July 29, 2025
Odds & Ends
Another Departure on Coast Village Road
Plus: The rumored tenant of a prime space on Los Patos Way; the Montecito Club would like to demolish at least part of the 1918 house next door; outdoor furniture for the Central Library plaza; Ghirardelli is proposing giant sundae mosaics visible on State Street; the Ritz-Carlton Bacara ended (and restarted) its spa deal for locals; return of the Cat Video Fest. 11
July 22, 2025
Another Huge Price Cut for the “Floating Home” in the Harbor
Plus: Update on the upper San Ysidro trail and Romero Jeepway; the Riviera "rain totems" have been moved; construction at the former Klaus Automotive building; answers to two questions about debris basins; Steve Martin riffing locally; exploring the Ventura River Parkway Trail to Ojai. 8
July 14, 2025
The Upper Village Is Getting Another Bank Branch
Plus: Swimwear chain confirmed for Coast Village Road; Loveworn has opened a Carpinteria shop; the Santa Barbara County Civil Grand Jury weighs in; fence proposed around the landmark Moreton Bay fig tree; electronic duo to play the Santa Barbara Bowl; Melissa Chandon paintings at Caldwell Snyder. 11
July 6, 2025
Inside the Huge New Vintage Store on State Street
Plus: More vintage and minimalist leather in the Funk Zone; estate sale pop-ups; Goodwill's donation center on Milpas has closed; real estate agent promoting negotiable fees; Fred Armisen to play the Lobero; new art gallery downtown; more sloppy road signage. 16
June 30, 2025
A Music Festival Is Coming to the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club
Plus: Two new boutiques selling women's apparel; Mācher‘s Linden Square shop opens this week; another development site in the Haley Street Corridor?; the state of the Tesla chargers at the Miramar resort; new local streaming radio station; awkward typography on the San Ysidro Road off-ramp sign; ZZ Top to play the Santa Barbara Bowl; pronouncing "jacaranda." 16
June 24, 2025
Two More Rite Aid Stores Are Closing
Plus: Inside the new 30-room vacation-rental hotel downtown; adjacent Highway 101 on-ramps to be closed for nine months; Queens of the Stone Age concert; Heidi Merrick sample sale; the July 4 celebration at the waterfront; John Waters's Halloween show; the answer to last weekend's "Where in Santa Barbara...?" 5
June 15, 2025
New Tenant for RH’s Former Store on State Street
Plus: Children's club opening in Summerland; Linden Square yoga and Pilates studio debuts next week; Santa Barbara Nissan is no longer; Pete Yorn in concert; another Santa Barbara Bowl show announced; big few weeks for Highway 101 construction; a second Ikat and Pearls shop in Ventura. 7
June 10, 2025
More on the Proposed Apartment Complex Behind the Mission
Plus: Repair of the Butterfly Beach steps; anti-Trump protest on Saturday; new shop and a relocation at Victoria Court; two new shops at The Post; this year's One805 Live! headliner; two more return appearances at the Santa Barbara Bowl; Opera Santa Barbara‘s 2025-26 season; is More Mesa at increased risk of development? 40
June 1, 2025
The Biltmore’s Reopening Has Been Pushed Back
Plus: ChatGPT's roast of Santa Barbara County; new effort to change the way Santa Barbara is run; update on the Electrify America charging station; Kaarem's Victoria Court boutique has closed; Dawes to play the Lobero Theatre; downtown building to be clad in artificial turf; note from a descendant of the proprietor of the Weeping Willow Inn. 10
May 27, 2025
New Adventure Playground in the Santa Ynez Valley
Plus: Three more shops have opened at The Post; new kids' art studio downtown; La Casa de Maria is allowing group events; update on the Manning Park tennis courts; Leslie Lewis Sigler tablescapes at Sullivan Goss; Ensemble Theatre Company's 2025-26 season; answer to last week's "Where in Santa Barbara...?" 1
















Recent Comments
Does the Après Ski party include a lift ticket? — Heidi Smith
Bravo, Music Academy of the West! — Deborah David
Santa Barbara Museum of Art gift shop has moved upstairs. Still a great place to shop with lots of Impressionist merchandise to match the GREAT… — LG
This is the box outside of Ca’ Dario at the corner of Anacapa and Victoria. — Mike
Renaming the post office and spending $500 k to do it. Is another great example tax payers money being wasted. — Dan Kolodziejski
Hallelujah! The return of that Southbound on-ramp is long overdue — Tammy
You've done a great thing for the hapless men of Santa Barbara with this series. Stopping by half of these stores. — Andy
The post office renaming will cost roughly $500,000 paid for by the USPS internal funds from stamps and fees. — Derek
Thank you, Erik, for reminding your readers to support local businesses; it is one of the critical ways to help our communities thrive. (I laughed… — Pat
I agree about the skimpy wine pour. However, we loved the shared entrees (chicken and salmon) with their special rice. Yes there were leftovers but… — ElizabethW