Tiny House Living Part IV

Living the al fresco life 

We're been back to 'city living' in April and May with our latest tiny house being located in downtown Santa Barbara. It's fun being close to all of the action, many things in walking distance, as well as to have had a bit of a break on cost (as Santa Barbara standards go!). For that, we've had to forgo a kitchen. 

At about 260 sq. ft., this studio falls within the definition of a tiny house, even with the additional 108 sq. ft. of patio space. High ceilings and the outdoor space contribute to a larger, more spacious feeling.

With the lovely Santa Barbara weather, we're able to sit outside, as well as eat outside, on most days. When it is a little chilly, we just bring the little cafe table inside. The bed is very comfortable and the chair so-so. We have a folding camp chair for an additional seat when inside. The unit could be improved by having a love seat rather than a chair and / or a Murphy bed with either a dining table or sofa.

You can see the 'kitchen' nook in the photo. The fridge is a little larger than a dorm fridge, with a separate freezer compartment. There is also a microwave, toaster and coffee maker. 

We moved the toaster over to the long dresser where the coffee maker was. This allows for a prep area for meals. When those things are cleared away, this area does double duty as entertainment center (say Ciao! to our Italian teacher). For some reason, this AirBnB does not have any streaming device, so we have to hook the Chromebook up to the television; I'm glad John thought to pack a few types of cables in the mobile kitchen / junk drawer. If this area were utilized for a small kitchenette, this tiny house would be easily inhabitable long-term.

A friend inquired: Yikes! No kitchen a deal breaker for me. What r ur workarounds? I was a bit concerned about this at first, but it seems to be working out fine. We have more carryout (I'm sorry environment!), and it's back to European style shopping, getting groceries for only a few meals at a time. I will say, though, that I am growing a bit weary at this point of sandwiches, wraps and salads!

The bathroom here is my favorite thus far. It is a comfortable size, not cramped, but also not a lot of wasted space, which we've seen several times before. There is also a window, high ceilings, and plenty of light. Although there is a pedestal sink (a minus), there is a shelf that holds the items that would normally be in a vanity. The shower ticks almost all of the boxes, with space for all the toiletries and plenty of room. The only missing item is a sprayer, which really is necessary for cleaning the shower when staying long term. 

I love that this AirBnB provides paper products, laundry facilities, bottled water, and a storage room full of any linens, towels, etc. that we would need. I just have to leave the soiled ones in a bucket, not launder them myself. 

One downside is the water situation, no filter. The water tastes fine, but it contains a lot of minerals. We had been using tap water October through March, and both of us ended up with an obstructed salivary gland. Fortunately, we were able to self-diagnose and self-treat (and, yum!, lemon candies are one of the treatments). Nevertheless, we decided we needed to use filtered. Even though our host provides bottled water, we couldn't possibly allow him to fulfill all of our water needs, as we drink a lot of water (one healthy habit we actually have!). This is three days of water usage!

We fill up our water bottles whenever we are in Emily's neighborhood, as she has a filter.

Our mascot on this stay - or should I say our nemesis! - is Mr. Squirrel (I have other names for him, but I won't share them out of politeness). Our introduction to Mr. Squirrel was when I narrowly avoided being knocked unconscious by an unripe avocado that he had nibbled away. When another soon followed, I knew immediate action was necessary. (His scampering also contributes to the gunk falling from the tree, which meant more sweeping). 

Mr. Squirrel and his death bombs!

John suggested a water gun, so I immediately ordered the Zuru X-Shot Water Warfare Fast-Fill Water Blaster for pick up from Target. 

After a few trials of learning, problem solved! When he does show up, he scampers away as soon as the door opens. Success!

Ortega Park is a couple of blocks away from our unit. We meandered over there to take a look at the murals that are painted on various buildings in the park. Ortega is up for a much-needed upgrade, but the plans have been delayed because of controversy over the murals. The Aztec, Chumash, and Chicano murals have cultural and artistic significance for this community park, as well as the city. The problem is that the current upgrade plan calls for only a portion of the murals to be saved (relocated). Others would be replicated, while the remaining would be photographed and remain in digital format (the plan also calls for an artist to be commissioned to create two new murals). The murals are lovely works of art, and I hope that all of the stakeholders can agree on a mutually satisfactory plan. 

Cosmic Unity and Blue Whale are recommended for relocation. 

Underwater Atlantes / Tolteca and Aztec Chumash Solstice are recommended for replication.

Imagery on the left mural reminded me of symbols we saw at Mayan ruins in Mexico. The inscription says that the mural represents god figures and hieroglyphics from ancient Mayan culture. I did not see this mural addressed in the master plan, so I believe it is one that would be digitized. On the right is a portion of the mural Campesinos, recommended for replication.

Details from the mural Niños de Maíz, recommended for replication.

My favorite mural, of course, was La Playa. It captures so many of the fun elements of Santa Barbara in a wide variety of images. Above are some of the details. This mural recommended for replication. 

Our little neighborhood adventure had a fun bonus: the street corn vendor was at the park. I tried it the local way with mayo, butter and cheese. It was yummy, but I would skip the mayo next time. 

On another neighborhood walk, we went to get a closer look at a building we both like.

It definitely has an artistic flair, with vivid colors and decorations. The balconies are so cute, and I could see enjoying a nice beverage out there, looking at the mountains or ocean. We thought it was an apartment building, but we discovered it is a vacation rental. At $450-$1,000 per night, let's just say it's a bit out of our price range! We'll just have to enjoy it from afar.

Within .5 miles of our place, easy walking distance, are some other fun places:

Julia Child's favorite tacos in Santa Barbara, La Super-Rica Taqueria. The tortillas are homemade and so delicious! There is always a line here.

The downtown post office. This one's a beauty! It is an Art Deco design with Mission-revival elements, particularly on the exterior. 

In researching it for the blog, I discovered that there were plans afoot in 2016 to sell this historical building (placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985). Since I haven't found any updated news, I assume that the plan was set aside. The post office sits on the site of El Presidio, which is another cool site in the neighborhood...

El Presidio Real de Santa Bárbara is a military site built by the Spanish in 1782 to defend their (at the time) lands in this area. It is now a California State Park, a museum and an archaeological site. 

My local friend Nancy Wood actually had the opportunity to participate in a dig in this area, and I enjoyed learning about her experience. There are two original structures at this site, and Nancy showed me one of them, El Cuartel. It is the oldest residence in California (and the second oldest building) and the oldest building in Santa Barbara. It served as a family residence.

Also in this neighborhood is the former Chinatown. A few historic buildings remain. One of our favorite sandwich shops is located in a pretty French colonial building, called Moullet House, which was the headquarters for a branch of the Chinese Nationalist Party in the 1930s. 

Lunching with Nancy at Panino

Another landmark is the site of Jimmy's Oriental Gardens, built in 1947. Nancy remembers this being a hot spot for fun dinner. 

Now it is the home of Three Pickles Deli (another good sandwich shop), as well as The Pickle Room cocktail bar which incorporates some of the elements of Jimmy's Oriental Gardens, including the original sign from the restaurant. (The interior was very cool and retro, but we opted to eat outside.)

Last night, John and I visited and enjoyed the signature Pickletini cocktail, a very strong! Mai Tai, the specialty Reuben egg rolls, and some happy fried rice! (Trivia bit - we are sitting next to the back of El Cuartel, mentioned earlier.)

As we were walking home, John remembered that he had seen another building that looked very much like the vacation rental discussed above. This is El Jardin, an office and vacation rental, designed by the same architect. (Note the clock.) You can rent the penthouse for a mere $15,000 a month (in low season, of course).

Well, I believe our neighborhood tour has come full circle. We are here until May 28, at which point we transfer back to Emily's place for a couple of weeks. This will be a busy and exciting time ... she is to defend her dissertation and her apartment lease is ending. Time to pack up!