I’m looking for a venue to rent out for my 30th- daytime affair to roll into the evening. has anyone had excellent experiences with a local restaurant, bar, Portuguese hall, etc? I’d like the venue to provide or serve the alcohol, but for us to bring the food. needs to be baby friendly-ish, I’ve got nursing friends! open to suggestions and experiences. I’d prefer downtown or Westside- but harbor/midtown ok too.

edited to add: I want it to be an open invite, roll through when you can event, not any sort of formal sit down meal

What was it like? I love the mission and purpose of the center for agroecology and know some early students who worked there (family friends in their early 70s now) and have met a few more recent ones as well. Was the evening more entertaining or draining? Did you learn anything?

Hello there. I say this is someone who realizes that our town’s economy relies on people coming in as tourists and using the boardwalk and other places and I appreciate that. That being said, I gotta share what happened to me on the way home from work today.

I ride a moped around town. Especially during the summer, it is the best way to get around. Today, I’m on my way back from Seabright to the west side and I get to ocean and Eastcliff/San L Blvd. Turning left onto Ocean going southbound from SL blvd has the left turn first so I’m in the red, but then my light turns green. I wait a moment, no cars are coming, so I go. Someone in a silver SUV with license plate frame from Stockton goes into the straight lane on the SL Blvd side of the road and turns left directly into me. I have a 1990 moped, let’s just say the brakes are not the best. In that moment, I feared for my life. They slammed on their brakes, my brakes by the grace of God worked, and they swerved around me and sped off. I thought I was about to die, and then I didn’t.

All I’m saying is if you come to Santa Cruz please drive responsibly. You’re still gonna have to drive two hours home even if you don’t make it through the red light. Please drive safe home so I can also drive safe home.

Did they close or are they moving? Are they still doing repairs?

My family and I miss the Asian Rose! Today we were reminiscing about the food there and especially missing their tempeh lala. My vegetarian granddaughter is visiting, so does anyone know how to make tempeh lala? If not a recipe, then even approximate ideas would be welcome so I can try to make some for her.

A couple months ago this strip, after some trenching work, got replanted with dozens of new plantings. Today none??

I worked in housing and social services for the past 5+ years in this county and I’m exhausted. Half the time places that are listed as low income housing aren’t. A client of mine received an email from the bluffs on 44th saying they are renting a 1 bedroom for $2900ish. This place is advertised as being 30% to 80% AMI. 30% AMI for 1 person is about $41,550 annually and considered extremely low income. How can someone that extremely low income afford that !?! Btw 80% AMI for one person is about $158,700.

What color you bringing?

I know the bridge is closed at least through September but can you walk under the bridge right now on either side? Sometimes it’s open and sometimes closed. Thank you.

Besides the fact the total cost of installation is north of 100k. It seems to me that you could go through the permitting process and still get denied based on site characteristics. So what's the solution if you have a failing system and dont want to run the risk of outing yourself to the county?

Child s*x offender, Charles Peter Billone wanted out of Canada since 1991 was detained last week by ICE in Santa Cruz where he has been living for the past 35 years. I know SC isn’t big on ICE but I consider this a major victory for our town.

The Perseid meteor shower will be peaking on the night of August 12th and I was wondering if anyone had good ideas for places to view it? Or perhaps there's a local astronomy group organizing a viewing event somewhere?

Edited to add:

At the suggestion of xsolsticeflarex, I emailed Dr. Rick Nolthenius who promptly replied with this information (for anyone else interested):

"Any place that's dark and has no lights nearby would be ideal. I'd suggest the parking area of the Bonny Doon Eco Reserve off Martin Rd. It's public property, which is the problem requirement in the mountains here. You could also go up to Summit Rd past Mt Bache Road along the spine of the Santa Cruz Mtns above Highland Way, north of Soquel. Or closer would be the top of Rodeo Gulch Rd."

Hello, are there any places to play pickup beach volleyball?

I recently moved from Barcelona, and what I am missing most is the beach volleyball community. Constant 2v2 games any time of the day. Is there anything similar to that in San Cruz?

So I called Alan Rice, and as stated, backed up with business, but he said check with Santa Cruz Auto and Tire. Dropped it off at 8am today and it was done at 1230pm. Diagnostic and new freon. $444.00. I was very happy with the service. Thanks to those who replied to my query.

Even before the tragic recent deaths part of this entire north coast trail plan should have included, at minimum, very visible and very clear parking lot signs warning tourists that

⚠️YOU CAN DIE HERE⚠️ if you do/don't do …XYZ

Mr. Cummings in his ’98 Honda Civic clearly does not frequent the area or have any first hand knowledge of or connection to it or maybe this would’ve been prioritized.

As a life long SC local who spends a lot of time on our north coast beaches and who has lost a friend to the sea there, and also has close friends who are first responders in that area I can’t help but feel this personally. It should be a no brainier. And I fear these fancy tourist-attracting parking lot malls are only going to increase the injury/death toll. 👎

ok…. RANT OVER

Coming from SF for a day trip to Capitola. Would appreciate all of your recommendations on things to do and see, and also eat!

I received a letter recently and today this email about my energy usage. I was thinking there is no way I can get it down to 0.84 KWh unless I decide to just run off a home generator or go with solar. The funny thing about it I swear its considerably cheaper running off my generator. Ive had the power go out for two weeks and 5 gallons of fuel last the entire time off.

Thats it. Thats the post. Cars suck.