Man, growing up here, this was (in hindsight) the coolest neighborhood... sleepy, low-key, seaside charming wonky, filled with kids and just fun to hang out in. Its surreal to drive around and see the done-up tract homes, more and more McMansions, and every driveway having a Land Rover in the driveway. Sure, there are a few holdouts, but they are few and far between.
Now the real mystery is why the Mesa's shopping center(s) remain so ghetto? Where is the Erewhon, the Gjusta, the crystal soundbath studio?
The New Zealanders painting there homes black
Great walking tour. Mark me down as one of the equally baffled regarding the kind of person/family putting down anywhere from $3-4MM on a 3/4bed tract home in the Mesa. Hell, I don't even understand where the families putting down $1.5-2MM on those kind of houses out in Noleta/Goleta are getting the money from.
We hang our American flag every single day, are there really people who only put it out on the 4th?
Yes, but this one appears to be in the front of the garage, not toward the rear....
Usually the hanging tennis ball is a way to measure when to stop backing up before cameras were in vehicles.
and the whole time the will blame the applicant for the delays. They have no clue that time is money.
Your newsletters are so delicious! Your dry wit is always appreciated (don't think it goes unnoticed, ever!).
The Federation building DOES look like a BevMo so I hope they'll zhuzh it up a bit.
And I agree on Room With a View.
Now go get a knish! xo
It was mentioned at one of our SFDR meetings that the “Victorian” near Shoreline is the reason the design review board exists!
With the El Estero wastewater treatment plant next door, it’s More like the “funky” zone.
La Vista Del Oceano is a private road.
Lester went there to kill the boyfriend and the boyfriend killed him in self defense. The boyfriend wasn’t even arrested.
It was his wife’s boyfriend.
As bad as the county is - I can assure you the city is even worse. Took us over four years to get a permit to do an abatement and remodel on a 840 square foot house. Two years of that were taken up by the HLC, which added not just time, but roughly $20k to the process. All in we probably spent close to $90k on permits, engineering, reports (soils, historic, archeological, trees) and architect fees. The real kicker - the project was diverted into the HLC process at the behest of the city, only to have the board reject the application for structure of merit - so, two years and $20k for basically a null result.
The flare at La Conchita burned natural gas from offshore platforms for years, producing enormous quantities of air air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions while wasting a valuable energy resource without providing any benefits besides profits for oil companies. The La Conchita flare site has been abandoned by the operator, just like the offshore oil platforms, the artificial island at Mussel Shoals, and hundreds of depleted oil wells in Ventura County. These are the local examples of oil companies extracting as much money as possible but leaving the public to clean up the messes they have left behind.
When you see a quick flip, the work involved usually doesn't need a permit (or is unlikely to get noticed even if it does)—i.e., changing out surfaces vs. moving walls, gas, plumbing, and so on. Any expansion is another story entirely. Moreover, the county is not incentivized to move quickly.
Would love if you could explain what is up with the permitting process.I see big estates ( Ellen d. G.) that are totally renovated and resold in under 4 months. Meanwhile it is taking me two years to get a permit for a 24x12 ft shed with electricity. Took one year for a land use permit alone, and that was with my neighbors writing supportive letters. The entire process at the county is out of control. Everyone seems to have a horror story.
Matic Design and Build.
There are more pics and a video at www.maticdb.com
I lived in Lester's home as a housecleaner when I was pursuing modeling in 1977/78. He was remodeling the place then. There were lots of parties and craziness. He would travel back and forth from LA. There was another girl that also lived there that babysat his kid.
No chopped liver at the new deli? 😢
We love Tyler on Canon Perdido. Their wine is amazing but the location is incredible
I live on Calle Cita and I take no offense to Erik's comments. Erik, love your site and appreciate what you do.
It’s a shame they didn’t finish the mountain drive repair to match the matilija sandstone that all the other retaining walls are made out of. The cinder block, while practical, looks pretty rough
I agree with Cameron, I always appreciate your personal takes - keep them coming
Who was the architect and builder for Calle Cita? It is a fabulous remodel!
