Author: Erik Torkells

May 11, 2025

Where in Santa Barbara…?

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

May 10, 2025

BEYOND LIGHT: Photographing the Unseen – a VADATalks Event

Join the Friends of VADA for a special viewing and fascinating discussion by two local and nationally renowned artists who make the unknown known, capturing beauty in distant stars and microscopic quantum processors alike.

May 9, 2025

This Hope Ranch Villa Keeps Getting Better

Noteworthy new listings also include new construction in the Montecito Ranch Estates for $29.5 million; contemporary gem on the Riviera; 1927 stone house by George Washington Smith; family-friendliness in Montecito Oaks; Mediterranean villa on the Eastside's edge; spiffy style on the Mesa and in San Roque; charming 1920s European architecture; Ojai ranch with a hilltop labyrinth; and more.

May 8, 2025

The Santa Ynez Chumash Museum Opens Next Week

Other recent news: Downtown homeless center has become a nuisance; Santa Barbara school district rescinded all those pink slips; the Isla Vista Food Co-Op is on the ropes; Broadway in Santa Barbara's 2025-26 lineup; will Los Patos Way end with a whimper? 3

May 7, 2025

Opening Date for Tina’s Pizza, the Bettina Spinoff in Carpinteria

More food news: Rozzi Pizza soft-opens this week in West Beach; Blaze Pizza has closed; profile of Marley Confections; the Starbucks on Milpas has opened; the forecast changed for Little Mountain; update on Hotel El Roblar and new restaurants coming to Ojai. 15

Newsletter: May 7

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.

May 6, 2025

French-Style Hedgerow House Sells for $6.87 Million

Last week's sales also include an 1890 five-bedroom a block off Miramar Beach; Birnam Wood for a loss; Hope Ranch fixer; 1980s Tudor on Eucalyptus Hill; 1925 Spanish Colonial Revival on the Lower Riviera; Mission Canyon Craftsman; turnkey San Roque for 20 percent over ask; Alta Mesa cutie; and more.

May 5, 2025

A Possible Lead in the Case of the Purloined Stiletto

Plus: A visit to Rose Story Farm during peak rose season; demolition proposed for Los Patos Way apartments; two more Santa Barbara Bowl shows; Fairview Gardens update; Xanadu Skate Boutique to go online-only; Umbra Labs bailed on lower State Street; new look for the SBIFF Film Center; Don Louis Perceval art exhibit at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum; is Santa Barbara like Athens? 8

May 4, 2025

On a Backroads Tour of New Zealand’s South Island

Most of our time on the South Island was spent on a Backroads tour, and it's easy to see why so many people love the company—they make traveling so easy. But there are trade-offs. Plus: The exquisite Blanket Bay lodge. 6

Newsletter: May 4

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.