> Santa Cruz is just an idyllic beach town It's really not. It houses a massive university, it's commutable to Silicon Valley and has been influenced by those

> Santa Cruz is just an idyllic beach town It's really not. It houses a massive university, it's commutable to Silicon Valley and has been influenced by those booms and busts, it's steeped in counterculture and radicalism, and it has long faced serious issues with drugs and homelessness that are much more akin to a big city than a beach town. I absolutely love Santa Cruz and I especially love the beach town aspects, but that's just one facet of the city and the surrounding area.