Funk Zone

Santa Barbara, CA Print   Leave a comment

Description

The Funk Zone is a hip area that used to be an industrial zone, near lower State Street, where you can sit on a patio surrounded by ivy-covered walls on a lazy weekend afternoon. The atmosphere is fantastic and there are tons of young well-dressed people soaking it up.
Helena Ave Bakery is a great spot, which is hard to find until you see the sign outside that says "Food To-Go." Here you can delight in the most amazing berry galette and a cup of tea or coffee! They have a small outdoor patio that is sweet with lots of vines and plants. Come early to avoid long lines. 
My favorite place in the Funk Zone is Dart Coffee. The decor is exquisite, with lanterns galore and flowers hanging upside down from the ceiling. The egg and chorizo burrito is the best I've had, and their chocolate croissant and hibiscus iced tea are also excellent. There are four places to sit: inside, outside on the attached patio, outside in the area with umbrellas next to the attached patio, or across the street in the garden. It has an art market on weekends. The garden is enchanting, and definitely worth spending some time relaxing in.
There are also plenty of breweries, wine rooms, and cafes with lovely patios! This place has all you need for a fun outing. Validation Ale is a great place for a burger and beer- they sometimes have a free comedy hour that is entertaining. Lucky Penny is a pizza place with a cute outdoor patio.
It's wonderful to walk along E. Yanonali and take in the art on the walls, the sunny patios, and the ivy everywhere. I love the murals, especially the spoon one on Santa Barbara Street. This area reminds me so much of one of my favorite areas in Miami called Wynwood Walls. The funk zone should start the highly artistic graffiti on the walls here too!
From the Funk Zone you can walk across State Street to the Moreton Bay fig tree or the MOXI, a discovery museum for kids. Or you can walk south on State Street to Stearns Wharf, which always has glorious views. You can also walk to the area of a zillion palm trees on the water, which has the skate park, the bike path along East Beach and the Doubletree Walk.

Photo Gallery

Sitting outside in the sun at a wine bar.	I love the ivy!	Sitting under a black sun umbrella.
One of the signs to the hidden Helena Ave Bakery.	Walking along E. Yanonali Street.	Looking up.
Art above you.	Strung lights at a wine bar.	Inside Helena Ave Bakery.
Hanging out at the Funk Zone.	Sitting at the bar at Helena Ave Bakery.	Green table at Helena Ave Bakery.
Bridge over the canal, in the funk zone.	Sitting on a balcony at Bluewater Grill in the lighthouse building, near the funk zone.	Norfolk Pine that looks like a series of stars.
I love Norfolk pine trees!	Mural in the Funk Zone, on Yanonali Street.	Flowers and rainbow-colored lanterns, at Dart Coffee. Santa Barbara is so nice!!
Mural on the side of Dart Coffee.	The garden at Dart Coffee.	The garden area is popular at Dart Coffee.
Inside Dart Coffee are lanterns and upside-down flowers.	I love the decor at Dart Coffee, and the big open window.	Lanterns and upside-down flowers hanging from the ceiling at Dart Coffee.
Dart Coffee is one of my favorite places!	Sunny spot in the garden at Dart Coffee.	Goods for sale in the garden at Dart Coffee.
Reading under a tree in the garden at Dart Coffee.	Another spot to sit at Dart Coffee- the tables at the side patio.	A third outdoor spot to sit at Dart Coffee- another patio a little further down the street.
Flowers in a planter at Dart Coffee.	Orange tree in the garden at Dart Coffee.	Moxi, the Science Center near the public parking for the Funk Zone.
Olive green house that borders the Dart Coffee garden.	California wildflowers in a planter at Dart Coffee's garden area.	Metropulos, where you can get Greek sandwiches. What a beautiful building!
The Valley Project wine tasting has some outdoor seating with white umbrellas.	Brass Bear Brewing, on Anacapa Street.	Nice seating outside Brass Bear Brewing.
Patio with wall covered in ivy.	The side patio at Dart Coffee.	Relaxing on a sunny day at Brass Bear Brewing.
View of the mountains from the street.	Tropical flowers.

Directions

The Funk Zone is located on E. Yanonali Street, where it branches off from lower State Street, near Stearns Wharf and across from MOXI.
You can park in the Amtrak train station parking lot, at 125 State Street, Santa Barbara CA 93101. The first 75 minutes are free, and then it costs $1.50 an hour.
Helena Ave Bakery, 131 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara. Open daily 7-2:30.
Dart Coffee, 121 E Yanonali St, Santa Barbara. Open daily 7-4.

This is an interactive map, you can zoom and move it.

Overall Visitor Rating: Unrated.