A Tale of Two Upper East Grandes Dames

The centenarian houses of the Upper East don't come on the market all that often, but last week, we got two: 2014 Garden Street, built in 1895, and 16 E. Pedregosa Street, built in 1918. Let's compare and contrast....

Newsletter: December 9

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The Cabrillo Pavilion Has Been Pushed Back at Least Four Months

Plus: Toro Creek bridge to be closed on weekdays for two weeks; two houses—a Montecito estate and a Mesa oceanfront property—profiled on this site have sold; Caltrans seeks public input on U.S. 101 bike lane in Carpinteria; new Eastside bike lanes are in the works.

Santa Barbara’s Homeless Population Hasn’t Gone Up in Two Years

Other recent local news: A recap of the Storm Impact Consideration Map meeting; new map about post–Cave Fire debris-flow risk; Santa Barbara Zoo's lion Chadwick has died; a boat washed up on East Beach; Hayward Lumber bought Buena Tool; pepper trees.

A 1949 Riviera Villa Ready for a Light Touch

Also newly reduced: "Castle in the Sky" with partially finished wraparound moat/pool; "Japanese farmhouse" where the kitchen is the star; Upper East/Lower Riviera gem with a pretty sunroom; Montecito estate now $5.6 million off the initial asking price.

The New Debris-Flow Risk Map Is Live

The shrinkage was mainly in upper and western Montecito.

Shop-Local Gift Guide, Part 1: Gear and The Blue Door

If you want Santa Barbara to have wonderful independent shops, you need to support them. So this holiday season—and year-round, really—make an effort to spend your money here.

Newsletter: December 5

The twice-weekly Siteline newsletter is the best, easiest way to follow the website. To subscribe, click the link at the bottom of this post; you can unsubscribe at any time.

A 1931 Cottage on a Secret Lane

Highlights from this weekend’s open houses: Geodesic dome way up the mountain; a veritable showroom of interesting ceilings; redone ranch with wide ocean views; super-contemporary in Montecito.

The Look of the Sprouts Store Opening on Milpas

Plus: New condors at the Santa Barbara Zoo; "listening workshop" about a new farmers' market location; Drishti yoga boutique and Ransom junk store have closed; makers' market in the Funk Zone.