Cover: The Guide
From the beaches to the bakeries, the insiders share local lore on finding thrills and filling needs in Santa Cruz County.

Bruce Bratton's Santa Cruz: Secrets and History
How to Catch a Wave: Surfing in Santa Cruz
How to Stay Rooted: Cultural Heritage Organizations
Where to Dine Round Midnight: Late-night Eats
How to Get the Point: Piercing Parlors
How to Get Nekkid: Nudist Colonies, Topless Beaches and Spas
How to Know It All Ahead of Time: Psychics and Fortunetellers
Where to Get Funky on the Westside: The Almar/Mission Miracle
Where to Get It All on One Block: Soquel and Branciforte's Bounty
How to Geek Out: Comic-book stores
Where the Brownies Are: Finding the Chocolate Fix
How to Get a Buzz Roasted on the Spot: Cafes That Do It Themselves
How to Get a Gig: What Every Band Needs to Know
How to Kick Ass: Martial Arts Classes in Santa Cruz
What, When and Where: A Three-month Calendar of Concerts, Plays and Events

News: Scary Cruz
Local legends haunt Santa Cruz history.

Bruce Bratton: Open Studios, dissing Borders, and a proposal to stop downtown dullness.

All Keyed Up: The Santa Cruz Symphony opens with Aptos piano phenom Aaron Miller.

Liquid Sounds: Britain's Gomez revisits the psychedelic era on new album, 'Liquid Skin.'

Sights and Sounds: Kristin Hersch's muse is still strong even if her songs don't chart like they used to.

Notes From the Underground: Cream of the current zine crop, 'Concussion' knocks all the rest out.

The Cross and the Pear Tree: Victor Perera takes readers across borders.

Original Oswald: Continuing its consistent command of bistro consciousness and culinary expertise, Oswald charms us all over again.

A La Carte: Santa Cruz fisherman Dave Greenberger keeps finding new uses for the harvest of the Pacific Ocean.

Moss of Innocence: 'My Life So Far' looks back in fondness on a boy's eccentric family in Scotland.

Don's Early Light: Bay City Opera's production of 'Don Giovanni' offers mixed pleasures.

Please don't forget to write! Metro Santa Cruz welcomes letters. Like any great work of art, they should be originals -- not copies of letters sent elsewhere. Include address and daytime phone (for verification purposes only). Letters may be edited for length and clarity or to correct factual inaccuracies known to us. Postal: Metro Santa Cruz Letters, 111 Union St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060. Fax: 831/457-5828. Email:

JavaScript must be enabled to display this email address.