Known to some as “Surf City USA”
A cultivation of art, music and history complemented by the neutral beauty of the central coast. The city of Santa Cruz is located at the northern point of the Monterey bay and is the epitome of surfing and mountain biking, truly an active person's dream.
Santa Cruz is known for its iconic lifestyle and attracts those looking to make the most of their day by taking advantage of the local landscape. Redwood trees cover the Santa Cruz mountains which create seemingly endless hiking and biking trails. Follow the San Lorenzo river and you’ll end up at Main Beach in the heart of town. A short stint away from Steamer Lane, 1 of 11 local world class surfing destinations identified by the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse. The lighthouse is now home to the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum.
Although recognized by the global brands (Oneill wetsuits, Santa Cruz Skateboards and Santa Cruz Bicycles) that have taken the adventurous community to a world stage, each neighborhood remains highly distinguishable and the community’s presence can be found in nearly all facets of life including Santa Cruz's real estate options. Residents favor locally owned businesses and place an emphasis on a holistic way of living. This includes eating organically and supporting many of the area's organic farms.
Enjoy Venus Spirits and its amazing Kitchen. Venus is a gin centric haven, found on the westside of town. With an in house distillery you can either settle for their tasting room or make reservations to enjoy cocktails and a quality meal with locally sourced ingredients. Voted 2022 Best Restaurant by the Good Times.
For a more casual dining experience, visit Bantam for wood fired pizzas and small plates. You won’t need to worry about growing tired of the menu as they constantly switch things up in order to take advantage of fresh local ingredients.
What pairs well with an iconic surf town? Coffee and breakfast burritos. Local coffee shops are placed all over town and we encourage you to try them all but Cat and Cloud coffee is home to one of the best breakfast burritos in the area. Only found at their westside location, start your day off right with a latte, burrito and walk down Westcliff Drive. It never disappoints.
The downtown area is home to a lot but when it comes to Friday night, consider Abbot Square Market. With live music, a cocktail lounge and several dining options you can enjoy the outdoor seating and public art exhibits. This part of downtown was recently renovated, part of a 5 year & 5 million dollar renovation with the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History.
The city is home to an oceanfront amusement park, commonly referred to as the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. This is the oldest standing amusement park in California dating back to 1907 and offers guests rides on one of the oldest roller coasters in the world, The Giant Dipper. If that's too extreme, take advantage of the classic boardwalk amenities like laser tag, a pirate themed mini golf and bowling.
University of California Santa Cruz is primarily located on the Ben Lomond Ridge but the southern portion of the campus resides on the Great Meadow. A short distance from downtown but high enough to provide breathtaking views of the Monterey Bay. Once referred to as the most experimental UC in the 1960’s it became a hub for counterculture and activism. Today it is highly regarded for its research in genome sequencing and marine biology. Fun Fact: UCSC is home to the Grateful Dead Archive “Dead Central.” Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir said that UCSC is "a seat of neo-Bohemian culture that we're a facet of. There could not have been a cozier place for this collection to land."
Speaking of bands, in downtown you’ll find the live music venue The Catalyst. The Catalyst Nightclub was founded in 1973 and has seen performances by The Beach Boys, Neil Young, Janis Joplin, Pearl Jam, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Phish, Iggy Pop, and Nirvana. It remains a stop on many new artists tours and offers the city a wide range of musical genres.
For a day of enjoying the great outdoors, many find themselves at one of the world renowned surf breaks like Steamers Lane and Pleasure Point. If you’re not one for high surf, head north and you’ll find Wilder Ranch State Park. With over 7,000 acres you can explore the crest of Ben Lomond Mountain, the ancient wave-cut terraces, the marsh lands of a nature preserve and the natural bridges found along the seashore. Natural Bridges State Park is also home to The Monarch Butterfly Natural Preserve (Monarch Grove) and thousands of monarch butterflies from October through early February.
Santa Cruz High School was founded in 1895 and is filled with tradition. Ej Pulpan, founding agent, works with the Golf Team as the assistant coach each spring. UCSC is a globally recognized university with a focus on scientific research. There are 10 distinct colleges, each college has a unique course that emphasizes the theme of the college.
62,714 people live in Santa Cruz, where the median age is 29 and the average individual income is $46,720. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.
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Santa Cruz has 22,067 households, with an average household size of 2.37. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. Here’s what the people living in Santa Cruz do for work — and how long it takes them to get there. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. 62,714 people call Santa Cruz home. The population density is 4,922.59 and the largest age group is Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.
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