Possibly moving to Santa Cruz (Del Mar: renting, neighborhood, buy)

[The Flying Dutchman]

Born and raised Santa Cruzan here. It's a nice town if you can afford the nicer parts of it. I wouldn't say it's small minded but definitely a close knit kind of town.

Avoid the riff-raff like the plague. They're not wanted.

[summer reign]

someone just anonymously asked why I quoted a "positive post" then said don't let them scare you.
people telling her that SC is so expensive and then telling her that if she's asking about a bus pass she can't afford to stay is NOT positive. it seems to me that they're acting like the girl is moving to San Francisco not Santa Cruz.

In San Francisco if she made $20 an hour she could only afford to rent A ROOM in an apartment. If she gets paid $20 an hour in Santa Cruz she can afford her OWN APARTMENT.

Compared to Florida, yes it is more expensive. But the cost of living is no where near as bad as SF.

[The Flying Dutchman]

Trust me, you'll need way more than $20/hr to live in Santa Cruz comfortably. Assuming you spend 30% of your income as a rule on renting, and assuming decent apartments start at the MINIMUM of $2000, that means you need to make around $6,500 a month before taxes. This is taking account of not having roommates, which is not an ideal situation in my mind.

One thing I notice when looking at rentals in Santa Cruz is just how insanely expensive they are for what you get. Expect to pay upwards of 3-4 thousand for really outdated homes. Santa Cruz is basically one giant Prop 13 town, and everyone and their dog wants to cash in on that.

I have family there but there's no way in HELL I could afford it myself.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by summer reign

someone just anonymously asked why I quoted a "positive post" then said don't let them scare you.
people telling her that SC is so expensive and then telling her that if she's asking about a bus pass she can't afford to stay is NOT positive. it seems to me that they're acting like the girl is moving to San Francisco not Santa Cruz.

In San Francisco if she made $20 an hour she could only afford to rent A ROOM in an apartment. If she gets paid $20 an hour in Santa Cruz she can afford her OWN APARTMENT.

Compared to Florida, yes it is more expensive. But the cost of living is no where near as bad as SF.

I didn't send a message, but I was one of the people you quoted. My post was positive and encouraging and welcoming, not discouraging, so I'm not sure why I was quoted. I see nothing wrong with pointing out that the OP could get more bang for her rental buck in the mountain towns around SC, unless she doesn't have a car.

Rent for 1-br. apts. in town start at well below $2000/mo. The OP can check Craigslist rental listings to verify that. The only problem is, there's a lot of competition from students. The best time to search is after UC lets out for the summer, and the rental market opens up. Though there are a few 1-br apts available now, they tend to go to people who can show up in person to look at the property and sign a lease.

[summer reign]

OMG. It is so possible to live in SC on less than $6500

First of all, we're young. We aren't looking to buy a stupid house. We can get by with a studio or 1bd room. And when you LOOK FOR YOURSELF on craigslist you will see what I mean. It's not that big of a deal.

We go to work 40 hours, go on dates, hang out, have fun. Young people are barely even AT HOME to necessitate a whole house. All I do at home is sleep, shower, and change clothes. I rarely chill at home. Most of us don't.

But when you're older, married, and have a fam then yeah you need more.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by summer reign

OMG. It is so possible to live in SC on less than $6500

First of all, we're young. We aren't looking to buy a stupid house. We can get by with a studio or 1bd room. And when you LOOK FOR YOURSELF on craigslist you will see what I mean. It's not that big of a deal.

We go to work 40 hours, go on dates, hang out, have fun. Young people are barely even AT HOME to necessitate a whole house. All I do at home is sleep, shower, and change clothes. I rarely chill at home. Most of us don't.

But when you're older, married, and have a fam then yeah you need more.

I completely agree with this. Even for someone beyond student-age, a 1-br. and a budget of about $4000 or less if no car, is completely doable. A nice 1-br. in a duplex, not a huge apt. bldg with a lot of noisy neighbors, is available now for $1200. That would work fine on $20/hr. So, whatever. These Bay Area threads always exaggerate the cost of housing. But the OP needs to be aware that housing is super-competitive, especially nice places in the lower price ranges.

And Santa Cruz is so great for hanging out and having fun! The OP is really lucky.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by The Flying Dutchman

Trust me, you'll need way more than $20/hr to live in Santa Cruz comfortably. Assuming you spend 30% of your income as a rule on renting, and assuming decent apartments start at the MINIMUM of $2000, that means you need to make around $6,500 a month before taxes. This is taking account of not having roommates, which is not an ideal situation in my mind.

One thing I notice when looking at rentals in Santa Cruz is just how insanely expensive they are for what you get. Expect to pay upwards of 3-4 thousand for really outdated homes. Santa Cruz is basically one giant Prop 13 town, and everyone and their dog wants to cash in on that.

I have family there but there's no way in HELL I could afford it myself.

Lots of former students live in Santa Cruz as well as the surf crowd... have you contacted campus housing for assistance... many rentals never make it to Craigslist...

As with most things... if you are flexible and keep focused it is amazing what can be accomplished.

Santa Cruz and surrounds is home to uber wealth and those living day to day... I have friends that live 7 miles on a dirt road in the middle of a redwood forest... they live off grid and love it... spring water, wood for cooking and heat... etc.

All depends on you expectations...

[md09]

Thank you for your replies (most of you, at least.). I would prefer to have my own 1 bedroom apartment but knowing how expensive it is, I do not mind and am very open to renting a room and having roommates. It is most likely what I will end up doing. I do have a car, but I plan to only use it when I need to go buy groceries and other necessities. I will take the bus to and from work at UCSC to save money. What I am more worried about is the actual living conditions of Santa Cruz, aka the people, the town/shops and the general safety level. I'd love to hear more about that rather than discussions about housing prices

[Ultrarunner]

Might want to invest in a club for your car if it is a Honda and Toyota... Santa Cruz is not immune to auto theft and several of my friends have had problems.

[summer reign]

Santa Cruz is cool. I'm a young lady and I don't find Santa Cruz to be dangerous.

Downtown and the Boardwalk are cool spots. You have Whole Foods, New Leaf, Staff of Life, and Safeway for groceries. It's cold in the a.m., warm during the day.

I don't know what could be troubling you. Santa Cruz is so chill, no body really worries excessively about their safety.

Just use common sense. Not allowing random people in your personal space, don't carry a lot of cash, not being in isolated areas after dark, etc. You know, just regular stuff.