Santa Cruz Boardwalk area....safe? (Live Oak: low income, real estate, rent)

[JSD45]

A friend of mine is considering living near the boardwalk in Santa Cruz....the place is near 2nd & Cliff. I've always heard that it's filled with crime and just is not a great place to live. I've driven through it also and it is not somewhere I would want to live.

Is is it really that bad? He's getting a good price on it....but the skeptic in me says it's cheap for a reason!

[Wisteria]

Whoa, yeah, be careful of living near the Boardwalk -- especially the area around the bowling alley and the Boardwalk, itself. That area is called Beach Flats, and that's a major crime area in Santa Cruz (considering it's a fairly safe town, it's the "worst" area). Beach Flats is known for the gangs and some recent murders.

Ironically, if you go on the other side of the wharf -- just down the street on West Cliff, it is very different. You are correct that you can pretty much tell by driving around.

I'd have to look at a map to see 2nd and I assume you mean West Cliff? Yes, it will be cheaper there, but resident beware. My daughter's first job was at the Boardwalk, and one of their orientations was about gangs, gang signs, colors, etc. So, that should tell you something.

That whole pocket of Beach Flats always puzzled me. I wonder if it's just one family that owns most of those houses, or what? It's right next to the beach, it's near some fantastic areas, and it's very walkable. I never quite "got" why it's like that. I suppose some people wouldn't want to live under the shadow of a roller coaster, but at the same time, it's only a minute or less to the beach. It's so odd that it's a gang hangout, and that it's so "cheap" relative to other places in town. You'd think whoever owns those houses would start fixing them up and moving in some high rollers. Seriously. It would clean up the area and get rid of the crime (or at least move it, hopefully, out of town!).

There are cheaper areas in the Live Oak district, and lots of student shares on the Westside near the university. But if you're speaking about right in front of the Boardwalk, I'd be sure to firmly warn him that it could be trouble. Tell him to spend a little more and don't do it.

I'm sorry to say that there is that neighborhood here, however, it's how it is. Most of the city is safe, but that area, I think it's because of all the slumlords that it's so bad. I have no idea why it's not cleaned up!

[NorCal Dude]

LoL no the area near the board walk is one of the most seedy parts of santa cruz. Lots of prostitution, gangs, and open air drug activity. The boardwalk itself is okay until it gets deserted at night and used to be alot worse in the 90's but the surrounding neighborhood is really bad until you get to beach hill about the beach flats and the adjacant areas around that soccerfield and bmx park heading towards downtown.

The area is largely mexican and or low income. It is known as the low rent district of santa cruz and has attracted some out of towners, hipsters, college kids, and the like looking for cheap rent.

Dont get me wrong its not east oakland or hunters point in sf, but you certianly will be in more seedy part of town.

[Cherie8426]

Living in that area is not worth a 'good price'.... tell him to find something else!

[nancy thereader]

I have no idea why it's not cleaned up!

This is a coversation that many of my friends and I have had (and even strangers) . No one understands why prime waterfront real estate has been left to decay when the Promenade from Pacific Avenue could easily be stretched , with tree-lined streets, desirable small shops, outdoor cafes and gardens, all the way to the boardwalk. It could be lit with those wonderful gas lights; it would look beautiful and the crime that is there now would virtually disappear as a lively street scene filled with families is not the ambience for drug dealing.

[Nytestar]

Many owners of property in Beach Flats would love nothing more than to sell it to Canfield (who already owns a large number of properties there) so it could be leveled and a Convention Center/Hotel/Shops Complex built there. Certain Scruz Liberals have blocked these efforts with the excuse that the Hispanic Community would be displaced and there is a shortage of low income housing. This is nothing new....been this way for decades.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by Nytestar

Certain Scruz Liberals have blocked these efforts with the excuse that the Hispanic Community would be displaced and there is a shortage of low income housing. This is nothing new....been this way for decades.

You wouldn't want to boot everybody out with nowhere to go, but the current situation simply continues the cycle of residents living in squalor.

[eli2374]

The area right near the Boardwalk may be bad, but if you go a bit farther out to the Seacliff area, it's a lot better. That might be a good idea for your friend.

[treedonkey]

It depends on which gang you're in.

[Wisteria]

treedonkey: It depends on which gang you're in.

I know!

At work last week, I was handing out these booklets and one was red and the other was blue, so as I handed them out and let them choose, I said, "Okay, which gang do YOU want to be in?" Sad commentary that we actually joke about it now....