Blog

Buy Your Way Into an Oceanfront Compound on the Mesa

Twenty-one years ago, four friends bought a 2.5-acre oceanfront cottage compound, and they made a pact: If anyone wanted out, they’d all agree to sell. That time has come, but two would prefer to stay….

More Details on the Plan to Revamp Paradise Cafe

More food news: Khao Kaeng may be looking to get out of its Coast Village Road space; Smart & Final will expand into a superstore; Buena Onda is making turkey-dinner empanadas; Café Ana now bakes gluten-free bread.

The Final East Valley Road Bridge Will Reopen Tomorrow

Plus: Santa Barbara Bowl announces its first show for the 2020 season; cool stuff at the Gear shop; Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver to be honored here; activity at a Montecito storefront; butterfly art.

Compare and Contrast a Pair of Adobes

This weekend’s open houses also include a 2.5-acre oceanfront cottage compound on the Mesa; a sprawler on Hidden Valley Lane; midcentury sex appeal in Cielito; and a Cubist white elephant.

The Café at Field + Fort Is a Game Changer for Summerland

The menu is far more interesting than anything this side of Merci Montecito and Bettina, and the setting—at a communal table inside or out on the terraces—couldn’t be lovelier.

California Has Made Building an ADU Much Easier

“The state of California wants to ensure more housing get built quickly,” writes broker Scott Williams. “This is one of the biggest opportunities in real estate since my career began in 1977.”

Meet the Santa Barbara Zoo’s New Snow Leopard

Other recent news: City Council to allow more housing downtown and decide fate of Westside hotel; new barber shop downtown; visitor’s center opened on State Street; wind farm proposed south of Lompoc; La Cumbre Plaza art pop-ups; Los Padres forest gains 800 acres; local paints Mickey Mouse on rocks and leaves them for people to take.

The List of Recyclable Plastics Has Shrunk

Plus: The rise of “South American Theft Groups”; four-story, 21-unit rental complex planned for De La Vina Street; Patti Smith charity performance; closing prices for two houses profiled on this site; Olive Mill roundabout design.

This 1927 Montecito Estate Is Heading to Auction

There’s a lot to like about the location, but the house—currently listed for $7 million—isn’t in great shape, and anyone hoping to tear it down might face objections from the county. So this ought to be interesting….