November 28, 2025
Tag: Santa Barbara International Film Festival
The Argument Against the Paseo Nuevo Deal
Other recent news: The land under the former Nordstrom store is now excluded from the proposal; SBIFF's downtown multiplex got named; Zoe Bikini to close; new fees and requirements possible for Santa Barbara massage therapists; adaptive reuse of an old airport hangar and two Quonset huts; an update from Edhat. 6
April 27, 2025
The Rancho San Marcos Golf Course Has Reopened
Plus: A new podcast about Santa Barbara; Band of Horses and Iron & Wine to play the Arlington Theatre; Maren Morris returns to the Santa Barbara Bowl; the Cold Spring bridge project is completed; Soul Sucker ceramics and plants at El Paseo; architectural tours of downtown; next year's SBIFF dates; De La Vina bridge replacement to start next month; new look for the five-story building proposed for De La Guerra Street. 2
October 8, 2024
May 9, 2024
April 18, 2024
A Knitting Shop Is Opening Downtown
Plus: Moving sale at Eye of the Day in Carpinteria; a visit to antiquarian Lee Stanton's Upper Village shop; next year's dates for the Santa Barbara International Film Festival; opposition to El Capitan Canyon Resort's expansion plan; Opera Santa Barbara‘s 2024-2025 lineup. 3
May 2, 2023
February 13, 2023
Rooms & Gardens Is Moving to Montecito
Plus: MarBorg's price hike for "non-curbside" service; Goleta Beach County Park has partially reopened; Zodo's bowling alley has been rebranded; documentary about the cool house on Pepper Hill; city survey about the Single Family Design Board design review process; contemporary photos of old buildings; Highway 101 construction updates. 12
January 21, 2023
A-List Boutique to Open in Montecito’s Upper Village
Plus: Kismet will open a dedicated lingerie studio; Jack Johnson to play the Lobero Theatre; the slate for the 2023 Santa Barbara International Film Festival; the Montecito Tea Gardens gets another $10 million price cut; are you Santa Barbara's next poet laureate? 5
July 13, 2022
Bossie the Cow Is Getting Rebuilt and Moved
Plus: The Randall Road Debris Basin is just about done; the Chumash are working on a 31,000-square-foot commercial building in Santa Ynez; 2023 dates of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival; the city's ugly new solar arrays; this year's French Festival has been canceled; what not to do with used corks. 6
February 13, 2022
Seven-Foot-Tall Sunflower Sculptures Proposed for State Street
Plus: Over-the-top Valentine's Day decorations on Foothill Road; plans to tear down a 20-year-old estate on Picacho Lane; the 747 Designs shop is having a big sale before it closes; this year's Santa Barbara International Film Festival slate; a revised take on a big Eucalyptus Hill house. 1
Burning Questions
- Why Are the Railroad Tracks Being Expanded Along Padaro Lane?
- Will You Explain the Plan to Adapt the Waterfront for Climate Change?
- Why Did the Rosewood Miramar Beach Install Gates?
- How Long Will This Big Pipe Be at East Beach?
- Is Cabrillo Boulevard Going to Be Widened Under Highway 101?
- Was There a Fisherman Inn in Downtown Santa Barbara?
- What Are Those Old Buildings at the Corner of Castillo and Montecito Streets?
Recent Comments
Tony, I was just having a little fun with my morning coffee when I wrote that comment and didn't mean to trigger anyone. Regarding action,… — J
I appreciate your earnestness and tenacity and desire for process. I share it. But after 10 years of a huge vacancy, a dying mall, and… — John
Don’t ignore the opportunity costs of looking for other deals. Not only do you risk losing this deal, there’s no guarantee another deal would be… — LD
Exactly, Christian. Very well said. This project is needed, right now. — Gail
This modest project— the addition of one mile of siding— has the potential to greatly improve the reliability of the Surfliner, and make it more… — Gail
Bottom line: there is an established process for these types of transactions that is designed to make sure the community residents get the best deal… — SBradley
I think development is just such a different animal. I've worked a little bit with very experienced developers. People who ONLY do RE development. They… — John
John: I think we should keep in mind that Yardi is a software company that sells software *and data* for *real estate property management*. The… — SBradley
Though Yardi is a commercial software developer, real development is much riskier. That business has moats, history, customer lock in and competitive advantages. Redevelopment and… — John
You should remember that where you're sitting right now used to be a tree, a field, or open land at some point. You benefit every… — Tony Machado