Make Myself at Home: Tranquil Living on the Westside

Address: 2115 Gillespie Street

Status: On the market

Prices: $850,000

As I walked down the street to visit 2115 Gillespie Street last Saturday, a couple was walking two dogs on the opposite side of the street. The dogs were fairly vocal, expressing their feelings loudly as they traipsed along. A man stepped out of his driveway and watched them walk away, keeping an eye on the neighborhood and monitoring the slight fracas until it abated. As I got closer, he said hello and then went back into his yard.

It was apparent that there isn’t usually much noise on this street. This neighborly lookout gave me a glimpse into what one might experience in this peaceful area tucked between West Mission Street and Portesuello Avenue, near La Cumbre Junior High School. It’s a little two-block finger west of the actual Westside, full of family homes from the ’60s and ’70s, with a friendly, sleepy neighborhood feel.

The home at 2115 Gillespie looks typical from the outside, with an angular sidewalk leading visitors from the driveway and garage across the front lawn and up to the front door, which is actually set on the side of the house. Its tan stucco and siding façade, with blue shuttered windows and gray shingled roof, are right in keeping with the era and the neighborhood.

Walking through the farm-style front door, one enters the living room, a large, bright space with a nicely tiled floor. Because the door is set on the side of the house, the front door and picture window alongside it have a view of the greenery beside the house rather than out onto the street. This creates a sense of privacy and seclusion from the first step into the home.

Through the living room lies the dining room straight ahead and kitchen to the right, with a breakfast bar in between. The kitchen has sleek light cabinets and counters, with gleaming stainless-steel and black appliances. Beyond the dining room to the left is a large family-room addition. These three rooms are open to each other but have enough separation to create distinct living spaces.

The family room has vaulted wood ceilings and a wood-burning stove, a large window looking straight out to the backyard, and a sliding glass door that leads onto a lattice-covered patio. This is the room where most of the living and relaxing would take place, acting as a bridge between the house itself and the big yard beyond. The yard is completely fenced and has raised vegetable beds, an expansive grassy area, beautiful mature trees, and seating areas for barbecues or entertaining. One tree toward the back of the lot, with a twisted trunk and gnarled bare branches, particularly caught my fancy. Both the front and backyards are large enough to be transformed to fit just about any number of plans and visions — that is, as long as they leave my favorite tree alone.

The house has three bedrooms and two baths, with a private fenced patio off the master bedroom. The bedrooms are carpeted, while the dining, kitchen, and family rooms all share the same custom tile flooring as the living room. The two-car garage contains the laundry, just as one would expect from a home of this era. This home has a comfortable, peaceful atmosphere and feels ready to welcome the right new owner, as does the entire neighborhood. As I walked down the pathway to the sidewalk, a dog barked in the distance, but not loud enough to disturb anyone. All was calm again on Gillespie Street.

2115 Gillespie Street is currently for sale in Santa Barbara, co-listed by Cara Gamberdella of Village Properties Realtors and Carol Mineau of Sotheby’s International Realty. Reach Cara at 680-3826 or cara@villagesite.com. Reach Carol at 886-9284 or carol.mineau@sothebyshomes.com.