I’m a Santa Barbara native, left for about 15 years, and returned during the pandemic. I know this has been a hot topic for a while now, but what is going on with the downtown retail area? But it’s really sad to see a once vibrant shopping area reduced to a smattering of outdoor dining shacks. Are there any true solutions? Seems like other tourist towns have been able to keep their shopping districts alive so why can’t we?

Source: New York Times January 23, 2024 23:51 UTC