Three-day holiday weekend is both a boon and a bother

By 10 a.m. Friday, Ocean Street was backed up to the freeway with cars pouring into town for the holiday weekend Clogged roadways, crowded beaches and clusters of tourists ambling along Pacific Avenue sipping smoothies -- all the components of a typical summer weekend in Santa Cruz.

[Debt]

Am I hearing people complain? Isn't the city threatening to shut down some of the landmarks that define Santa Cruz? How about letting them get that ticket and maybe even towed, you can go take a little vacation yourself. In Los Gatos a woman gladly let me park in driveway because the parking lots were full. Guess what? The city made more money!
I know the traffic is horrible, I sat in it yesterday myself but each one of those cars is a brick of gold.
Smile and wave.

[Redwood Girl]

I hate to say it, but I agree with "Debt". The city needs the money and we're used to enduring this almost every weekend during the summer anyway. These are the weekends that locals either need to stay home, go to one of our beautiful mountain towns that aren't so congested or just smile and say "My city is SO popular!" There's nothing left to do, but smile, smile, smile!

[The Scream]

Lots of VACANCY signs on the motels down Ocean this morning and over by the Boardwalk as well. When you get within a block of the water it's different, and at one or two high-end places like the Babbling Brook, but... this is FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND. The world has changed.

We'll always have day-trippers -- and we need 'em -- but they won't save the motels, and many of the restaurants. They make Charlie Canfield smile, and the fast-food / casual food places, but that's about it. Day trippers are usually on budgets, and now more than ever.

Happy Fourth -- and you can go drive down River right now and still see unemployed day laborers standing on the sidewalk in front of San Lorenzo Lumber / Lumberman's / ProBuild. Just another day in Paradise.

[Brian]

Santa Cruz has always needed tourists with money who stay for several days.

But "progressive" kooks block hotel projects and the result is day-trippers who bring their own beer, clog streets and spend little in the area.

Now, "progressives" are losing their cushy government jobs or enduring cuts at the very least. They've done themselves in.

[vapour]

Beaches are crowded because the Police want it that way. Why? Crime justifies their illegal acts in their twisted thinking. Free Bonny Doon Beach!

[oh please]

"...had already rang..."

[Santa Cruz Local]

Are we really getting that much money from these "tourists"?

They come here for the beach because it's FREE. They eat at fast food restaurants because it's CHEAP. What are we benefiting from this?

I thinks it's a crock. They block up our streets, drive like maniacs and tards, and take up all parking. I don't see this as any benefit.

GO HOME VALLEYS!

[Charles Bronson]

vapour wrote:

Beaches are crowded because the Police want it that way. Why? Crime justifies their illegal acts in their twisted thinking. Free Bonny Doon Beach!

Hey B-U-T-T vapour. GO AWAY!

[SC City]

Ummm... Whats going to happen when Arnold closes all of the beaches and parks in Santa Cruz?
Where will people go in the Summer to camp and relax?

[vapour]

Charles Bronson? I think Las Vegas is a good place for you to stay?
I see that B-U-T-T is a hard word for you to remember the spelling of. Work on your spelling for now, maybe in time you can master critical thinking.

[The Scream]

Brian wrote:

Santa Cruz has always needed tourists with money who stay for several days.
But "progressive" kooks block hotel projects and the result is day-trippers who bring their own beer, clog streets and spend little in the area.
Now, "progressives" are losing their cushy government jobs or enduring cuts at the very least. They've done themselves in.

Whoah, dude, I guess I ate too many magic mushrooms, and those NEW MOTELS I've seen spring up along Ocean are just MIRAGES.... Plus the big new Marriot in the pipeline to replace three old crummy ones down by the Boardwalk. Which the city didn't have a single problem with.

I mean you can bend any bad news you want to fit your preconceptions, if that makes you happy -- if anything does. But the real issue is that the people who used to have money to come and stay here.... just don't any more.

If you monitor even high-end places like the Babbling Brook -- and I have -- their business is 'way down, too. They offered cut rates through June. Their parking lot has been not so full. Yes, they booked up this weekend, but if the BB doesn't book up for the Fourth, nothing will.\

Dude, occupancy is down 23-25 percent in MONTEREY. Must be those Santa Cruz progressives, right?

[Hot dog man]

counterstrike wrote:

<quoted text>
Uh, I thought the Comics were tomorrow.... LOL!(What a shame Der Wiener-schnitzel closed)

I have to agree.I miss the wiener schnitzel!

[Tourists]

Bring their own coolers of food, or eat at all the chains on Ocean, attend only the free things, and gridlock our streets driving back home. Big contribution.

[anyway]

oh please wrote:

"...had already rang..."

you beat me to it

[Another local]

HELL YEA!

Santa Cruz Local wrote:

Are we really getting that much money from these "tourists"?
They come here for the beach because it's FREE. They eat at fast food restaurants because it's CHEAP. What are we benefiting from this?
I thinks it's a crock. They block up our streets, drive like maniacs and tards, and take up all parking. I don't see this as any benefit.
GO HOME VALLEYS!

[flea hab]

what a bunch of self-entitled whiners on this board....sheesh.

[Jdub]

I'll tell you one thing. The freaking fence along East Cliff from the Harbor through Twin Lakes utterly screwed my business and every other harbor business today. And last year they left the fence up until Monday. Three days that should be hooking up the small businessess of SC gets neutered by the beach gestapo. Thanks guys!

And my friend that works the State Parks told me that they loose about $5000 this weekend from lost parking revenue due to the beach enforcement.

Get that fence down or I'll do it for you, dumbass city and your "multi-agency enforcement". Ridiculous!

J

[Longtime Local]

What three day weekend ? You mean three day gridlock for locals. It always was and always will be. One more cost of living in Santa Cruz. Is it worth it or is our tolerance on the wane? We pay the price for these visitors, yet I can't blame them for wanting a day or two in Paradise.

[Asking]

Brian wrote:

Santa Cruz has always needed tourists with money who stay for several days.
But "progressive" kooks block hotel projects and the result is day-trippers who bring their own beer, clog streets and spend little in the area.
Now, "progressives" are losing their cushy government jobs or enduring cuts at the very least. They've done themselves in.

If the hotels we have are'nt full why would we need more?

[Dave]

Jdub wrote:

I'll tell you one thing. The freaking fence along East Cliff from the Harbor through Twin Lakes utterly screwed my business and every other harbor business today. And last year they left the fence up until Monday. Three days that should be hooking up the small businessess of SC gets neutered by the beach gestapo. Thanks guys!
And my friend that works the State Parks told me that they loose about $5000 this weekend from lost parking revenue due to the beach enforcement.
Get that fence down or I'll do it for you,**** city and your "multi-agency enforcement". Ridiculous!
J

many posters here welcome this police activity ... it's amazing how pacified and brain washed the public has become.