Tag archives: Upper Village

Winter Shopping in the Land of Summer
By Jeff Wing   |   December 5, 2023

It’s that time of year again. We have communally checked the Large Flightless Bird box and stumbled right over the line into “The Holidays.” Yes, your bone-dry and otherworldly delightfully moist and aromatic Thanksgiving turkey was an absolute hit. Your Aunt Marge’s startling “Pea Mush” was likewise well-received, producing the usual bug-eyed attempts to swallow […]

Montecito Natural Health Opens in Upper Village 
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   August 1, 2023

As a follow-up to a story we’ve been following since April, Montecito Natural Foods, which was located in Montecito Country Mart for nearly 60 years and closed its doors in June, has reopened a small storefront in the Upper Village, next to Josephine’s Antiques. The store, now dubbed Montecito Natural Health, opened in mid-July, and […]

The Many Neighborhoods of Montecito
By Mark Ashton Hunt   |   July 18, 2023

When you decide to move to Montecito or if you live here already, you are likely aware that there are many smaller neighborhoods within the greater 93108, each offering their own charm, advantages, and distinct personality. From the Hedgerows to Eucalyptus Hill, to Toro Canyon, the beach area, and the Golden Quadrangle, it’s all good […]

RH Restaurant Latest
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   July 4, 2023

This week, Montecito Board of Architectural Review will hear from representatives of RH, Inc., formerly Restoration Hardware, regarding a new location in Montecito’s Upper Village. The agenda item was continued from an MBAR meeting earlier this month.  RH reps are seeking conceptual review to add a café and wine bar inside of the nearly 7,000-square-foot […]

Montecito Natural Foods to Open in Upper Village
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   May 23, 2023

Longtime Montecito Natural Foods employee Matt Mosby has confirmed that the beloved store, which has been in business nearly 60 years and is closing its Montecito Country Mart location next month, is planning to reopen in the upper village. “We are excited to make the move to the new location, and I know our customers […]

Rooms & Gardens Opens in Upper Village
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   May 16, 2023

On nearly the same day that she opened her beloved shop 30 years ago on State Street, Rooms & Gardens owner Jami Voulgaris is starting a new chapter in Montecito. Rooms & Gardens made its official debut over the weekend with a friends and family event, opening the doors for business on May 8. “When […]

Montecito’s 2022 Year in Review
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   January 3, 2023

Project Progress Highway 101 Widening Project  The long-awaited widening project from Carpinteria to Santa Barbara was discussed at length in 2022, with countless meetings to discuss design, construction, timing, and other details related to the addition of a third lane through Montecito.  The Montecito segment of the project (called 4D) includes widening 1.4 miles of […]

Upper Village Unwrapped: Holiday Shopping Along Montecito’s Upper Side
By Zach Rosen   |   November 29, 2022

The turkey has been put to rest (or maybe it put us to bed), and the holiday season is underway. With so much around our beloved town, it is easy to shop and support local. This is part one of four articles featuring the local stores that make our area so distinct.  This week features […]

Santa Ynez General Pop-up
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   July 19, 2022

One of Santa Ynez’s most popular shops has popped up in Montecito’s Upper Village, located in the space once occupied by George Meta Jewelry near Montecito Village Grocery. Owned by Pearson and Spencer Turnbull, the company, which features its own brand of goods along with other lifestyle and clothing brands, opened in downtown Santa Ynez […]

Rumors and Actual News
By Sharon Byrne   |   January 25, 2022

A few persistent rumors have spread through the Montecito community, thus proving the old adage that a lie can get halfway round the world before the truth can even get its boots on. Here are a couple that we’ve thoroughly debunked: – Rick Caruso is buying the Upper Village and plans to turn it into […]

Marc Gelinas, Known for Interior Design, Now has a Store for his Antiques
By Nick Masuda   |   August 12, 2021

That look? That’s Marc Gelinas smiling from ear to ear — and he has plenty of windows to check out his pearly whites at his new digs on East Valley Road in the Upper Village. It’s the perfect space to not only promote his flourishing interior design business, but also his budding career as an […]

How to Experience Montecito Like a True Local
By Leslie Westbrook   |   August 12, 2021

If you recently moved into the neighborhood and you want to fit right in, these few tips should assist in the transition from city slicker to Montecitan.  Despite almost a half-century of living here under my belt – and summer forays in my youth with my best friend whose grandparents had a second home in […]

Bissel Clinic
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 4, 2021

For 25 years, Bissell Clinic in Montecito’s Upper Village has been helping Montecito and Santa Barbara residents deal with both chronic and acute pain. The chiropractic and physical therapy clinic provides multidisciplinary care with state-of-the-art equipment, offering patients a broad array of therapies to hone in on their ailments. “After being here this long, people […]

People of Montecito: Chris Dabney
By Megan Waldrep   |   June 4, 2020

What’s your favorite memory of growing up here? “One of my favorite memories of growing up in Montecito is walking with friends to the Upper Village from Montecito Union School and getting a sandwich from the Village Cheese & Wine Shop. It was just the most incredible sandwich you ever had. Just cheese and meat […]

Coast Village Road’s New Moment in the Sun
By Mitchell Kriegman   |   May 28, 2020

Montecito may oddly benefit from California’s post-COVID grand reopening. Coast Village Road may be one of the few dining, shopping, and hotel areas that is elegant, energetic, and well designed for the next new normal. You know the Pandemic New Normal – that’s the normal after the Debris Flow New Normal and that other new […]

Tecolote Book Shop’s Mary Sheldon
By Nick Schou   |   April 2, 2020

Don’t even try to tell Mary Sheldon about how COVID-19 is hurting local businesses. After all, the owner of Tecolote Book Shop in Montecito’s Upper Village has been a bookseller for 30 years, the last 20 of which had the misfortune of taking place after the unprecedented rise of online shopping spearheaded by Amazon. Technically, […]

Village People: Jett, Jim, Josh, Mike, and Fabian of Village Auto Repair
By Nick Schou   |   March 26, 2020

Last week – in the middle of the mess of coronavirus-related closures and several days of seemingly nonstop rain – the inevitable happened: I got a flat tire. The tire pressure light on my Prius had been on for a few days, so I did what any sensible busy person would do and swung by […]

In Business: Reflections
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 5, 2020

Friends and neighbors Dottie Allen and Carole Shafran have turned their love of creating beautiful things into a business, opening Reflections in Montecito’s upper village. Located between Wells Fargo and Montecito Village Grocery, the small space showcases the ladies’ love of the sea. The space was originally built out for an area in which to […]

Drug Bust in Montecito?
By Bob Hazard   |   February 20, 2020

Rumors were rampant last Wednesday as federal agents from the Los Angeles Field Division of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) swarmed the Upper Village to serve an inspection search warrant on the iconic San Ysidro Pharmacy and its popular owner Steve Hoyt. The audit began at roughly 9 am and ended by mid-afternoon. Customers were […]

Upper Village Store Closings
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   January 16, 2020

Two longstanding stores in Montecito’s Upper Village have announced their impending closures: jewelry shop and gallery, Oliver & Espig, and stationery store The Stationery Collection. Oliver & Espig was founded 46 years ago by owners Glenn Espig and Ingerid Ekeland, and was located in Santa Barbara’s La Arcada before moving to the Upper Village in […]