1628 State St

Built in 1923 to house writers, directors, and actors for the Flying-A Studios film company three blocks away, this apartment complex survived the famous 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake, and was subsequently used as the model to rebuild structures within the city in the "Spanish Colonial Revival Style" of architecture. As a result, it was declared a city landmark.

The units are small, but charming; the one-bedroom units are approximately 450 sq.-ft., the studios, slightly smaller. There are three... , red-tile-roof structures. The central structure, comprised of 16 studios, is two stories tall. Flanking that, are two similar, four-unit, 1-bedroom apartments, separated by a charming, old, thin carriageway. The 1-bedroom units -- when vacant -- are advertised as "cottages", though one wall is shared with a neighboring unit. Several of the upper-level studios have shared, sunny patio spaces. The front of the complex is draped in colorful Bougainvillea covering the bright-white stucco. It is very common to see tourists taking photographs of the complex from the street.

Some of the units have older appliances, notably large gas oven/stoves from the 1950s. The kitchens have built-in "breakfast nooks" which seats four people.

The grounds are well-groomed with roses and other flowers. Parking on State Street adjacent to the front of the building, is unrestricted (which is a downtown rarity), as are the limited number of parking spots in the rear of the complex, accessible by a busy alley. Units facing the alley experience early morning noise from the trash/recycling collection trucks. The 1600 block of State Street is routinely blocked off for preparatory staging of the many parades throughout the year, where vehicles, marching bands, and horses are assembled.

Despite the constant noise, this complex is very convenient for the major bus lines of 6, 11, 12X, and 24X, light-commercial, medical services, and the shopping on State Street. Because of its charm and perfect location, rents for the units in this complex are approximately 15-25% higher than other comparable downtown units.

The company responsible for managing the property is reasonable, and responds to utility fixes in a prompt manner; however, the on-site management could work to become more visible and available to tenants. Lee mas