If you have ever been to Santa Cruz, California, you surely remember the uniqueness of Pacific Avenue and the downtown area. Downtown Santa Cruz has an awesome mix of shops with an abundance of locally owned businesses. Santa Cruz has always had a wealth of talent, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit and the community is welcoming, having the "keep it local" spirit. A recent addition to downtown Santa Cruz, Nextspace, is a place where this entrepreneurial spirit can thrive. Offering space to work and services, its a great situation for a small business owner trying to get their ideas off the ground and running. During the day, downtown Santa Cruz can be lined with shoppers and people grabbing a bite to eat while a wealth of lounges and great restaurants makes for great nightlife activities. The Sock Shop is a distinctive local store front which has an organic, old school, and original selection of shoes. As there name hints, they are also well known for their extremely large collectionof socks. Oneill and Pacific Wave are a few surf shops that line Pacific Avenue keeping the beach-town vibe and provide the community with surf gear and apparel. Book Shop Santa Cruz, another locally owned shop, has a large selection of new and used books so you are sure to find what you need at a good price. Great Mexican food is not hard to find in downtown Santa Cruz. If you want to sit down for a nice meal, El Palomar has a stellar ambiance and beautiful interior with high ceilings, not to mention great food. Tampicos is another great spot with good food and a lounge which stays open late. As a quick stop El Palomar has an attached taco bar which has Tuesday specials of $2 tacos and $3 burritos. Jalapenos on the corner of Laurel and Cedar has gigantic burritos that will leave you satisfied at a good price. The Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce located on Ocean Street ensures that the communities economic resources are preserved and utilized. They value efficient and sustainable business and fairness and efficiency in the community decision making. Its a great entity to have downtown.
From downtown we will move to the Santa Cruz Wharf. Out on the pier there are countless seafood restaurants with great views of the coastline and water including Miramar Fish Grotto, Rivas Fish House, Gildas, Gilberts, and more. The pier is also great for taking a sunset stroll after dinner. On nice days you can rent a kayak from Venture Quest Rentals and paddle around the pier and kelp beds and observe all the sea life. The Santa Cruz Wharf is also a destination for a day of fishing with cleaning stations, lights, bathrooms, and many places to grab a bite to eat.
For more information on Downtown Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Wharf and Pete's favorite businesses please visit www.PeteCullen.com
What are your favorite shops and restaurants in downtown Santa Cruz? Please leave a comment and let me know.
Comments(2)