Los Olivos is wine country. This 2.5 square mile town is just north of Santa Barbara in the Santa Ynez Valley and its old west charm is home to many wineries (and tasting rooms), restaurants, bars, and local farm kitchens (and once home to the infamous Neverland Ranch.) Historically, it’s been a place for weekend getaways, but SoCal empty nesters and families are quite taken with the idea of putting down roots here. It’s a tough ticket though; Los Olivos will never become Napa because it’s such a small enclave but it has excellent schools, a slow pace, an art community, and a rural feel with the utmost in culinary sophistication. There’s precious little inventory in this small hamlet but they do come up occasionally and you might also take a look at the wider surrounding Valley if the existing inventory is too limited.
If you can afford the prices you get to live in some of the most beautiful wine country in the world. There is touristy nonsense on summer weekends, but most locals get errands done early and get out of town before the wine tasters arrive for the day.
For more detail and reviews from locals in Los Olivos check out the full LookyLOO review.
