This little free library is located on Santa Barbara's Eastside off of Santa Ynez Street. What…read moremakes it unique is it's planter box of succulents growing in front. Also the owner made it completely out of wood scraps from their garage. Crafty indeed! There are even solar powered lights allowing folks to stop by in the evening and peruse the reading selection. The bottom half is children's and young adult fiction while the top half is historical and drama fiction. Remember to take a book and share a book.

I like to spend Fathers Day alone so I can go to all the places I want without my wife and kids…read morebothering me. Unfortunately, I couldn't do that this year because my family and I were traveling together in Santa Barbara and Solvang. However, I still got to decide where to go, so I decided to find the nearest record store after our lunch. This is the first one that popped up on my Yelp search, and I can see why. This place isn't that big but carries some really hard to find items, at least the stuff that I like. I found some old records from the 80s that I couldn't find at any other place near where I live. I found Ministry's "With Sympathy" and Stryper's "Soldiers Under Command." There were many other rare items that I wanted to buy but I had to keep my my budget in check. Store was well organized by genre. The owner was friendly and fun to talk to. Will have to come back here on my next visit to Santa Barbara. Because my kids were with me, I couldn't spend too much time in the store. I will just send my wife and kids to the museum across the street while I browse here.

Warbler Records is a solid record shop on State Street with lots of gems. It was nice to walk…read morearound the area and stop in to do some crate digging. Definitely pull up and look around if you are ever strolling by.

The most wonderful array of paper goods and other gifts, all of the highest quality and many made…read morein house. I'm lucky I don't live in Santa Barbara or I'd spend all of my money here!

I was shopping for a last minute Mother's Day card with my three kids in tow, including my…read morerambunctious 3-year-old. I audibly stated that I was looking for a Mothers Day card and the face-pierced girl behind the counter didn't even look up from her phone to help. I was one of two people in the store.

Very nice people, and good selection. Not a large store but we found some great items!read more

**February 2024: Monday Late Morning Visit**…read more I've been to a number of Assistance Leagues throughout California and I really like this branches selection and layout. They have a wide selection of women's apparel and four dressing rooms. In the back of the shop are the higher quality items that are also separated by garment type. It has a very boutiquey feel to it and all the volunteers are super sweet. Prices were very fair/competitive to other thrift shops, but I scored a long sleeve and slacks for half off. The next time I'm in the Santa Barbara area I will definitely be back!

Unity Shoppe is a thrift store located at the Random store location. It is cleaner, more organized,…read morebut you still can spot some merchandise left over from Random (frankly more interesting) and it has the Random vibes. Lots of merchandise, a tad of everything- clothes, home decor, very little media, accessories, decent prices, good customer service. Closed on Sundays!

The Unity Shoppe is a fun thrift store based business. What they offer is a whole lot of a whole…read morelot of everything. They have a vast selection of clothing, jewelry, trinkets, tchotchkes, music, books, pretty much you name it and they've got it. In terms of their overall shopping experience, what you find here is pretty much the best of the best of used items. Thus, in some cases, their prices tend to be a bit high, compared to what you might find at your average thrift shop. This being said, again, a lot of the less than perfect items are weeded out, so you're not going to have to work your way through that type of inventory to find what you're really looking for. The shop is very well organized, and easy to navigate. The staff here are all really nice. So, you can be sure to have an enjoyable shopping experience. Located right on State Street, this business is very easy to find. It's one of those shops that you never really know what you're gonna find, so you may find that perfect item that you're looking for, something you never knew you needed, or even that unique gift.

Lush. Beautiful. Eclectic. Elegant. Overwhelming. The minute I finally set foot on the self guided…read morepath, I knew that I must commit to many more visits. Yes, it is pricey and acquiring tickets takes planing and patience, but so worth it. Lotus land can be life altering. Transporting Asian Garden, surreal cacti garden, French feeling flower garden, something for everyone. Go. Just go. And see for yourself. Wonderful gift shop. Exuberant helpful staff. Can't wait until the next time.....

Very dissatisfied with Lotusland. I booked a visit and tried…read moreto change the reservation date through multiple channels (I called them, I emailed them). They even called me on the date of my initial reservation and I explained that I tried to change the reservation through email and a phone call. After that, they never responded when I reached out. They would not reschedule me and would not refund my initial reservation. I was unable to go unfortunately, and they said I should book again (and pay, 'because it is beautiful and worth it to see') but now I am a very unhappy customer. I have heard it is lovely, but because of this experience I do not want to go.

This review is for the Farmstand at Fairview Gardens. Specifically, the Farmstand's delivery…read moreprogram. Taking Covid-19 very seriously, I've been isolating for most of the year and only getting groceries by delivery or from friends willing to pick things up while they shop. A few weeks ago, I started receiving once-weekly deliveries from the Farmstand. Wednesdays during Farmstand hours, I get a bag full of goodies and so far, so great. I love knowing that my seasonal produce is grown locally and organically. All of the items have been fresh and delicious, from a punnet of the sweetest, most sun-kissed yellow cherry tomatoes to heads of lettuce, zucchini and squash, and bunches of rainbow chard (so good sautéed with garlic!) I don't choose what's in my produce bags, but I've been very satisfied with the diverse selections. The assortment is $20 each and seems to be curated differently by the week. There's more info about the Farmstand, Covid-safe shopping, and pickup and delivery on the website. Thanks Farmstand, for keeping me cooking with tasty, newly-harvested local fruits and veggies during the pandemic.

* A lovely oasis! *…read more I first heard of this place in a documentary that I saw in Vancouver a while back. When I saw the film I knew I wanted to see the farm itself. This farm has been around since 1895, and claims to be the oldest organic farm in Southern California. It clearly is the last bit of farming left in an area that has become incredibly suburban. What an oasis! On their little parcel of land (about 12 acres) the have an incredible variety of fruits and vegetables - at least a hundred or so - including some rather unique heirloom varieties. There is a decent sized produce stand with a beautiful selection of organic fruits and veggies, and some very friendly helpful staff behind the counter to answer any questions about the products or the farm itself. If you wander past the stand onto the actual farm you can take a free self-guided tour that is really nicely set up. We wandered through the fields and found little signs every now and then telling you something interesting about organic produce, what you were looking at, or my favourite which described the difference between free range chickens and other kinds. (Those chickens running around providing natural fertilizer were fun to watch as well - they travel in packs!) This spot really makes for a wonderful afternoon of wandering around and getting back to the earth. And the carrots we got were the sweetest carrots I have had in a long LONG time! Delicious!

Easy drop off but the parking lot was very busy when we went. It would be better if it had a drive…read morethrough.

**1 Star** This was…read moremy first visit to Santa Barbara. My sisters and I were visiting from Washington, DC, and we love thrifting, so we decided to stop by this Goodwill. We found a few things and made our purchases. As we were walking back to our car, a homeless gentleman politely approached us and asked if we could help him get a pair of sneakers. He was incredibly respectful, so we went back into the store and bought him not only shoes but also some clothing. What happened next completely overshadowed what had been a positive experience. When we checked out, the cashier (Operator #9088) carelessly tossed the gentleman's clothing into the bag as if it were trash. I politely asked if she could fold the clothes instead of just throwing them in. Her response was shocking. She took the clothing back out of the bag, threw it toward me, and said, **"You fold them then. I don't fold clothes."** Caught off guard, I simply replied, "Ma'am, you can clearly see what we're trying to do here." Her response? **"Yeah, whatever."** I have rarely encountered such unnecessary disrespect from someone working in customer service. We were trying to do something kind for another human being, and instead we were met with rudeness and complete indifference. The only reason I didn't ask for a refund was because the gentleman genuinely needed the items we had purchased for him. Otherwise, I would have walked away from the transaction. If this employee's behavior reflects Goodwill's standards, then there is a serious need for better customer service training. Every customer deserves to be treated with respect, and certainly someone receiving help should not have their belongings handled with such disregard. This experience left a lasting negative impression. Unfortunately, because of how we were treated, I will not be returning to this Goodwill, and it has made me think twice about shopping at Goodwill stores in general. Goodwill, no how about IllWill!