Harmony is a first year student at Santa Barbara City College studying Theatre. She is from Ojai, California, which is about 45 minutes south of Santa Barbara. She enjoys hiking, running, acting, singing, dancing, and spending time with friends; pretty much anything active and social.
One of the best parts about living in the Santa Barbara area is the fact that there are so many things to do here and the weather is beautiful to be out and about.
Whether you want some late-night munchies, or just a change of scenery from the Trop cafeteria once in a while, Isla Vista has a plethora of eateries in its two square miles. Hit up these places in IV for something different and delicious.
Blenders in The Grass: Blenders is known for having the most delicious smoothies! They are a bit expensive at around five dollars a smoothie, but it’s worth it for an occasional treat. 6560 Pardall Road
Starbucks: This well-known coffee shop is perfect in a college community for a late-night pick-me-up. 888 Embarcadero del Norte
IV Pizza Pub: As a new pizza joint in IV, it has already been credited as one of the best pizza places in the Santa Barbara area. 6533 Trigo Road
Freebirds: The best Mexican food in IV! It is conveniently located in the middle of IV and one of the most popular restaurants. Their nachos and burritos are huge and very good! 879 Embarcadero Del Norte
Isla Vista Food Co-Op: The Co-Op is one of my favorite places because it has organic foods and bulk candy, granola, and trail mix. I recommend Sunny Bears, which are candy gummy bears that are all natural. Their granola is amazing. 6575 Seville Road
The Habit: This is a cost efficient and savory burger place with really good burgers and shakes. Their famous charburger is perfect when you need a break from dorm food or just want something filling. The Teriyaki Charburger with pineapple is my favorite. I get mine with a veggie patty. 888 Embarcadero del Norte #C
Kozy Coffee: This café makes the BEST crepes. My favorite is the Nutella crepe with strawberries. They are not too expensive and you can even get ice cream on your crepe. 6549 Pardall Rd, #B
Domino’s: Domino’s is an American favorite, perfect for late-night munchies. Every Tropicana building has a Domino’s kiosk where you can order pizza, pasta, sandwiches, wings or breadsticks, to be delivered to you right to Trop. Choose a 2-topping medium or large pizza for a special Trop only discounted price. 955 Embarcadero del Mar
It’s my first year in college and my experience so far has been incredible. The past few months have been filled with meeting new people, beach volleyball games, epic ping pong tournaments, biking around Isla Vista, and much more. As a freshman, I didn’t know what to expect when moving to Isla Vista because of its party reputation. Trop’s location is perfect because it is sort of on the outskirts of IV, so it’s not too caught up in the craziness of the party scene. You can walk five minutes to Starbucks, Freebirds, Woodstock’s Pizza, you name it. I personally recommend Blenders smoothies and Silver Greens, which are both pretty healthy and so very yummy!
SBCC is such a beautiful campus and I am so grateful to be a student there. I am a theatre major and the theatre classes that I am taking are great and the new theatre is beautiful. I really recommend SBCC because it is reasonably priced and you feel like you are going to school in paradise every day. I actually look forward to going to school and doing my homework in the library overlooking the ocean. I feel such a sense of serenity when I am there. I am so happy with where I am right now and I wouldn’t do my first year of college any other way. I am having a fantastic first year and every day feels like a new adventure!
