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When Santa Cruz-based comic Richard Stockton went on tour this past fall, he got an eye-opening window into how the rest of the world sees Santa Cruz. Anytime an MC doing introductions at a club told the crowd where Stockton came from, the audience whooped, hollered, groaned and made lots of noise.

“That alone gets a response,” Stockton says. “You’re 2,000 miles from home, and you think no one’s heard of Santa Cruz. But no, everyone’s heard of Santa Cruz.”

If his experience on the road is any indicator, Santa Cruz has indeed built a reputation as a haven for drug culture and leftist politics. Stockton isn’t saying there’s anything wrong with that, but it surprised him to see how prevalent that image was. And it speaks to a larger discussion happening here in the county about Santa Cruz’s identity.

The recent buzzword is “re-branding,” and has floated around for a few years in local business circles, although it’s picked up more lately.

The question with no easy answers is: does Santa Cruz need one? Does it really have a reputation for drugs, crime and wacky politics that’s bad for tourism? Many public safety hawks also believe the city is seen as a place to hang out without any money, do bad things and get cheap scores.

Last year, at a Chamber of Commerce forum for the city council race, moderator Doug Ley asked candidates what Santa Cruz’s brand was to them. Steve Pleich and Jake Fusari both said “Surf City.” Other candidates, including the four that were later elected, gave more free-form answers—“creative,” “fun,” “incredible outdoor recreational community” and so on.

The issue came up again in public safety task force meetings, where members discussed whether or not the city should start a campaign to re-brand. The task force ultimately decided to leave the re-branding out of its recommendations, which go to city council Tuesday Dec. 3, and might require a new tax if approved. The task force suggested the bad reputation was partly due to perceived lax sentencing by the county courts.

“Many believe the civil process to be ineffective, and partially responsible for the perceived draw of criminals to Santa Cruz,” reads a narrative draft that accompanies the task force’s recommendations.

But it’s still a hot topic. Civinomics posted an online forum about re-branding earlier this month, and second district County Supervisor Zach Friend has said the city needs to do a better job of getting its messages across. The ideas for how to tackle that are, like the problem, abstract.

City councilmember Pamela Comstock says when she talks to her family members about Santa Cruz, the first words that come to their minds are “Boardwalk” and “hippie.” She says the city could work to better highlight its art scene, but adds that she believes Santa Cruz needs to create the kind of community locals want first, instead of marketing free-form ideas and expecting tourists to bring in those elements.

Joe Foster, executive director of the Santa Cruz County Business Council, says leaders need to work together to solve these problems and bring the public and private sectors together. “It really has to be a countywide approach,” he says. “Geographically we’re not that big, but our economy’s so diverse, and our people are diverse.”

Maggie Ivy, CEO of the Santa Cruz County Visitors Council, says the CVC’s studies on recent visitors shows tourists think of Santa Cruz as a fun, laid-back unique beach town—quintessential California. Additionally, the CVC unveiled a new logo and commercial this past year.

For his part, comedian Stockton says the city should embrace the liberal image and publicize the progressive politics that make it famous—even the benefits of medical marijuana—and set an example for the rest of the country. But that’s not everyone’s vision.

“That’s not my experience of Santa Cruz,” says Chip, executive director for the Downtown Association. “That part exists. People often talk to me about ‘Santa Cruz: that’s where the Cabrillo Music Festival is.’”

Chip says the town has garnered a lot of positive media attention these past three years from the Amgen Tour of California, the Mavericks surfing competition and the new D-League basketball team going to the championship.

He adds that it’s okay if this whole conversation stays abstract. “If you look at the taglines the Downtown Association and the community have used, they’re all innocuous,” he says. “Our last tagline was ‘It’s all right here,’ and that doesn’t mean anything because we’re trying to create a tagline that encompasses everything. The best tagline for Santa Cruz is ‘Santa Cruz.’ That does encompass everything.”

  • https://www.santacruz.com/news/2013/11/19/does_santa_cruz_need_an_image_makeover Steve G

    Why not pitch Carrie Brownstein, Fred Armisen and Jonathan Krisel to write an episode or two where they follow estranged Mayor (Kyle MacLachlan) to Santa Cruz where he has taken up residence. Our downtown, politics and cast of archetypes are just as entertaining as those portrayed in Portlandia. Surely the trio would have a hilarious take on the politics of homelessness in our fair city.

  • https://www.santacruz.com/news/does_santa_cruz_need_an_image_makeover.html Steve G

    Why not pitch Carrie Brownstein, Fred Armisen and Jonathan Krisel to write an episode or two where they follow estranged Mayor (Kyle MacLachlan) to Santa Cruz where he has taken up residence. Our downtown, politics and cast of archetypes are just as entertaining as those portrayed in Portlandia. Surely the trio would have a hilarious take on the politics of homelessness in our fair city.

  • https://www.santacruz.com/news/2013/11/19/does_santa_cruz_need_an_image_makeover Tim Goncharoff

    I really doubt that most people in distant places see Santa Cruz through the same narrow lenses many of us do.  When I travel, people always say “Oh, Santa Cruz.  It’s so beautiful.  You’re so lucky.” Hard to top an image like that.

  • https://www.santacruz.com/news/does_santa_cruz_need_an_image_makeover.html Tim Goncharoff

    I really doubt that most people in distant places see Santa Cruz through the same narrow lenses many of us do.  When I travel, people always say “Oh, Santa Cruz.  It’s so beautiful.  You’re so lucky.” Hard to top an image like that.

  • https://www.santacruz.com/news/2013/11/19/does_santa_cruz_need_an_image_makeover Immaculate Void

    “Does it really have a reputation for drugs, crime and wacky politics that’s bad for tourism?”

    No, it has a reputation for crappy hotels that is bad for tourism. 

    Really, what is it with this town and hotels?  I can go to Monterey and stay in a wide range of decent-to-luxury hotels.  Here we’ve got like one semi-luxury hotel, one or two very small very average business hotels, and a SEA of seedy looking motels out of some 1970’s horror film.  Who would want to spend a weekend here with that kind of welcome mat?  Obviously someone would build nice hotels here if they were allowed to so they must not be allowed by city government.  In fact, even renovating an old hotel is apparently beyond the pale here despite widespread approval of the idea.  If you’re not building or renovating, you’re decaying.  The city has embraced decay as a policy, apparently, and so it will be.

  • https://www.santacruz.com/news/does_santa_cruz_need_an_image_makeover.html Immaculate Void

    “Does it really have a reputation for drugs, crime and wacky politics that’s bad for tourism?”

    No, it has a reputation for crappy hotels that is bad for tourism. 

    Really, what is it with this town and hotels?  I can go to Monterey and stay in a wide range of decent-to-luxury hotels.  Here we’ve got like one semi-luxury hotel, one or two very small very average business hotels, and a SEA of seedy looking motels out of some 1970’s horror film.  Who would want to spend a weekend here with that kind of welcome mat?  Obviously someone would build nice hotels here if they were allowed to so they must not be allowed by city government.  In fact, even renovating an old hotel is apparently beyond the pale here despite widespread approval of the idea.  If you’re not building or renovating, you’re decaying.  The city has embraced decay as a policy, apparently, and so it will be.

  • https://www.santacruz.com/news/2013/11/19/does_santa_cruz_need_an_image_makeover Colin Campbell Clyde

    Yet another round of Blame The Hippies?  Is any of this getting old yet?  At least the same old (*yawn*) culture war as gotten all slick and corporate, I guess.
    Well that’s just great.  Instead of focusing their time and energy on creating substantively better policy to improve everyone’s standard of living, our city “leadership” decides that the new priority is a public relations campaign.  As if the world doesn’t already have enough of those.  Sure the place is fraught with problems – but hey, look at the fancy new logo!

  • https://www.santacruz.com/news/does_santa_cruz_need_an_image_makeover.html Colin Campbell Clyde

    Yet another round of Blame The Hippies?  Is any of this getting old yet?  At least the same old (*yawn*) culture war as gotten all slick and corporate, I guess.
    Well that’s just great.  Instead of focusing their time and energy on creating substantively better policy to improve everyone’s standard of living, our city “leadership” decides that the new priority is a public relations campaign.  As if the world doesn’t already have enough of those.  Sure the place is fraught with problems – but hey, look at the fancy new logo!

  • https://www.santacruz.com/news/2013/11/19/does_santa_cruz_need_an_image_makeover My Handle

    The downtown is not particularly inviting on the average weekday.  Most women I know that live around here think Pacific Ave is sketchy and pretty much avoid it.  I once heard someone comment that Santa Cruz has a tolerance problem, and I agree.  On another note, Steve G’s idea is great and Immaculate Void is spot on.

  • https://www.santacruz.com/news/does_santa_cruz_need_an_image_makeover.html My Handle

    The downtown is not particularly inviting on the average weekday.  Most women I know that live around here think Pacific Ave is sketchy and pretty much avoid it.  I once heard someone comment that Santa Cruz has a tolerance problem, and I agree.  On another note, Steve G’s idea is great and Immaculate Void is spot on.

  • https://www.santacruz.com/news/2013/11/19/does_santa_cruz_need_an_image_makeover lama

    An “Image makeover” implies putting lipstick on a pig.  Clean up crime, get homeless off the streets, get druggies off the streets, that would actually improve Santa Cruz.  BUT, and it’s a really, really big BUT—none of those things are gonna happen so why not waste money on a false persona!!! UCSC wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars on consultants to help improve the image of the U.  During that period, a total fool allowed MTV on campus—the end result was the bbq of a large gold fish from the campus as morons acted out.  That total fool was in the PR department too!!! What a joke.

  • https://www.santacruz.com/news/does_santa_cruz_need_an_image_makeover.html lama

    An “Image makeover” implies putting lipstick on a pig.  Clean up crime, get homeless off the streets, get druggies off the streets, that would actually improve Santa Cruz.  BUT, and it’s a really, really big BUT—none of those things are gonna happen so why not waste money on a false persona!!! UCSC wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars on consultants to help improve the image of the U.  During that period, a total fool allowed MTV on campus—the end result was the bbq of a large gold fish from the campus as morons acted out.  That total fool was in the PR department too!!! What a joke.

  • https://www.santacruz.com/news/2013/11/19/does_santa_cruz_need_an_image_makeover Michael

    The real image problem with Santa Cruz, is that, the chosen homeless find this city     a favored haven. And when I say “chosen homeless”, I mean the people that chose to be homeless.

  • https://www.santacruz.com/news/does_santa_cruz_need_an_image_makeover.html Michael

    The real image problem with Santa Cruz, is that, the chosen homeless find this city     a favored haven. And when I say “chosen homeless”, I mean the people that chose to be homeless.

  • https://www.santacruz.com/news/2013/11/19/does_santa_cruz_need_an_image_makeover Daniel Dowell

    My job requires me to speak to people from all over the country on a daily basis. Lots of times people make small talk, and the two questions that come up the most are, “Where are you located?” and “How’s the weather where you are?” Not once in the four years I’ve been here has someone said, “Oh, don’t you have a big drug problem there?” or “You mean Crime City?” or “I heard the tourism trade is down there.”

    The people who think Santa Cruz is dirty, dangerous, and/or (God forbid) turning off tourists are business owners and others who would or think they would benefit from their town becoming cookie-cutter and gentrified. People in other regions of the nation think of Santa Cruz the way they think of all of California—a sunny, leftist, weird paradise. I find it interesting that those who don’t live here see our town for what it really is while a vocal minority of residents can’t see what a wonderful gem they have.

  • https://www.santacruz.com/news/does_santa_cruz_need_an_image_makeover.html Daniel Dowell

    My job requires me to speak to people from all over the country on a daily basis. Lots of times people make small talk, and the two questions that come up the most are, “Where are you located?” and “How’s the weather where you are?” Not once in the four years I’ve been here has someone said, “Oh, don’t you have a big drug problem there?” or “You mean Crime City?” or “I heard the tourism trade is down there.”

    The people who think Santa Cruz is dirty, dangerous, and/or (God forbid) turning off tourists are business owners and others who would or think they would benefit from their town becoming cookie-cutter and gentrified. People in other regions of the nation think of Santa Cruz the way they think of all of California—a sunny, leftist, weird paradise. I find it interesting that those who don’t live here see our town for what it really is while a vocal minority of residents can’t see what a wonderful gem they have.

  • https://www.santacruz.com/news/2013/11/19/does_santa_cruz_need_an_image_makeover Daniel

    My job requires me to speak to people from all over the country on a daily basis. Lots of times people make small talk, and the two questions that come up the most are, “Where are you located?” and “How’s the weather where you are?” Not once in the four years I’ve been here has someone said, “Oh, don’t you have a big drug problem there?” or “You mean Crime City?” or “I heard the tourism trade is down there.”

    The people who think Santa Cruz is dirty, dangerous, and/or (God forbid) turning off tourists are business owners and others who would or think they would benefit from their town becoming cookie-cutter and gentrified. People in other regions of the nation think of Santa Cruz the way they think of all of California—a sunny, leftist, weird paradise. I find it interesting that those who don’t live here see our town for what it really is while a vocal minority of residents can’t see what a wonderful gem they have.

  • https://www.santacruz.com/news/does_santa_cruz_need_an_image_makeover.html Daniel

    My job requires me to speak to people from all over the country on a daily basis. Lots of times people make small talk, and the two questions that come up the most are, “Where are you located?” and “How’s the weather where you are?” Not once in the four years I’ve been here has someone said, “Oh, don’t you have a big drug problem there?” or “You mean Crime City?” or “I heard the tourism trade is down there.”

    The people who think Santa Cruz is dirty, dangerous, and/or (God forbid) turning off tourists are business owners and others who would or think they would benefit from their town becoming cookie-cutter and gentrified. People in other regions of the nation think of Santa Cruz the way they think of all of California—a sunny, leftist, weird paradise. I find it interesting that those who don’t live here see our town for what it really is while a vocal minority of residents can’t see what a wonderful gem they have.