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I have lived in Tacoma my whole life. I love it here but I'm entering a new chapter of my life and I think I would like a slightly warmer/ sunnier location. I still want to be on the West Coast and I love the fog and dont mind drizzle but the 45-50 degree winter days in Tacoma are a little too cold for me. Tolerable but I would like it to be warmer. I fit in best in a laid back, artistic, positive setting and I love the beach. And Tacoma does have beaches but all but 1 are rocky and they are in the sound, not on the ocean. If I moved I could afford maybe around 800 a month for rent. I have never been to Santa cruz but I have been to the bay area and I liked most of it, other than the snobby pretentiousness. Any pros and cons or experiences or anything would be helpful, thank you
I've actually been looking at rent prices in California, and I must say...I don't think $800 will be enough (at least for something really nice). I haven't checked Santa Cruz specifically, but I wouldn't think rent would be any lower, considering it's in a very desirable place. I know it's not by the beach, but have you considered Sacramento? It's pretty close to the bay area and seems a lot cheaper.
I haven't considered it. I have never been to Sac but maybe if I visited I would end up liking it. The beach is really hard to give up for me though. I mean if I got a roommate I could probably afford more but I would have to find a roommate x). Do you know of any cheaper alternatives based on my criteria?
Santa Cruz is a small little hippie beach town. I loved it there, but the people weren't "my thing." If you like weed and nature lovers, by all means, this place is for you. The environment is stunning. The city itself is a lot more polished than Tacoma, but then the prices are also much higher. UC Santa Cruz also attracts a swarm of young, hipster/hippie college kids, if that's a positive point for you.
All in all, SC is pretty great but may be too liberal for some.
Santa Cruz is a small little hippie beach town. I loved it there, but the people weren't "my thing." If you like weed and nature lovers, by all means, this place is for you. The environment is stunning. The city itself is a lot more polished than Tacoma, but then the prices are also much higher. UC Santa Cruz also attracts a swarm of young, hipster/hippie college kids, if that's a positive point for you.
All in all, SC is pretty great but may be too liberal for some.
Alright, good advice thank you! I am indifferent to marijuana but I do love nature very much. Polished is good and hippie is probably good too. I dont care what people are, liberal, whatever, although I probably lean towards being liberal. I really dislike when anyone of any affiliation is in your face about it though. It just makes me want to run in the other direction. I would prefer a more laid back environment than an in your face, we'll show you environment.
I would prefer a more laid back environment than an in your face, we'll show you environment.
Then you will love it. The population is well-educated and pensive. Crime, as far as I know, isn't an issue. There are also a ton of awesome restaurants, cafes, events going on due to UC Santa Cruz, and a great beach. If anything, you really need to visit.
Have any of you actually been to Santa Cruz as anything other than a tourist or visitor? That idea that Santa Cruz is this "laid back hippie town" is a very out dated concept and needs to be tossed out. Santa Cruz has more than it's fair share of crime just like anywhere else. They do have a gang problem as well as some drug issues, particularly heroin, believe it or not. Also, the cost of living is VERY expensive, comparable to San Francisco. There's also been a long, ongoing issue with the city and locals when dealing with the homeless, that flock there in droves, with no solution in sight.
Visually, Santa Cruz is a beautiful and scenic city and it does have it's good qualities, so I don't mean to come off as a total "hater", but I felt that certain realities needed to be pointed out. For the record, I lived there from late 1999-2008 and although I did pretty good for myself toward the end and formed some great friendships with a few outstanding people, I can't honestly say I would suggest Santa Cruz to anyone other than a visit, and if one chooses to consider more, then I would STRONGLY suggest doing your research. A "paradise" it is not...
Have any of you actually been to Santa Cruz as anything other than a tourist or visitor? That idea that Santa Cruz is this "laid back hippie town" is a very out dated concept and needs to be tossed out. Santa Cruz has more than it's fair share of crime just like anywhere else. They do have a gang problem as well as some drug issues, particularly heroin, believe it or not. Also, the cost of living is VERY expensive, comparable to San Francisco. There's also been a long, ongoing issue with the city and locals when dealing with the homeless, that flock there in droves, with no solution in sight.
Visually, Santa Cruz is a beautiful and scenic city and it does have it's good qualities, so I don't mean to come off as a total "hater", but I felt that certain realities needed to be pointed out. For the record, I lived there from late 1999-2008 and although I did pretty good for myself toward the end and formed some great friendships with a few outstanding people, I can't honestly say I would suggest Santa Cruz to anyone other than a visit, and if one chooses to consider more, then I would STRONGLY suggest doing your research. A "paradise" it is not...
Yeah if anything it's the COL that is getting to me. I would prefer to live without gangs and drug problems but I'm currently living in an area dealing with those things. It's not bad or extreme though. I don't consider homeless to be a problem and I have homeless people by me as well. As long as I don't get beat up, or stolen from I'll be fine. Does anyone know of a cheaper alternative? Is Salinas close enough to the beach? What is it like there? Or any city/town near by?
Yeah if anything it's the COL that is getting to me. I would prefer to live without gangs and drug problems but I'm currently living in an area dealing with those things. It's not bad or extreme though. I don't consider homeless to be a problem and I have homeless people by me as well. As long as I don't get beat up, or stolen from I'll be fine. Does anyone know of a cheaper alternative? Is Salinas close enough to the beach? What is it like there? Or any city/town near by?
What I didn't mention is that Santa Cruz isn't an isolated little beach community, it's actually part of several small cities that are connected to one another, all of various sizes & populations (Capitola, Soquel, Aptos,etc.)and combined make up its own small metro area that surround Monterey Bay, with Santa Cruz at the north and working class Watsonville at the southern tip. This whole area combined basically shares the same COL as well as the same social issues. Watsonville, if I remember correctly, does have a cheaper COL, but they have a more of a gang problem.
As for Salinas, I'm not sure about it's proximity to the beach, but as far as I know it's not known as a "beach town". It does have a pretty bad rep for it's crime and gangs as well though. I have a really good friend who was born and raised in Salinas and she's pretty much confirmed this.
These days, pretty much every city with populations over 50k have issues with homelessness, drugs & gangs to one degree or another, some worse than others, It's not just limited to the major metropolises, but as far as COL goes, pretty much any town or city along the California coast is going to be fairly high.
Watsonville might be worth looking into though, it's not far from the ocean, not exactly a beach community, but it's cheaper than Santa Cruz (or was when I was living in the area) and it's close to enough to it and the greater Bay Area. Other than that I can only suggest, visiting the area and doing some exploring as well as doing your homework! Best of luck to you
I found this thread/forum because I am considering the opposite move. I'm born and raised in Santa Cruz and absolutely love it, but I have a career opportunity in Tacoma. I'd be happy to answer questions about SC and would appreciate hearing more about the differences. Someone mentioned that SC is more liberal-how much so? I moved from SC to Berkeley and thought Berkeley was more conservative than I'd expected. Are there any places to live around Seattle/Tacoma that have a similar vibe (in terms of being laid-back, safe, quiet, and beautiful...not necessarily a pot culture)?
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