Santa Cruz, CA Local Area Information

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Perhaps the most romantic spot in the area. Gabriella Café, located in the heart of downtown Santa Cruz, serves only the freshest seasonal local organic produce. With the Santa Cruz Farmers Market only three blocks away, achieving this goal is relatively simple. Fresh vegetables and fruit from organic farms around Santa Cruz (Happy Boy, Thomas, Happy Valley, Swanton Berry, Route 1, Pinnacle, Wind... (read more)

Santa Cruz, like many coastal California cities, has its own Spanish mission, the 12th built by Franciscans from Espana who came seeking to spread Christianity to the Americas. Santa Cruz's mission was build in 1791 but was toppled by an earthquake in 1879. Today, only one building from the original architecture stands, a simple, single-story adobe that was once used to house the mission's Native ... (read more)

Their motto is "Your Independent Bookstore. Since 1966!"and Bookshop Santa Cruz takes great pride in the fact that it isn't corporately owned and operated. Authors drop by regularly to give talks and sign jacket covers. The selection here is not super extensive, but fairly refined and with some unique titles. Bookshop Santa Cruz will make any bibliophile happy and any traveler seeking a good beach... (read more)

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If you feel like getting your "Om" on, head to the Chaikhana Tea Culture shop, located just off of Pacific Ave. in downtown Santa Cruz. This herbal haven is known throughout the state for its blissful atmosphere and devotion to the humble tea leaf. Peruse the shelves for the most aromatic pu-erhs, white, yellow, green, and black loose leaves, as well as get tips from master brewers on the perfect ... (read more)

There's nothing quite like an old fashioned movie theatre, one with a brightly lit marquee, carpeted stairways and lacquered banisters that lead to the 2nd story auditoriums, crushed red velvet seats, and heavy curtains that pull back to reveal the silver screen. The Del Mar Theatre on Pacific Ave. is one such theatre, modeled after the movie palaces of yore. While it generally shows indie flicks ... (read more)

Logos is essentially a giant two-story warehouse filled with used books and records. Everything from The Joy of Cooking to Anna Karenina to Travels with Charlie are on the tightly packed shelves. Because most of the titles are pre-owned, Logos is able to turn around and sell tons of popular and lesser-known books at greatly reduced prices. There's nothing like finding a Tolstoy or Allende for unde... (read more)

Kuumbwa Jazz is one of the longest running nonprofit jazz presenters on the West Coast. When jazz superstars aren't jamming on stage, the venue is open to bluegrass, country, folk, Celtic, and world music. "Kuumbwa" means "an act of spontaneous creativity" in Swahili, and what better way to describe the creation of jazz and other forms of impromptu music. The Center brings in big names, like Esper... (read more)

The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH) mixes the work of local artists with exhibits that turn an eye to the history of the Central Coast. Specifically, it imagines where the two meet, how where one is from influences the art he or she creates. A long running exhibit at MAH is "Where the Redwoods Meet the Sea: A History of Santa Cruz County and Its People." Looking from the native peoples ... (read more)