Good Times area AM & FM radio stations and programming guide.
Santa Cruz
Area Guide
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Shopping in Santa Cruz
Guide to shopping, antiques, boutiques, clothing, bookshops and more in Santa Cruz, Capitola, Aptos
Area Guide
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dog-friendly spots in Santa Cruz
Dog-friendly businesses in Santa Cruz County
Dining
Shopping
Lodging
Dog Parks
Dog Friendly Beaches
Miscellaneous
Area Guide
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Clubs & Night Life
As the long days turn to twilight and the sun sets to the west the Santa Cruz nights light up with something for everyone. Whether you are looking for cool jazz, rock 'n' roll or some acoustic guitar you'll find it here. Locals and travelers join together to celebrate great food, cool drinks and night beats. See Santa Cruz Area NightLife A-Z
Also see our area featured > calendar>
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Free WiFi hot spots
The Santa Cruz area offers several locations to connect to the internet for free while enjoying a coffee, meal or conversation. See the Good Times list for Free WiFi hot spots.
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Dining, Restaurant list in Santa Cruz area A-Z
Area Guide
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Santa Cruz Happy Hour Directory
Santa Cruz Happy Hour Directory
In good times or bad, who can resist happy hour? Check out our Santa Cruz area happy hour directory, where you'll find a list of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs that offer specials on food and drink. Know of something we missed? Add a comment below or contact GT.
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Beaches in Santa Cruz County
A list of beaches in the North and South County area.
Capitola Beach, Castle Beach, Its Beach, Moran Lake, Manresa State Beach,
Sunset State Beach, Natural Bridges State Park, New Brighton State Beach,
Pleasure Point Beach , Privates ., Rio Del Mar Beach, Santa Cruz Main Beach
Seacliff State Beach , Twin Lakes State Beach
North Coast Beaches
Davenport Beach, Panther Beach , Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel , Waddell State Beach
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Santa Cruz area movie theaters
Local theaters in the Santa Cruz area.
Find out about New releases, Movie Times, Reviews, and Previews in our Santa Cruz film section >
Movie Times click here.
Area Guide
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Surf Spots & Schools in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz is one of the world's finest surfing areas.
Here's the Good Times guide to surfing & surf training.
Capitola Jetty , The Hook , Manresa/La Selva
Privates , Pleasure Point
Cowell , Steamer Lane , Natural Bridges
Three Mile , Scott’s Creek , Waddell Creek , Four Mile
See reviews of all by area
Area Guide
Santa Cruz is a very ecologically minded place. Combine that with students strapped for cash and you get a community particularly interested in alternative forms of transportation. Fortunately, whatever your reason—whether it be the exercise from riding a bike, the lower carbon footprint associated with public transit, or simply saving money with a carpool partner or highly efficient car—there is likely to be a local a solution for you.
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Getting Around Bikes & Busses
Santa Cruz is a very ecologically minded place. Combine that with students strapped for cash and you get a community particularly interested in alternative forms of transportation. Fortunately, whatever your reason—whether it be the exercise from riding a bike, the lower carbon footprint associated with public transit, or simply saving money with a carpool partner or highly efficient car—there is likely to be a local a solution for you.
Area Guide
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Yoga Centers in Santa Cruz County
Sure, both UCSC and Cabrillo sport a bundle of great fitness classes—you may really dig the gyms there, too. But take note of some yoga alternatives here in Santa Cruz:
Contact yoga instructors for times and rates.
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Spiritual Guide in the Santa Cruz area
NEW AGE/OMNI-FAITHS/ EASTERN
CATHOLICISM
CHRISTIANITY
PAGAN/OCCULT
JUDAISM
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State Parks, Hiking & Walking
Whether you live here or are visiting the hiking and running trail options are amazing and some of the most beautiful in the world. Explore the local hills, redwoods, beaches and more. Explore our list of great hiking spots, leave your comments and submit your favorite hikes.
Note: There are some pending park closures due to the CA state budget - contact the Dept. of Parks and Recreation to confirm park hours and availability.
City of Santa Cruz >
Santa Cruz Department of Parks & Recreation >
Area Guide
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SC Skating, Climbing, Biking, Boating, Kayaking, SCUBA
Skating, Biking, Boating
Rock Climbing, Kayaking
Stand up Paddling
SCUBA, Rentals
Area Guide
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Resorts, Hotels, Spas in Santa Cruz County
Resorts,
Hotels,
B&B’s &
Spas in Santa Cruz County
Area Guide
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Karaoke in Santa Cruz
Let your star shine with karaoke in Santa Cruz
Boardwalk Bowl
Bocci’s Cellar
Britannia Arms
Fog Bank
Henfling’s Tavern & Grill
Hindquarter Bar and Grill
I Love Sushi
Malone’s Grille
Michael’s on Main
Sir Froggy’s Pub
Trout Farm Inn
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Golf Courses in Santa Cruz County
Seascape Golf Course
Located so close to the ocean that you can hear the waves crash. You can have both 18- and 9-hole courses over 6,000 yards, situated between cypress tress. SGC also has an on-site Nike Golf learning center. Price range: $23-$72 depending on day and time.
610 Clubhouse Drive, Aptos, 688-3213.
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Santa Cruz County Farmer's Markets
Aptos Farmers’ Market At Cabrillo College
Downtown Santa Cruz Farmers’ Market
Live Oak Farmers’ Market
Westside Farmers’ Market
Scotts Valley Farmers’ Market
Area Guide
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Wine Bars and Wineries in Santa Cruz County
There are so many local wineries in the area, but there are a unique cluster of impressive wine bars, too. Pop the cork and dive in. See also Good Times Josie Cowden's reviews of Santa Cruz area wines and wineries.
Restaurant dining and wine reviews >
Menu Guide for Santa Cruz area >
Restaurant A-Z in Santa Cruz area >
Area Guide
Menu Guide for Santa Cruz area
Click below for the menus, phone numbers and address of all these restaurants:
Laili, Kianti’s, Rosie McCann’s, El Palomar, Fire Fish, Ideal Bar & Grill, Miramar, Casablanca Restaurant, Zelda’s, Paradise Beach Grille, Zameen Cuisine, Sawasdee Thai Cuisine, Lillian’s, The Crepe Place, burger., The Parish, Samba Rock, Pearl of the Ocean, Vasili’s Greek Taverna, Zoccoli’s Deli, Taqueria Vallarta, Charlie Hong Kong, Aloha Island Grille, May’s Sushi, Engfer’s Pizza Works, Chill Out Cafe, Clubhouse Kitchen, Hollin’s House, Hindquarter, Ristorante Italiano, Zachary’s, Hula’s, Linwood’s Bar & Grill.
Dining, Restaurant list in Santa Cruz County
Restaurant dining and wine reviews >
>Spring 2012 Food and Wine Dining Guide PDF.
Menu Guide for Santa Cruz area (Fall 2011) >
Menu Guide for Santa Cruz area (Spring 2011) >
Restaurant A-Z in Santa Cruz area >
Area Guide
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Lighted Boat Parade 2011
Photo slideshow. Judging cetegories: Sailing, Power, People Powered, Commercial/Sponsored Vessels, Best of Theme and Best Music. Enchanted Harbor at Santa Cruz Dec. 3, 2011 Sponsored by the Santa Cruz Harbor Yacht Club.
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SC Culture, Attractions, Art Galleries & Theater
Get out and enjoy some Santa Cruz Attractions, Art Galleries & Theater.
Cabrillo Stage at the Cabrillo Theatre
6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos, 831-479-6154;
831-479-6429, cabrillostage.com Summer always heats up with Cabrillo’s high-caliber offerings. This year’s line-up includes “The Full Monty,” “Hairspray” and “The Last 5 Years.” Professional actors, great stage direction and brilliant music arrangement. Watch exclusive behind-the-scenes footage on GTv. photo: rr jones
Area Guide
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The 2012 Santa Cruz County Readers' Poll
What is the best new business in Santa Cruz County? Where do you find the best calamari? Which local mover and shaker captured your interest? The answers to all that—and much more—awaits. Welcome to our annual Best Of Santa Cruz Readers’ Poll. It’s our biggest issue of the year, and in it, we spotlight all of the local businesses, restaurants and humans that captured your interest over the past year. Our hats go off to our readers, for voting, and to all of the individuals recognized as being the “best” they can be in the creative realms they operate in. They’re a passionate bunch, these winners, so take some time and appreciate their time in the spotlight. Also, take note of our annual Critics’ Picks on page 100, where our editorial posse unveils a different kind of “list.” As always, thank you for reading. And here’s to another year of making Santa Cruz County the very best it can be.
As always, thanks for reading. And here’s to another year of making Santa Cruz County the best it can be.
—Greg Archer, Editor
Best of Santa Cruz County Index:
| Critics’ Picks | Shops | Food & Drink | Arts & Entertainment | Health & Fitness | Professionals | The Rest |
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- From The Editor
- Free Angela
- Poetic Cellars
- The Pleasure of Süda
- What do you know about Monsanto?
- Santa Cruz Movie Times
- No Big Surprises
- The Gypsy
- Transoceana
- Cruzin’ for Inspiration
- Growing Berries Without Bromide
- Town Hall with Assemblymember Mark Stone
Free Angela
Political activist and UC Santa Cruz Professor Emerita Angela Davis commands the spotlight in a riveting new documentary. PLUS: UCSC’s Bettina Aptheker opens up about the political upheavals of the ’60s and ’70s—and today. Angela Davis is not a human being who can be easily summed up in several sentences or paragraphs—books maybe, but, even then, capturing the political activist, scholar and author in the most comprehensive light is downright complex. That’s because Davis is an undeniably unique political creature, one who should be seen and heard to be fully absorbed and downloaded. Which is what makes Free Angela and All Political Prisoners, the new documentary about Davis and the turbulent political upheavals she faced during the late-1960s and ’70s, so inviting. In it, filmmaker Shola Lynch marks the 40th anniversary of Davis’ acquittal on charges of murder, kidnapping and conspiracy with a historical vérité style of filmmaking to illuminate a side of Davis few may have seen (or can recall), and captures the events that thrust the woman into one of the most fascinating orbits of notoriety and political intrigue of the 20th century.
No Big Surprises
The highly anticipated draft Environmental Impact Report for desal is finally out. Will it change anything? When scwd2, the group pursuing the proposed joint desalination plant for the Santa Cruz Water Department and Soquel Creek Water District, set up a booth at the Santa Cruz Earth Day festival in 2012, its reception was less than warm. Signature gathering for Measure P, the “right to vote” on desal ballot measure, was in full swing, as were tensions over the controversial project, which would produce up to 2.5 million gallons per day of desalinated water and cost an estimated $100 million. What were representatives of an energy-intensive desal plant doing among the recycling and conservation booths? That was the attitude Melanie Mow Schumacher, public outreach coordinator for scwd2 (pronounced “squid squared”), remembers sensing.
The Maya-Ixil Move Forward
Local nonprofit works to educate and create opportunity for indigenous communities in Guatemala In an isolated region of the Guatemala mountains called Ixil, the indigenous Maya population was devastated by a civil war between the government and leftist guerrilla factions that spanned 1960 to 1996. During that 36-year war, the Guatemalan military eradicated entire Mayan communities. In what amounted to genocide, soldiers burned Mayan farmlands and homes, raped and tortured the people, and scattered families. By the end of the war, 200,000 Mayans had been killed, 7,000 of whom were Maya-Ixil.
Public Thinking
Watsonville teens host TEDx event Santa Cruz County is no stranger to the TED brand. TED—which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design—talks have come to the area through independently organized events 10 times since 2011. This month, the gathering returns to the county with a new twist, thanks to the Watsonville Youth City Council. TEDxYouth@Watsonville, which will take place Sunday, May 19 at the Henry J. Mello Center for the Performing Arts in Watsonville, will feature only speakers younger than 19 years old and will traverse topics from racial stereotypes and renewable energy to traditional Mexican dance.
Transoceana
Danny Moriarty’s musical influences have been known to impact his life beyond his local rock band, Transoceana. “I went through two periods,” confesses the singer, guitarist and songwriter. “I borrowed Bono’s mullet look from the ’80s for a while, and then I dressed like I was from the ’70s and had big hair like Jimmy Page.” Bono and Page are also symbolic of Transoceana’s evolution as a band during their three years together.
Cruzin’ for Inspiration
Former resident pays homage to Santa Cruz with locally shot thesis film When he left Santa Cruz for the University of Southern California’s graduate film program in 2010, Christopher Guerrero had completed the film major at UC Santa Cruz in 2008 and worked on campus in the film and digital media department. It wasn’t until he headed south, that Guerrero began to reminisce about the coastal town. “It was really really hard when I moved to L.A., to acclimate and find friends,” he says, adding that—counter to the philosophical, conversational culture of Santa Cruz—he found nowhere in his new town where he could simply sit and talk about life with someone. “I didn’t really realize why I love [Santa Cruz] so much until it was gone.”
Beck to the Future
In celebration of Beck’s solo acoustic show at The Rio, GT explores Song Reader, the alternative rock icon’s most ambitious interactive art piece yet. Here’s an odd little paradox of the digital revolution: The more sophisticated our technology gets, the more our musical milieu begins to resemble that of a bygone era, when song ideas were passed around from musician to musician, perpetually taking on new twists. Dozens of different YouTube users might try their hand at setting somebody’s rant about cats or double rainbows to music, or you might hear the Belgian musician Gotye turning the many and varied covers of his song “Somebody That I Used to Know” into a virtual orchestra (see below).
Growing Berries Without Bromide
Researchers test a new alternative to a controversial chemical The scarecrows perched in Santa Cruz strawberry fields do little to scare away the birds, much less the insects and fungi harbored in the soil. Everything likes to eat strawberries, which makes growing them a risky business. This predicament led UC Santa Cruz professor Carol Shennan to take an unconventional approach to pest management. Nine years ago, the fatal plant disease Verticillium wilt was wiping out strawberry plants at the university farm. Chemicals hardly phase the pathogen, and Shennan saw little improvement with crop rotation, which is typically used to treat infested fields. A visiting plant pathologist from the Netherlands recommended a little-known organic technique called anaerobic soil disinfestation, and, with so few other options, Shennan decided to give it a try.
Uniting All That Has Been Separated
Legal Battles Drag On
More than a year after the 75 River St. occupation, four defendants remain embroiled in ongoing case More than a year and a half since a group occupied the former Wells Fargo building on River Street in an act of protest, felony charges linger on for four of the original defendants and a trial may be imminent. Gabriella Ripley-Phipps, Brent Adams, Cameron Laurendeau and Franklin Alcantara were scheduled to begin trial May 13 in connection with the late 2011 protest. That trial now has been pushed back to September due to scheduling conflicts. The four face a felony charge of vandalism and a misdemeanor for trespassing.
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The Pleasure of Süda
Süda is a happening place. As my friend Jan and I were enjoying dinner, every table in the restaurant filled up and nearly all the outdoor seating was occupied as well. Located in the Pleasure Point area, Süda is a magnet for just about everybody hanging out in that neck of the woods.
The Power of Conversation
Local author Cecile Andrews emphasizes importance of community engagement in newest book Cecile Andrews, author of the new book “Living Room Revolution: A Handbook for Conversation, Community and the Common Good,” probably wouldn’t get along too well with Larry David’s character from HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, known for hiding his face and avoiding communication with anyone he runs into on the street. Andrews is a longstanding part-time Santa Cruz (part-time Seattle) resident who says something that’s struck her about this town over the years is people's willingness to participate in a practice she’s dubbed the “Stop and Chat”—which is exactly what it sounds like.
What do you know about Monsanto?
Santa Cruz | Self Employed
Best of Santa Cruz County
The 2013 Santa Cruz County Readers' Poll and Critics’ Picks It’s our biggest issue of the year, and in it, your votes—more than 6,500 of them—determined the winners of The Best of Santa Cruz County Readers’ Poll. New to the long list of local restaurants, shops and other notables that captured your interest: Best Beer Selection, Best Locally Owned Business, Best Customer Service and Best Marijuana Dispensary. In the meantime, many readers were ever so chatty online about potential new categories. Some of the suggestions that stood out: Best Teen Program and Best Web Design/Designer. But what about: Dog Park, Church, Hotel, Local Farm, Therapist (I second that!) or Sports Bar—not to be confused with Bra. Our favorite suggestion: Best Act of Kindness—one reader noted Café Gratitude and the free meals it offered to the Santa Cruz Police Department in the aftermath of recent crimes. Perhaps some of these can be woven into next year’s ballot, so stay tuned. In the meantime, enjoy the following pages and take note of our Critics’ Picks, too, beginning on page 91. A big thanks for voting—and for reading—and an even bigger congratulations to all of the winners. Enjoy. -Greg Archer, EditorBest of Santa Cruz County Readers’ Poll INDEX | Shops | Food & Drink | Arts & Entertainment | Health & Fitness | Professionals | The Rest |
Poetic Cellars
Poetic Cellars makes the most romantic wines. With a verse or two of beautiful poetry on every label, mostly poems of love and romance, this is the perfect wine to open up over dinner with your sweetheart. I particularly love winemaker Katy Lovell’s Syrah ($28) with its voluptuous velvety textures and dark fruit flavors.
The Gypsy
French-born jazz vocalist Cyrille Aimée lives for musical freedom and improvisation Cyrille Aimée is a musical gypsy. Her sound incorporates elements of Latin American, American, Brazilian and other styles of jazz, she has recorded albums as a duet with Diego Figueiredo, she currently performs with the Surreal (same pronunciation as her first name) Band, and she is working on a new album with yet another band. As it happens, Aimée can actually blame gypsies for her love of jazz. “I grew up in Samois-sur-Seine, which is a little town in France where Django Reinhardt used to live,” she says. “Every year they have the Django Festival in his honor, and so gypsies from all parts of Europe come and honor him and play guitar. I started hanging out with the gypsies and became obsessed with their music, their way of living, their freedom. What drew me to jazz music was the freedom of it, all the improvisation, and the fact that it’s a style of music that is constantly changing.”
May Day in the Alps
When my daughter returns to Santa Cruz from her new home in Los Angeles, she comments on how quiet it is here. It was even more so during a trip to Ben Lomond, when we set out for a sample of her second favorite macaroni and cheese. Sitting at the front of the Tyrolean Inn restaurant, the green tarp with plastic windows kept out the chill as well as the noise of an occasional passing car. A new draft beer celebrating the German spring, Maibok ($6) was refreshing, served in a hefty glass stein, but specialty cocktails are unique as well.
Exposed
David Cay Johnston’s new book explains how big companies rob us blind In his late teens David Cay Johnston started to ask questions. “Why do we have these guys in uniforms with guns driving around in cars all day?” “Why is the Santa Cruz County Courthouse being built in such an unusual shape?” He wrote an article, while still living in his hometown of Santa Cruz, proving that the off-kilter courthouse building, which officials had promised would save money, actually cost more than a conventional building.