The young and the carless could do a lot worse than Santa Cruz. Those without four wheels to call their own can take the bus for daily business, rent a Zipcar for emergency sightseeing purposes or join the ranks of the two-wheeled and hop on a bike.
Articles by Kate Jacobson
Sherry Austin’s Second Act
An iron gate looms above the entrance to Sherry Austin’s property. The local singer/songwriter has left it open in expectation of a visit, but the only person in sight is a silver-haired woman puttering around the expansive lawns. She could be taken for a gardener, but she resembles press photos just enough to leave room for doubt.
Santa Cruz Fall Arts: Autumn Theater
The curtain opens with Isabelle Grossman tweezing her grandmother’s chin stubble. The grand dame has hired a matchmaker, and as the audience will learn, she’s found the perfect man for her beautiful young granddaughter: a pickle cart vendor.
Santa Cruz Pet Biz Puts Old-School Spin on Crowdsourcing
An open gate and empty backyard can breed panic. Pet owners realize they have a date with every light pole and bulletin board in the city, canceling appointments and digging up photographs of their vanished animal. But four legs can cover a lot more ground than two, and a few hundred more pairs of eyes can raise the margin of success.
Saturday Among the Sandcastles
At Seacliff Beach, a battleship rusts away at the end of the pier and a sandcastle training camp has sprouted on the shoreline. Instead of seagulls there are parents milling and clucking admiration. Children are the day laborers. They cluster in groups, fluttering around the beach with buckets and trowels: future contractors of America developing the most expensive real estate in the area, building for the posterity of the evening.
One Short Alley, One Great Step for Pedestrians
Pedestrians in Santa Cruz have claimed a victory. A hotly contested alleyway linking Mission Plaza with the High Street cul de sac will remain open to foot and bike traffic between the hours of at least 6am and 10pm. The court-arbitrated compromise marks the end of three-year struggle with absentee property owner John Mahony on one side and neighbors supported by bike/pedestrian group People Power on the other.
