Santa Barbara, CA former A&P

[justin karimzad]

The Santa Barbara A&P featured on page 2 of the A&P photo section of this site is at 3305 State st., in the Loreto Plaza shopping center at the corner of State and San Rogue Rd. It was later an Albertson's, and is currently a Gelson's market. When I visited in September 2003, the exterior (minus the tower sign) was identical to that in the picture, from the rock wall to the original streetlights. I think the interior had those same fluorescent lights and air diffusers in the ceiling. Sadly, one year later the shopping center underwent "the first renovation in its 44 year history :>" How sickening. Now the store looks like this;
http://www.gelsons.com/stores/stores.as ... %20Barbara

[klkla]

The Santa Barbara A&P featured on page 2 of the A&P photo section of this site is at 3305 State st., in the Loreto Plaza shopping center at the corner of State and San Rogue Rd. It was later an Albertson's, and is currently a Gelson's market. When I visited in September 2003, the exterior (minus the tower sign) was identical to that in the picture, from the rock wall to the original streetlights. I think the interior had those same fluorescent lights and air diffusers in the ceiling. Sadly, one year later the shopping center underwent "the first renovation in its 44 year history :>" How sickening. Now the store looks like this;
http://www.gelsons.com/stores/stores.as ... %20Barbara

I was just in that stores two weeks ago! To be honest I think it looks WAY better now. Some old architecture is good because of a unique style or because of historical importance but IMO that store was just plane ugly before the remodel... no interesting characteristics, no character or style.

The new building is reflective of the original mission style architecture in Santa Barbara:

But again that's just my opinion.