport, 69 miles away, and Los Angeles International Airport, 160 miles away. Small pocket parks and greenspaces are peppered throughout Northeast Santa Maria, including Jim May Park, which features a large lake teeming with wildlife and a pier overlooking the water. “There are a lot of nice outdoor spaces out there,” says local Realtor Tom Brown of Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty. “Plenty of parks and trails.” The 6-acre Tunnell Park, attached to its namesake elementary school, has several basketball fields, swing sets and a large and small playground for kids of all ages. Most other parks, including Joe White Park and Donovan Park, offer unshaded grassy fields and small playgrounds along residential streets so locals can easily walk there from home. Hikers and bikers can visit the Santa Maria River Levee Trail, which runs along the city's edge, parallel to the Santa Maria River. The 3-mile unpaved stone and sand pathway is wide open and completely unshaded, with unobstructed distant mountain views. On the neighborhood’s south side, locals can visit Al Pho for authentic Vietnamese cuisine in a fast-casual atmosphere. Northeast Santa Maria is also home to a handful of gathering spaces and institutions, including the Temple Beth El, a community synagogue, and Edwards Community Center, which has an indoor basketball court. More dining options lie on the other side of the highway, like The Green Olive, which serves Greek and Mediterranean food to go. For groceries, Trader Joe’s and Vons are each a few miles away. The Santa Maria Elks are a social club where locals can meet new people and participate in volunteer initiatives that raise money for local charities. In addition to members-only events and activities, the club hosts an Annual Car Show in June at their lodge, just off U.S. 101, where anyone can come and enjoy antique and custom car displays.

Located just north of downtown Santa Maria, Mid City Acres offers affordable homes compared to neighborhoods set further south, all within walking distance of downtown shops and attractions. Homes are set amongst restaurants like The Swiss and institutions like the First Church of God, while the Santa Maria Town Center Mall offers national retailers less than a mile away. On Fridays in the summer, locals gather just south of Mid City Acres at the intersection of Main Street and Broadway to dance to live music and enjoy a variety of food vendors. "The area is really being revitalized," says local real estate agent Tom Brown of Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty. "There are new condos going up everywhere, and there are a fair number of events. It's a pretty lively place to be these days." Residents can enjoy sunny Central Coast weather at open greenspaces like Veteran’s Memorial Park and Central Plaza. The houses in Mid City Acres mainly consist of Minimal Traditional-style bungalows built between 1900 and 1950 with shingle roofs and stone chimneys. These homes typically feature small yards and minimally decorated exteriors, though some feature gardens made up of cacti and low-water plantings. "Homes here tend to be older," says Josh Carranza, local Realtor with eXp Realty of California. "There's a lot of fixer-upper properties and opportunities for investors." Three- to four-bedroom homes tend to sell for $400,000 to $650,000 depending on the home's condition and how recently it’s been renovated. Well-maintained streets and sidewalks allow residents to walk to nearby shops or stroll around the neighborhood. However, with a Cap Index crime score of 7, compared to a national score of 4, the risk of motor vehicle theft and burglary is higher than average. Broadway runs along the neighborhood’s west end, running 6 miles south to Orcutt. Residents can get to Los Angeles via U.S. 101, which is about 158 miles away, while Santa Barbara is 65 miles away. Most Santa Maria Regional Transit Bus Routes stop at the Town Center Mall, less than a mile away, before branching into the rest of the city. The Marian Regional Medical Center is located less than 2 miles east. Nearby airports include the Santa Maria Airport, which is about 5 miles away, while a more extensive selection of commercial flights can be found 68 miles away at Santa Barbara Airport or 160 miles away at Los Angeles International Airport. Mid City Acres is zoned for the Santa Maria-Bonita School District for kindergarten through eighth grade, which includes Alvin Elementary, rated C-minus by Niche, and the C-rated Fesler Junior High. After that, students may attend the B-minus-rated Santa Maria High School, which is part of the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District and offers agricultural mechanics classes that prepare students for careers in farming, construction, or welding. Set on the neighborhood’s west border, the Swiss Restaurant & Bar serves classic Santa Maria-style barbecue, made from tender beef tri-tip, slow-cooked on an iron grill over red oak coals for a smokey flavor. Set just north of downtown, Mid City Acres residents are just a few blocks from the Santa Maria Town Center Mall, which houses national retailers like Macy’s and the Regal Edwards Santa Maria Movie Theatre. In the mall's food court, Firegrill is known for its char burgers and loaded nachos. For groceries, Vons is less than a mile east. Though few greenspaces are located near Mid City Acres, Veteran’s Memorial Park offers a grassy field shaded by mature oak trees. Renovations to the park began in March 2023 to add exercise equipment, a new playground and walking paths; a projected completion date is yet to be announced. Just south of the neighborhood, Central Plaza Park features a bandstand painted with a mural of happy families and a serene pond with a waterfall. Every Friday evening from March to September, locals can gather at the corner of Broadway and Main Street for live music, food trucks and other local vendors. During these gatherings, dubbed Downtown Fridays, streets are blocked off so attendees can walk freely.