September 30, 2025
Odds & Ends
Yet Another Temporary Adjustment to the State Street Promenade
Plus: Habitat Home & Garden's Santa Barbara shop is closing; DJ Javier show at the Museum of Contemporary Art; Jack Johnson at the Arlington Theatre; Candle Bar 111 moving within the Funk Zone; two new Coast Village Road shops have debuted; Game Seeker has found a new home; Indie Beauty Collective opened in Paseo Nuevo; documentary about the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network. 25
September 23, 2025
September 17, 2025
A New Family-Friendly Pool Hall Is Opening Downtown
Plus: Changes at the Montecito Country Mart; another long Highway 101 off-ramp closure; Anna Janelle Jewelry is moving to State Street; Pacific Premier Bank got bought; work is underway on the downtown charging station; new jiu-jitsu and self-defense studio; Paul McCartney to play the Santa Barbara Bowl. 7
September 14, 2025
September 9, 2025
September 1, 2025
Another Downtown Building to Become Self-Storage
Plus: New gallery in Carpinteria; Douglas Family Preserve dog bench; surfing museum debuts inside Surf 'n Wear; Bellosguardo beach house complex; progress for the Modoc Multi Use Path; the first Carpinteria Film Festival; "Where in Santa Barbara...?" answer. 8
August 18, 2025
The Biltmore’s Reopening Has Been Pushed Back Again
Plus: Dylan Star will morph into an online-only business; Leone Salon has moved to the Funk Zone; Coast Village parklet for lease; "In the Mood for Love" on the big screen; more programming at the Music Academy of the West; checking out the model homes at the Santa Barbara Polo Residences. 10
August 10, 2025
New Boutiques in the Funk Zone and on Coast Village Road
Plus: Carpinteria cannabis plant seeks approval to operate 24-7; Planned Parenthood's annual book sale; documentary in the works about the MV Conception fire; update on the San Ysidro Ranch‘s botanical garden; should police departments be identifying suspects? 1
August 5, 2025
An Outpost of Iris Galerie Is Opening Downtown
Plus: Jerry Seinfeld to perform here; a new book honoring artist Dennis Spangler; windows of vacant storefronts to be decorated with art; city proposing to buy an Alta Mesa house; Ritz-Carlton Bacara extended its spa deal for locals; two exhibits of note at Sullivan Goss. 4
July 29, 2025
Another Departure on Coast Village Road
Plus: The rumored tenant of a prime space on Los Patos Way; the Montecito Club would like to demolish at least part of the 1918 house next door; outdoor furniture for the Central Library plaza; Ghirardelli is proposing giant sundae mosaics visible on State Street; the Ritz-Carlton Bacara ended (and restarted) its spa deal for locals; return of the Cat Video Fest. 11
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.