Carbonera, Santa Cruz, CA

Carbonera is a hillside district on the northeast side of Santa Cruz, in the hills where houses sit among redwoods and oaks and the road system climbs toward Scotts Valley. It feels more like the wooded Santa Cruz Mountains than the beach town below. Homes tend to be single-family houses on larger, irregular lots, from older cabins and ranch-style homes to newer custom builds. Driveways wind uphill, many properties are screened by trees, and neighbors are not always within sight. The mix of eras reflects a district that grew slowly rather than in one planned development. DeLaveaga Park, at 855 Branciforte Drive, is the neighborhood's big green. Up high are the golf course, a disc golf course and an archery range, with hiking and biking trails across the slopes, and the park itself began as a private family estate whose owner left it to the city and county for public use. Down low, picnic areas and courts make it a place to gather as well as to walk. For coffee and a bite, the choices lie down the hill. Java Junction on Seabright Avenue has served organic, fair-trade coffee near Seabright Beach since 1992, and The Buttery on Soquel Avenue has baked cakes, pastries and lunch from scratch since 1984. A trip into Scotts Valley adds more shops and restaurants. Everyday errands mean a drive, usually down Branciforte Drive to Soquel Avenue or out toward Highway 17. Metro buses run on the lower roads rather than up in the hills. A bike works well for the trails but demands strong legs on the way home. Distance and slope are the plain limits in Carbonera, since there are no shops within easy reach and the hill roads are narrow. Past the last driveway, the park trails start under redwoods and oaks.