Prospect Heights, Santa Cruz, CA

Prospect Heights is a residential pocket on the northeast side of Santa Cruz, wrapped around the lower slopes of DeLaveaga Park. The streets rise from the Branciforte side of town toward the golf course and park trails, and the area feels more like a hillside suburb than a beach neighborhood. Houses are mostly single-family homes from the mid-century years and later, set on moderate lots and often elevated above the street. Some blocks have views toward the bay or the ridge, while others sit under tall trees. Cul-de-sacs and short loops make for little through traffic, and driveways are the norm. DeLaveaga Park is the reason people talk about this part of town. Down low the park has a playground, ballfields, bocce and horseshoe pits, and picnic areas that can be reserved, while the upper park adds the golf course, disc golf and hiking and biking trails. The Santa Cruz Archers maintain an archery range there that is open daily from sunrise to sunset for people on foot or bike, with vehicle gates opening on weekend afternoons. The disc golf course requires a parking pass. Food and coffee sit down the hill toward Soquel Avenue. Lulu Carpenter's Midtown shop at 925 Soquel Avenue has a drive-through and a small patio for breakfast, and The Buttery, a bakery and cafe at 702 Soquel Avenue, has baked from scratch since 1984. Groceries and pharmacies are a short drive toward Soquel and Mission Streets. Buses reach the lower edge of the neighborhood, but most trips start with a car key. The hills mean steep pitches for walking and cycling, and the nearest shops are not within walking range, so this is an area where having a car matters. Evenings end early in Prospect Heights, since the park trails keep sunrise-to-sunset hours. At the edge of the park, the road turns to trail without much warning, which is a big part of the appeal.