Local Info
Located on the California coast about 70 miles south of San Francisco, Santa Cruz County boasts an amazing variety of places to go, things to do and people to meet.
Originally inhabited by the Ohlone Indians, Santa Cruz was first visited by the Spaniards in 1770 when Father Junipero Serra and Captain Gaspar de Portola passed through during their exploration of Alta California.
The Santa Cruz Mission was established in the 1790s, followed by the settlement of the Pueblo de Branciforte on the east bank of the San Lorenzo river, as part of the Spanish defense of Alta California against the English and other rival colonial powers.
After the California Bear Flag revolt of 1846 which led to California becoming a part of the United States, the area was rapidly settled by Americans.
The University of California opened the Santa Cruz campus in 1965, injecting a jolt of youthful energy into what was then a sleepy coastal resort town populated by surfers and retirees.
Today, Santa Cruz County is home to a diverse mix of the young and the old, farmers and high tech geeks with cell phones glued to their ears, SUV driving soccer families, students, artists, and of course, surfers.
Quoted from Cruzio
Other Local Resourses for Santa Cruz Neighbors (www.santacruzneighbors.com)
