Walk Like a Santa Cruzian

Dudes, you can’t stay in Santa Cruz and not appreciate the wonderful and iconic aspects that make this place unique.

I’d like to pay a tribute to the beautiful city of Santa Cruz by showcasing some of its most identifying aspects: those that are quintessentially “Santa Cruzian”. They make being here extra special and encourage me to return.

So without further ado, presenting 10 of the best, most unique and most iconic Santa Cruzian things:

1. Love ‘em, have never got to see them: the Santa Cruz Derby Girls. The Boardwalk Bombshells have near-celebrity status in Santa Cruz. Each time I’ve been here, their home bouts have sold out before I could get tickets. One of Marc’s postdocs from last year was actually on the team, and even she couldn’t swing me tickets. They’re that popular.

2. Fresh, local, organic produce. Hurrah! New Leaf Community Market does a roaring trade, there are Farmers’ Markets galore and more seasonal vegetables than you can shake a carrot at. Santa Cruzians are refreshingly aware of their food and its origins. This is the front window of the Penny Ice Creamery:

3. Surfing.

More specifically, doing this:

That’s right, you get into your wetsuit, you hop on your bike with your surfboard, and you pedal to the beach. That takes skill. (The cold upwelling along the Monterey Bay coastline means 4mm full body wetsuits).

(And just so you know, I lived only a few blocks from Tom O’Neill’s house).

4. The Santa Cruz Dot. Every Santa Cruzian seems to sport a t-shirt or hoodie with the iconic skatewear emblem.

When in Rome……

5. Pleasure Point’s laid-back lifestyle.

Seriously. If Santa Cruz is relaxed, Pleasure Point is almost catatonic. The whole place is surfie culture to the max. I especially love the stickers decorating the back of street signs.

Sweeeeeeet, dude.

6. The clock tower. So pretty. So quaint.

7. Sushi restaurants a la fusion. Santa Cruz has taken the sushi concept and run with it. You can expect to find nuts, herbs and spices, and/or random fruits in your sushi rolls. And then the cool restaurant names. There’s MoBo, I Heart Sushi, Sushi Totoro (featuring floor to ceiling Totoro memorabilia)…..and Pink Godzilla:

 8. The Santa Cruz Boardwalk amusement park. It’s one of the oldest boardwalk amusement parks in the world, so it’s cool, not crass. The wooden rollercoasters are awesome.

9. Betty Burgers. In at least three handy locations.

10. And my personal favourite: Bookshop Santa Cruz. So good, you can spend an hour in there without realising it. So good, they put Borders out of business. Just too, too inviting. And when you’ve made your purchase(s), you simply pop next door to “Chocolate” and settle down with a hot choccie and get stuck in to your new book.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. I’ve not even started in on West Cliff Drive, Banana Slugs, Pacific Avenue, Pizza My Heart, or Mike's Mess at Zachary's. Nor have I included the Penny Ice Creamery, or the Asana Tea House, as these have had plenty of airtime in other posts. They're a given for me.

Santa Cruz in all your uniqueness, I salute thee!!