From Hope Ranch to Rincon Point, greater Santa Barbara has some of the most sensational high-end real estate in world. Siteline covers it editorially, with the journalistic ethics that you would expect from traditional news outlets. I’m not a real-estate broker, and I’m not trying to sell anything other than advertising—and editorial and advertising will always be entirely separate.
Having grown up in Orange County and moved to New York City after college, I never thought I’d return to California. But when my husband, Adam, and I visited Santa Barbara a few years ago, I realized that the area is everything I love about the state, without all the stuff I don’t. At the start of 2019, I sold my hyperlocal website, Tribeca Citizen, and we moved here. (Before Tribeca Citizen, I was a magazine editor: Budget Travel, Fortune, Travel + Leisure, Town & Country.) There’s no zealot like the recently converted, as the saying goes, so don’t be surprised when Siteline ventures beyond real estate to tangentially related Santa Barbara subjects such as restaurants, shops, and so on.
I come at the topic of real estate, and the area in general, from a place of enthusiasm rather than expertise. As a result, you can expect me to get excited about things that you’ve known about for years, and I will make mistakes. By all means, feel free to correct or contradict me; we know more collectively than any of us can on our own. But when you criticize, be constructive. If not, I’ll probably delete your comment. Life is simply too short. And if you have a vested interest in whatever you’re commenting about, I insist that you make the connection public.
Please reach out with any questions, concerns, tips, or even compliments. (If you’re a broker with a property you think I should see in person, let me know. Previews are especially welcome.) The best way to follow Siteline is by subscribing to the email newsletter. And If you know someone who might be interested in this site, please pass it along.
Erik Torkells
Founder
917-209-6473
[email protected]


















Recent Comments
It is kind of complex to tease out who bears the risks and benefits in these projects that have public and private parties involved. I… — SBradley
Very interesting. If Yardi is paying anywhere near $120M + $35M + $5.7M for almost 250k empty square feet, this is going to take a… — NuemanJ
I think some folks who would consider this is a windfall for Yardi may be overlooking two things: 1)The cost to Yardi to buyout AB's… — StanThompson
Just realizing I did not address your first point. The buildings on the property have been up for sale, and their value is also depressed… — SBradley
I think that the city's representation of this land as having ‘zero value’ is confusing because it sums together the value of 2 distinct things… — SBradley
No idea whether this is a good deal for Yardi or not. Paseo Nuevo has been available for sale since 2020 with no buyers -… — NuemanJ
I wish this same logic worked for Thrifty ice cream! According to the BLS inflation calculator, something that cost 5 cents in 1970 should cost… — Doug B
I'm unclear how bike lanes are related to maga. For that matter please explain how freeways and rail lines are remotely maga in a state… — Bettye Jones
Worth knowing about the Paseo Nuevo deal: the city is skipping the required competitive bidding process for this public land transfer by using the state-approved… — SBradley
This write up is such a biased take that sides with a handful of people. I imagine the people groaning about this project have a… — Yesenia G.