Santa Barbara downtown is a conundrum. Maybe one of the SB locs can chime in. Commercial real estate has been crazy pricey there for a long time, and there are lots of empty storefronts that have been empty for years. You'd think that the market would correct and the landlords would drop the price to get a tenant, but it seems like they are intentionally keeping rent high in order to keep the market artificially high, even if it means keeping some units empty?We're a week and a half in; I might not dispute Palo Alto, Berkeley, Brentwood, and San Luis Obispo either.
I think a big part of the recent revival in shopping center and light industrial area breweries is a result of high commercial rents forcing the more creative but non-corporate businesses to look outside of downtown cores.