A steady stream of traffic passed along Hollister Avenue as Pete Jimenez stood outside Goleta Barbers, talking with a reporter and waving a hello to every fifth car that went by. He was explaining the concept that won the highest grant awarded to Old Town businesses in the City of Goleta’s Pride of Place program and also that he’d barbered the heads of three generations of customers during his 23 years of shop ownership.
With his neighbors from 5878 to 5860 Hollister — Ingrid Kraukle of Blue Blossoms, Ernest Martinez of Maya Income Tax Company, and Minh Duong of Family Discount Shop — Jimenez and their landlord worked together on a plan to add to the front of their shops some benches and planters, which customers can grip when they climb up the double set of curbs, which are steep. “I see people hold on to the tree to get up these curbs,” said Jimenez, demonstrating with the palm tree growing in a square cut. The proposal, which received a $20,000 grant, includes creating signs for the four storefronts and replacing the building-length overhang with awnings.
“For each shop, awnings would bring more sunlight inside, brighten the room, and make it feel more welcoming,” Jimenez explained. He gestured to sets of divots in the concrete sidewalk, saying there had been a wood and concrete bench against the wall at one point, which he’d like to see restored. “In September or October, this is the most beautiful spot for the sunset because it’s open,” he said, and it’s the place where he likes to enjoy his morning coffee.
The city received 28 grant applications totaling more than $500,000 for the new Pride of Place program, which is intended to freshen the look of the blocks heavily affected by the construction near Kellogg Avenue and the narrowing of Hollister to one lane. One applicant needed advertising funds “to let our customers know we’re still open” because the construction made them think they had closed. Only $120,000 in funding was available, so each of the 22 recipients received one-half to one-third of what they’d asked for — or seed money to kickstart their upgrade — ranging from $20,000 to $1,250.
City Councilmember Luz Reyes-Martin, who is on the city’s economic development subcommittee, explained that the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce had helped the city’s effort by talking with merchants about the program and to encourage them to attend the workshop held with city staff. Several of the ideas — such as signs or events — would require permits. “Part of what we did in the meetings was help talk through logistical issues with them, so that they could still achieve goals but might have to adjust their ideas a little bit,” Reyes-Martin said. “From the City Council point of view, it’s all about getting to ‘yes.'”
During the application workshop, business owners heard about what the others were planning and got intrigued. Soon collaborations were being discussed among shop owners for walking tours, and food and beverages during events, like the “Old Town Throwdown” at Foster Functional Fitness that would partner with businesses to serve its many out-of-town participants.
Some of what will be popping up along Hollister in Old Town through the grants will be new murals at Carpeteria and S.B Aquatics, new lighting at several storefronts, art and movie events, banners and “support small business” brochures, flowers and landscaping, and a Sunday swap meet and outdoor market walk.
Paperback Alley and Lazy Eye boutique received funding to continue their quarterly tradition of community walks, which for the past two years has mapped out self-tours of the places and shops to explore in Old Town. One of their walks takes place this Saturday: the Art Walk with specials from noon to 4 p.m. starting at Monique Blois Photography’s photo booth and enchiladas at Los Altos to Goodland BBQ’s pulled pork sandwich and S.B. Cider’s extra fifth flavor for a tasting flight.
In Kellogg Square, E Salon plans to hold an open house and parties with the Imperial around the corner, and Powell Peralta proposed several ideas, among them a skateboard exhibit or skateboard art show.
Dance was part of the grants, too. The Avellana Dance Studio will be able to offer free flamenco classes this summer at the Boys & Girls Club, and The Edge salon and barbershop received funding to expand and add a dance studio to its shop across the street from the Goleta Community Center.
Xanthia Crispin, who owns The Edge, showed the dance space they’re calling The Annex, which has a new floor and sound, and moveable chairs that allow the shop to expand from eight to 11 stations. “It’s a place to come and dance,” Crispin said of The Annex, for special occasions, events, and classes. With an education in both cosmetology and barbering, Crispin does shaves and fades, scissoring and braiding: “We’re comfortable with short or long styles,” she said. “Everyone’s like family and taken care of.”
At the other end of Old Town, Pete Jimenez said much the same thing, expressing the sense of community, friendship, and family that a barbershop cultivates. He said people ask him all the time how it’s going amid the difficulties of the lane changes and construction traffic. “You know, someone who goes 100 miles an hour? We don’t want that here. We’ve been wanting a change for 20 years or more,” he recalled. “Now we have it.”
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