Author: Erik Torkells

June 18, 2024

Vanity, Thy Name Is… (Part 2)

No disrespect to MESADAD or SBHS 88, but the best vanity license plates are the ones that are a little surprising.... 12

June 17, 2024

San Marcos Preserve House Sells Off-Market for $10 Million

Last week's sales also include Hedgerow turnkey for $9.3 million; vacant lot off San Ysidro Road; Hope Ranch fixer; Toro Canyon six-bedroom; and more.

June 16, 2024

Santa Claus Lane Is Getting a Year-Round Christmas Shop

Plus: James Perse's shop at the Montecito Country Mart has closed; "What the Constitution Means to Me" is coming to town; volunteer for the Summer Solstice Celebration; Eric Idle and Aimee Mann at the Lobero Theatre; the Music Academy of the West changed its name back; Soul Care Studio + Sauna is open on Anacapa Street. 1

Newsletter: June 16

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Where in Santa Barbara…?

Know where this was shot? Prove it in the comments. (Update: We have a winner!) 2

June 14, 2024

A Supersized Spec Reno for $52 Million

Noteworthy new listings also include a 20,000-square-foot estate outside Santa Ynez; pair of houses on Pepper Hill; equestrian compound once owned by Jimmy Stewart and Dean Martin; 1950s Arts and Crafts in Cielito; change of heart just above the Westside; 212-acre compound made to look like an Old West town; and more.

June 13, 2024

Dart Coffee Co. Is Opening in Carpinteria

More food news: Derf’s Café is going to be open for a couple more weeks; Validation Ale's second location will be larger than initially reported (and have golf simulators); Pizza Mizza update; more on the plan for the restaurant in The Palms building; confirmation that an L.A. chain is opening in Ojai; profiles of Yetz's Bagels, Dang Burger, and Get Hooked Seafood. 6

June 12, 2024

Santa Barbara Residents to Vote on a Sales Tax Increase

Other recent news: The longstanding friction at Hot Springs Trail; Chaucer's Books is under new ownership; hotel tax hike on the ballot in November; cannabis taxes continue to disappoint; Lower Tunnel Trail and Inspiration Point trailhead will be closed for six months; Waterfront Department plans to raise slip fees and harbor parking fees; inside the reborn Zaca Lake resort. 3

Newsletter: June 12

The Siteline newsletter is the best way to follow the website. To subscribe, click the link at the bottom of this post. And you can unsubscribe at any time.

June 11, 2024

Butterfly Beach Pickleball Compound Sells for $30.25 Million

Last week's sales also include a fixer way up the hill in Montecito; 2014 Riviera four-bedroom; equestrian compound on 152 acres; architectural statement near Hendry’s Beach; likely spec reno on Ortega Ridge; San Roque flip; Plaza Rubio two-bedroom; and more. 2