LETTER FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Let me just come out and say it: Santa Barbara is probably one of the best places to live in the world.
I don’t think I will get much argument on that front. Its sheer beauty is reason number one. Its history, its people, its landscape, its activities all add up to perfection as well. I have traveled all over the world, and I can honestly say, while other places may be insanely beautiful (hello Capri, Venice, Florence, Paris!), it’s Santa Barbara that I enjoy coming home to. For many years, I’ve heard the joke that the town is filled with “newlyweds and nearly deads,” but I think that is changing. I have seen many young families who dot the parks and inhabit our diverse schools. The new stores popping up with stylish offerings, the exploding restaurant and wine scene (i.e., the Santa Barbara Public Market and the Funk Zone)…times they are a changin’ here in paradise. There is new life in our Garden of Eden. Just look at Donald Robertson (aka Donald “Drawbertson”). As a bigwig at Estée Lauder, Robertson is now indulging his artistic side. His whimsical illustrations are taking the fashion world by storm, but even more exciting for us is that he is now obsessed with all things Santa Barbara. After spending a summer here with his family—a suggestion from longtime friend Dewey Nicks—he’s roaming our streets and pumping out artwork inspired by our surroundings. He took to marker and paper for our feature “Out on the West Coast” (page 128)—a colorful peek inside his world, and what a Technicolor world it is!
Interiors icon Paul Fortune has created homes for some of the most high-profile clients in the world—Marc Jacobs being among them. When Fortune decided to forgo his Los Angeles life and find a place of respite, Ojai was his first choice. He and his husband, Chris Brock, found a hilltop plot of land and set their sights to design their dream home. Knowing that it will take a few years to create, they turned a small cottage and vintage Spartan trailer into their temporary digs. We visit them at their off-the-beaten-path haven (“Fate & Fortune,” page 122) and discover they certainly aren’t roughing it with a “guesthouse” hooked up to a Rolls-Royce! I can almost taste the delicious feast that was created by Outstanding in the Field and chef Clark Staub in front of Morro Bay’s big rock (“At Water’s Edge,” page 134). We take a seat at their creative and inspired meal. And, as it is time for the crush—grape crush that is—we peruse the Santa Ynez Valley with all of its new offerings (“Full House,” page 41) and ones to watch like Bell Street Farm’s Jamie Gluck (“SB People,” page 78). And who knew that actor Kurt Russell (“SB People,” page 76) is swilling his own vintages at the new tasting room in the 1880 Union Hotel saloon in Los Alamos? Besides launching wine and restaurant empires, Charles and Ali Banks have created an idyllic family home for entertaining in the heart of Montecito (“Southern Hospitality,” page 142). A mix of antiques and safari collectibles, it is unexpected, fun, yet traditional at the same time. The same could be said for the new reputation this town should adapt—“unexpectedly fun but still seriously beautiful?” Or, on second thought, perhaps we should keep it a secret. Do we really want to share this utopia with the rest of the world? Your call.
Jennifer Hale
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