Midtown Santa Cruz

05/28/2024

Midtown Fridays Summer Block Parties are back with a kickoff this Friday May 31. Check out the fantastic lineup of food, music, and vendors 🎉

01/03/2024

From the Santa Cruz Sentinel: Chef Katherine Stern’s long-awaited restaurant The Midway has opened at 1209 Soquel Ave. (the former site of Oyunaa’s Mongolian Cuisine). Hours for the initial soft opening stage are 9am to 3pm Thursday-Monday. The plan is to add dinner service in mid-to-late January. The opening menu will include savory scones, house-made yogurt, and rotating selections such as Chicken and Rice porridge, Biscuits and Fogline Farm sausage, and Lemon-Ricotta pancakes. Stern’s experience includes several years as Head Chef at La Posta Restaurant, followed by serving as founder/chef of The Midway as both a popup at farmers markets and as a restaurant residency at Bad Animal (2021-2022). “All along, my goal has been to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant of my own here in Santa Cruz,” said Stern in a recent press release. “This region is an amazing source for local ingredients which inspires my menus.”

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Chef Katherine Stern’s long-awaited restaurant The Midway opens Thursday at 1209 Soquel Ave. (the former site of Oyunaa’s Mongolian Cuisine). Hours for the initial soft opening stage are 9 a.m. to …

08/17/2023

"With a prime location right in the heart of Santa Cruz, just minutes from both downtown and Seabright Beach, Midtown is a neighborhood gem that’s hidden in plain sight. Lined with a plethora of local restaurants, breweries, and shops to discover, the quaint main street that runs through Midtown – Soquel Avenue – is the perfect spot to take a leisurely stroll through the neighborhood! Grab a coffee along the way, stop for a bite, and peruse the local goods as you discover the stroll-worthy, beach-town charm of Santa Cruz’s Midtown neighborhood!" ~ Visit Santa Cruz County

With a prime location right in the heart of Santa Cruz, just minutes from both downtown and Seabright Beach, Midtown is a neighborhood gem that’s hidden in plain sight. Lined with a plethora of local restaurants, breweries, and shops to discover, the quaint main street that runs through Midtown - ...

05/20/2023

Midtown Fridays with Event Santa Cruz! Summer Block Party is back! June 2 through September 29

Come Celebrate all the vibrancy of Midtown at our Summer Block Party, happening every Friday! Food – Artists – Live Music – Vendors

The summer series of free events will feature the talents of 25+ local bands. In addition to live music, eventgoers will enjoy a selection of local eats as well as the opportunity to check out the work of local artists and vendors.

June 2nd: Broken English w/opener Soquel High Jazz Band
June 9th: The Neverland Band w/opener Shoreline Middle School "Summer Band"
June 16th: James Durbin & The Lost Boys w/opener Coffee Zombie Collective
June 23rd: Ribseys Nickel w/opener Joshua Cremer
June 30th: Afrobeats Nite Santa Cruz w/opener Carolyn Sills Duo
July 7th: Ancestree w/opener Hijinx
July 14th: The Rayburn Brothers
July 21st: Dirty Cello
July 28th: Alex Lucero Band w/opener Asher Stern
August 4th: The Dylan Rose Band w/opener Maddie & Jackie
August 11th: Santa Cruda w/opener Yaya's Kitchen
August 18th: Mak Nova and the Kings
August 25th: Cowboy's After Dark w/opener Corrina & Rick
September 1st: The Joint Chiefs
September 8th: Locomotive Breath
September 15th: Funkranomicon
September 22nd: AC Myles
September 29th: The Expendables

1111 Soquel Ave.
eventsantacruz.com

06/10/2022

TODAY! Come celebrate the vibrancy of Midtown at our Summer Block Party, every Friday!

Today's live performance: The Beach Cowboys (Opening – Summer Band)

📍1111 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz
🕔 5pm to 8:30ish
🔗 https://www.facebook.com/events/523279832752208/523279842752207/

09/29/2021

Mask mandate lifted - The County of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency issued a press release today indicating that the CDC has updated mask recommendations. The rate of COVID-19 community transmission has moved to "moderate" and face-covering requirements are immediately lifted as of today Wednesday, September 29.

More on current state recommendations and requirements: at
https://covid19.ca.gov/masks-and-ppe

"This does not impact face-covering requirements issued by the State of California including for unvaccinated individuals, school districts, businesses, venues, or organizations requiring face coverings by policy. Residents are asked to continue respecting these requirements by carrying a face covering with them at all times while in public."

07/31/2021

Free Event! Come Celebrate all the vibrancy of Midtown Santa Cruz at our Summer Block Party, happening every Friday! Food – Artists – Live Music – Vendors

Free Event! Come Celebrate all the vibrancy of Midtown Santa Cruz at our Summer Block Party, happening every Friday! Food – Artists – Live Music – VendorsMor...

06/12/2021

Come Celebrate all the vibrancy of Midtown at Summer Block Party, happening every Friday through September!

Food – Artists – Live Music – Vendors

June 18th: Dub Souljah (Reggae)
June 25th: Ancestree (Reggae)
July 2nd: Dylan Rose Band
July 9th: John Michael Band
July 16th: Eric Morrison & the Mysteries
July 23rd: Fuse (Ted Welty, Don Caruth, Rob Ouse & Ryan Price)
July 30th: Andy Pancakes featuring Tammi Brown
August 6th: Tsunami
August 13th: The Shanks Band
August 20th: Mokili Wa
August 27th: The Sugar Jane Band
Sept 3rd: The Svelty Welty Trio (Ted Welty, Don Caruth, Ryan Price & Rob Ouse)
Sept 10th: Anthony Arya
Sept 17th: Papiba & Friends
Sept 24th: The Joint Chiefs

Details at https://www.facebook.com/events/223996332493942

10/14/2019

This Saturday! Lili Arnold Seconds Sale + Print Sale with September Wren, Wyatt Hull and Micael Nunez -

05/31/2017

MIDTOWN ITINERARY BY GARRICK RAMIREZ - article and images by Visit Santa Cruz santacruz.org/midtown-itinerary

Like the Westside and Pleasure Point, is one of ’s many distinct, charming . Follow across the from Downtown and discover a bustling, walkable corridor of boutiques, eateries and some of the city’s most beloved mainstays.

Wikipedia will tell you that Midtown spans a large swath of town between the San Lorenzo River and Pleasure Point, but the heart of Midtown lies on a five block stretch of Soquel Avenue between and Seabright Avenues. It’s here that you’ll find a cluster of intriguing storefronts to stroll. Holding down the west end of the strip is The Buttery, a cozy cafe and bakery whose hearty, homemade breakfasts and display case brimming with fresh pastries has drawn a line since 1984. Its big sunny, garden patio is just one of many to enjoy in Midtown.

Come lunch, check out Charlie Hong Kong, a beloved lunch and dinner spot that welcomes all with organic Asian-inspired noodle and rice dishes. Vegan? Check. Gluten-free? Check. Pet and kid-friendly? Yep, bring the whole family. Order at the counter and enjoy your Spicy Dan’s Peanut Delight and Ginger Lemonade in a sheltered courtyard.

To fully revel in the outdoors, head to Solaire Restaurant + Bar at one of Santa Cruz’s premier design destinations, The Hotel Paradox. An expansive pool deck sports cabanas and tables to enjoy sunny dishes like a chicken katsu sandwich and exceptional ahi poke. Inside, a stylish dining room brings the outdoors in with a ceiling photo-mural of a tree-lined sky and squirrel figurines “scampering” along the walls. Craving something more traditional? Nearby Hindquarter Bar & Grille does what they’ve been doing best for some 40 years: killer steaks, prime rib and burgers.

When it’s time to walk off your meal with some window shopping, check out local company Synergy’s outlet filled with smart casual wear made from organic cotton. Arteak displays beautiful South East Asia furnishings and home decor made from reclaimed teak and other tropical hardwoods. A few doors down, you’ll delight in Childish, a modern toy shop where locals head before baby showers and birthday parties. And don’t miss Shopper's Corner whose massive selection of local wines is an oenophile’s dream!

At night, crowds gather at Lillian’s Italian Kitchen, a popular neighborhood spot for big bowls of pasta like Braised Short Rib Ragu and their famous “Sunday Gravy” bolognese. A block away, festive diners clink glasses of sake at Akira, a fun boisterous spot for creative sushi rolls and Japanese small plates.

You might also be able to catch some live music while you’re in the neighborhood. The Crepe Place is a venerable Midtown institution with a small front room stage, lively bar with a notable selection of spirits, and a lush, eclectic garden strung with lights. Across the way, you can’t miss the bright neon signage of the Rio Theatre. Opened in 1949 as a local cinema house, the ocean liner inspired venue now hosts live performances from big time artists such as Yo La Tengo and Patti Smith.

05/31/2017

—the heart of which lies along between Ocean and Seabright—is fast becoming a mecca of hipster chic, thanks to its bike shops, home furnishing stores, cafes, restaurants and sweet live music venues. As for the laid-back Seabright neighborhood, with its clutch of bars and eateries (at Seabright and Murray, two blocks from the beach), its residents are fierce loyalists who will go mano-a-mano with anyone over neighborhood supremacy.

Midtown Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA Santa Cruz, California, Visit Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce, Santa Cruz City Government

Things to do in Seabright/Midtown Santa Cruz, CA including top Restaurants, Organic Grocery Stores, Nightlife, Hotels, Coffee Shops, Services, Attractions, Boutique Clothing Stores, Shopping in the area