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Old 10-23-2011, 11:59 AM
 
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
2,190 posts, read 6,851,636 times
Reputation: 2076

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Parts (just parts) of Santa Cruz are challenging in that way.
There are a lot of marginalized folks around.
Most of them are harmless albeit at times obnoxious ... but rarely dangerous.
Santa Cruz is not a quaint seaside town.
It's a small city and it's funky and chaotic and not always comfortable especially if one is off center and/or can't flow with it or has attitudes or feels threatened.
People pick up on that.
It's a place that requires openness and tolerance of both the people and the energy of the place ... a place that can be a bit whacky.
Many appreciate that wackiness.
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Old 10-19-2013, 12:54 AM
 
1 posts, read 1,262 times
Reputation: 10
Hey, im getting ready to move to Santa Cruz, find a place to live, find a job, meet people because I don't know anyone there. I am driving from North Carolina around February. I have been traveling abroad for the passed year and a half and for some reason I feel Santa Cruz calling to me. Does anyone have any advice for me? I am a 25 year old female, looking for a chill, friendly atmosphere in a place with a lot of natural beauty and people who are interesting and like minded. Any advice you have is greatly appreciated.
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Old 10-20-2013, 03:34 AM
 
Location: Boulder Creek, CA
9,197 posts, read 16,843,125 times
Reputation: 6373
Quote:
Originally Posted by jnathans View Post
Hey, im getting ready to move to Santa Cruz, find a place to live, find a job, meet people because I don't know anyone there. I am driving from North Carolina around February. I have been traveling abroad for the passed year and a half and for some reason I feel Santa Cruz calling to me. Does anyone have any advice for me? I am a 25 year old female, looking for a chill, friendly atmosphere in a place with a lot of natural beauty and people who are interesting and like minded. Any advice you have is greatly appreciated.
The "find a job" and afford to live in the area concepts are those that need more attention, here.
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Old 10-20-2013, 04:54 PM
 
Location: San Jose
3 posts, read 3,692 times
Reputation: 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by AA702 View Post
After the Loma Prieta earthquake, Santa Cruz just went to the dumps. Growing up in San Jose as kids, we use to go to Santa Cruz a lot and hang out at the boardwalk. I remember there use to be an event called "Beach Street", it was a classic car event that was really fun. Seems like now, there are a lot of Hispanic gangs that spread from Watsonville and Salinas areas. Last time I was there was 3 years ago, so it was really not the same Santa Cruz I knew in the 80s when it made a name for itself as a real beach town.

I am new here. First time writing.
I lived their for 28 years. I have moved to San Jose, but not because of Gangs or crime. It is still a great place to live, but the cost of living is high, as is most of Ca. The worst part of the city, were most of the crime is, is still better then most of the cities in the east. No run down houses, or any thing like that. I have lived all over the city of Santa Cruz, and still love the place.
They have a great police force, and if you do break the law, and they see your new in town most time they let you go with a warning. That said people that come from over the hill, San Jose mostly, will be cited as they seen to think because it is a small town you can do what ever you want and get away with it.
If you come from the east cost, you will fine the police very friendly, and not like New York, or Philly.
Jobs can be hard to find, so plain on driving long distances to work.
That is some of my thoughts on Santa Cruz Ca. If you have relocated their be sure to visit the Irish bub on Ceder Street. Started by A fellow from New Jersey. He was a great guy, and real fun to be around.
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Old 03-17-2014, 12:37 PM
 
1 posts, read 1,198 times
Reputation: 10
Default apartment search

I found it very helpful that you listed other areas outside Santa Cruz to live... Are there apartments in these areas?? (felton, ben lomond, and boulder creek?) I am 25 and wanting to move from Indianapolis. Thank you!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wisteria View Post
Okay....I I live in Santa Cruz!! Here are some links for you:

Santa Cruz County Conference and Visitors Council ([url=http://www.santacruz.org/index.shtml]Santa Cruz County CA - Visit Santa Cruz - Find your flow and follow it to Santa Cruz![/url] - broken link)

That one above is for santacruz.org and tells a lot of what is in Santa Cruz, proper. It is a young, hip, university town. On the beach, great surfing, lots of shops, restaurants, music, and very liberal people. It's a very young town, too.

Rents are higher here -- you get what you pay for. Look on Craig's list for initial places -- maybe with roommates.

I live in the Santa Cruz mountains above Santa Cruz in an area called Lompico (a section of Felton), which is in the redwoods. It's cheaper in Felton, Ben Lomond and Boulder Creek (the mountain towns) because you have to travel about 6 miles to town (which is NOT far, but people seem to balk at having to travel at all into Santa Cruz). The costs are higher in Santa Cruz because people don't want to drive to the beach, they want to walk to the beach. But if you don't mind driving 15 minutes to the beach, then you'll get a better deal in the mountains. Here is our neighborhood link: [url=http://lompico.org/]Lompico, California - Santa Cruz & Silicon Valley Rural Living - Live Among the Coastal Redwoods, Loch Lomond Lake and Lompico Creek[/url]

Avoid Watsonville -- too many gangs -- but it's still far from Santa Cruz.

As for jobs, the County of Santa Cruz has a "job interest" list that you can fill out and you will be notified when positions become open -- just go to the County Personnel Office and ask for the job interest form. The County is often hiring, and you can start at a lower level position and easily promote up. They are located at 701 Ocean Street, 3rd Floor, Santa Cruz.

Many people also work in San Jose because often the jobs there pay more, but you do have to drive "over the hill" then on Hwy. 17 (a windy road). But it's pretty common for people to live in Santa Cruz and work in San Jose.

At any rate, you will have a blast here! Good luck on your move!!
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Old 03-17-2014, 02:52 PM
 
Location: Boulder Creek, CA
173 posts, read 255,200 times
Reputation: 249
I've lived in Boulder Creek pretty much my entire life and still absolutely love it. There's really no place I'd rather live. Admittedly though, it's not for everyone.

There are definitely apartments in Scotts Valley, but probably not in San Lorenzo Valley (Boulder Creek, Brookdale, Ben Lomond, Felton) and none that I'm aware of.

Probably your best bet is to look on craigslist.

santa cruz co apts/housing for rent classifieds - craigslist
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Old 11-25-2014, 07:08 AM
 
1 posts, read 870 times
Reputation: 10
My daughter has a job in Santa Cruz and she wants me to relocate there with my partner. We are retired and we love the idea. We plan on all living together and we are having a very difficult time finding a place to rent, preferably a house and we have dogs plus a couple of cats so pets must be allowed. We've been looking for two months with no luck. To make matters worse we are still back in the Midwest. We went out for her interviews but no decision was made until ten days after we had returned so we had done some looking for a place but as she wasn't yet working no one took us seriously. Now she has the job but we're no longer there. She's to start in a week or so and is getting nervous she'll have to go without her dog and us. Any suggestion? Thanks.

P.S. Her starting salary is 82,500 and my partner and I will contribute $1000 per month in rent.u
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Old 11-25-2014, 11:21 AM
 
274 posts, read 353,774 times
Reputation: 1021
Pets reduce rental choices a lot. How much is your daughter putting towards rent? If you will be contributing equally and have just 2K (sorry about the 'just' - but this is Santa Cruz ...) then you will be looking at a small place for 3 people, and a condo not a house (example: Newly Updated 2/1 2-Story Capitola Condo)

This house has more square footage, but is 2.6K/month: 3 BR, 2 1/2 ba home for rent in Live Oak

My suggestion would be for your daughter to leave her dog with you, find a room to rent month to month, and look while here. It would give her a chance to get settled in her job, learn a bit more about Santa Cruz, areas to rent, etc - and patiently wait for something to open up.

Just noticed you said 'dogs' plural - several dogs and cats is going to make the search challenging, esp on a 2K housing budget. It might be easier to find something in the San Lorenzo Valley (Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, Felton) which allows pets and is a bit cheaper than Santa Cruz, but it will take some time ... and probably more $$.
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