Pacific Avenue

View Edit

Pacific Avenue in the City of Santa Cruz, formerly known as the Pacific Garden Mall, runs North to South from Water Street/Mission Street and twists around a bit, eventually hitting Beach Street and the Municipal Wharf. Pacific Avenue is the center of the city's downtown. It has shops, restaurants, theatres, and interesting people. Pacific Avenue is known for street performers. Pacific Avenue has a few extra laws in force:

There is a noise ordinance against loud music.
No smoking.
No skating.

Pacific Avenue is one way going north to south from Mission Street to Locust Street. Pacific Avenue also has a one way section going south to north from Cathcart Street to Church Street.

This street performer is playing a modern didgeridoo.View of Pacific Avenue from Mission Street.

Pacific Avenue is also known for street vendors. If a store wants to use the sidewalk area for selling, they need a permit. No other Pacific Avenue sidewalk sale (or barter) is legal.

To use the sidewalk to sell, merchants are required to pay a fee for a permit in advance of a sale. Often done on Memorial Day weekend.

This Pacific Avenue sidewalk vendor (the one wearing fairy wings) is selling illegally.

Bike-Friendliness

Pacific Avenue has a lot of pedestrian traffic, so prepare to be patient if you drive. There are no bicycle paths, but riding is generally safe due to the slow speed of traffic. Riding on the sidewalks is not allowed. Cops have been known to give tickets to people cycling the wrong direction down the one-way portions of the street.