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Santa Cruz is the county seat
County seat

A county seat or parish seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there....
 and largest city of Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County, California

Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific Ocean coast of the U.S. state of California, just south of the San Francisco Bay Area. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay....
, California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
 in the United States of America. As of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000

File:US-Census-2000Logo.svgThe Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the United States Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons Enumeration during the United States Census, 1990....
, Santa Cruz had a total population of 54,593. It is located on the northern edge of the Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay

Monterey Bay is a Headlands and bays of the Pacific Ocean, south of San Francisco between the cities of Santa Cruz, California and Monterey, California....
, about 72 mi (115 km) south of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California and the List of United States cities by population in the United States, with a 2007 estimated population of 799,183....
.

The present-day site of Santa Cruz was the location of a Native American
Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii....
 settlement since ancient times. It was also one of the earliest settlements of the Spanish during the exploration of Alta California
Alta California

Alta California was formed in 1804 when the Las Californias, then a part of the Commandancy General of the Provincias Internas in the Viceroyalty of New Spain, was divided in two, along a line separating the Franciscan missions in the north from the Dominican Order missions in the south....
 in the later part of the 1700s.






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Santa Cruz is the county seat
County seat

A county seat or parish seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there....
 and largest city of Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County, California

Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific Ocean coast of the U.S. state of California, just south of the San Francisco Bay Area. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay....
, California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
 in the United States of America. As of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000

File:US-Census-2000Logo.svgThe Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the United States Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons Enumeration during the United States Census, 1990....
, Santa Cruz had a total population of 54,593. It is located on the northern edge of the Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay

Monterey Bay is a Headlands and bays of the Pacific Ocean, south of San Francisco between the cities of Santa Cruz, California and Monterey, California....
, about 72 mi (115 km) south of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California and the List of United States cities by population in the United States, with a 2007 estimated population of 799,183....
.

The present-day site of Santa Cruz was the location of a Native American
Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii....
 settlement since ancient times. It was also one of the earliest settlements of the Spanish during the exploration of Alta California
Alta California

Alta California was formed in 1804 when the Las Californias, then a part of the Commandancy General of the Provincias Internas in the Viceroyalty of New Spain, was divided in two, along a line separating the Franciscan missions in the north from the Dominican Order missions in the south....
 in the later part of the 1700s. During the late 1800s, after California became part of the United States, Santa Cruz became widely popular for its idyllic beaches and Coastal Redwoods
Sequoia

Sequoia sempervirens is the sole living species of the genus Sequoia in the cypress family Cupressaceae . Common names include Coast Redwood and California Redwood ....
 and became a popular resort community. Now known for its alternative community lifestyles and liberal political leanings, Santa Cruz is a haven for many sub-cultures and counter-cultures.

History


The Ohlone & pre-contact period


Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the Eighteenth Century, the Awaswas
Awaswas

The Awaswas people are one of eight divisions of the Ohlone Native American in the United Statess of Northern California. The Awaswas lived in the Santa Cruz Mountains and along the coast of present-day Santa Cruz County from present-day Davenport, California to Aptos, California....
 people (a part of the Ohlone (Costanoan)
Ohlone

The Ohlone people, also known as the Costanoan and as the Muwekma, are the Native Americans in the United States of Northern California who have lived in the San Francisco Bay and Monterey Bay areas since the sixth century, spanning south into the Salinas Valley....
 Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii....
) maintained a settlement, Chatu-Mu, along the San Lorenzo River
San Lorenzo River

The San Lorenzo River drains a large drainage basin in Santa Cruz County, California. The headwaters originate in the Santa Cruz Mountains at an elevation of 2500 feet and flow approximately 30 miles through the San Lorenzo Valley before emptying into the Pacific Ocean at Monterey Bay....
 not far from the Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay

Monterey Bay is a Headlands and bays of the Pacific Ocean, south of San Francisco between the cities of Santa Cruz, California and Monterey, California....
.

Mission and Pueblo period


In 1769 the Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portolà
Gaspar de Portolà

Gaspar de Portol? i Rovira was a soldier, governor of Baja California and Alta California , explorer and founder of San Diego, California and Monterey, California....
 arrived in the vicinity of Chatu-Mu. He named the river San Lorenzo in honor of Saint Lawrence
Saint Lawrence

Saint Lawrence was one of the seven deacons of ancient Rome who were martyred during the persecution of Roman Emperor Valerian in the year 258....
. He called the rolling hills above the river the "Santa Cruz" which means "holy cross."

Twenty-two years later, on August 28, 1791, Father Fermín Lasuén
Fermín Lasuén

Father Padre Ferm?nde Francisco Lasu?n de Arasqueta was a Spain missionary to the Americas.He was born at Vitoria-Gasteiz in Cantabria, Spain and joined the Franciscan order, becoming ordained in 1752....
 established La Misión de la Exaltación de la Santa Cruz (also known as Mission Santa Cruz
Mission Santa Cruz

Skyler Rae Baker:Other missions bearing the name 'Santa Cruz' include the Spanish missions in Texas#Mission Santa Cruz de San Sab?and the Spanish missions in Texas#Mission San Lorenzo de la Santa Cruz in Texas,along with Spanish missions in Florida located throughout the Florida....
) for the conversion of the Awaswas of Chatu-Mu and surrounding villages
List of Ohlone villages

Over 50 villages and tribes of the Ohlone Native Americans in the United States people have been identified as existing in Northern California circa 1769 in the regions of the San Francisco Peninsula, Santa Clara Valley, Contra Costa County, Santa Cruz Mountains, Monterey Bay and Salinas Valley....
. Santa Cruz was the twelfth mission to be founded in California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
.

On April 1796, by order of the Viceroy of New Spain Miguel de la Grúa Talamanca y Branciforte, marqués de Branciforte
Miguel de la Grúa Talamanca y Branciforte, marqués de Branciforte

Don Miguel de la Gr?a Talamanca de Carini y Branciforte, 1st Marqu?s de Branciforte was a Spanish military officer and viceroy of New Spain from July 12, 1794 to May 31, 1798....
, Captain Pere d'Alberní, and his First Free Company of Volunteers of Catalonia, a 72-men irregular unit
Irregular military

Irregular military refers to any non-standard military. Being defined by exclusion, there is a lot of variance in what comes under the term. It can refer to the type of military organization, or to the type of tactics used....
 serving the Spanish Crown
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
, were moved to California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
 to take care of the Spanish military garrisons of Monterrey, Santa Bárbara
Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the only such section on the west coast, between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the sea, and having a Mediterranean climate, it is called California's "South Coast", and is also sometimes referred to...
, San Diego
San Diego, California

San Diego is the second largest city in California and the List of United States cities by population, located along the Pacific Ocean on the West Coast of the United States of the Western United States....
 and San Francisco
San Francisco, California

The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California and the List of United States cities by population in the United States, with a 2007 estimated population of 799,183....
.

Across the San Lorenzo River
San Lorenzo River

The San Lorenzo River drains a large drainage basin in Santa Cruz County, California. The headwaters originate in the Santa Cruz Mountains at an elevation of 2500 feet and flow approximately 30 miles through the San Lorenzo Valley before emptying into the Pacific Ocean at Monterey Bay....
, in what is now known as the East Side of Santa Cruz, Alberní founded a town called Villa Branciforte (Spanish
Spanish language

Spanish or Castilian is a Romance languages that originated in northern Spain, and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile and evolved into the principal language of government and trade....
 for Branciforte Village), in honor of the Viceroy of New Spain. Villa Branciforte later merged with the Mission Santa Cruz community across the river, and together they formed what is today known as Santa Cruz.

By the 1820s Mexico had assumed control of the area and within the next twenty years, immigrants from the Unites States began to arrive in great numbers. California became a state in 1850, and Santa Cruz County was created in 1850 as one of the twenty-seven original counties.

California statehood


By the turn of the century logging, lime processing, agriculture, and commercial fishing industries prospered in the area. Due to its mild climate and scenic beauty Santa Cruz also became a prominent resort community.

Santa Cruz was incorporated in 1866 as a town under the laws of the State of California and received its first charter as a city in 1876. At that time the city was governed by a Mayor and Common Council consisting of four members. A walk down Walnut Avenue past the Sorbet Santa will show any passer-by the unique architecture from the Victorian period in Santa Cruz.

Montereybay95064
From 1880 to 1940, a narrow gauge railroad connected Santa Cruz with Los Gatos
Los Gatos, California

Los Gatos is an List of cities in California in Santa Clara County, California, California, United States. The population was 28,592 at the 2000 census....
 with standard gauge connections from Los Gatos to the other parts of the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area

The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Bay, is a metropolitan region that surrounds the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay Bays in Northern California....
. The railroad was acquired by the Southern Pacific in the early 1900s and carried freight and passenger trains. Excursion trains operated until the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake

The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, California and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 A.M....
, which caused major damage to tracks, tunnels, and bridges. The Southern Pacific repaired the line and resumed operations until March 1940, following more damage by a major winter storm. With the completion of State Route 17 that same year, there was less reason to continue the rail operations.

In 1907, the citizens voted for a new charter designating a Mayor as chief executive and a City Council consisting of seven members. Subsequent charters gave a Mayor and four Commissioners both executive and administrative powers. At that time the city was divided into five departments: Public Affairs, Revenue and Finance, Public Health and Safety, Public Works, and Streets and Parks.

In 1948, the City of Santa Cruz adopted a new City Charter. This charter established a Council-Manager form of government, with a Mayor and six Councilmembers setting policy for the city and a city manager serving as the chief administrator of those policies. The Charter, with amendments, is still in existence today.

On October 17, 1989, the city suffered major damage from the Loma Prieta earthquake
Loma Prieta earthquake

The Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the Quake of '89 and the World Series Quake, was a major earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area of California on October 17, 1989 at 5:04 p.m....
, which was centered on Loma Prieta
Loma Prieta

Loma Prieta is a Northern California mountain with elevation 3,786 feet and located at approximately 37.114? N, 121.846 W in the Santa Cruz Mountains....
, the highest point in the nearby Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Cruz Mountains

The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California, United States. They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, California, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south, bordering Monterey Bay and ending...
. Many of the historic buildings in the downtown business district were damaged or destroyed, especially along Pacific Avenue. Reconstruction of the district has continued in recent years, and some of the original buildings can be seen in Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood

Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American actor, film director, film producer and composer. He is known for his tough guy, anti-hero acting roles in Action films and western films, particularly in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s....
's "Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry

Dirty Harry is a crime film thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel. It is the first film in the Dirty Harry . Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector Harry Callahan ....
" movie Sudden Impact
Sudden Impact

Sudden Impact is a 1983 in film Crime film Thriller and the fourth film in the Dirty Harry , directed by and starring Clint Eastwood . The movie is probably best remembered for Harry's catch phrase "Go ahead, make my day.", often incorrectly attributed to Dirty Harry in the franchise; in 2005, it was voted in a poll by the American Film...
.

Historic social activism

As a center of liberal
Liberalism

Liberalism is a broad class of political philosophy that considers individualism liberty and equality to be the most important political goals....
 and progressive
Progressivism

The term progressive has varying meanings in different countries.In some countries, the word refers to left-wing politics. For instance, in the United States, the term progressive emerged in the late 19th century into the 20th century in reference to a more general response to the vast changes brought by industrialization: an alternativ...
 activism
Activism

Activism, in a general sense, can be described as intentional action to bring about social change or politics change. This action is in support of, or opposition to, one side of an often controversy argument....
, Santa Cruz became one of the first cities to approve marijuana for medicinal uses. In 1992, residents overwhelmingly approved Measure A, which allowed for the medicinal uses of marijuana.

Santa Cruz also became one of the first cities in California to test the state's medical marijuana laws in court after the arrest of Valerie Corral and Mike Corral, founders of the Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana, by the DEA
Drug Enforcement Administration

The Drug Enforcement Administration is a United States Department of Justice law enforcement agency tasked with combating War on Drugs Not only is the DEA the lead agency for domestic enforcement of the drug policy of the United States , it also has sole responsibility for coordinating and pursuing U.S....
. The case was ruled in favor of the growers. In 2005, the Santa Cruz City Council established a city government office to assist residents with obtaining medical marijuana. In 2006, Measure K was passed by voters, making marijuana enforcement "lowest priority" for law enforcement.

In 2003, the Santa Cruz City Council became the first City Council in the U.S. to denounce the Iraq War. The City Council of Santa Cruz also issued a proclamation opposing the USA PATRIOT Act
USA PATRIOT Act

The USA PATRIOT Act, commonly known as the "Patriot Act", is a Act of Congress that President George W. Bush signed into law on October 26, 2001....
.

Notable feminists activists Nikki Craft
Nikki Craft

Nikki Craft is an United States political activist, artist and writer....
 and Ann Simonton
Ann Simonton

Ann J. Simonton is a writer, lecturer and feminist media activist. She founded and coordinates the non-profit group "Media Watch", which challenges racism, sexism, and violence in the media through education and action....
 resided in Santa Cruz where they formed the "Praying Mantis Brigade". This collection of activists organized the "Myth California Pageant" in the 1980s protesting "the objectification of women and the glorification of the beauty myth." Myth California was staged concurrently with the Miss California
Miss California

For the state pageant affiliated with Miss USA, see Miss California USAThe Miss California competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of California in the Miss America pageant....
 pageant held in Santa Cruz since the 1920s. The protests, including women dressed in meat and pouring the blood of raped women across a pageant entryway, ran for nine years eventually contributing to the Miss California pageant leaving Santa Cruz. Simonton founded and coordinates the non-profit group "Media Watch" which monitors and critiques media images of women and ethnic minorities. Beginning in 1983 Santa Cruz has hosted an annual Take Back the Night
Take Back the Night

Take Back the Night is an internationally held march and Demonstration intended as a protest and direct action against rape and other forms of violence against women, originated by the feminist movement....
 candlelight vigil, rally, march, and protest focusing on the issue of violence against women.

Santa Cruz has an active community of independent media makers as demonstrated by the Santa Cruz Independent Media Center and many other do-it-yourself media projects. A pirate radio station, Free Radio Santa Cruz
Free Radio Santa Cruz

Free Radio Santa Cruz is an unlicensed radio station in Santa Cruz, California, USA. The station has been on the air since Spring, 1995; its broadcast content is a mix of daily news, music, and cultural programs, produced both locally and nationally....
 (FRSC 101.1 FM), has been in operation in Santa Cruz for a decade, operating with active participation from a cross section of Santa Cruz residents. Incendio is a bi-lingual journal to connect English- and Spanish-speaking anarchists throughout the world to anarchist, indigenous, ecological, and social struggles occurring throughout Latin America. Santa Cruz also has an active independent media outlet.

Founded in 1976, The Resource Center for Nonviolence is one of the oldest and most centrally located non-profit organizations committed to political and social activism in Santa Cruz County. The center is "dedicated to promoting the principles of nonviolent social change and enhancing the quality of life and human dignity".

Santa Cruz has an activist Veteran community. The United Veterans Council sponsors a community-based program for Veterans dealing with re-entry into society as an alternative to government remedies. The Bill Motto VFW
Veterans of Foreign Wars

The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States , is a Congressional charter war veterans organization. VFW currently has 1.6 million members and is the largest American organization of combat veterans....
 post #5888 sponsors anti-war and peace efforts in Santa Cruz and throughout the country. The Veterans Memorial Building is host to punk
Punk rock

Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock....
, reggae
Reggae

Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s.While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Music of Jamaica, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady....
, and hip-Hop acts from Santa Cruz and around the world. It is also the home of the Bill Motto Post sponsored Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving (United States)

Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, at the end of the harvest season, is an annual United States Federal holiday to express Gratitude for one's material possessions....
 and Christmas
Christmas

Christmas , also referred to as Christmas Day, is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus. The day marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts Twelve Days of Christmas....
 dinners. These dinners were started by post #5888 in the late seventies. In 2006, the Thanksgiving dinner served 1,400 people.

Other non-profit organizations have been developed to address various issues in the community, such as The Santa Cruz AIDS Project
Santa Cruz AIDS Project

Santa Cruz AIDS Project is a non-profit organization based in Santa Cruz California which offers free client services for those who are HIV positive, as well as a variety of services for HIV prevention, including education, needle exchange and HIV testing....
, Barrios Unidos
Barrios Unidos

Barrios Unidos is the 12th locality of Bogot?, capital of Colombia. It is located in the city's north. Barrios Unidos is completely urban, with some light industry and major commercial areas....
, and The Homeless Garden Project.

Climate

Santa Cruz has mild weather throughout the year, enjoying a Mediterranean climate characterized by cool, wet winters and warm, mostly dry summers. Due to its proximity to Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay

Monterey Bay is a Headlands and bays of the Pacific Ocean, south of San Francisco between the cities of Santa Cruz, California and Monterey, California....
, fog and low overcast is a common feature during the night and morning hours, especially in the summer.

January is the coolest month with an average maximum of and an average minimum of . September is the warmest month with an average maximum of and an average minimum of . There are an average of only 5.7 days with highs of 90°F (32°C) or higher and an average of 12.7 days with lows of 32°F (0°C) or lower. The highest temperature on record was on September 14, 1971. The lowest temperature on record was on December 23, 1990.

Average annual rainfall in Santa Cruz is , with most of the rain falling from November through April. There are an average of 65 days with measurable rain annually. The most rainfall in one year was in 1983 and the least rainfall in one year was in 1989. In December 1955, 21.07 inches fell in Santa Cruz and the San Lorenzo River had one of its greatest floods in history. Heavy rains and high winds in the spring of 1958 caused extensive damage along the coastline of Santa Cruz County. The greatest 24 hour rainfall in Santa Cruz was on January 5, 1982.

Economy

The principal industries of Santa Cruz are agriculture
Agriculture

Agriculture refers to the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of civilization, with the animal husbandry of domestication animals and plants creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more Population density and Social stratification societies....
, tourism
Tourism

Tourism is travel for recreational or leisure purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from...
, education (UCSC) and high technology. Santa Cruz is a center of the organic
Organic farming

Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies on crop rotation, green manure, compost, biological pest control, and mechanical cultivation to maintain soil productivity and control pest s, excluding or strictly limiting the use of synthetic fertilizers and synthetic pesticides, plant growth regulators, livestock feed additives, and gen...
 agriculture movement, and many specialty products as well as housing the headquarters of California Certified Organic Farmers
California Certified Organic Farmers

California Certified Organic Farmers, or CCOF is a membership organization formed in 1973, to promote organic farming and small-scale agriculture....
. Tourist attractions include the classic Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an oceanfront amusement park in Santa Cruz, California. Founded in 1907 and operated by the family-owned Santa Cruz Seaside Company since 1915, it is California's oldest surviving amusement park and one of two seaside parks on the West Coast of the United States ....
  on the beach, the redwood forests, and Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay

Monterey Bay is a Headlands and bays of the Pacific Ocean, south of San Francisco between the cities of Santa Cruz, California and Monterey, California....
, which is protected as a marine sanctuary. The best known local high-tech companies are RF Micro Devices and Plantronics
Plantronics

Plantronics is a hardware company based in Santa Cruz, California, that specializes in lightweight Headset and is the market leader worldwide....
. The biotech company Santa Cruz Biotechnology
Santa Cruz Biotechnology

Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc., is a biotechnology company that focuses on producing research antibody reagents. They are based out of Santa Cruz, California, USA....
, which is focusing on research antibody reagents production is also headquarterted in Santa Cruz. Other high-tech companies include Giro bicycle helmets, O'Neill Wetsuits founded by Jack O'Neill
Jack O'Neill (businessman)

Jack O'Neill is the one of the founders of O'Neill surf shop. He and his two brothers, Bob O'Neill and Bill O'Neill opened their first surf shop in Santa Cruz, California in 1959....
, O'Neill Surf Shops, Santa Cruz Skateboards, The Santa Cruz Guitar Company, Santa Cruz Mountain Bikes, Kestrel Bicycles, and Erik's Deli Cafe are also based in Santa Cruz. Odwalla Juices and Good Earth Tea were founded in Santa Cruz as well.

From 1970 to present, Santa Cruz has been the home to numerous boatbuilding companies, including Moore Brothers, Bill Lee Yachts, Wilderness Boats, Alsberg Bros. Boats, C&B Boats, and Pacific Yachts. A common theme amongst these builders was the influence of lightweight surfboard construction using foam and fiberglass, and the result was the creation of the ULDB (ultralight displacement boat). Classes such as the Santa Cruz 27 and 52, Moore 24
Moore 24

The Moore 24 is a List of sailboat types.Designed by Santa Cruz, California surfer/sailor, George Olson, it is one of the first ultralight displacement sailboats, or ULDBs entering production in 1972....
, Olson 30
Olson 30

Introduction The Olson 30 is a sailboat designed by George Olson of Santa Cruz, CA around 1978. Olson was a surfer and surfboard shaper who decided to design a 30' ultra light displacement boat while on a delivery from Honolulu to Santa Cruz on Merlin, a 68' Bill Lee designed and built ultralight sailboat which had competed in the...
, Wilderness 21, Monterey Bay 30, and custom boats like Merlin showed that exciting, fast, and seaworthy boats could be made out of materials far lighter than was common in that time. While many of these builders have closed, Santa Cruz Yachts and Moore Bros. still exist.

Demographics

 Santa Cruz
Population by year
Year Pop.
1860 950
1870 2,561
1880 3,898
1890 5,596
1900 5,659
1910 11,146
1920 10,917
1930 14,395
1940 16,896
1950 21,970
1960 25,596
1970 32,076
1980 41,483
1990 49,040
2000 54,593
Recorded from the census
Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population....
 of 2000, there were 54,593 people total with 20,442 households and 10,404 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans....
 includes 1,682.2/km² (4,356.0/sq mi). There were 21,504 housing units at an average density of 1,715.8/sq mi (662.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.74% White, 17.39% Hispanic or Latino, 1.73% African American, 0.86% Native American, 4.90% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 9.14% from other races
Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
, and 4.50% from two or more races.

There were 20,442 households out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.0% were married couples
Marriage

Marriage is a social, spirituality, or law union of individuals. This union may also be called matrimony, while the ceremony that marks its beginning is usually called a wedding and the married status created is sometimes called wedlock....
 living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.1% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city the population was spread out with 17.3% under the age of 18, 20.5% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.9 males age 18 and over.

The median income
Income

Income, refers to consumption opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. However, for households and individuals, "income is the sum of all the wages, salaries, profits, interests payments, rents and other forms of earnings received......
 for a household in the city was $50,605, and the median income for a family was $62,231. Males had a median income of $44,751 versus $32,699 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income

Per capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone....
 for the city was $25,758. About 6.6% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

In the state legislature
California State Legislature

The California State Legislature is the State legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members....
 Santa Cruz is located in the 11th Senate
California State Senate

The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 State Senators. The state legislature meets in the state capital, Sacramento, California....
 District, represented by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major party contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party . It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world....
 Joe Simitian
Joe Simitian

Saren Joseph Simitian is a United States Democratic Party California California State Senate, who was elected to replace the term limit Byron Sher in the 2004 elections....
, and in the 27th Assembly
California State Assembly

The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000....
 District, represented by Democrat John Laird. Federally, Santa Cruz is located in California's 17th congressional district
California's 17th congressional district

California's 17th congressional district covers all of Monterey County, California and San Benito County, California counties, as well as part of Santa Cruz County, California....
, which has a Cook PVI
Cook Partisan Voting Index

The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an United States congressional district leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole....
 of D +17 and is represented by Democrat Sam Farr
Sam Farr

Samuel S. Farr , United States politician, has been a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives since 1993, representing the California's 17th congressional district of California....
.

Sister cities

Santa Cruz has five sister cities
Town twinning

Town twinning, also known as sister cities, is a concept whereby towns or city in geographically and politically distinct areas are paired, with the goal of fostering human contact and cultural links between their inhabitants....
, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc.

  • Alushta
    Alushta

    Alushta is a resort town in Crimea, Ukraine, founded in the 6th century CE by Emperor Justinian. It is situated on the Black Sea on the road from Gurzuf to Sudak, as well as on the Crimean Trolleybus line....
    , Ukraine
    Ukraine

    Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south....
  • Jinotepe
    Jinotepe

    Jinotepe is a city in Nicaragua located in Department of Carazo in the South Pacific region of Nicaragua at the municipality of Jinotepe, Carazo....
    , Nicaragua
    Nicaragua

    Nicaragua officially the Republic of Nicaragua , is a representative democracy republic. It is the largest state in Central America with an area of 130,000 km2, about the size of the state of New York....
  • Puerto La Cruz
    Puerto la Cruz

    Puerto la Cruz, is a port city located in Anzoategui state in Venezuela's capital Sotillo municipality. Is bound to the state capital, Barcelona, also to Dairy and turn to Guanta, and shaping the metropolitan area's largest and most important eastern Venezuela....
    , Venezuela
    Venezuela

    Venezuela , officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a country on the northern coast of South America.The country comprises a continental mainland and numerous islands located off the Venezuelan coastline in the Caribbean Sea....
  • Sestri Levante
    Sestri Levante

    Sestri Levante is a town in Liguria, Italy. Lying on the Mediterranean Sea, it is approximately 56 kilometers south of Genova and is set on a promontory....
    , Italy
    Italy

    Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
  • Shingu
    Shingu, Wakayama

    is a cities of Japan located in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 32,623 and the population density of 128 persons per km?....
    , Japan
    Japan

    Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....


A monument next to the downtown Santa Cruz post office has a small circular plaza surrounded by marble posts topped with bronze maps of each of the sister cities.

The sister city relationship with Alushta was established in the waning days of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a Constitution of the Soviet Union socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991.The name is a translation of the , romanization of Russian Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated ????, SSSR....
 before the fall of Communism
Communism

Communism is a socioeconomic structure and political ideology that promotes the establishment of an egalitarianism, classlessness, stateless society based on common ownership and control of the means of production and property in general....
 and was controversial at the time.

Transportation

State Routes 1
California State Route 1

State Route 1, often called Highway 1, is a state highway that runs along much of the West Coast of the United States of the U.S. state of California....
 and 17 are the main roads in and out of Santa Cruz. Geographically constrained between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Monterey Bay, the narrow transportation corridor served by SR 1 suffers mild congestion. A highway widening project is underway. The ramp from SR 1 northbound to SR 17 southbound, onto Ocean Street, is commonly known as the "fish hook" due to its tightening curve.

The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District
Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District

File:Highway 17X logo.pngThe Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District , or simply the Santa Cruz Metro, provides bus service throughout Santa Cruz County, California....
 provides bus service throughout Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County, California

Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific Ocean coast of the U.S. state of California, just south of the San Francisco Bay Area. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay....
. Metro also operates bus service between Santa Cruz (city) and San Jose
San Jose, California

San Jose or San Jos? is the List of cities in California city in California and the List of United States cities by population in the United States....
, thanks to a partnership with the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority is a special-purpose district responsible for public transit services, congestion management, specific highway improvement projects, and countywide transportation planning for Santa Clara County, California, California, United States....
 and Amtrak California
Amtrak California

Amtrak California is a brand name used by the Caltrans Division of Rail for all state-supported Amtrak rail routes within the United States US State of California....
; connections are possible in San Jose. (Complete transit itineraries between Santa Cruz and San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area

The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Bay, is a metropolitan region that surrounds the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay Bays in Northern California....
 cities and major airports
List of airports in the San Francisco Bay area

The following airports are located in the area around the San Francisco Bay, including the major cities of San Jose, California, San Francisco, California, and Oakland, California, as well as surrounding communities....
 are available from iridethebus.org; see External Links, below.) Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines

Greyhound Lines is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and incorporated as "Greyhound Corporation" in 1929....
 bus service is another option for visiting Santa Cruz.

The nearest airports for commercial travel are San Jose International Airport
San Jose International Airport

Norman Y. Mineta San Jos? International Airport is a city-owned public-use airport serving the city of San Jose, California in Santa Clara County, California, United States....
, Monterey Peninsula Airport
Monterey Peninsula Airport

Monterey Peninsula Airport is a regional airport located three miles southeast of the central business district of Monterey, California, a city in Monterey County, California, California, United States....
, San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport

San Francisco International Airport is a major international airport located south of downtown San Francisco, California, United States, adjacent to the cities of Millbrae, California and San Bruno, California in unincorporated area San Mateo County, California....
, and Oakland International Airport
Oakland International Airport

Oakland International Airport , also known as Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, is a public airport located ten miles south of the central business district of Oakland, California, a city in Alameda County, California, California, United States....
.

Santa Cruz has an extensive network of bike lanes and bike paths. Most major roads have bike lanes, and wide, luxurious bike lanes were recently installed on Beach Street, near the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an oceanfront amusement park in Santa Cruz, California. Founded in 1907 and operated by the family-owned Santa Cruz Seaside Company since 1915, it is California's oldest surviving amusement park and one of two seaside parks on the West Coast of the United States ....
. Additionally, there are levee bike paths along the San Lorenzo River
San Lorenzo River

The San Lorenzo River drains a large drainage basin in Santa Cruz County, California. The headwaters originate in the Santa Cruz Mountains at an elevation of 2500 feet and flow approximately 30 miles through the San Lorenzo Valley before emptying into the Pacific Ocean at Monterey Bay....
. A Rail Trail
Rail trail

Rail trail is a term for a trail that makes use of a Right-of-way . A rail trail can be either a "rail to trail", created in a right-of-way where the railway has been discontinued, or a Rails with trails, created in a right-of-way where the railway remains in use....
 -- a bicycle and pedestrian path beside an existing coastal train track -- is under consideration.

The Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway
Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway

The Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway is a freight railroad and heritage railroad in Northern California.It uses diesel locomotives to haul excursion trains over an 8-mile route between Olympia, California and an interchange with the Union Pacific Railroad at the Santa Cruz Wye....
 operates diesel-electric tourist trains between the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an oceanfront amusement park in Santa Cruz, California. Founded in 1907 and operated by the family-owned Santa Cruz Seaside Company since 1915, it is California's oldest surviving amusement park and one of two seaside parks on the West Coast of the United States ....
 and Roaring Camp in Felton
Felton, California

Felton is a census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, California, California, United States. The population was 1,051 at the 2000 census....
, through Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is a California State Park located in Santa Cruz County, California, primarily in the area in-between the cities of Santa Cruz, California, Felton, California, and Scotts Valley, California, and the University of California, Santa Cruz, and it includes an extension in the Fall Creek, California area....
.

Education


K through 12

Elementary schools

Santa Cruz City Schools Elementary District is made up of elementary schools where a complete K through 5th grade program is offered.
  • Bay View Elementary
  • DeLaveaga Elementary
  • Gault Elementary
  • Westlake Elementary
  • Monarch Elementary (alternative)
  • Gateway School (private, K-8)
  • Holy Cross School (private, K-8)
  • Spring Hill Elementary (private, K-6)


Junior high and middle schools
  • Branciforte Middle School
  • Mission Hill Middle School
  • Pacific Collegiate School
    Pacific Collegiate School

    Pacific Collegiate School is a grades 7-12 charter school located on the westside of Santa Cruz, California.Currently, the number of students hovers around 435....
     (charter, 7-12)
  • Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School
    Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School

    Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School is a non-profit independent school, located in Harvey West, Santa Cruz, California, United States, and named after pioneer Georgiana Bruce Kirby....
     (private, 6-12)
  • Empire Academy (private, 6-12)
  • Gateway School (private, K-8)
  • Holy Cross School (private, K-8)


High schools
  • Santa Cruz High School
    Santa Cruz High School

    Santa Cruz High School in Santa Cruz, California, opened in 1897.Santa Cruz High School is a comprehensive public school for grades nine through twelve, and has an enrollment of approximately 1040 students....
  • Harbor High School
  • Costanoa High School (alternative)
  • The Ark (alternative)
  • Pacific Collegiate School
    Pacific Collegiate School

    Pacific Collegiate School is a grades 7-12 charter school located on the westside of Santa Cruz, California.Currently, the number of students hovers around 435....
     (charter, 7-12)
  • Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School (private, 6-12)
  • Empire Academy (private, 6-12)
  • Waldorf High School (private)


Colleges and universities

While there are several colleges and universities proximate to Santa Cruz, the city itself hosts: the University of California, Santa Cruz
University of California, Santa Cruz

The University of California, Santa Cruz, also known as UC Santa Cruz or UCSC, is a public university, residential college university; one of ten campuses in the University of California....
. Cabrillo College
Cabrillo College

Cabrillo College is a two-year college offering associate degrees and certificates in more than 70 fields of study such as: engineering, computer science, allied health , public safety, marine biology and the visual and performing arts....
, which is located in nearby Aptos
Aptos, California

Aptos is a census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, California, California, United States. The population was 9,396 at the 2000 census.Aptos is an unincorporated area of Santa Cruz county, consisting of several small communities....
, also holds classes within Santa Cruz city. There is also a small private Christian college, Bethany University.

Attractions


Points of interest

  • University of California, Santa Cruz, Arboretum
    University of California, Santa Cruz, Arboretum

    The University of California, Santa Cruz, Arboretum, also called the UCSC Arboretum, is located on the campus of the University of California, Santa Cruz, in Santa Cruz, California, United States....
  • Mission Santa Cruz
    Mission Santa Cruz

    Skyler Rae Baker:Other missions bearing the name 'Santa Cruz' include the Spanish missions in Texas#Mission Santa Cruz de San Sab?and the Spanish missions in Texas#Mission San Lorenzo de la Santa Cruz in Texas,along with Spanish missions in Florida located throughout the Florida....
  • Natural Bridges State Beach
    Natural Bridges State Beach

    Natural Bridges State Beach is a protected area in Santa Cruz, California, California, featuring a natural bridge across a section of the beach....
  • Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
    Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

    The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an oceanfront amusement park in Santa Cruz, California. Founded in 1907 and operated by the family-owned Santa Cruz Seaside Company since 1915, it is California's oldest surviving amusement park and one of two seaside parks on the West Coast of the United States ....
  • Santa Cruz Student Housing Co-ops
  • Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

    The Santa Cruz City Museum of Natural History, also known affectionately by locals as the "whale museum", is one of the earliest museums in the state of California....
  • Santa Cruz Surfing Museum
    Santa Cruz Surfing Museum

    The Santa Cruz Surfing Museum is a museum which was established on Memorial Day 1986 to document the history of surfing. With collections dating back to the earliest years of surfing on mainland United States, the museum houses a good historical account of surfing in Santa Cruz, California....
  • Main Beach


Parks


State parks & beaches
  • Lighthouse Field State Beach
    Lighthouse Field State Beach

    Lighthouse Field State Beach is a protected beach located in California.External links ...
  • Natural Bridges State Beach
    Natural Bridges State Beach

    Natural Bridges State Beach is a protected area in Santa Cruz, California, California, featuring a natural bridge across a section of the beach....
  • Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
  • Twin Lakes State Beach
  • Seabright State Beach
  • Sand Hill Bluff


Pacific Avenue


Pacific Santacruz Ca
Pacific Avenue is a street in the downtown
Downtown

File:Chicago_skyline_march2006c.jpgDowntown is a term primarily used in North America to refer to a city's core or central business district, usually in a geographical, commercial, and community sense....
 area of Santa Cruz and is known for its shopping area (formerly known as the Pacific Garden Mall), and arguably the city's cultural center with several book stores and independent movie theaters. The atmosphere is generally peaceful and relaxed; people play music and sing. On weekends, at the fork of Pacific Avenue and Front Street, near Jamba Juice
Jamba Juice

Jamba Juice is a Business chain of smoothie restaurants headquartered in Emeryville, California with over 700 locations operating in 30 states, the District of Columbia and the Bahamas....
 cafe and the Town Clock, representatives of the local Brazilian and Portuguese-speaking populations have dance contests.

Roy Rydell was engaged as the landscape architect for the former Pacific Garden Mall and other notable places in Santa Cruz including: Abbott Square beside the Octagon Museum, Plaza Branciforte on Soquel Avenue, the Town Clock Plaza, the Communication Building at UCSC, Deer Park Center, Santa Cruz City Hall Annex, and the Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, Order of the British Empire was a British filmmaker and film producer who pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres....
 estate.

During the Loma Prieta earthquake
Loma Prieta earthquake

The Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the Quake of '89 and the World Series Quake, was a major earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area of California on October 17, 1989 at 5:04 p.m....
 in 1989, several buildings along what was known as the Pacific Garden Mall were destroyed, including the former beaux arts courthouse renamed and reopened in the 1960s as the Cooper House. The Cooper House was widely regarded as the heart of the downtown area and featured outdoor music played each day by Don McCaslin's band "Warmth". The Cooper House had a restaurant and bar that went through several owners throughout the 1980s but consistently attracted the townspeople, their guests, and local characters such as "Rainbow Ginger" to the outdoor patio where cocktails, food, music, and people watching were always on the menu. Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood

Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American actor, film director, film producer and composer. He is known for his tough guy, anti-hero acting roles in Action films and western films, particularly in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s....
's 1983 "Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry

Dirty Harry is a crime film thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel. It is the first film in the Dirty Harry . Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector Harry Callahan ....
" movie, Sudden Impact
Sudden Impact

Sudden Impact is a 1983 in film Crime film Thriller and the fourth film in the Dirty Harry , directed by and starring Clint Eastwood . The movie is probably best remembered for Harry's catch phrase "Go ahead, make my day.", often incorrectly attributed to Dirty Harry in the franchise; in 2005, it was voted in a poll by the American Film...
, includes a car chase filmed in the business district several years before the earthquake. Since the earthquake, the old "Pacific Garden Mall" theme was eliminated, and an updated downtown design plan was implemented. The few remaining empty lots on Pacific Avenue are currently in the process of being developed.

Greenbelt districts


  • Pogonip is a city-run park and open space located adjacent to the University of California, Santa Cruz
    University of California, Santa Cruz

    The University of California, Santa Cruz, also known as UC Santa Cruz or UCSC, is a public university, residential college university; one of ten campuses in the University of California....
    . It includes second-growth redwoods and meadows as well as several streams, and is crossed by several hiking trails. The Pogonip also includes a former country club, with its golf courses and polo fields. The name for the park is derived from the Shoshone
    Shoshone language

    Shoshone is a Native Americans in the United States language spoken by the Shoshone people.Shoshone speaking Native Americans occupy areas of Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Idaho and Montana....
     Native American word pogonip meaning "cloud".


  • Arana Gulch
  • Lighthouse Field
  • Moore Creek
  • Neary Lagoon


Regional parks
  • Harvey West Park
  • DeLaveaga Park
  • Depot Park


Neighborhood parks
  • Beach Flats Park
  • Central Park
  • Cowells Beach
  • Derby Park
  • Frederick Street Park
  • Garfield Park
  • Grant Park
  • John Franks Park
  • Laurel Park
  • Lighthouse Neighborhood Park
  • Mike Fox Park
  • Mission Plaza
  • Moore Creek Overlook
  • Ocean View Park
  • Round Tree Park
  • San Lorenzo Park
  • Star of the Sea
  • Trescony
  • Tyrrell Park
  • University Terrace
  • Westlake Park


Recreation

Santacruz Beachboardwalk Carousel Palmsdscn9371
Santa Cruz is well-known for watersports such as sailing
Sailing

Sailing is the art of controlling a boat with large pieces of canvas cloth called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and dagger or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to change the direction and speed of a boat....
, diving
Diving

Diving refers to the sport of performing acrobatics while jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard of a certain height. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games....
, swimming
Swimming

Swimming is the movement by humans or animals through water, usually without artificial assistance. Swimming is an activity that can be both useful and recreational....
, paddling, and surfing
Surfing

Surfing refers to a person or boat riding down a wave and thereby gathering speed from the downward movement. Most commonly, the term is used for a surface water sports in which the person surfing is carried along the face of a breaking ocean surface wave standing on a surfboard....
. It is the home of O'Neill
O'Neill (brand)

O'Neill is a surfwear and equipment brand that was started in San Francisco, California, but soon moved down the coast to Santa Cruz, California....
 Wetsuit
Wetsuit

Wetsuits help to preserve body heat by trapping a layer of water against the skin; this water is consequently warmed by body heat and acts as an insulator....
s and Santa Cruz Surfboards, as well as Santa Cruz Skateboards and Santa Cruz Bicycles. Santa Cruz also houses Derby skate park, the first public skate park in the USA as well as the brand new Ken Wormhoudt skatepark at Mike Fox Park. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an oceanfront amusement park in Santa Cruz, California. Founded in 1907 and operated by the family-owned Santa Cruz Seaside Company since 1915, it is California's oldest surviving amusement park and one of two seaside parks on the West Coast of the United States ....
 is California’s oldest amusement park
Amusement park

Amusement park is the generic term for a collection of Amusement ride and other entertainment attractions assembled for the purpose of entertaining a large group of people....
 and a designated State Historic Landmark. Home to a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark

A National Historic Landmark is a building, :wiktionary:site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States for its historical significance....
, a 1911 Charles I. D. Looff
Charles I. D. Looff

Charles I. D. Looff was a master carver and builder of hand-carved carousels and amusement rides in America. Looff built the first carousel at Coney Island in 1876....
 Carousel
Carousel

A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotation platform with seats for passengers. The "seats" are traditionally in the form of wooden horses or animals, which are often moved mechanically up and down to simulate Horse gait#Gallop, to the accompaniment of Music loop circus music....
 and 1924 Giant Dipper
Giant Dipper

The Giant Dipper is a famous wooden roller coaster located at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, an amusement park in Santa Cruz, California. It opened on May 17, 1924 as the fastest rollercoaster in the world....
 roller coaster, the Boardwalk has been owned and operated by the Santa Cruz Seaside Company since 1915.

Santa Cruz is the reputed site of the first surfing in California in 1885, when three Hawaiian princes, Prince Edward, Prince David and Prince Jonah Kalaniana’ole, surfed on locally milled redwood boards at the mouth of the San Lorenzo River. Santa Cruz has 11 world-class surf breaks, including the point breaks over rock bottoms near Steamer Lane
Steamer Lane

Steamer Lane is a famous surfing location in Santa Cruz, California. It is just off a point on the side of cliffs in the West Cliff residential area near downtown Santa Cruz, providing easy access and a good vantage point for viewing....
 and Pleasure Point
Pleasure Point, Santa Cruz, California

A history of Pleasure Point, Santa Cruz, CaliforniaFrom the time of the Costanoan through the Spanish missions in California, into the time of the Californios and the break up of the Ranchos to the development of the Coastal cottages and businesses, the ?Point? has had a rich and interesting past....
, which create some of the best surfing waves in the world. Home to the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum
Santa Cruz Surfing Museum

The Santa Cruz Surfing Museum is a museum which was established on Memorial Day 1986 to document the history of surfing. With collections dating back to the earliest years of surfing on mainland United States, the museum houses a good historical account of surfing in Santa Cruz, California....
 at Steamer Lane, which continues to be staffed by docents such as Harry Mayo and others from the Santa Cruz Surfing Club who have surfed Santa Cruz waves since the 1930s, Santa Cruz hosts several surf contests drawing international participants each year, including the O'Neill Cold Water Classic, the International Longboard Association contest, and many others. Santa Cruz was home to the Miss California Pageant, state finals to Miss America for six decades.

The Santa Cruz Wharf
Santa Cruz Wharf

The Santa Cruz Wharf is a wharf in Santa Cruz, California known for fishing, boat tours, viewing California sea lion, dining, and gift shops....
 is known for fishing, viewing marine mammals and other recreation.

Many outdoor sports are popular in the area such as skateboarding
Skateboarding

Skateboarding is the act of riding and performing tricks using a skateboard. A person who skateboards is most often referred to a skateboarder, skater or skate rat....
, cycling
Cycling

Cycling is the use of bicycles, or - less commonly - unicycles, tricycles, Quadracycle s and other similar wheeled human powered vehicles as a means of transport, a form of recreation or a sport....
, camping
Camping

Camping is an outdoor recreational activity.The participants, known as campers, get away from urban areas, their home region or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or more nights, usually at a campsite....
, hiking
Hiking

Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often on trail. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous :Category:Hiking organizations worldwide....
, and rock climbing
Rock Climbing

Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up or across natural Rock formations or man-made climbing wall with the goal of reaching the Summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route....
.

In addition to its reputation in surfing and skateboarding, which now has the first full pipe in Northern California, Santa Cruz is known for other alternative sports such as disc golf
Disc golf

Disc golf is a Flying disc games in which individual players throw a flying disc into a basket or at a target. According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, "The object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc."...
. The Santa Cruz Skatepark is open to the public 7 days a week and is free. The De Laveaga Disc Golf Course
De Laveaga Disc Golf Course

De Laveaga Disc Golf Course is a world renowned 27-hole disc golf course in the hills above Santa Cruz, California. It boasts one of the original long disc golf courses, with some holes measuring more than 500 feet in length....
 hosts PDGA tournaments, including the annual Masters Cup. De Laveaga was the disc golf and discathon venue for the WFDF
World Flying Disc Federation

The World Flying Disc Federation is the international governing body for flying disc sports, with responsibility for sanctioning world championship events, establishing uniform rules, setting of standards for and recording of world records....
-sanctioned World Disc Games
World Disc Games

The World Disc Games is a semi-regular event that brings the entire world flying disc community together for a week of overall disc events that allow people to compete in and enjoy disc sports....
 overall event held in Santa Cruz in July 2005.

Santa Cruz provides many opportunities for birding and butterfly watching
Butterfly watching

Butterfly watching is a hobby concerned with the observation and study of butterfly. There are clubs, handbooks, checklists, and festivals devoted to the activity....
.

Many residents consider downtown Pacific Avenue to be the heart of Santa Cruz culture with its historic buildings, locally-owned businesses, and street performers. Representing an aspect of the "Keep Santa Cruz weird" contingent is Robert Steffen, a gentleman who walks slowly down Pacific Avenue dressed in pink women's clothing and makeup, including a parasol, thereby attaining the moniker "Slow Robert" and "The Pink Umbrella Man".

The city also is often said to be a huge hot spot for Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen Beetle

The Volkswagen Type 1 is an economy car produced by the Germany auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003. The car was originally known as K?fer, the German language word for "beetle," from which the popular English nickname originates....
 enthusiasts, featuring many in local auto shows annually. One of the Volkswagen Beetle's custom variations, the "So-Cal" Bug, has received nationwide attention as a true California surf car. Many of these are seen on the beaches in Santa Cruz, as well as the occasional Volkswagen Bus
Volkswagen Type 2

The Volkswagen Type 2 was the second automotive line introduced by Germany automaker Volkswagen. It was a van introduced in 1950, initially based on Volkswagen's first model, the Type 1, also known as the "Volkswagen Beetle"....
.

Cultural attractions

  • Santa Cruz County Symphony
    Santa Cruz County Symphony

    Founded in 1958, the Santa Cruz County Symphony has been under the guidance of John Larry Granger, Music Director since 1991. The Santa Cruz County Symphony performs at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium and the Mello Center for the Performing Arts in Watsonville, California....
     — Founded in 1958, the Santa Cruz County Symphony is a fully professional ensemble of 65 members which presents an annual concert series at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium and the Mello Center in Watsonville. Additional offerings include musician school visits, free concerts for area school children, family concerts, and pops concerts.
  • Shakespeare Santa Cruz
    Shakespeare Santa Cruz

    Shakespeare Santa Cruz is a professional theatre festival held annually in Santa Cruz, California....
     — An annual summer festival at UC Santa Cruz, the event typically performs two Shakespeare
    William Shakespeare

    William Shakespeare was an English people poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's preeminent dramatist....
     plays and one other play every summer, many of which are performed in a unique outdoor space among the redwoods.
  • Santa Cruz Film Festival — An annual event for independent filmmakers to share their work with film enthusiasts


  • Santa Cruz Fungus Fair — Sponsored by the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

    The Santa Cruz City Museum of Natural History, also known affectionately by locals as the "whale museum", is one of the earliest museums in the state of California....
     and the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz.
  • Arts & Lectures Presents — Sponsored by UC Santa Cruz Arts & Lectures.
  • Santa Cruz Pride — The annual parade is a celebration of sexual preference and diversity in Santa Cruz, held on the Pacific Avenue mall.
  • Open Studios Art Tour — The art fair has been run for more than three decades and draws artists and patrons from around the area.
  • O'Neill
    O'Neill (brand)

    O'Neill is a surfwear and equipment brand that was started in San Francisco, California, but soon moved down the coast to Santa Cruz, California....
     Cold Water Classic — An annual surfing event that draws crowds at the popular Steamer's Lane. The Santa Cruz Surfing Museum
    Santa Cruz Surfing Museum

    The Santa Cruz Surfing Museum is a museum which was established on Memorial Day 1986 to document the history of surfing. With collections dating back to the earliest years of surfing on mainland United States, the museum houses a good historical account of surfing in Santa Cruz, California....
     is housed in a lighthouse there.
  • Wharf to Wharf Race — An annual race which has been held for more than three decades.
  • Woodies on the Wharf — An annual woodies
    Woodies

    Woodies can refer to:* The Woodies ? nickname given to men's tennis doubles team whose members were Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde* Woodie's DIY, a DIY store chain operated by the Grafton Group...
     show that takes place on the Santa Cruz Wharf.
  • Santa Cruz Farmers Market - Year Round Outdoor Markets showcasing the agricultural diversity of the Central Coast region with emphasis on sustainable agriculture
    Sustainable agriculture

    Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals: natural environment stewardship, farm profitability, and prosperous farming community. These goals have been defined by a variety of List of academic disciplines and may be looked at from the vantage point of the farmer or the consumer....
     and organic food
    Organic food

    Organic foods are made according to certain production standards, meaning they are grown without the use of conventional pesticides and artificial fertilizers, free from contamination by human or industrial waste, and processed without food irradiation or food additives....
    . Regional specialties include strawberry, apple, artichoke, artisan goat cheeses and brassica
    Brassica

    Brassica is a genus of plants in the mustard family . The members of the genus may be collectively known either as cabbages, or as mustards....
    . The main market is held downtown on Wednesday's.


Historic places

  • Landmarks on the National Register of Historic Places
    National Register of Historic Places

    The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation....
    :
  • A. J. Hinds House
    Hinds House

    The Hinds House is a historic landmark in Santa Cruz, California. It was built in 1888 and 1889 by Colonel Alfred J. Hinds and his wife Sarah. Its classical Victorian style has been preserved and it is the largest surviving Stick Eastlake house in Santa Cruz County....
     (8/25/1983)
  • Allan Brown Site (6/25/1981)
  • Bank of Santa Cruz County (3/15/1982)
  • Branciforte Adobe
    Branciforte Adobe

    The Branciforte Adobe, also known as the Craig-Lorenzana Adobe, is the only remaining dwelling from the Villa de Branciforte, the settlement that was established at the time of the Mission Santa Cruz....
     (1/31/1979)
  • Carmelita Court (3/20/1986)
  • Cope Row Houses (1/28/1982)
  • Cowell Lime Works Historic District (11/21/2007)
  • Elias H. Robinson House (1/9/1998)
  • Garfield Park Branch Library (3/26/1992)
  • Glen Canyon Covered Bridge (5/17/1984)
  • Golden Gate Villa
    Golden Gate Villa

    The Golden Gate Villa is a Queen Anne style house in Santa Cruz, California. The house was designed by San Francisco architect Thomas J. Welsh for Major Frank McLaughlin, a mining engineer and California politician....
     (7/24/1975)
  • Hotel Metropole (5/23/1979)
  • Live Oak Ranch (7/10/1975)
  • Looff Carousel and Roller Coaster
    Santa Cruz Looff Carousel and Roller Coaster

    Santa Cruz Looff Carousel and Roller Coaster On The Beach Boardwalk is a National Historic Landmark composed of two parts, a Looff carousel and the Giant Dipper , on the boardwalk at Santa Cruz, California....
     (2/27/1987)
  • Mission Hill Area Historic District
    Mission Santa Cruz

    Skyler Rae Baker:Other missions bearing the name 'Santa Cruz' include the Spanish missions in Texas#Mission Santa Cruz de San Sab?and the Spanish missions in Texas#Mission San Lorenzo de la Santa Cruz in Texas,along with Spanish missions in Florida located throughout the Florida....
     (5/17/1976)
  • Neary-Rodriguez Adobe (2/24/1975)
  • Octagon Building
    Octagon Building (Santa Cruz, California)

    The Octagon Building located at 118 Cooper Street, corner of Front Street, in Santa Cruz, California, California, is an historic redbrick octagonal government office building built in 1882 to serve as the Santa Cruz County Hall of Records....
     (3/24/1971)
  • Santa Cruz Downtown Historic District (7/27/1989)
  • US Post Office-Santa Cruz Main (1/11/1985)
  • Veterans Memorial Building (4/27/1992)


  • Landmarks on the California Register of Historical Resources
    California Register of Historical Resources

    The California Register of Historical Resources is a California California government and politics program for use by state and local agencies, private groups and citizens to identify, evaluate, register and protect California's history resources....
    :
    • Mission Santa Cruz
      Mission Santa Cruz

      Skyler Rae Baker:Other missions bearing the name 'Santa Cruz' include the Spanish missions in Texas#Mission Santa Cruz de San Sab?and the Spanish missions in Texas#Mission San Lorenzo de la Santa Cruz in Texas,along with Spanish missions in Florida located throughout the Florida....
    • Center of Villa de Branciforte
    • Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
      Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

      The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an oceanfront amusement park in Santa Cruz, California. Founded in 1907 and operated by the family-owned Santa Cruz Seaside Company since 1915, it is California's oldest surviving amusement park and one of two seaside parks on the West Coast of the United States ....


Media


Television

The Monterey-Salinas metropolitan statistical (or service) area (MSA) is served by a variety of local television stations, and is the 124th largest designated market area (DMA) in the U.S. with 222,900 homes:
  • KOTR - Channel 2
    KOTR-LP

    KOTR-LP is a television station located in Gonzales, California, which is the MyNetworkTV affiliate for the Monterey Bay area. The station broadcasts on channel 2....
    : - Monterey/Salinas/Santa Cruz (Comcast Cable 11)
  • ABC 7 - Channel 7 (cable-only)
    KGO-TV

    KGO-TV, channel 7, based in San Francisco, California, is an owned-and-operated station of The Walt Disney Company subsidiary American Broadcasting Company....
    : - (ABC) - Del Rey Oaks
  • KSBW - channel 8
    KSBW

    KSBW is a television station in the United States and is the NBC affiliate for the Monterey, California-Salinas, California-Santa Cruz, California market, with studios in Salinas....
    : - (NBC) - Salinas
  • KMUV - channel 15: - (Telemundo
    Telemundo

    Telemundo is a Spanish language United States television network. Launched in San Juan, Puerto Rico by Angel Ramos in 1954, it is the second-largest Spanish language content producer in the world....
    ) - Monterey/Salinas/Santa Cruz (Simulcast of KSTS
    KSTS

    KSTS is the NBC Universal owned and operated station Telemundo television station in the San Francisco Bay Area market. The station is located in San Jose, California and broadcasts on analog channel 48, digital 49....
     48)
  • KQET - channel 25: - (PBS) - Watsonville (Simulcast of San Jose's KTEH
    KTEH

    KTEH is a public television television station in San Jose, California, serving the San Francisco Bay Area as a Public Broadcasting Service member station on channel 54....
    )
  • KDJT - channel 33: - (Telefutura
    TeleFutura

    TeleFutura is a U.S. Spanish language broadcast television network owned by Univision with headquarters in Miami, Florida....
    ) - Monterey
  • KCBA - channel 35
    KCBA

    KCBA is a Fox Broadcasting Company affiliate television channel in Salinas, California, United States. The station broadcasting its digital television signal on very high frequency channel 13....
    : - (Fox Broadcasting Company
    Fox Broadcasting Company

    The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox and stylized as FOX, is an United States television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation....
    ) - Salinas
  • KMCE - channel 43: - (Azteca América
    Azteca América

    Azteca Am?rica is a broadcast television network marketed toward Spanish-speaking families residing in the United States. As the fastest-growing Hispanic network, Azteca Am?rica now reaches 89% of the Hispanic households in the U.S., operating in sixty-two markets nationwide....
    ) - Monterey/Salinas
  • KION - channel 46
    KION-TV

    KION-TV is a full-power television station in Salinas, California, broadcasting on digital channel 32 as a CBS affiliate. The stations continues to use UHF channel 46 as its virtual channel through the use of PSIP....
    : - (CBS
    CBS

    CBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American radio network and television network. The name is derived from the initials of Columbia Broadcasting System, its former legal name....
    ) - Salinas
  • KSMS-TV - channel 67
    KSMS-TV

    KSMS-TV is a Spanish-language television station in Monterey, California, broadcasting locally on channel 67 as an affiliate of Univisi?n. Founded September 1, 1986, the station is owned by Entravision....
    : - (Univision
    Univision

    Univision is a List of Spanish-language television channels network in the United States and Puerto Rico. It has the largest Latin American audience, largely due to repurposed telenovelas and other Mexican programs produced by Grupo Televisa....
    ) - Monterey


ABC affiliate
The Monterey-Salinas area lost its American Broadcasting Company
American Broadcasting Company

The American Broadcasting Company is an United States television network. Created in 1943 from the former National Broadcasting Company Blue Network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group....
 broadcast affiliate in 2000, when KNTV
KNTV

KNTV, Channel 11, is the NBC owned and operated station television station in the San Francisco Bay Area market. It is licensed to San Jose, California, with its transmitter located on San Bruno Mountain, just north of San Francisco International Airport....
 was purchased, and then became the NBC station for the San Francisco Oakland San Jose metropolitan area. KNTV, now known as NBC11, later moved its tower from Loma Prieta Peak to San Bruno Mountain
San Bruno Mountain

San Bruno Mountain, situated in northern San Mateo County, California, is the northernmost part of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Most of the mountain lies within the 2,326 acre San Bruno Mountain State Park, which is a landmark of local and regional significance as well as a county park, standing as a unique open-space island in the midst of th...
, ceasing its coverage in Monterey. At that time, ABC reached an agreement with Comcast Cable to provide a slightly-customized feed of San Francisco ABC O&O KGO-TV
KGO-TV

KGO-TV, channel 7, based in San Francisco, California, is an owned-and-operated station of The Walt Disney Company subsidiary American Broadcasting Company....
 for the Monterey area, branded simply as ABC 7 and occasionally referred to by the mock call letters AABC.

Radio

  • KSCO
    KSCO

    KSCO is a 10,000 watt daytime, 5,000 watt nighttime , independent radio station located in Santa Cruz, California. It can be heard over much of Central California during the day....
    , 1080 AM
  • KUSP
    KUSP

    KUSP is a community supported, National Public Radio affiliated public radio station. Located in Santa Cruz, California, the signal covers most of California's Central Coast area....
    , 88.9 FM
  • KZSC
    KZSC

    KZSC is a public radio station broadcasting from the campus of UCSC in Santa Cruz, California. It is a non-commercial, educational radio station that serves as a training ground for UCSC students interested in broadcasting, as well as an outlet for many members of the Santa Cruz community....
    , 88.1 FM
  • Free Radio Santa Cruz
    Free Radio Santa Cruz

    Free Radio Santa Cruz is an unlicensed radio station in Santa Cruz, California, USA. The station has been on the air since Spring, 1995; its broadcast content is a mix of daily news, music, and cultural programs, produced both locally and nationally....
    , FRSC 101.1 FM
  • KHIP
    KHIP

    KHIP is a commercial radio station in Gonzales, California, broadcasting to the Santa Cruz, California-Monterrey, California-Salinas, California area on 104.3 FM Broadcasting....
    , 104.3 FM
  • KAPU
    Kapu

    The Hawaiian language word kapu is usually translated as "forbidden". In ancient Hawaii, kapu refers to the ancient system of laws and regulations....
    , 104.7 FM
  • KPIG-FM, 107.5 FM


Newspapers

  • City on a Hill Press
    City on a Hill Press

    City on a Hill Press, originally launched in 1966 as The Fulcrum, is the student newspaper of the University of California, Santa Cruz. Designed as a newsmagazine, the weekly tabloid-sized paper releases new issues every Thursday of the academic quarter, for a total of 30 issues per school year....
  • Fish Rap Live!
    Fish Rap Live!

    Fish Rap Live!, also known as FRL!, is a triweekly alternative humor publication at the University of California, Santa Cruz. With an estimated readership of 11,250, it is the most-widely read and most popular student-run paper on the California Central Coast campus....
  • Good Times
  • Metro Santa Cruz
    Metro Santa Cruz

    Metro Santa Cruz is a free-circulation weekly newspaper published in Santa Cruz, California since 1994. It covers news, arts and entertainment in Santa Cruz County, a coastal area that includes Capitola, California, Aptos, California and Watsonville, California....
  • Santa Cruz Sentinel
    Santa Cruz Sentinel

    The Santa Cruz Sentinel is a daily newspaper published in Santa Cruz, California, covering Santa Cruz County, California, and owned by MediaNews Group Inc....


Notable Santa Cruzans and Santa Cruz-based organizations

Due to being the home of University of California, Santa Cruz
University of California, Santa Cruz

The University of California, Santa Cruz, also known as UC Santa Cruz or UCSC, is a public university, residential college university; one of ten campuses in the University of California....
 as well as being bustling with local musicians, Santa Cruz has a number of notable residents.

Notable businesses headquartered in Santa Cruz

This is a list of businesses that are headquartered in Santa Cruz city.
  • Cruzio
    Cruzio

    Cruzio is a local internet service provider in Santa Cruz County, California, providing dial-up and DSL services. It was founded in 1989 by Peggy Dolgenos and Chris Neklason, and is one of the oldest and largest ISPs in the area....
  • Fullpower Technologies
    Fullpower Technologies

    Fullpower is a private company based in Santa Cruz, California. It is notable for its founding in 2003 by Philippe Kahn and Sonia Lee....
  • O'Neill
    O'Neill (brand)

    O'Neill is a surfwear and equipment brand that was started in San Francisco, California, but soon moved down the coast to Santa Cruz, California....
     
  • Plantronics
    Plantronics

    Plantronics is a hardware company based in Santa Cruz, California, that specializes in lightweight Headset and is the market leader worldwide....


Controversy

After Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach, California

Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County, California in southern California, United States. As of the 2006 census, the city population was 194,436....
, California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
 trademarked the Surf City USA name, Santa Cruz politicians tried to stop the mark
TradeMark

TradeMark is a tall, primarily residential, skyscraper in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was completed in 2007 and has 28 floors. There are 200 hundred residential units....
 from being registered by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office because of 10-year-old controversy over Santa Cruz's nickname
Nickname

A nickname is a descriptive name given in place of or in addition to the official name of a person, place or thing. Another class of nickname is the familiar or truncated form of the proper name, such as Bob, Bobby, Rob, Robbie, and Bert for Robert, more properly called a short name....
 "Surf City." Huntington Beach has obtained a total of seven registrations for the Surf City USA trademark. Importantly, however, none of these registrations of the trademark are on the principal register
Lanham Act

The Lanham Act is a piece of legislation that contains the federal statutes of trademark law in the United States. The Act prohibits a number of activities, including trademark infringement, trademark dilution, and false advertising....
, but on the secondary register
Lanham Act

The Lanham Act is a piece of legislation that contains the federal statutes of trademark law in the United States. The Act prohibits a number of activities, including trademark infringement, trademark dilution, and false advertising....
, which means that Huntington Beach has no exclusive right to assert ownership over the "Surf City USA" trademark. Indeed, trademark scholar and law professor Tyler Ochoa has called Huntington Beach's assertion of ownership over the "Surf City USA" mark "weak, dubious, and probably unenforceable." Two Santa Cruz surf shops, Shoreline Surf Shop and Noland's on the Wharf, sued the city of Huntington Beach in order to protect the public use of the term "Surf City." The parties reached a confidential settlement in January 2008, in which neither side admitted liability and all claims and counterclaims were dismissed. The Santa Cruz surf shops continue to print t-shirts, and the Visitor's Bureau retains the right to use the trademark.

Pop culture references

  • In the 1963 Beach Boys song "Surfin' USA
    Surfin' USA (song)

    "Surfin' U.S.A." is the title of a song with lyrics written by Brian Wilson for The Beach Boys, set to the melody from Chuck Berry's Sweet Little Sixteen....
    ", one of the verses features the lyrics, "You'd catch 'em surfin' at Del Mar, Ventura County Line, Santa Cruz and Trestle."
  • Irish
    Republic of Ireland

    Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
     indie/rock
    Rock music

    Rock music is a loosely defined genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the mid 1950's. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rhythm and blues, country music and other influences....
     band, The Thrills
    The Thrills

    The Thrills are an Ireland indie rock musical ensemble, formed in 2001 in Dublin. The band is made up of lead vocalist Conor Deasy, guitarist Daniel Ryan, guitarist and bass player P?draic McMahon, pianist Kevin Horan and drummer Ben Carrigan....
    , released a single called "Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far)", from their 2003 album So Much for the City
    So Much for the City

    So Much for the City is the debut album of the Music of Ireland indie/pop music band The Thrills. It was released in June 2003 and quickly became the number one in the Republic of Ireland where it spent 61 weeks in the top 75 It was also very successful in UK and gave them some attention in Europe, with the single "Big Sur" reaching #17...
    .
  • Several scenes from the 1987 film The Lost Boys
    The Lost Boys

    The Lost Boys is a 1987 in film Cinema of the United States comedy film-horror film about two young Arizonans who move to California and end up fighting a gang of teenage vampires....
     were filmed at distinctive locations in Santa Cruz, including the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
    Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

    The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an oceanfront amusement park in Santa Cruz, California. Founded in 1907 and operated by the family-owned Santa Cruz Seaside Company since 1915, it is California's oldest surviving amusement park and one of two seaside parks on the West Coast of the United States ....
    , Pogonip clubhouse, and the Santa Cruz Wharf.
  • Fatboy Slim
    Fatboy Slim

    Norman Quentin Cook , better known by his stage name Fatboy Slim is a British disk jockey, big beat musician and Record producer. Cook has achieved considerable success in UK single and album charts, first as a member of the Housemartins and then most notably as Beats International, Freak Power, Fatboy Slim and The BPA....
     has a song named "Santa Cruz", from his 1996 album Better Living Through Chemistry
    Better Living Through Chemistry (album)

    Better Living Through Chemistry is the first album by Fatboy Slim. It was released in 1996. It has the same name as the DuPont advertising slogan "Better Living Through Chemistry"....
    .
  • Quentin Tarantino
    Quentin Tarantino

    Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, Film producer, cinematographer and actor. He rose to fame in the early 1990s as an independent film filmmaker whose films used nonlinear and aestheticization of violence....
     references the City of Santa Cruz in Reservoir Dogs
    Reservoir Dogs

    Reservoir Dogs is the 1992 in film directorial debut film of director and writer Quentin Tarantino. It portrays what happens before and after a botched jewel Robbery, but not the heist itself....
     and the University of California, Santa Cruz
    University of California, Santa Cruz

    The University of California, Santa Cruz, also known as UC Santa Cruz or UCSC, is a public university, residential college university; one of ten campuses in the University of California....
     in Pulp Fiction
    Pulp fiction

    Pulp fiction may refer to:*Fiction published in pulp magazines*Pulp Fiction , 1994 film directed by Quentin Tarantino*Pulp Fiction , the soundtrack album from the film...
    .
  • Paddle Out
    Sublime (album)

    Sublime is the third and final album released by ska-punk band Sublime . Originally intended to be titled Killin' It, the band and record label agreed to substitute an eponymous title due to lead singer Bradley Nowell's death prior the album's release....
     by Sublime
    Sublime (band)

    Sublime is an American ska-punk band that originated in Long Beach, California. Founded in 1988, Sublime consisted of Bradley Nowell , Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson ....
     is about surfing
    Surfing

    Surfing refers to a person or boat riding down a wave and thereby gathering speed from the downward movement. Most commonly, the term is used for a surface water sports in which the person surfing is carried along the face of a breaking ocean surface wave standing on a surfboard....
     in Santa Cruz. It mentions Natural Bridges
    Natural Bridges State Beach

    Natural Bridges State Beach is a protected area in Santa Cruz, California, California, featuring a natural bridge across a section of the beach....
    , Steamer Lane
    Steamer Lane

    Steamer Lane is a famous surfing location in Santa Cruz, California. It is just off a point on the side of cliffs in the West Cliff residential area near downtown Santa Cruz, providing easy access and a good vantage point for viewing....
    , and Mitchell's Cove.


See also

  • List of birds of Santa Cruz County, California
    List of birds of Santa Cruz County, California

    This seasonal checklist was developed from records compiled by the Santa Cruz Bird Club, updated most recently September 30, 2002. Included here are common , fairly common , and uncommon occurrences....


External links

  • Santa Cruz Wiki - The People's Guide to Santa Cruz, California