Odds & Ends

March 15, 2026

Large Gym to Open in Downtown Santa Barbara

Plus: Funk Zone rooftop wedding venue in the works; Montecito tennis/pickleball court open; Ty Warner sign coming to Dwight Murphy Field; swimwear chain open on Coast Village Road; Brandi Carlile and John C. Reilly in concert; new Italian apparel store at The Post; Coachella Valley town on the cusp of change. 10

March 10, 2026

The U.S. Postal Service Wants to Leave the Montecito Country Mart

Plus: Malia Mills has moved to The Post; 24-hour veterinary office is closing; two more Santa Barbara Bowl shows; the Santa Barbara International Orchid Show is coming up; more on the forthcoming Union Pacific railroad bridge; exhibit of photos taken with a pinhole camera. 3

March 3, 2026

Huge New Building Proposed Between the Funk Zone and East Beach

Plus: Let's help get Old Romero Road trail reopened; tour of six Jeff Shelton buildings and his office; Santa Barbara Literary Festival tickets; Chet Taylor show at Separate Reality; pianist Hershey Felder's change of plans; impressive new artwork in the Funk Zone; another Santa Barbara Bowl show announced. 2

February 25, 2026

La Ligne Is Opening at the Montecito Country Mart

Plus: The return of Habitat for Humanity's ReStore; four more Santa Barbara Bowl shows; Best Western Plus Pepper Tree Inn appears to be getting reflagged; answers to the "Where in Santa Barbara…?" roundup of restaurant restrooms; two new exhibits at Sullivan Goss; opening date for Highway 217/Hollister Avenue roundabouts. 4

February 10, 2026

Moss-and-More Store Set to Open on State Street

Plus: Another national brand departs Paseo Nuevo; The Base gym is moving this spring; Sierra Ferrell to play the Santa Barbara Bowl; the Santa Barbara Airbus‘s LAX shuttle added a stop; exploring the north side of the Andrée Clark Bird Refuge. 3

February 2, 2026

An Update on the Ornate Mission Inn

Plus: Free People has opened near the bird refuge; hotel conversion on E. Haley Street; UCSB bought two more downtown buildings; Cottage Hospital is looking to expand again; the perils of Tangerine Falls; Trevor Noah returns to the Santa Barbara Bowl; thanks for the tip? 10

January 27, 2026

Thieves Are Said to Be Hiding Surveillance Equipment Outside Houses

Plus: Salon Providence has soft-opened at The Post; Scenery Florals leased a space in the Funk Zone; Lord Huron to play the Santa Barbara Bowl; intermittent closures on Highway 154; downtown salon closing; Palma Colectiva's new events studio; "mythical landscapes and fanciful botanicals" at Sullivan Goss. 13

January 20, 2026

Stylish Apartment Building Proposed for Los Patos Way

Plus: The Santa Claus Lane bike path; might Montecito ban gas-powered leaf blowers?; update on the row of eucalyptus trees on East Valley Road; another Santa Barbara Bowl show announced; parts of Goleta Beach County Park to close for storm-related repairs; Vandenberg Space Force Base's self-mythologizing; group show at Marcia Burtt Gallery; taking San Ysidro Trail all the way to the top. 10

January 14, 2026

A Better Look at the Health Resort Proposed in the Foothills

Plus: Hotel Milo got renovated and a name tweak; Arroyo Hondo Preserve closed for months due to storm damage; new bank branch downtown; the quest for quality magazines; James Taylor concert; Rodeo Riviera opened in the Funk Zone; Heal the Ocean talk at La Casa de Maria; San Ysidro Ranch added a paved parking lot. 10

January 13, 2026

What’s Next for Franceschi Park

Plus: New owner for historic inn; shop closings on Coast Village Road, downtown, in Summerland, and Santa Ynez; exhibit of photos by Jeff Bridges; the adorable stone building at Garden and Cabrillo is available; Charlie Puth in concert; Rubenstein Chan show. 4