New Apartment Complex Proposed for the Former Volkswagen Dealership Downtown
Plus: San Ysidro Ranch has added a miniature golf course; cool house overlooking Hendry's Beach likely to be torn down; site visit to see the Montecito Club's violations firsthand; clarification about what sold at 101 Mesa Lane; Jan and Dean are playing the Lobero. 1
Countrywide’s Former CEO Is at War With the Montecito Club
Other recent news: Biltmore employees and Four Seasons head back to mediation; Santa Barbara man accused of running a Ponzi scheme; Riviera homeowner who illegally cut down trees now faces felony charges; UCSB has failed to build promised housing; homeless to be moved to motel for fire season; new home for at-risk young adults; L.A. County wants people to wear masks indoors because of the Delta variant of Covid-19. 2
Carpinteria’s Good Plow Is Trying to Raise $48,000 So It Can Open
More food news: Sneak preview of Alessia Patisserie & Cafe; Peasants Feast in Solvang is spinning off a deli; new State Street hotel will have a ground-floor restaurant; Institution Ale's side patio seems just about ready; cacao drink at Twenty-Four Blackbirds. 10

























Recent Comments
From an AI search, this was an interesting summary of pedestrian zone success rates: Most cities that "restreeted" their pedestrian zones have experienced a positive… — Curtis
Talk to retail brokers, they will tell you. Whether the retailers are right or wrong about it doesn't matter, that's predominantly their position. SB is… — Jefferson A.
Show me 5-10 retailers willing to open on state if the street was open and you’ll change my mind. Unfortunately no one can show that.… — Eric
Well said. Take the example of the Santa Barbara County Courthouse and sunken gardens built by visionaries at a considerable expense at the time (and… — Hugh M
I agree. I saw 2 people urinating on State St. One at night and one in the middle of the day. Unbelievable. Where are the… — Lisa
"While there’s an argument to be made that any tenant is better than an empty storefront, and big retail spaces face immense challenges these days,… — Jefferson A.
How many in your friend group own or work at a customer facing business downtown? — Jefferson A.
The downmarket trend of Santa Barbara has been happening for decades. The city sold its soul to tourism years ago and the results are a… — Sam Tababa
State Street is just returning to its original form. Before the Verizon lease deal that changed the landscape of State, it was just a street… — Erin
The promenade is a failure because the homeless numbers there increased so much there and businesses closed during the pandemic. It seems to be slowly… — Kerry