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Who says there’s nothing to do in downtown Santa Barbara?
Now, you can fight a race of giants, battle aliens while navigating through a swamp, and even kill zombies in a post-apocalyptic world.
Surreal Virtual Reality Studios has opened near the corner of State and Haley streets. The experiential attraction offers a distinct alternative to the breweries and restaurants that have popped up in droves downtown and in the Funk Zone in recent years.
Alejandro Carvajal, a 24-year-old Westmont graduate, opened the studio in October, and has catered to a steady stream of curious gamers who want to flirt with fantasy in a far-away world.
“If it can be imagined and coded, it can exist in virtual reality,” Carvajal said.
People wear goggles and can play tethered or tetherless, while maneuvering on a square pad. The gamers are showered in nightclub-style blue and purple light, and can play in intervals of 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes.
People can do individual or group play.
The studio at 436 State St. Suite B is inside a spacious building, with clear glass windows that offer a dazzling display for passers-by. An illuminated red exterior sign that says “Virtual Reality” catches the eye.
In addition to the more combative games, the experiences also include Fruit Ninja, where players slice watermelons, and Beatsaber, where you slash musical beats. You can also visit Saturn, and experience the planet as though you were a tourist.
Carvajal said he owns many of the high scores at the studio, and has always been “pretty nerdy when it comes to computers.”
There’s no experience like it between Thousand Oaks and Solvang
“There’s a demographic for it,” he said. “Virtual reality is becoming more popular around the world.”
The studio’s opening comes at a time when downtown Santa Barbara and many historically strong retail areas have struggled with how to survive and compete against online and internet shopping. Many malls and retail strips around the country are turning toward experiential destinations, the kind of things you can’t buy on the web.
“Other than bars and breweries and restaurants, there’s not a lot people can do downtown,” Carvajal said.
On recent evening, the place buzzed with couples and kids.
“It was really scary, but it was so much fun,” said Emma Kopp. “I hate heights, and we were on like a spacecraft, and it looked like you were going to fall of the craft.”
It was the first time she and her friend experienced virtual reality.
“I play a lot of video games, but this was a totally new experience,” said Viktor Bernald.
Prices range depending on the experience and length of time, but people can pay a flat fee of $15 for 15 minutes or 30 minutes for $25. There’s also a happy hour with discounted prices between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Carvajal said virtual reality is for everyone.
“People think VR is for gamers,” he said. “It’s really something you can do for 30 minutes or an hour before dinner or to top off your night.”
Downtown Block Party
A Small Business Santa Barbara Block Party is scheduled for Nov. 30, on the first block of West Ortega Street.
The event, from noon to 5 p.m., will feature various businesses under festival tents and is organized by Downtown Santa Barbara.
“We’re trying to get our community together to celebrate all of our fantastic small businesses,” said Downtown Santa Barbara Operations and Outreach Manager Erik Krueger. “We want our downtown businesses to participate in as many ways as possible.”
The event will also feature music, tables and chairs for relaxing, games such as cornhole, downtown trivia, and spin the wheel, with prizes donated by businesses.
Around noon, Krueker said, restaurateurs are encouraged to step outside with samples of their food.
“Our goal with ‘Sampling State’ is to engage restaurants, enabling each to offer small bites from their great menus, with the hope of inspiring more patrons in the door, especially during the busy holiday season,” Krueger said in news release.
Bed Tax Rising
October was a good month for transient occupancy tax revenues for the city of Santa Barbara.
The finance department for the city said it received about $1.76 million in transient occupancy taxes (TOT), also known as bed taxes, for October 2019, which is 8.1% higher than the same month last year.
Through Oct. 31, the city has collected approximately $8.5 million in TOT revenues for fiscal year 2020, which runs from July 1 through June 30. The city’s adopted TOT budget for the fiscal year is $19,989,179.
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
