More and more hotels.
The anti-AirBnB crowd is quiet, curiously. The city used to claim the “housing emergency” was the reason homeowners could not rent short term…but new hotels? No problem.
It’s gross. Restricting property rights for the small guy only.
Adam Abrams turns out great food! Great to hear he is with the Good Lion peeps!
With 9 out of 10 stores downtown focused on women's apparel and accessories, god forbid there's a tiny space in the back of a building focused on what "gentleman" might be looking for in a retail experience. If you think this jives with "zeitgeist" , makes you "cringe" and hope it (a female owned business) fails, wouldn't that make you a "misandrist"?
We were at Intermezzo on a Thursday evening a few weeks back and the staff was all new to us. Our server said that, for now, they were only open Thursday-Sunday with a streamlined menu. Only part of the dining room was open, as well as the bar and front sidewalk tables, and she said the rest was reserved for private events. Wine list was small. Everything was still delicious.
I wonder if Hedley made it for the old Fisherman's Inn at Avila Beach (long gone), although he wasn't the owner.
Dinner at Intermezzo before BFG show at Lobero was a disaster. Some high profile guests may have had priority service in the dining room ( I hope so for their sake) while in the packed bar, many tables had diners, including us, chasing down the one over-spent waitperson and bartender for orders, checks and drinks. Our 40 minute wait ended with an apology that our order "was put in, but never made" and a random offering of food--salad, fries and eventually a cold pizza (not our original order)--was delivered so that that we wouldn't leave hungry and still make the show. No charge for the meal, but honestly we'd have preferred to pay for a stressless dinner experience! With Intemezzo's iconic location, what a shame that they can't figure it out!
Erik. Glad to hear someone gave you a tip! You deserve it. That said, if you don't need the cash, you (and anyone else for that matter) can send it to me! :)
I think that guy just collects old Santa Barbara signs if you also look there is a talk of the town sign there also
Seriously?! "A Bar for Gentlemen of Character" how quaint and absolutely out of sink with the "Zeitgeist"!
Honestly as a female I cringe at the thoughts these words offer up...and may it bomb big time...get my drift??
Well Alex,
Unfortunately you will never understand the mind set of us locals. We do not want to make big bucks out of our natural surroundings. We want our children and grand children to experience nature pure. We teach them to be stewards of the earth, i.e. to treasure and protect it , not how to exploit it for our personal gain. Your vision for our natural environment will never be our vision.
I thought Dario's properties were all still managed by the court-appointed receiver. Has that arrangement ended?
I’m curious to find out what it’s like staying overnight at the Mission Inn. When I’ve pumped fuel at night I’ve noticed they use natural gas flames to light the building. In my opinion the reflection look like the entire place is on fire. Curious the look from inside the room at 2am as a drunk tourist.
Watch out.
We all know Dario Pini's reputation.
Drover's Doughnuts is a nice addition to the Calle Real Shopping Center. Nice Barista Bar, Breakfast Sandwiches, and yes, delicious doughnuts. Thanks J.D. and the friendly lunchtime staff.
That hotel has had to pivot and submit new plans for expired permits. I heard they had to add an elevator some years back due to new codes.
I suspect the owner doesn't really care and may be punishing the city by delaying and keeping it an eyesore. The city keeps a close eye on his projects due to so many issues in the past. A very contentious relationship.
I have been hiking the front country trails for 5 decades and I cannot recall that the Tangerine Falls trail has ever been maintained. It has always been a very rough "use" trail with lots of scrambling and loose rocks. Of course the falls can be seen in several places from the West Fork trail. Regarding trail ownership, this article by Ray Ford provides a nice summary: https://www.noozhawk.com/ray-ford-who-owns-the-front-country-trails/
Hi Monica and Art of el sueno,
I understand your concerns. Hopefully I can share some more context for the conversation:
From day one, a principle design constraint has been to impact the forest as little as possible, as it is the most potent healing opportunity for guests of the proposed retreat—just as you, and I, have personally experienced when camping.
Our architect, Jim Cutler, has won many environmental awards and is renown for his ability to design into the existing landscape, not on top of it. The parcel has been homesteaded for 30+ years, and we are reusing all roads and footprints to minimize impact. We have designed the retreat such that no roof exceeds 16 feet in height, and being amongst majestic valley and blue oaks that are upwards of 50 feet tall, the retreat will be invisible to any onlooker. There is actually a farm structure on the property now that is over 20' tall and it can not be seen at all! (you can experience this if you drive the road to Rancho Oso and look back on the parcel).
With private land, there is always a risk that something incongruent with the natural landscape gets built (a casino?), so we are immensely proud that we have designed a facility that reveres and works in harmony with the native landscape and uses private funds to help restore habitat that is being lost to climate change.
Thank you,
Alex
Hi Evie and Don,
I completely agree that it's becoming harder for the working class to attend these experiences. Teachers, nurses, mothers, and so many others who sacrifice their own health to help others deserve support to attend programs like ours. This is why we launched the Deserving Fund in 2022, which offers $1-3k grants for guests who need a helping hand budget for our retreat. Please explore this grant program here, if you'd like: https://mountaintrek.com/resources/the-deserving-fund/
Does anyone know about the scope of the supposed renovation of El Encanto and what is happening with that? Fuether, is this guest chef a sign that they are going to hire a top chef for the dining room? The place needs a major overhaul in staff as well if it is going to recoup its top status as a resort.
They could have finished that hotel a year ago if they didn't put ornamentation over every square inch of the building. I have never seen a building in Santa Barbara (yes, even Jeff Shelton buildings) with so much STUFF on it. The street elevation is tame enough but if you go fill up at that gas station and look at the building...yeesh!
Omg the Mission Inn has been under construction for 10 years! What is the story behind this place!? Bizarre !
Jefferson A. knows his numbers. And toss in costs for utilites as one of the big nuts.
hi, I am the artist who made this mural. It’s on the outside wall of the Santa Barbara health/ dental clinic. Thanks so much for posting this. I hadn’t seen it in a long time.
Had no idea Ed St George was part of Radius- seems they are betting on his properties in Solvang- Founders Market being the only operating parcel he has currently….he is quite unpopular as his project directly across the street is foundering under a stop work order. The property next door to stop work property, the former Security Pacific bank- also sits mid re-do empty and behind chain link fence. He purchased Pea Soup Andersen's- currently a chain link surrounded dilapidated eyesore. He has a second project coming in Btown that has a lifesize coffee pot as a focal point….
Another of the new businesses at Founders Market will be a pizza/wine/beer open air spot from the folks behind Standing Sun Winery in Buellton- who has also started bringing back music events to their tasting room.
Rooted Vine Cellars- Radius called them Rooted Vince- are a great couple who live offshore while running a wine tour business in the Valley- also world travelers.
Andrea’s Heart is a up and running business- women’s goods including home goods & jewelry , with CHOMP and Solvang Coffee (coffee with a cop/CHP this Tues!) still anchoring the plaza.
Lots of nuggets in the Radius report!
These people were not “observers” They were actively impeding, obstructing federal law enforcement effort to detain criminal illegal aliensWhere were they when millions of illegal aliens, many criminals, allowed to stream across the border unimpeded?
If these people object to ICE efforts, urge the cities and County to honor ICE detainers for criminal illegal aliens. Meanwhile the law will be enforced
Also where is the outcry against our taxes being raised, our pot hole filled streets neglected in Carpinteria while the City Council hands out $250,000+ to illegal alien support groups
Please people read the law, enforce it or change it, or act to assist honest illegal aliens to gain lawful status rather than all this meaningless virtue signaling
