La Cumbre Plaza: Santa Barbara's Unexpected Art Revival It's not true that La Cumbre Plaza is a "dead space." In fact, it has become one of the most vibrant creative hubs in Santa Barbara. The number of galleries continues to grow, transforming the plaza into a vibrant new art destination. Grab a coffee, take a stroll, and discover six galleries and creative spaces -- from the colorful and elegant works at Illuminations and Elevate, and Fine Line Galleries, to the ever-changing exhibits at The Voice Gallery. Step into the Museum of Tibetan Art & Culture and Legacy Art Studios to meet Lama Tashi, or visit the Grace Fisher Foundation's Inclusive Arts Clubhouse for a heartwarming dose of community creativity. Pop-up shops, such as Crimson Holidays, and the variety of local artists make it the perfect place for meaningful gift shopping. And if you come on the Third Friday of the month, the entire plaza lights up for the Gallery Row Art Walk -- with music, wine, laughter, and hands-on art-making. You might even help paint a giant paper-mâché elephant for good luck! La Cumbre Plaza isn't fading -- it's evolving. The artists are here, and they're bringing new life to town. read more

La Cumbre Plaza - Illuminations Gallery - Shopping Centers Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Used to be a place to hangout and check the comic store, GameStop, GO Calendar now it's silent wack art gallery's I have nothing against it yet I feel this space could be used for something way nicer a place to socialize and a place where people ask if you want to go there now it's only good for food read more

Haven't been to the La Cumbre Plaza since I was younger. So many good memories of shopping there. Stopped by here recently and was so surprised and shocked to see how desolate it was. It can be such a hub for shopping and dining so not sure what the problem is. There's plenty of parking, location is convenient and it has so much potential to offer shoppers. What's the issue Santa Barbara? It's only a matter of time before it's all gone and just the nostalgia of what was remains. Hope this place is revived before it's too late. Looks like it's just on the edge of being there already. read more

I love outdoor shopping. This dying plaza gives me hope. It used to have more stores and events. Things have changed over the past decade, sadly. If more shoppers express a desire to see new shops come in, this plaza could come back. I still enjoy stopping into Macy's, Williams Sonoma, Talbots and Pottery Barn. After some shopping, I head to Lure. I love that it offers free parking and is easy to get into and out of the parking lots. I hope you will join me in encouraging more retail to come along. I miss a good outdoor shopping plaza and this could be our last chance. I mean, the apartments next door start at $3000 month so turning it into housing seems undesirable. And I love green space but I am not sure the city would support it. See website for hours and more. read more

Many people love La Cumbre Plaza for it's outside activities, occasional family events, and designer shops. They do Easter egg hunts, live music every Saturday, movie nights, cars and coffee meet ups, and so on. It is also the new annual host of the Gelato Festival of America. Some of the major shops include Macy's, Tiffany & Co, Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Sears, Papyrus, and Claire's. There are a couple small business type shops inside the mall as well, including Crimson Holiday (seasonal) and Ranch Men's Store. With the limited amount of locally owned shops and the high price range of the designer stores, La Cumbre has yet to really appeal to me personally. However I see how it could be great for well off families that like quality clothing for themselves and their kids, and take pride in the beauty of their home design. It is also great for the occasional family event or pictures with Santa during Xmas. Parking has never been that much of an issue for me but does flare up over busy times during the holidays. The parking lot is share with the little strip mall across the way that includes a grocery store and a bunch of quick-serve restaurants. I would love to see more local businesses open up in this area and hopefully drive more traffic to the Plaza itself, as I have seen it die down quite a lot over the years. read more

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For REAL? SMOOTH JAZZ? Through loudspeakers? What kind if dystopian 1992 nightmare is happening here? I seriously have to slap myself to see if I'm not dreaming when I walk into this half-abandoned mall to hear them playing smooth jazz. Did the owner just get out of a Tony Robbins conference? The stores are great and its a good resource. But I suggest wearing noise cancelling headphones while walking through the mall. Or wax up your remaining hair and wear your finest dockers while you skip to Kenny G and his minions. Three stars for the dog friendliness and the games. If they kill the smooth jazz, ill up this review to a 5star and commend them. read more

Spent the MLK weekend up at Santa Barbara this year. While waiting to be able to check in to my hotel, I killed time at the La Cumbra Plaza as it was close by. Two anchors - Macy's and Sears. Quiet little center with some high end shops and some not so high. Lots of parking and the grounds were pretty kept. A handful of places to eat & a Starbucks. Nothing amazing aside of the fact that you don't have to drive around looking for parking like you would if you went down to the other malls or Old Town (State Street). There is a grocery store across the center sharing the same parking lot. So, in a way, it provides one stop shopping. read more

This mall is dead most of the time. I visit often for Chipotle, Starbucks, or Backyard Bowls, and the quick serve food establishments such as these and the Von's seem to keep the place alive. It felt so eery the first time I visited because every store was empty or nearly empty - not a good sign. Compared to other malls throughout SoCal, it also is not very pleasant for relaxing at either because there are no comfortable seating arrangements. read more

As malls go, this one is okay. They have the sole remaining Macy's in SB, which is eerily quite. There are a load of empty store fronts or closing businesses so I am not sure how they will keep it going in the long run. read more

Not as exciting as state street and the paseo nuevo mall but it's decent. This is an outdoor mall with more than 50 shops, restaurants, services and lots of parking. Again on a nice day this is a great place to go to. I went to the red robin restaurant there and it was quite good, and it had good service as well. Here's a list of the stores: La Cumbre Plaza 121 South Hope Ave. Santa Barbara, CA 93105 805-687-6458 One of Santa Barbara's largest shopping malls is La Cumbre Plaza, located on the 3800 block of upper State Street. Serving shoppers since 1967, it includes two department stores, Robinsons-May and Sears, and more than 50 shops, restaurants, services and lots of parking. The shopping center derives its name from the highest point in the surrounding mountains, La Cumbre Peak. View the photo album of La Cumbre Plaza. Ann Taylor Avelina's Accessories Baja Fresh Bath & Body Works Bayside Watch Bella Notte Body Shop Brooks Shoes Claire's Boutique Easy Spirit EBX Eddie Bauer Express GNC Gymboree Hannah's Hallmark Harwin Jewelers Hopscotch J. Jill Jay's Luggage Kay Bee Toys Kernohan's Toys Lane Bryant Lenscrafters Motherhood Maternity Mrs. Fields Cookies Nextel Outfooters Pacific Sunwear Panda Express Pizza Mizza Plaza Deli Pottery Barn Rampage Red Robin Ritz Cameras Robinson May Sears See's Candies Software Etc. Solstice Sports Zone Starbucks St. Paul Cleaners Sunsation Tanning Talbots The Walking Company Trade Secret Victoria's Secret Von's Wet Seal Williams Sonoma World Savings Yves Delorme Zales Though with this mall unlike Paseo Nuevo it doesn't have a state street around it, but still a fun mall to go to. They also have some small venders where people sell other stuff besides what's in the stores listed. read more

Great Customer Service!!!! Sa'mone went above and beyond at the Macy's Department Store. I really wanted to purchase a pair of boots that caught my eye but I was informed by a sales rep that the item was unavailable in my size. The only pair available was the display which still was not my size . The rep stated the item could be ordered but I did not want to wait. I was advised to visit the neighboring stores that may sell an ideal style and size I wanted to purchase. I came back after searching without any luck. Sa'mone went above and beyond. I decided to order the boot and Sa'mone recommended that I try on a similar design to confirm if the shoe size would be correct. Lo and Behold Sa'mone discovered the boot I wanted was hidden in a different shoe box and I was able to go home with the boot I originally wanted :D read more

I got some cute clothes there but I let myself be talked into their discount / credit card. DO NOT FALL FOR THIS SCAM. They immediately start charging interest and fees that mount up quickly. Whatever "savings" you get at the cash register are almost as quickly wiped out and then some. I feel like such an idiot, never again! read more

I'd give this place 2.5 stars. There are very little stores remaining from the list Michelle O. posted a while ago. Its a little sad. They even closed the Louis Vuitton store down! There are only subpar stores left in this beautiful plaza. Its a shame. I remember coming here when I was younger and this was the shopping complex to be if you didn't want to go all the way to downtown State Street. They used to have everything. I think I'll be going to the Oaks in Thousand Oaks, CA from now on for a complete shopping mall selection. read more

This was once my favorite shopping plaza. They had everything from a one hour eye glass store to Von's, Wedgewood, a toy store, novelty store (similar to Sharper Edge) and the two anchors Robinsons/May and Sears. There were also great clothing stores from Lane Bryant to Eddie Bauer and Victoria's Secret. The new owners want to make it upscale without remodeling the old buildings. It now has completely lost its identity. I only go here for Sears, The Habit, and Plaza Deli. And for old times sake whenever I visit I ride the glass elevator in Macy's. It's such a shame as I used to spend days in this mall from clothing to toys. read more

Be careful when you park anywhere in La Cumbre plaza. The parking lots are swarming with cigarette smokers. They are everywhere. Almost everytime I park one of them finds it necessary to park right next to my vehicle and smoke cigarettes. I have never seen so many smokers in my life. Even more than back in the 70s when everyone smoked. And its really frustrating that no one will do anything about it. read more

Small Mall but has some great things to make up for it. Where most other shopping plazas and places are hard to park for example Downtown State Street and Pasa Nuevo, La Cumbre Plaza has ample free parking!!! There is a great Plaza Deli Cafe which serves great food very fast as well as Pizza Mizza which is great to have a party. For Families and Children there are a few great spots: Rocking Kids for under 5 or 6 years old where kids can play. There is also two Toy Stores: Go! Games & Toys Located near Sears across from Rocking Kids which has a large variety of Board Games, Toys, Puzzles, Books Collectibles and more. There is also a Toys R Us Express close to Macys which specializes in Toys for kids. There is also a Gamestop with video games and collectibles. Santa Barbara does not have very many Toy Stores other than Kernohan's, Chicken Little, Santa Barbara Toy Company, so having two Toy Stores in one place is great! Newer to the Plaza is Lure, which is an amazing restaurant! There are also many great higher end stores as well such as: Michael Kors, Tiffanys, J. Crew, BCBG and more. If you have not made it to La Cumbre Plaza in awhile I highly recommend giving it a visit, you may be pleasantly surprised! read more

La Cumbre was a great little outdoor mall between Ms Fields cookies, Ernie and his cell phone repair cart and the old Gamestop management it was a really fun and great smelling mall. Now it's full of bougie, overpriced junk shops like Coach and Tiffany. Skip visiting LA Cumbre, there's nothing worth seeing anymore. read more

I didn't want to drive into SB and figured I'd stop here instead. I wish I hadn't. It was totally vacant and in every single store I went into the shopkeeper ignored me completely. Most had headphones in! The only exception was Tiffany's. Both the men working there and the lady were amazing! I usually like my space but when I stand in front of the desk for 10 minutes before you look up, its a bit ridiculous. Secondly the selection of stores is odd. Its mostly catered to older women I think with a few designer stores and a few really trashy stores thrown in. I would advise people to head to Paseo Nuevo instead. read more

This is still my favorite mall! The walkways are beautiful with plenty of benches to sit and enjoy your coffee and relax. There are great stores! Macy's, Talbots, JJill, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, XCVI, Lucy, and even a Starbucks. I'm not a fan of parking downtown, and enjoy the free unrestricted parking. Having a Von's is nice as it saves me another stop. I like that so many people come here with their baby strollers and little dogs, it's like an urban park. read more

We came here specifically for the Tiffany store, which is very nice but a smaller location. There are lots of other stores also in this plaza, and a grocery store as well. Parking was a little congested, but it's still a decently large lot. Seemed like a nice outdoor shopping plaza to me and I would go back. read more

Nice ambiance. Few stores.

Manager Jason is amazing he went above and beyond my expectation. What ever there paying him it's not enough. This is my new home store this store is so beautiful and has everything I need and store manager Jason is amazing. read more

Nice little shopping center. Always clean and nicely done. Parking is a bit confusing the first time but is really easy once you know.

This "mall" is pretty sad. I was born and raised in Santa Barbara and now live out of the area. I happened to stop by this past weekend in an effort to find a birthday gift for my mom. I briefly wondered if they closed on weekends. The foot traffic was non existent and the store fronts were quiet and bare. I was frustrated with the options and decided to shop elsewhere. Of course ending up downtown. It's sad to see La Cumbre Plaza on the decline. It used to be such a nice alternative to the busy atmosphere downtown. Oh well, I'll survive...but I don't know if the La Cumbre Plaza will... read more

The mall it self is pretty good but it seems like it is always dead. The parking is free which is great compared to the parking lots in Santa Barbara. read more

Average shopping centre. The food court could use a little updating, but overall, I liked this Mall.

Wet Seal. Don't bother walking in. Not one of the three girls working there said hello as we walked in or asked if we needed assistance. All three looked miserable. I guess the manager had the day off or something. read more

I hate to give this aesthetically lovely mall only 3 stars but the store selection is not great. A few very expensive stores and a run down Macys. Too bad because I have been to Macys in other cities that are fantastic but this one is dreary and also has horrible music blaring all the time. Its bad. Lure is a great restaurant though and we are looking forward to trying Islands. This mall could use a LOFT or a Zara, something to offer middle class shoppers. Maybe a Famous Footwear. A nice hair salon would be an asset too. Here's hoping! read more

There aren't that many shops and the locals can be very weird at many times. I work at the mall, so I definitely know. There's really nothing special about this mall. I wish it was at least two stories like the outdoor malls in Hawaii because this mall doesn't have much. read more

This is a nice outdoor mall in uptown Santa Barbara 2 miles north of downtown. This mall has the stores that you can't find downtown such as Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Talbots, Ann Taylor ,TUMI and J CREW. This mall lacks decent places to eat and places to have a nice afternoon coffee. People come here to shop and leave. This place is getting a remodel and will welcome Ruth Criss Steakhouse and Tiffany & Company. read more

Kind of a joke...give it 5 years and watch it get redeveloped into a neighborhood center once everything moves to State Street. Good places left just to be replaced by subpar stores that either can't afford State Street or can't find space on State Street. Look at that list Michelle C. posted and compare it to what's left now. It's pretty sad. read more

First of all- this isn't very cool, haha! A mediocre shopping mall in SB. It's closer to UCSB than the downtown Paseo Nuevo, so sometimes it's easier for students to access. Anyways- it has a Macy's, and some other stores..lol. I heard a Tiffany's will open, and that some shops are closing down so this should be a nicer shopping center with upscale shops, soon...overall, mostly older women seem to enjoy shopping here. read more

Many branded shops. If you want to visit without the hassle, go to the middle of the week before. And then there will be so many people.

This used to be a place you can dine and shop . I fondly remember "Cafe au Lait" with beautiful in mall outside seating and great food, so appropriate for our climate. Victoria's Secret, Gap, Ann Taylor and many more long time now gone. I mostly go there for Pottery Barn, W & S, and JCrew. What a shame that nothing can survive at this Mall. Easy parking is what really makes me go there fairly frequently to kill time or to get easy access to Starbucks. read more

I especially appreciate it when the weather is foul. It is not a destination, but it does have everything you need. There are some cool places to eat and some decent happy hours during the week. read more

I in the past have appreciated the cost effectiveness of La Cumbre plaza moving in stores out of most affordability is disappointing. i liked the small town atmosphere that it used to be. I truly miss it. read more