Santa Cruz, CA

[Rhubarb Dwyer]

**I will continue to edit/update this post as I discover more traveller resources**

These links cover all the free hot meals, bathrooms, showers, food banks, and libraries in Santa Cruz:

Santa Cruz Free Guide
**Note about the feeds at Elm St Mission: You will be fed after attending a service. It was about an hour long and mostly tolerable. Everyone took turns reading verses aloud from a bible. That was awkward for me, but was over in 5 seconds.
The food was decent and plentiful. 2nd/3rd helpings were encouraged, as well as food for the road. The outdoor eating space is cute.
I was Hungry, so it was worth it. Just make sure you have a couple hours to invest.

Public Library Branches

And an anarchist lending library/community space! - SubRosa

The Pacific Ave strip has lots of open wifi networks. And the entire boardwalk has its own free wifi.

 

[Desperado Deluxe]

Might also be useful if you know the policies for selling art and panhandling on pacific ave.

 

[Rhubarb Dwyer]

Might also be useful if you know the policies for selling art and panhandling on pacific ave.

I walked up and down. There are definitely plenty of spangers and vendors. Haven't yet found out the deal.

 

[Desperado Deluxe]

I walked up and down. There are definitely plenty of spangers and vendors. Haven't yet found out the deal.

yea they have a pamphlet they pass around might be able to find it on the web

 

[Rhubarb Dwyer]

Found at least this:
http://www.downtownsantacruz.com/pdf/emporientationman.pdf

It's a PDF that's tough to sift through. But, Jesus Fuck. What I read was extremely prohibitive and complicated.

Also read somewhere that this town gives out $6000+ tickets for camping.

 

[Matt Derrick]

Found at least this:
http://www.downtownsantacruz.com/pdf/emporientationman.pdf

It's a PDF that's tough to sift through. But, Jesus Fuck. What I read was extremely prohibitive and complicated.

Also read somewhere that this town gives out $6000+ tickets for camping.

Damn if I got a 6k ticket for camping id just laugh in their fucking face and tell them to take me straight to jail.

 

[Rhubarb Dwyer]

I don't have a lot of money to hang in bars on this run. But, thrilled to share when a fine place comes about...

The (New)Jury Room is the shit. Punk dive that let's you smoke.Gem. And, old school, internet-based
jukebox. FREE!!! Tender says there's a limit, but I've been playing DJ for a good hour or so. Nothing too obscure, but many classic punk albums!

Apparently, it was relabeled "New" after a serial killer made the place notorious, picking up his prey here.

 

[Desperado Deluxe]

Honestly I don't even mess around in SC anymore its waay too blown up. It was cool a few years ago and there was a time I even spent a month or so there at a time. Nowadays I just go out and camp in the pogonips and when the rangers come and fuck with me around my second or third day there, I take it as my que to leave.

Don't get me wrong its pretty cool and you can make some decent money there but you have to try waaaay too hard and be really tight on your game. I really love st. Francis soup kitchen, the red church and elm st church, And a lot of the other stuff. I just find it hard to stay there too long anymore. Its really gone down hill.

I see that one yellow jacket lady (ya know the one I'm talking about) every damn time I go there and just as she's about to tell me I can't smoke on pacific or I'm breaking some rule or other I interupt here and say damn you've worked here a long time. And I just move along before she starts with her bullshit.

I usually just make my cash before I get there and relax while I'm there. Sorry to go on and on. But I've been there a lot of times and see the same homebums wearing the same groove in the pavement deeper and deeper with their asses but that's the case for a lot of places in CA.

That mofucker with all the duct tape shit still sit on those benches right outside the bookstore? Lemme think of some other ones..

Sorry maybe I went too far.. ah well.

 

[Rhubarb Dwyer]

Well, it's my first time here, so just checking it out on my way through.

Haven't seen duct tape dude. Headed to the FNB feed right now. Maybe I'll see him.

 

[Desperado Deluxe]

Well, it's my first time here, so just checking it out on my way through.

Haven't seen duct tape dude. Headed to the FNB feed right now. Maybe I'll see him.

Yea the duct tape dude sits right by the book store right at the end of pacific near where the clocktower and jamba juice is. Yea SC is pretty cool so when I'm around I take the time to swing through. Good camping if you go out along hwy 9. The only prob is everyones heard of it so everyone goes there hence why its blown up. But there's a lot of other cool places around that area.

 

[Rhubarb Dwyer]

Yea the duct tape dude sits right by the book store right at the end of pacific near where the clocktower and jamba juice is. Yea SC is pretty cool so when I'm around I take the time to swing through. Good camping if you go out along hwy 9. The only prob is everyones heard of it so everyone goes there hence why its blown up. But there's a lot of other cool places around that area.

Well, it was worth staying a minute. I got to know most of the feeds and slept in a few different places.

Never made it into the woods, but maybe next time.

 

[Desperado Deluxe]

Well, it was worth staying a minute. I got to know most of the feeds and slept in a few different places.

Never made it into the woods, but maybe next time.

yea definately try to make it out next time that's really one of the perks of staying around that area.

 

[rooster831]

Found at least this:
http://www.downtownsantacruz.com/pdf/emporientationman.pdf

It's a PDF that's tough to sift through. But, Jesus Fuck. What I read was extremely prohibitive and complicated.

Also read somewhere that this town gives out $6000+ tickets for camping.

$6000 for camping? never

all they do is give u some dumb ticket u never pay for that goes straight to a collection agency or they just tell u to get up and move along

there's a lot of great feeds besides elm street, too

there's saint francis which feeds monday - friday at noon, has free clothes (socks fer hella mad dayz), and even showers

on weekends these nice people walk around the levy handing out burritos. if u have food stamps i highly suggest getting stuff to dress them up with but they're good on their own if not

not into feeds? white boxing on Pacific ave is pretty dank after 6pm. once my ex and i got 20 in one night: sushi, mexican, pizza, u name it! i suggest one of the benches across the street from Del Mar theater as a good post up spot. i prefer the bench next to shogun sushi place cause free sushi is always worth it

 

[Jone]

Woooow, anyone know where to camp/ slept in a car in this town? It's hard to find anywher, except one turn out just where hwty 9 meets the park.....already got woken up n id's run sleeping on a pull off there...

 

[eternalworm]

Headed for Santa Cruz soon thanks for the awesome resource, I'd also be interested in any good known car camping areas. I'll share any I find as well

 

[rooster831]

Headed for Santa Cruz soon thanks for the awesome resource, I'd also be interested in any good known car camping areas. I'll share any I find as well

the edge of town on hwy 9 is a good spot