December 22, 2022
Odds & Ends
Church Has Plans for a Big Roof Deck Downtown
Plus: Women's apparel store opening in the former Rite Aid on State Street; Olive Mill ramps not closing till at least January 8; new look for the apartment complex proposed for Carrillo and De La Vina; updates on the downtown electric-vehicle charging station and the redesign of the State Street undercrossing; Gaviota rest areas reopen; the story behind a Jeff Shelton house on the Riviera; the annual homeless count; drive-through car wash in the works for S. La Cumbre Road; "Golden Hour" at My Pet Ram. 5
December 13, 2022
The ShineUP Shop in the Funk Zone Is Closing
Plus: Cannabis shop opened in Isla Vista; new yoga studio and wellness collective; useless parking signs at Santa Barbara Airport; the area around Shoreline Park's torii gate is getting renovated; signal modifications at Highway 154 and State Street; Cliff Drive pedestrian improvements; rainbow curb cuts. 3
December 2, 2022
The “Victor the Florist” Signage Has Been Removed
Plus: Olive Mill ramp closures have been pushed back; an explanation for the activity at Rancho San Carlos; State Street survey; The Great Junk Hunt flea market is on in Ventura; Brett Young to play the Santa Barbara Bowl; Marshall Brown collages at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. 4
November 28, 2022
Another Santa Barbara Hotel Is for Sale
Plus: The annual "100 Grand" show at Sullivan & Goss starts today; a second residential development is in the works at Garden and Haley; the Santa Barbara Harbor Parade of Lights is December 11; new website for discovering cannabis deals around here; a community arts collective is opening in Ventura; pétanque in Santa Barbara. 4
November 23, 2022
Mysterious Activity at One of Montecito’s Biggest Properties
Plus: Santa Barbara Bowl Christmas tree lot isn't happening this year; Hermosillo Road finally gets advance Highway 101 signage; the Music Academy of the West shortened its name; new clothing store coming to State Street; Inn at Mattei's Tavern will open in February; updated rendering of Santa Barbara High School’s forthcoming VADA building; golf store changes hands (and brings in pickleball equipment). 3
November 15, 2022
Update on the Marge Dunlap Fountain at Las Aves
Plus: The Santa Barbara Antique Show is this week; Trevor Noah and Tyler Childers at the Bowl; decorator warehouse sale; solar-powered e-bike tours; a better look at the 36-unit apartment complex proposed for lower Garden Street; Ruth Ellen Hoag show at Thomas Reynolds Gallery. 3
November 10, 2022
November 6, 2022
A Huge Probation Office Is Proposed for Downtown
Plus: An itty-bitty hotel in the Funk Zone; Leadbetter Beach restroom to get refurbished; a survey about the State Street Promenade; the makeover of the Vons Montecito is said to finally be on; Alameda Park gazebo renovation; new show at My Pet Ram gallery. 1
November 2, 2022
The Biltmore’s Neon Sign Is Not in Danger
Plus: The Aloha Fun Center roller rink sure looks iffy; a new personal training gym on Coast Village Road; hair extension and bridal accessory shop coming to State Street; hotel on Upper State Street sold for $17.55 million; "Ghost Adventures" investigates the strange goings-on inside a Montecito mansion. 5
October 30, 2022
First Look at the Plan for Montecito’s Dorinda Triangle
Plus: Ghost Village Road is happening; the hotel in the works on lower De La Vina has been turned Spanish; the Ojai Film Festival is coming up; a second debris basin is proposed for Montecito; what you'll find inside Santa Barbara Hives's new San Roque shop. 12
Burning Questions
- Why Are the Railroad Tracks Being Expanded Along Padaro Lane?
- Will You Explain the Plan to Adapt the Waterfront for Climate Change?
- Why Did the Rosewood Miramar Beach Install Gates?
- 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?
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.