Harvey West District, Santa Cruz, CA

Harvey West District sits on the north edge of Santa Cruz, a flat stretch of workshops, breweries and art studios with the oaks and redwoods of Pogonip rising behind it. It is the part of town where the working side of town shows, and it has a creative streak that gives the warehouses some personality. Housing is a smaller piece of the picture than in most city neighborhoods. Homes and apartments share the district with business parks and light industry, and the streetscape has more loading docks and garage doors than lawns. Expect a practical, mixed feel more than a street of porches. The outdoor options are the best part. Harvey West Park, at 326 Evergreen Street, has a pool, picnic areas, ballfields, a bike pump track and bocce courts. Pogonip, entered off Golf Club Drive, is a large open space of grassland, creek banks and shaded woods that runs up toward the university, and the Lookout Trail starts nearby. Eating and drinking leans craft. Santa Cruz Ale Works, at 150 Dubois Street, is a brewery and restaurant, and Shanty Shack Brewing pours small-batch beers on a backyard patio where music and food trucks are part of the draw. Bocci's Cellar, at 140 Encinal Street, is the Italian spot with live music at night. Polar Bear Ice Cream, on Coral Street, is the dessert stop. The Tannery arts complex at 1010 River Street adds Artbar & Cafe and the Colligan Theater. Weekly shopping goes elsewhere. Safeway has stores on Mission Street and Morrissey Boulevard, a short drive from the district, and Highway 1 is close for trips down the coast. Because it is a working district, evenings can feel sparse once the shops and studios close, and the nearest full grocery is not within walking distance. A pool, a forest trail and a brewery sit near enough to each other that one Saturday in Harvey West District can cover all three.