6.2 out of 10

Coast Rd, California

36.291497991937 -121.84641567688
Great for
  • Parks & Recreation
  • Clean & Green
  • Gym & Fitness
  • Neighborly Spirit
  • Parking
Not great for
  • Cost of Living
  • Public Transport
  •  
  •  
  •  
Who lives here?
  • Beach Lovers
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Country Lovers

Reviews

4/5 rating details
  • Safe & Sound 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 5/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Parking 4/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
2yrs+

"WOW"

In my opinion, few highways in the Bay Area are more pleasant to drive on than this one. This virtually untouched stretch of Pacific coastline offers picturesque, stunning views of the ocean on the whole drive. The long, clean breaks are a surfer's dream, and the expansive vistas are perfect for every photographer.

Traffic is surprisingly light, which could have to do with the fact that few work destinations or residences are located along this remote stretch. As a result, cell phone reception is complete out in places, which means that you will have to wait until Pescadero or Santa Cruz to upload your cell phone photos to Facebook.

If you are okay doing a little bit of driving and want to escape the crowds, this is a great place to find peace and solitude in an otherwise heavily populated area.
Pros
  • Great views
  • Solitude
  • Minimal traffic
Cons
  • Little in the way of restaurants or nightlife
  • No cell phone reception
  • Not for urban dwellers
Recommended for
  • Retirees
  • Country Lovers
  • Beach Lovers
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 4/5
  • Nightlife 4/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
2yrs+

"Heavy Traffic in this Beach Town"

Santa Cruz is a lovely, laid-back beach town - as long as you do not need to commute to/from the Silicon Valley every day. The junction of Highway 17 and California 1 is the epicenter of the blockage during any peak hour, with northbound traffic being particularly bad in the morning. Southbound traffic tends to mellow out a bit more but is still not great. Even worse, the beach cannot be seen from this section of the highway.

The upside is that traffic usually means cool sites nearby, particularly in the Bay Area, and the 1 in Santa Cruz is no exception. Beaches, surfing, the boardwalk, and nightlife all await and are just steps away. But if you can at all avoid it, do whatever you can to take a different route to the great attractions of Santa Cruz and save yourself some time and sanity.

Fortunately, like most of Northern California, you can count on one thing: Even in high traffic, the drivers are unusually friendly.
Pros
  • Good restaurants
  • Center of everything that is Santa Cruz
Cons
  • Traffic
  • And even more traffic
Recommended for
  • Families with kids
  • Students
  • Beach Lovers
StephSF
StephSF Okay, I lied a little bit. This review is descriptive of Highway 1 south of 17. North of 17, where the road doubles as Mission Street, it is actually much much better. The traffic still sucks, but it goes from interstate-type road to an actual street with restaurants and bars.

My personal favorite is Burger, which offers great hamburger options, or veggie burgers, as well as an extensive beer menu. There are many other restaurants on this busy stretch as well, including Ristorante Avanti and Cafe Brazil. Check it out before avoiding the 1 completely!
2yrs+
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