Santa Cruz is like little tijuana . . .

[dandecicco]

I am brining this up since my wife wants to go back but this time, rent out a beech house for the weekend.If I wanted to go to Tijuana I would, but I went to the boardwalk to play games and ride rides, not buy chickle on the corner

My family and I went to Santa Cruz when I was a kid for a day trip since we lived in Stockton. I remember it being a nice clean area with surfers living in the little shacks smoking weed. Now that my son was born, my wife and I decided to do the same (15 years later) Got there Friday night last summer to a hotel 2 blocks from the main entrance and went straight to be. Next morning we started walking to the entrance. Well the first intersection 3 dudes started whistling and making gestures at my wife. She is hot (5’5” 105 lbs, brunette and no I will not post pictures ) and this made me angry to say the least. If I was alone, I would have thrown down with all three of them. I am not big but I have been in more then enough situations as to where I was the only one to walk away from it and these half drunk (at 8 am) vagrants would have at least remembered me even if I didn’t win. But since my wife and child were with me, I had to gather them up and get them to the entrance safely. Sure I had to walk away from it, but how do you explain to the 3 year old that it is OK for daddy to fight someone and not OK for him to? I just wanted to get my little clan away and safe. If I threw down, that would not have happened.

I really started looking around and where did the broke surfers living in the little shacks go? The place looks like little Tijuana? What a let down. Santa Cruz is an American tradition, not a vacation to Mexico. There is trash everywhere and taco and gum peddlers on every corner with like 15 people living in a one room apartment so they do all their cooking and bathing outside. I am never taking my child or wife there again. Too dangerous. If little Tijuanans are brave enough to do that in my face, what would happen if I wasn’t with my wife? The Santa Cruz cops and city should go through and raise the rent on the places so the place gets a more upscale clientele. Surfers could afford it since they can grow their cash and I would rather have that then getting mugged while walking in flip-flops and carrying a child and a cotton candy. I don’t want to have to be armed to be on vacation with my family unless it is to protect myself from bears and wolves in the mountains.

Some may think this is racist, but it isn't intended to be. It is just a statement about how let down a once funfilled vacation turned out to be.

 

[Ivan]

....What a let down. Santa Cruz is an American tradition, not a vacation to Mexico....

Uhhh, Santa Cruz, and pretty much all of California; along with Arizona, New Mexico and Texas use to belong to Mexico....

And how is Santa Cruz any different than say San Diego, Los Angeles, Fresno, Merced, Salinas, Pacoima, or even Lemoore for that matter? No matter where you go in California, you are going to find a strong Hispanic influence.

Breaking News!!!!

You are also going to find a strong Asian influence.....

You are also going to find a strong African American influence.....

You are also going to find a strong Middle Eastern influence....

....and so on.

Crap, I've had bad experiences with punk surfers in Huntington Beach, but I don't blanketly catergorize them all as bad....

Your comment about "The Santa Cruz cops and city should go through and raise the rent on the places so the place gets a more upscale clientele." cracks me up....

For one, those entities can't do that. Secondly, what makes you think that will bring a more up scale clientel, and what makes you think Hispanics can't be "up scale".

It's a melting pot of humanity out there... get use it.

 

[dandecicco]

Uhhh, Santa Cruz, and pretty much all of California; along with Arizona, New Mexico and Texas use to belong to Mexico....

And how is Santa Cruz any different than say San Diego, Los Angeles, Fresno, Merced, Salinas, Pacoima, or even Lemoore for that matter? No matter where you go in California, you are going to find a strong Hispanic influence.

Breaking News!!!!

You are also going to find a strong Asian influence.....

You are also going to find a strong African American influence.....

You are also going to find a strong Middle Eastern influence....

....and so on.

Crap, I've had bad experiences with punk surfers in Huntington Beach, but I don't blanketly catergorize them all as bad....

Your comment about "The Santa Cruz cops and city should go through and raise the rent on the places so the place gets a more upscale clientele." cracks me up....

For one, those entities can't do that. Secondly, what makes you think that will bring a more up scale clientel, and what makes you think Hispanics can't be "up scale".

It's a melting pot of humanity out there... get use it.

My point is that itisn't a safe place to be anymore like it was just 10 years ago. Simple as that and I didn't say a mexican heritage cannot be upscale. That is just the population that has made that area a trash zone with high crime and dangerious streets. It could have been anything and I could have said Santa Cruz = Appellation Mountains or Little Italy or what ever. It is simply that is what the area has become, just like the one really short look at Tiajuana I had, same feel and look.

No one needs to get on the high horse once someone says mexican. It isn't a prejudice thing, it is just a reflection of the demographics of that area.
And living and working for the parks department in Eureka as I have in the past, not much of a melting pot there unless you count the hippies as an ethnic group.

 

[5-90]

I don't blame the Hispanics. Or the Asians, the Blacks, or anyone else.

Frankly, I blame us.

I have yet to figure out the genesis of this whole "sense of entitlement" that we've been instilling in people - what happened to "the world expects you to accomplish something before you can feel good about yourself?" How about "The world does not owe you a living. The world doesn't owe you a damn thing - it was here first?"

Call them touchy-feely, call them the "human potential movement," call them what you will. It's this increasingly liberal parenting movement, the people who are trying to make it illegal to discipline your kids (I've heard that they're trying to ban spanking - or corporal punishment in general - for any number of reasons. I've even heard that "time outs" are psychologically damaging, and shouldn't be used. WTF?) and we're ending up with people who are going around thinking they're entitled to anything and everything.

1) You aren't entitled to anything.
2) You certainly aren't entitled to anything of mine, and I defy you to show me otherwise. You may survive the encounter, but don't bet on it.

Granted, the worst offenders seem to be the "so-called" minorities (how can they be minorities? There are more of them than there are of us...) but I've gone head-to-head with white kids with this mentality as well. I can only hope the encounter changes them.

I'm perfectly willing to help anyone who asks for it - civilly - and I will treat anyone else with the level of respect with which they treat me. That's only fair.

"We have met the enemy, and they is us!" - Walt Kelly

 

[Dzl DV8]

Santa Cruz is a college town, uh yeah!!
Get a cabana at the dunes, eat at Phils, go to the aquarium.

 

[jeepboy_90]

If you expand your travels in Santa Cruz you will see more than the "Beach Flats". There is a lot more to offer than meets the eye. Great state parks, north coast beaches, good sushi, and friendly people (in the right places). Heck, there is even a Big Foot Museum in Felton. Those are hard to find, just like Big Foot himself.

A lot has changed in the past 15 years everywhere. The prices of homes has driven the low budget surfer out and made the homes now multi-family. Cheaper to pay the morgage/rent with 3 families, than with one.

Dont think it is a bad place, its my home.

 

[SKIM]

Santa cruze is awesome you just got one bad drunkin group of guys. I go there all the time like the people and the beaches. don't get me wrong probably more crazy people there then many places but most are good friendly people. I have been out walken/skaten the strrets till two in the morning some times only meat cool people to talk too.

 

[dandecicco]

If you expand your travels in Santa Cruz you will see more than the "Beach Flats". There is a lot more to offer than meets the eye. Great state parks, north coast beaches, good sushi, and friendly people (in the right places). Heck, there is even a Big Foot Museum in Felton. Those are hard to find, just like Big Foot himself.

A lot has changed in the past 15 years everywhere. The prices of homes has driven the low budget surfer out and made the homes now multi-family. Cheaper to pay the morgage/rent with 3 families, than with one.

Dont think it is a bad place, its my home.

I know that. I was specifically talking about the board walk. Lots more places to see, but a now almost 4 year old would have loved to ride the rides and take in the tourist part of Santa Cruz. Not anymore. Coles BBQ is still good

 

[Bryan C.]

I have taken my daughter to Santa Cruz 2 times in the last year, she is 4. Never had any problems at all. She still talks about it. I see this post as being something more than complaining about the how "downhill" Santa Cruz has gone. Might just be that where you live isn't as diverse an area as Sant Cruz is. Maybe the area you live in is a small town atmosphere, which is good for raising kids, but leaves you with a false sense of reality. Those of us who live in the bay area, and other metro areas here in California are used to these issues. Just because some drunk dumbass guys were checking out your wife doesn't mean everyone in the area is a punk or a thug.

 

[dandecicco]

I have taken my daughter to Santa Cruz 2 times in the last year, she is 4. Never had any problems at all. She still talks about it. I see this post as being something more than complaining about the how "downhill" Santa Cruz has gone. Might just be that where you live isn't as diverse an area as Sant Cruz is. Maybe the area you live in is a small town atmosphere, which is good for raising kids, but leaves you with a false sense of reality. Those of us who live in the bay area, and other metro areas here in California are used to these issues. Just because some drunk dumbass guys were checking out your wife doesn't mean everyone in the area is a punk or a thug.

Hey Bryan. I havd lived all over, Stockton, Fresno, Humboldt county etc. One of my friends lives in Santa Cruz and he called it tortilla flats and after a visit there, I was really disappointed. Trust me, diversity is the game in this part of the valley so it is nothing new to me. The goal wasn't to bash, just an observation and how much the area that once was clean isn't anymore. I have heard stories from cops that are friends that work the area and they have some horror stories. 10 years ago it was busting a guy for a dime bag. Now it is arresting someone for murder.

 

[RedBluff]

I am brining this up since my wife wants to go back but this time, rent out a beech house for the weekend.If I wanted to go to Tijuana I would, but I went to the boardwalk to play games and ride rides, not buy chickle on the corner

My family and I went to Santa Cruz when I was a kid for a day trip since we lived in Stockton. I remember it being a nice clean area with surfers living in the little shacks smoking weed. Now that my son was born, my wife and I decided to do the same (15 years later) Got there Friday night last summer to a hotel 2 blocks from the main entrance and went straight to be. Next morning we started walking to the entrance. Well the first intersection 3 dudes started whistling and making gestures at my wife. She is hot (5’5” 105 lbs, brunette and no I will not post pictures ) and this made me angry to say the least. If I was alone, I would have thrown down with all three of them. I am not big but I have been in more then enough situations as to where I was the only one to walk away from it and these half drunk (at 8 am) vagrants would have at least remembered me even if I didn’t win. But since my wife and child were with me, I had to gather them up and get them to the entrance safely. Sure I had to walk away from it, but how do you explain to the 3 year old that it is OK for daddy to fight someone and not OK for him to? I just wanted to get my little clan away and safe. If I threw down, that would not have happened.

I really started looking around and where did the broke surfers living in the little shacks go? The place looks like little Tijuana? What a let down. Santa Cruz is an American tradition, not a vacation to Mexico. There is trash everywhere and taco and gum peddlers on every corner with like 15 people living in a one room apartment so they do all their cooking and bathing outside. I am never taking my child or wife there again. Too dangerous. If little Tijuanans are brave enough to do that in my face, what would happen if I wasn’t with my wife? The Santa Cruz cops and city should go through and raise the rent on the places so the place gets a more upscale clientele. Surfers could afford it since they can grow their cash and I would rather have that then getting mugged while walking in flip-flops and carrying a child and a cotton candy. I don’t want to have to be armed to be on vacation with my family unless it is to protect myself from bears and wolves in the mountains.

Some may think this is racist, but it isn't intended to be. It is just a statement about how let down a once funfilled vacation turned out to be.

I'm a beaner and I don't even like it.
That's why I live North of Willows.
Everything South of Sac is Northern Mexico in my book.
Pretty sad, if you ask me.
The only way it will change is if and when the floodgates of illegals stop crossing. Other than that expect Quebec like problems in the near future.
I've given up as has most western civilized folks.
My advice XJ bro is get out ASAP.
My white wife and I choose to not raise our girls in Hanford or Fresno because we could see the beaner and asian gangbanger and societal degredation writing on the wall.

Red Bluff has graffiti....but at least it's in English and I can read it. LOL
Most times it's Tommy loves Sue or some shit like that. LOL

Hang in there Dan.

 

[RedBluff]

I don't blame the Hispanics. Or the Asians, the Blacks, or anyone else.

Frankly, I blame us.

I have yet to figure out the genesis of this whole "sense of entitlement" that we've been instilling in people - what happened to "the world expects you to accomplish something before you can feel good about yourself?" How about "The world does not owe you a living. The world doesn't owe you a damn thing - it was here first?"

Call them touchy-feely, call them the "human potential movement," call them what you will. It's this increasingly liberal parenting movement, the people who are trying to make it illegal to discipline your kids (I've heard that they're trying to ban spanking - or corporal punishment in general - for any number of reasons. I've even heard that "time outs" are psychologically damaging, and shouldn't be used. WTF?) and we're ending up with people who are going around thinking they're entitled to anything and everything.

1) You aren't entitled to anything.
2) You certainly aren't entitled to anything of mine, and I defy you to show me otherwise. You may survive the encounter, but don't bet on it.

Granted, the worst offenders seem to be the "so-called" minorities (how can they be minorities? There are more of them than there are of us...) but I've gone head-to-head with white kids with this mentality as well. I can only hope the encounter changes them.

I'm perfectly willing to help anyone who asks for it - civilly - and I will treat anyone else with the level of respect with which they treat me. That's only fair.

"We have met the enemy, and they is us!" - Walt Kelly

Great Post.
White man has been a little too helpful the last 40 years.
Add to that he ain't making enough babie and it forces the hand of big business to bend the ear of politicos "we need more people", "lossen up immigration", "look the other way".
I for one would rather live in a country with less people and a more homogenous society. We already know how to make pizza and tacos and burritos and Corona and fried rice and ..........it's the Facist in me.

 

[POSXJGuy]

I am brining this up since my wife wants to go back but this time, rent out a beech house for the weekend.If I wanted to go to Tijuana I would, but I went to the boardwalk to play games and ride rides, not buy chickle on the corner

My family and I went to Santa Cruz when I was a kid for a day trip since we lived in Stockton. I remember it being a nice clean area with surfers living in the little shacks smoking weed. Now that my son was born, my wife and I decided to do the same (15 years later) Got there Friday night last summer to a hotel 2 blocks from the main entrance and went straight to be. Next morning we started walking to the entrance. Well the first intersection 3 dudes started whistling and making gestures at my wife. She is hot (5’5” 105 lbs, brunette and no I will not post pictures ) and this made me angry to say the least. If I was alone, I would have thrown down with all three of them. I am not big but I have been in more then enough situations as to where I was the only one to walk away from it and these half drunk (at 8 am) vagrants would have at least remembered me even if I didn’t win. But since my wife and child were with me, I had to gather them up and get them to the entrance safely. Sure I had to walk away from it, but how do you explain to the 3 year old that it is OK for daddy to fight someone and not OK for him to? I just wanted to get my little clan away and safe. If I threw down, that would not have happened.

I really started looking around and where did the broke surfers living in the little shacks go? The place looks like little Tijuana? What a let down. Santa Cruz is an American tradition, not a vacation to Mexico. There is trash everywhere and taco and gum peddlers on every corner with like 15 people living in a one room apartment so they do all their cooking and bathing outside. I am never taking my child or wife there again. Too dangerous. If little Tijuanans are brave enough to do that in my face, what would happen if I wasn’t with my wife? The Santa Cruz cops and city should go through and raise the rent on the places so the place gets a more upscale clientele. Surfers could afford it since they can grow their cash and I would rather have that then getting mugged while walking in flip-flops and carrying a child and a cotton candy. I don’t want to have to be armed to be on vacation with my family unless it is to protect myself from bears and wolves in the mountains.

Some may think this is racist, but it isn't intended to be. It is just a statement about how let down a once funfilled vacation turned out to be.

man, i live about 35 minutes away from santa cruz and i feel that boardwalk area is only good for two things, to eat at stagnaros restaurant and to go spearfishing for halibut come spring time. i used to go as a kid to enjoy rides and sh*t like that but as years went on, the place turned into a trash bait, all the woodsy people come down there for drinking and loitering as well as take their toothless tots and teens and grandmas on the rides. i would never take my own kids there. everyone is loaded just about on something or another.

that area has changed a lot and the surfers now live elsewhere and stay in nice places like the houses on the bluff: )

if you want the traditional surf mentality and surf shacks kind of vacation i suggest you go down highway M1 in baja and check out alisitos or go down towards puerto nuevo. they still have that going on there. about an hour drive south of the border past the tijuana playas.

i know what you mean and i know you are not being a racist or nothin. but the overall scene of santa cruz has developed into something real different than what it had been.

i think the best days to go there are actually rainy days when people are all inside doing something else. you can stroll the beach and check out the piles of driftwood after a large storm.

for several years now i just go there to hunt halibut at cowells. the last time i stayed there was when i was in college and even that it was already different.

i highly recommend baja for a family vacation. i can hook you up with a nice place to stay if you like. not too far from the border and you'll have a nice beach just 1/2 hour drive to rosarito and ensenada for fishing and great food. some offroading to boot.

take it easy.

john

 

[90xjDave]

if you don't like the hispanic influence of Santa Cruz, how about start by changing the name to Holy Cross. And while you're at it, move out of California and go to one of the southern states. Oh wait, your last name is Decicco, you better try one of the northern states.

 

[5-90]

Great Post.
White man has been a little too helpful the last 40 years.
Add to that he ain't making enough babie and it forces the hand of big business to bend the ear of politicos "we need more people", "lossen up immigration", "look the other way".
I for one would rather live in a country with less people and a more homogenous society. We already know how to make pizza and tacos and burritos and Corona and fried rice and ..........it's the Facist in me.

Thank you. I try to keep an unbiased eye when I observe things. Bias typically comes later - once I've processed what I've seen.

However, I think the decline of "urban areas" and the like (and iconic places - like Santa Cruz) is largely due to our generally permissive attitude, and the proliferation of the welfare state (which is, frankly, what brings most of the illegals here from the off.)

I'm willing to bet that if we announced (and enforced!) that "The free ride is over!" we'd start seeing a lot of societal problems go away. Not just illegals - but we can probably start doing something about all the layabouts we're propping up domestically as well.

I may often refer to FDR as "The Great Socialist" and disagree with most of his policies - but there is one I did agree with, and I think should be reinstated. Works Progress Administration (or WPA. You see it cast into sidewalks from time to time...) If you want "public support," you can work on "public projects." If you're unwilling to work, you don't get anything.

What work will you do? What work can you do? Or, go to school to learn to do work.

Bear in mind, it doesn't take a lot of special skill to wield a shovel, either. We've got ditches to be dug!

It's only fair - if you want something, you have to put something else back.

 

[dandecicco]

if you don't like the hispanic influence of Santa Cruz, how about start by changing the name to Holy Cross. And while you're at it, move out of California and go to one of the southern states. Oh wait, your last name is Decicco, you better try one of the northern states.

chill. It was not a hater comment so don't go looking for something unless you have your own agenda. Oh and lets make it perfectly clear. It was a comment based on personal experience. If you choose to use a person's name in a reflection like you did, it becomes a personal discussion. I say, you'll see wrath such as bigred has never seen.

 

[Bryan C.]

Ok, so this thread is going downhill, time to take out the trash.