••• Erin Kanaley-Famularo of Bungalo805 gave me a hard-hat tour of the two-story space at 28 W. Figueroa, and it’s coming together nicely. (When finished, the interiors will be done in “costal cottage chic” style.) In case this is news to you, Bungalo805 is “a sophisticated gathering place where Grown-Ups don’t have to compromise and Littles can be themselves.” It’s going to have a full liquor license, many ways for kids to be entertained, and what I assume will be Santa Barbara’s first Boobie Lounge. The website is live with all the membership details.
••• Opening November 4 from Out of the Box Theatre Company: “From the Pulitzer Prize–winning co-creator of In the Heights comes a new musical as big as America and as intimate as the love between a mother and her daughter. Beatriz arrives in Philadelphia to convince her estranged 16-year-old daughter Olivia to join her on a road trip to California. Along the way, they encounter a mosaic of characters as diverse and weird as America itself, but the hard truth of Beatriz’s undocumented status and pending deportation to Mexico threatens to build a wall between them. With sharp comedy and a winning acoustic score by folk-rock star Erin McKeown, Miss You Like Hell is an American story for our time.”
••• It sure looks like 335 S. Milpas, site of Tri-County Produce, just got sold for $9.75 million; the buyer is listed only as Calle Puerto Vallarta, which isn’t especially helpful. It could just be an intra-party transfer, of course, but I’ve always thought that location could work for Erewhon. UPDATE: P. points out that the buyer is likely Calle Puerto Vallarta Partners, whose registered agent is Austin Herlihy of Radius Commercial Group. UPDATE: “I am supporting John Dixon on communications around his efforts there,” emailed a PR rep. “He is still staying on as an owner and exploring some mixed real estate opportunities that would allow Tri County’s presence to continue into the future. Erewhon is not in consideration. It will be a long thoughtful process, and Tri County—in its current form—will continue for some time. This has been shared with the staff.”
••• A reader asked whether the Ghost Village Road trick-or-treat celebration will be happening this year, and the answer is no, not officially. But perhaps now that the Coast Village Improvement Association has been formed, there’s hope it’ll return next year. UPDATE: Village Properties says it’ll be handing out candy and I’m sure lots of other businesses will be, too. UPDATE: Someone from the Montecito Journal left me a voicemail saying they had been calling around and all the businesses on Coast Village Road appear to be handing out candy.
••• From S.: “I read earlier this year that Electrify America is planning a premium charging station in Santa Barbara where the old Greyhound station was [northern corner of Chapala and Carrillo]. Are there any updates on these plans and timeline? I know Santa Barbara has a ton of EV owners and this development would be of interest—especially for folks who want to top up before a road trip to L.A.” Electrify America says it’s shooting to open in the summer of 2023. (A rendering is below.) I also reached out to the city Planning Counter, which said that “the project is still under review by the Historic Landmarks Commission and a final decision has not yet occurred. The project was last heard on January 19, 2022″—comments from the meeting are here—and the ball is in Electrify America’s court.
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I hope that tri-county stays the same, as much as I love erewhon, this place makes me feel like home, slower pace vibes. Just love it.
We really don’t need another high priced grocery store. Not sure it is a good place for Erewhon as I don’t know if their upscale clientele would want to mingle with the homeless and regular folks. But, I guess they can just send their maids and hired help.
Really hope Tri-County doesn’t get booted out.
Similar feelings.
Me too. I sure hope TCP stays. It’s a real special place.