The New Tenant of the Victor the Florist Space

Plus: Cat Mewseum coming to State Street; Palma Colectiva opening in Victoria Court; the Flaming Lips in concert; Bellosguardo's outbuildings by the beach; the history of the "El Prado" sign at the new Courtyard by Marriott.

Newsletter: December 28

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.

New Downtown Penthouse Sells for $3.45 Million

Last week's sales also include a 40-acre ocean-view lot flipped for a loss; Hope Ranch fixer/teardown; Samarkand three-bedroom with appealing outdoor space; Gibraltar Road two-bedroom listed since 2017; and more. 3

Longtime Santa Barbara Chef Has Taken Over the Polo Club Restaurant

More food news: The new restaurant at the Leta hotel in Goleta; Handlebar Coffee Roasters, Hook & Press, and Tamar are taking a break; new coffee bar in Paseo Nuevo; owner of Burbank's Smoke House rumored to be working on something here; profile of Vega Vineyard & Farm; the National Heirloom Exposition is coming to Ventura. 4

The Mysteries of Istanbul

The beguiling city is at the nexus of east and west, ancient and modern—and yet it also feels very far away. 3

Newsletter: December 25

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.

Where in Santa Barbara…?

Know where this was shot? Prove it in the comments. (We have a winner!) 1

What’s the Large Building Under Construction Next to Highway 101?

"I've been wondering what the story is with the metal building going up next to Highway 101 at the southbound Patterson exit. Caltrans? Union Pacific?" —J. 7

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

The Plan for 685 New Apartments at La Cumbre Plaza

The developers are focusing on the greater Macy's area, in the belief that a smaller development comprising buildings of different styles will be more in character with Santa Barbara than something monolithic. 32