Help...possibly moving to Santa Cruz with 3 year old and 13 year old (Watsonville: real estate)

[Mel90210]

Long story kinda short...we live in the midwest. And if you have a child that isn't into sports and isn't an a plus student you are an outcast. Even though we have paid for private tutoring and argued with the school that he had an IEP and 504 in Cali..can't get this through to the Bible belt. Ok moving again possibly (we live in Valencia before 5 years ago and shouldn't have left). We are possibly entertaining the idea of Felton, or Santa Cruz as it SEEMS like a tolerate community and open to alternative learning. Or am I off base? How is the crime rate ..yes every city has crime but usually there are communities or parts of the city that are safe or very low to little crime rate. (We live in KC now...up north) I need some input...its a scary move however if as parents you aren't into church, or drinking or having drinking in your home you get snubbed off. What I find amazing is I grew up in Iowa and never had snobby neighbors like here in KC. People complain about stuck up california attitudes ..but living out there I can honestly say I don't remember stuck up neighbors but the complete opposite. Hoping for my palmtrees and some friendly people without a bible being attached to it. Any feedback from anyone that has relocated a family or lives in the area please comment. Thanks for reading!

[coolwaves]

People in Felton and Santa Cruz are very tolerant. Crime occurs everywhere but those two places are considered very low crime.

[Mel90210]

Thank you cool waves...would you consider a city close to santa cruz more safe than the ones I listed? Thank you again everyone!

[coolwaves]

I have not found anyone choosing any particular city in Santa Cruz county to live because of crime rate. It's just negligible.

Just stay out of Watsonville and surrounding areas. The more you get into southern county, the more gang activity.

Downtown Santa Cruz has some crime, but I feel completely safe walking down there. But after midnight, one has to be careful.

[Teacher Linda]

I am a teacher in Santa Cruz and I can vouch for the tolerance of all our public schools. In my class I have had children of so many races and religions... MANY students with IEPs, even some with personal aides. I have children who have a parent in jail, children who come from families with same-sex parents, tatooed, body pierced, and even regular-old everyday folk with regular everyday families. The world is not PERFECTLY free of prejudice, but I see all kids going to each others birthday parties and playing together mostly. Friendly parents who reach out to others have the most successful kids! Unfortunately, It is hard to live here. Jobs are scarce and we are undergoing financial stress! Good Luck with whatever you choose ;-)

[coyoteskye]

I always say to people to consider the entire county of Santa Cruz.
I have lived in quite a few places in the county.
It's all Santa Cruz to me but with each town having its own identity.
And the entire county is easily accessible by bus ... very good bus system.
I feel, as a woman, very safe here. Where i live in Soquel, we don't even lock our doors night or day.
There is much of Watsonville where you'd best avoid and just a few places in Santa Cruz proper that are a little shady but basically, statistics aside (and i'm not familiar with them anyway) this is a cool county and if i were a kid, i'd be very happy to be here.
It is an extremely tolerant community ... anywhere in S.C. county.
There is no normal here in the sense that if you're child is an individual, he'll be welcome.
The county include the towns of Santa Cruz, Capitola, Aptos, Soquel, Scotts Valley and Watsonville.
Felton is dark in the winter ... very dark and very wet and to be in the thick of the redwoods in the winter can be quite a challenge. Seriously.
If you can afford Santa Cruz county, a big thumbs up for you and your family.

[NorCal Dude]

Santa Cruz the city proper is not where I would want to raise children. It is a tourist and university town. Lots of rowdy students and drunk tourists and a TON of bums, gutter punks, alienated street youth, teen age run aways, and A LOT of drug addicts. Lots of people who rent and property that is not up kept. Over priced real estate.

The best places in Santa Cruz county to raise children are Capitola, Scotts Valley, and Soquel. The pleasure point area and parts off of east cliff are nice too.

[coyoteskye]

Originally Posted by NorCal Dude

Santa Cruz the city proper is not where I would want to raise children. It is a tourist and university town. Lots of rowdy students and drunk tourists and a TON of bums, gutter punks, alienated street youth, teen age run aways, and A LOT of drug addicts. Lots of people who rent and property that is not up kept. Over priced real estate.

The best places in Santa Cruz county to raise children are Capitola, Scotts Valley, and Soquel. The pleasure point area and parts off of east cliff are nice too.

Well, i'd have to disagree with much of what you've stated.
Your assessment of Santa Cruz is way off and way general and is only correct regarding just a fragment of this entire county and no-one who lives here would define it the way you have ... at least no-one that i know.
It's a diverse area with some urban issues but my goodness.
And though it is a college town and though people do come here in the summer to experience the boardwalk, etc. and get away from the inland heat, i don't think of it as either a college town or a tourist town.
Those two elements have influence but not in an over the top way.
Santa Cruz is wonderful and there are so many parts of it that have nothing to do with homeless people, college kids and drug addicts!
There are so many nice and quiet neighborhoods in Santa Cruz that are not at all affected by the folks you've mentioned (god bless 'em).
I like Capitola but much of it, especially parts near the "downtown" , are overrun in the summer with tourists and it gets quite rowdy down there at night during the summer.
But like S.C., though it is small, its has many nice little neighborhoody areas but i wouldn't consider it ideal for raising kids ... no more than s.c.
And Aptos is wonderful with a variety of neighborhoods ... from the ocean up into the redwoods and lots in between.
I don't hang around Pleasure point and/or eastcliff areas much but i'm pretty sure that the Pleasure Point, etc. can be a bit intense and, if i've got my neighborhoods correct, i do believe those are a couple of areas that definitely have some trouble at night.
The entire county is very diverse with all sorts of different kinds of neighborhoods ranging from very rural, to sub-urban to more urban.
It's not really possible to make the kinds of general statements you've made if you're aware of the diversity ... both culturally and environmentally ... of the county.