From Hope Ranch to Rincon Point, greater Santa Barbara has some of the most sensational high-end real estate in world. Siteline covers it editorially, with the journalistic ethics that you would expect from traditional news outlets. I’m not a real-estate broker, and I’m not trying to sell anything other than advertising—and editorial and advertising will always be entirely separate.
Having grown up in Orange County and moved to New York City after college, I never thought I’d return to California. But when my husband, Adam, and I visited Santa Barbara a few years ago, I realized that the area is everything I love about the state, without all the stuff I don’t. At the start of 2019, I sold my hyperlocal website, Tribeca Citizen, and we moved here. (Before Tribeca Citizen, I was a magazine editor: Budget Travel, Fortune, Travel + Leisure, Town & Country.) There’s no zealot like the recently converted, as the saying goes, so don’t be surprised when Siteline ventures beyond real estate to tangentially related Santa Barbara subjects such as restaurants, shops, and so on.
I come at the topic of real estate, and the area in general, from a place of enthusiasm rather than expertise. As a result, you can expect me to get excited about things that you’ve known about for years, and I will make mistakes. By all means, feel free to correct or contradict me; we know more collectively than any of us can on our own. But when you criticize, be constructive. If not, I’ll probably delete your comment. Life is simply too short. And if you have a vested interest in whatever you’re commenting about, I insist that you make the connection public.
Please reach out with any questions, concerns, tips, or even compliments. (If you’re a broker with a property you think I should see in person, let me know. Previews are especially welcome.) The best way to follow Siteline is by subscribing to the email newsletter. And If you know someone who might be interested in this site, please pass it along.
Erik Torkells
Founder
917-209-6473
[email protected]


















Recent Comments
Indio.... finally feeling the trickle-down effect of Coachella, Stagecoach and other events. It's otherwise one of those places where they pull up the sidewalks at… — Master Gardener
Google it, babe. — Erik Torkells
Rincon Brewery‘s Funk Zone outpost is closing after tonight. The rumor is that South Coast Deli will take over the space. But I won't mention… — Kate Gruwell
The old Victor the Florist shop at corner of Santa Barbara & Anapamu streets? — Peter
They can't even get the metro link linked! — Christine!A
Exactly this. I haven't heard any realistic alternatives yet. — BrR
The land is privately owned and zoned for development. What operates on it today exists at the discretion of the owners, and that can change… — BrR
Those tract homes are tacky and not good enough for precious Carpinteria. Carp deserves much better than those eye sores. — KK
It’s not vacant parcel: it’s a beautiful co-op organic farm, Farm Cart Organics, that feeds our community, and a farm school, Carpinteria Children’s Farm, and… — Sarah
Respectfully, there was never a version of development on this site that Carpinteria was going to welcome with open arms. That's the problem. Even if… — EM