The Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD) is pleased to announce the installation of a new Welcome to Isla Vista sign, thoughtfully designed to honor and replicate the look and feel of the historic original.
The sign was created by local artist Carson Brown, with the iconic tree hand-painted by Emme Birkholz, preserving a familiar symbol that has long welcomed residents and visitors to Isla Vista.
The project intentionally stayed true to the original style while refreshing the sign with durable materials to ensure it can continue welcoming the community for years to come.
“This project was about more than replacing a sign — it was about honoring the history, identity, and heart of Isla Vista,” said Jenna Norton, Public Works & Sustainability Director. “Every detail was approached with care to ensure the updated sign reflects what this landmark has meant to the community while creating something that will last.”
IVCSD will host a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, February 25th at 12:30pm, welcoming the Isla Vista community to gather in celebration of the installation and the artists who preserved the history and heart of this landmark.
Also Read
- Way Back When – SB in March 1926
- Historic Santa Barbara Churches Serving the City for Generations
- Joe DeLise Shares Details on the “Shocking History of Electricity in Santa Barbara”
- WAY BACK WHEN – SANTA BARBARA IN 1926
- Jimmy’s Oriental Gardens, Chung family home added to National Register of Historic Places










Apparently the location of the sign is classified as Top Secret. OK…#justsayin’
Not a local, obviously.
Pretty lazy, it says (doing a simple search)… near “Los Carneros & El Clegio”, that being said that curved railing is a tip off:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/El+Colegio+Rd+%26+Los+Carneros+Rd,+University+of+California-Santa+Barbara,+CA+93117/@34.4182333,-119.8605744,3a,33y,237.99h,93.04t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1swuTyRmDlxJmDYxkHk0YyEw!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-3.03564841955631%26panoid%3DwuTyRmDlxJmDYxkHk0YyEw%26yaw%3D237.98640825546994!7i16384!8i8192!4m6!3m5!1s0x80e93f5dcf1a5a9f:0xc3f912be3211b663!8m2!3d34.4173109!4d-119.860687!16s%2Fg%2F11hb2zv0yx?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDIyMi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
…hope that’s sufficient?
🚴
Bravo! I’m so glad they kept the same look as the old sign.