January 6, 2026
Odds & Ends
December 24, 2025
December 16, 2025
Another Small Hotel Proposed for Downtown Santa Barbara
Plus: An effort to reduce freeway noise; new vintage shop in the Oreña Adobe; farewell to a beautiful overpass; give directly rather than to charity muggers; more changes to the Biltmore; new volunteer opportunity at Bellosguardo; the big apartment complex under construction on E. Haley Street. 3
December 10, 2025
First Look at the Music Academy of the West’s Downtown Venue
Plus: The Funk Zone lost two dozen free parking spaces; Iris Galerie has opened; new tenant for the cute space on De La Guerra Plaza; permanent conservation of 587 acres in the Los Alamos Valley; Preservation Hall Jazz Band in concert; Anacapa Architecture's handsome office on State Street. 1
December 9, 2025
November 30, 2025
November 25, 2025
November 16, 2025
Two More New Fitness Studios
Plus: Veronica Beard is open on Coast Village Road; firsthand report from a friend whose house was burgled; the inaugural Santa Barbara Literary Festival will be this spring; the Los Patos Bridge interpretive display; Train and Barenaked Ladies to play the Santa Barbara Bowl. 5
November 10, 2025
A Better Look at the Plans to Redevelop the Sears Part of La Cumbre Plaza
Plus: Bucatini pop-up at The Post; Santa Barbara Rock Gym to close; University of California bought another building downtown; more improvements at Plaza del Mar park; Yellow Pages update; Jack Johnson to play the Santa Barbara Bowl; new Rubenstein Chan show. 7
November 3, 2025
Montecito Is Getting a Public Pickleball Court
Plus: Landscape designs for the Coast Village Road medians; new gym in the Funk Zone; 100 trees to be removed for the reconfiguration of the Los Patos Way off-ramp; Vandenberg Space Force Base's launch alerts are no longer useful; how to opt out of receiving the Yellow Pages; Rainbow Kitten Surprise returns to the Santa Barbara Bowl. 11
Burning Questions
- How Long Will This Big Pipe Be at East Beach?
- Is Cabrillo Boulevard Going to Be Widened Under Highway 101?
- Was There a Fisherman Inn in Downtown Santa Barbara?
- What Are Those Old Buildings at the Corner of Castillo and Montecito Streets?
- When Will the Coast Village Road Medians Be Completed?
- What’s This Scaffold Structure on Las Positas Road?
- Why Does Street Striping Take So Long to Happen?
Recent Comments
Agree 100%. Attractive in itself but not plonked down on CVR. Does not fit in at all with the local-and-cozy-but-sophisticated look of the other retail… — Dana
Where's the "it's not in Montecito" comments? For looks really good in these photos! — Don
Loving this for Montecito! Net Zero and LEED Gold (plus-plus) aside, the design is striking, well-thought-out, and a nice departure from the same-same outdated architecture… — Vince
I've provided input to the CV Road for nearly 50 years working with developers as a Designer/Broker. We do have an assortment of styles and… — Maryanne Brillhart
I am appalled to see this abomination land in our sweet little Spanish style town. Can anyone point me in the direction on how to… — Barrie Glabman
Personally I wish he would have used that money to pay the 425 workers he stiffed. I don't think he deserves to have his name… — Tracy M
Agreed - I miss the margaritas and the great chips and salsa at cava! — chelsea
Love the look. As Erik pointed out, there is a range of design along CVR so this won't "stick out" but rather add another interesting… — Curtis
In a strange way, the new building echos the old Bottle Shop configuration. I really like the solar parking - very good use of space.… — Chris
South facing with all that glass? Also, the scale is way off. Also, not a fit on CVR at all. I agree with another commenter—choose… — Anne