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Well....I've spent the last two years in the "great" City of Santa Cruz for school (From the East Coast). First things first, like other posters have said in other threads about Santa Cruz, if you're an outsider, don't expect a fruit basket. Fortunately for me, I don't care if you were born at Dominican Hospital or if you've lived here your whole life, and I wasn't gonna suck up to locals just to make a friend. I actually made a lot of friends and gained respect with that mentality but ultimately, making good friends doesn't justify living in a city.
This city has a HUGE (And I'm using that word lightly) Drug problem. And I'm not talking about weed. If the problem was limited to marijuana, there probably wouldn't be much of a problem at all, but I'm talking about cocaine, heroin, meth, and various prescription drugs. Also Alcoholism. It's sad to see that the majority of the locals Here are dependent on substances to get through the day. It seems like everyone has some sort of vice in this city.
I find it annoying that you can't walk to a local store without a homeless person asking you for money. I think it's fair to point out that many of the homeless in Santa Cruz are like this by choice and are not looking to get better. If you live in Santa Cruz then you know about the homeless shelter that enables most of these locals and transients to trash this city during the day, sell drugs, then have a nice cozy bed to sleep in at night.
In the past year, we had an "Anarchist riot" Downtown that vandalized many of our businesses. This riot was sponsored by a local Anarchist coffee shop (I like to call it the B.O. Factory). This coffee shop is still in business. That shouldn't be the case. For "locals" That are so enthusiastic about Santa Cruz, I find it strange that you don't do a thing when someone trashes your "Sanctuary City". I believe one guy was arrested, and he wasn't even the main culprit.
There is also a very weird approach to other races and cultures in this city. On the East Coast, we had neighborhoods that were very diverse. I don't think Santa Cruz locals are racists, but they aren't very fond of other races because they don't know about them. I was just talking a local female the other night who said she didn't hate African Americans but she wasn't very welcoming of them either because they're a "A mystery in Santa Cruz". This is coming from a woman who's family has lived in Santa Cruz for generations. Obviously, you hear a lot of jokes towards Latino's as well but I assume that's simply a 'California' thing. I'm an Eastern European guy who encourages and appreciates diversity in our community, but I don't get that vibe in Santa Cruz. For a city that's supposed to be so open minded, it's really closed minded towards anyone that's not white.
I rent, so I can't comment much on housing, but I do follow the market. In my opinion, you will be fleeced for any house you buy here. You'll never get a fair value. That might be the case for the entire state of California (Unless you want to live in Fresno or Bakersfield), but it's very high pricing for a city that offers very little in terms of anything. Sure, you can use the Ocean argument but the Ocean is very cold. You're not gonna see a lot of people in the water even during the hottest Summer months. If I want to hear the sound of the Ocean, I can buy a relaxation cd for that. I can go biking, hiking, and do everything I do in Santa Cruz in any other city. The best spot to bike in Santa Cruz, The Pogonip trail, is now a haven for heroin sales, so it's not worth it anyway. When you receive your degree in Santa Cruz, relocation is almost a must because this city has a limited job market which is hurt by the fact that the city will never expand. What you see is what you get in S.C., it will never improve, and the locals are fine with that.
Finally, I gotta commend the locals in Santa Cruz because they truly believe they live in paradise. How could you hate that? The Boardwalk is now gang territory, tourism is at an all time low, and the city is VERY broke, but again, the locals don't care. I'm now 3 months away from graduation and finally seeing the glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. I'll probably move to San Jose or San Francisco, two cities that offer a much better quality of life than Santa Cruz at the same price.
To anyone who wants to move here, please, think again. These locals are very close minded, they don't want you here. I hate to be blunt but that's the case. If you do decide to move here, don't take sh*t from them ever. They are harmless. And no one can tell you where you can and can't live. They don't have that right. I've done more for this city in two years than most locals will in their entire life, and I'm proud of my accomplishments in Santa Cruz. I appreciate the good friends that I've made that actually had goals in life (Very hard to find in this City), but this is no place to be happy. If you're retiring, maybe. But if you've got any life left in you, don't come to Santa Cruz. This city will just suck it right out.
Last edited by TigerBlood; 04-07-2011 at 09:54 AM..
ok...Read your post......Im in NC and actually work with someone that is from Santa Cruz via Watsonville.....They rave about how beautiful and scenic everything is......You're close to Monterey,CA....and how they actually miss it.....Guess...different strokes for different folks.
Typical Santa Cruz local, folks. They don't have much brain cells left to defend their city (Maybe they feel they don't need to defend such a "paradise" City) So they leave us with entertaining one liners like "Leave" or "Go Home" Good job Santa Cruz!
Tireeskye is more than likely already high at this point of the day, so give him/her some slack for lack of intelligence.
Last edited by TigerBlood; 04-07-2011 at 10:20 AM..
Typical Santa Cruz local, folks. They don't have much brain cells left to defend their city (Maybe they feel they don't need to defend such a "paradise" City) So they leave us with entertaining one liners like "Leave" or "Go Home" Good job Santa Cruz! Glad to see your character is at an all time high!
Tireeskye is more than likely already high at this point of the day, so give him/her some slack for lack of intelligence.
Her.
But listen.
I understand what it's like to be in a town or city or community that you don't like ... i was stuck back east for too long!!! Talk about torture.
But you do have choices.
If you really hate Santa Cruz so much but you need to stay because of school, then you can always live in a different town in the county.
You must know, at this point, how good the bus system is.
You don't have to stay in Santa Cruz proper.
Santa Cruz can be a difficult place. It's has a strange energy that people can either get with or not.
If you can't, that's o.k.
You don't need to stay in S.C..
Move over to Aptos ... somewhere close to Soquel Dr. and close enough to the bus stop (if you don't have a car).
It'll take a little more time out of your day to commute to school but it may be worth it.
Just moving a bit out of S.C. might give you some relief ... same county but less energetically chaotic and less threatening for you.
Your anger (2nd post of this nature) suggests that you're feeling defensive which suggests that you feel threatened ... not physically necessarily but you're just really uncomfortable with the energy and the scene.
That's understandable.
I'm not dissing you for not liking the place but if you're so attached to hating the place that you'd rather stay in that hate as opposed to making a change, that's a problem.
Her.
But listen.
I understand what it's like to be in a town or city or community that you don't like ... i was stuck back east for too long!!! Talk about torture.
But you do have choices.
If you really hate Santa Cruz so much but you need to stay because of school, then you can always live in a different town in the county.
You must know, at this point, how good the bus system is.
You don't have to stay in Santa Cruz proper.
Santa Cruz can be a difficult place. It's has a strange energy that people can either get with or not.
If you can't, that's o.k.
You don't need to stay in S.C..
Move over to Aptos ... somewhere close to Soquel Dr. and close enough to the bus stop (if you don't have a car).
It'll take a little more time out of your day to commute to school but it may be worth it.
Just moving a bit out of S.C. might give you some relief ... same county but less energetically chaotic and less threatening for you.
Your anger (2nd post of this nature) suggests that you're feeling defensive which suggests that you feel threatened ... not physically necessarily but you're just really uncomfortable with the energy and the scene.
That's understandable.
I'm not dissing you for not liking the place but if you're so attached to hating the place that you'd rather hate it than make a change, that's a problem.
I never used the word hate, and I don't "hate" Santa Cruz. I understand it's not for everyone, but I fit in just fine, so that really isn't the issue. I've lived in Soquel, but that's even worse in my opinion. Living in such a small, secluded woodsy area will drive anyone nuts. In the previous "Santa Cruz Sucks" Thread, the poster was being very general in why he disliked living here. I wanted to be specific, and back it up with facts. If we're strictly talking about how scenic and beautiful Santa Cruz is, I agree. I'm sure an aerial view of Santa Cruz is a great scene, but I'm talking about the inside. The stuff that actually happens within this city. The people, the culture, the lifestyle. I've already made up my mind about this city and my future, but I want to educate people on what to expect if they want to move here. Moving to Santa Cruz isn't cheap. I thought I did my homework before I came here but I didn't. This city has very serious issues and people need to know that. In Santa Cruz, beauty is strictly on the outside.
I never used the word hate, and I don't "hate" Santa Cruz. I understand it's not for everyone, but I fit in just fine, so that really isn't the issue. I've lived in Soquel, but that's even worse in my opinion. Living in such a small, secluded woodsy area will drive anyone nuts. In the previous "Santa Cruz Sucks" Thread, the poster was being very general in why he disliked living here. I wanted to be specific, and back it up with facts. If we're strictly talking about how scenic and beautiful Santa Cruz is, I agree. I'm sure an aerial view of Santa Cruz is a great scene, but I'm talking about the inside. The stuff that actually happens within this city. The people, the culture, the lifestyle. I've already made up my mind about this city and my future, but I want to educate people on what to expect if they want to move here. Moving to Santa Cruz isn't cheap. I thought I did my homework before I came here but I didn't. This city has very serious issues and people need to know that. In Santa Cruz, beauty is strictly on the outside.
Well, you may not use the word "hate" but your words express it ... or something like it or close to it.
And everyone has their own perceptions.
You're educating people about your particular perceptions.
That you've already made up your mind about S.C. (or anything) doesn't allow for change.
And there are many places to live in Aptos (more so than Soquel) that aren't in the woods (which many people love btw).
You're hell bent on being dissatisfied.
Fitting in isn't where it's at.
Opening your mind and your heart is.
You're too young to be so closed!
Wow. You seem to have severe anger issues - thank you for your venomous post - if it prohibits people from flocking to Santa Cruz, so much the better.
I hope you enjoy San Jose - it is so awesome!
More typical Santa Cruz locals. This one actually diagnosed me with anger issues lol to hide her own problems. I'm not angry at all, how can I be angry about a city that isn't my hometown? I'm sure I've done more for this city than most locals, but that's beside the point.
"If it prohibits people from flocking to Santa Cruz, so much better". This actually proves my point that they don't want you in their secret "Paradise City" Society. Especially if you aren't like them. And let's be honest here, nobody is "flocking" to Santa Cruz anyway. It's not overpopulated, and once the students leave, it's a ghost town. There's plenty of room in Santa Cruz. Because this obviously isn't an overpopulation issue, maybe you could be kind enough to let us know why Santa Cruz is so great and why all non locals should be barred from moving here?
So take note transplanters, we've got two locals already on this thread (And more to come) That don't want you here.
Thanks for backing up my statements
Last edited by TigerBlood; 04-07-2011 at 11:24 AM..
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