$1,793,492Average Value$1,394Average Price per Sq Ft7Homes For Sale
Coastal living in the heart of Santa Cruz
A weekend afternoon in Lighthouse-The Circles might look like laying on a sandy beach followed by a twilight walk along rocky, oceanfront bluffs overlooking Monterey Bay. In the distance, residents and visitors can take in the bright-lit Santa Cruz Boardwalk against a backdrop of misty, forested mountains. Coastal living has always been the appeal of this historic Santa Cruz community, says Realtor Michele Replogle of Compass Real Estate, a lifelong Santa Cruz resident: “The people that live here want to be close to the water. It’s a big destination for surfing, paddle boarding, kayaking and biking."
The neighborhood is split into two distinct sections: The Circles and the Lighthouse district. Located about five blocks from the beach, The Circles traces its origins to the 1890s when the State Association of Christian Churches decided to hold its annual convention in Santa Cruz. In preparation for the festivities, the organization set up cottages and tents on circular streets surrounding a central tabernacle. The street layout stuck, and today, it’s a vibrant community full of eclectic old homes. “The lots and homes are smaller here, so you have a tighter community. You have to be congenial because people are living right next to you,” Replogle says.
The Lighthouse district is just south of The Circles along the oceanfront. It borders Lighthouse Field State Beach, one of the few remaining urban, coastal parks in California. Its homes are typically larger and newer than those in The Circles.
Westcliff Drive is a perfect place to exercise or enjoy the beach.
There is also a surfer museum at Lighthouse Neighborhood Park.
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Beaches, state parks and a world-famous surf break
West Cliff Drive is where residents walk on wide paths that hug the edge of the neighborhood’s seaside bluffs. Popular with locals and tourists, it’s an ideal place to watch the morning mist give way to a sunny day on the surf. It's also home to Lighthouse Field State Beach, a grassy open space on the bluffs. The park is home to the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, an historic landmark housed in a former lighthouse that overlooks Steamer Lane, a world-famous surf spot. Along some parts of West Cliff Drive, the cliffs dip down to reveal rocky, sandy beaches often dotted with colorful umbrellas and tents.
Further inland, cozy community parks like Garfield Park and Sergeant Derby Park offer playgrounds, picnic areas and wide-open fields. Bethany Curve is a four-block greenway trail in the Lighthouse district that provides pedestrian access to the oceanfront. A section of the Santa Cruz Rail Trail cuts across the northern edge of the neighborhood, providing people a scenic way to get around the city on foot.
The Surfer Museum is located on Westcliff Drive in the Santa Cruz Area.
There is a local going in to Derby Park.
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Walk to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk
Residents are walking and biking distance from some of the city’s best-known attractions. About a mile east is the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, a century-old amusement park with games, rollercoasters, rides and a classic arcade. Right next door is the Santa Cruz Wharf, a wooden pier with restaurants, gift shops and tiki lounge with a circular, revolving bar. At more than 2,700 feet, it's the longest pier on the west coast. West of the neighborhood is a revitalized industrial area where old warehouses have been converted into cafes, breweries, wineries and restaurants. The closest grocery stores are Safeway and New Leaf Community Markets.
The Santa Cruz Boardwalk is a great place to take your family.
Safeway is a great place to get some groceries in the Santa Cruz area.
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Eclectic homes by the bay
Homes in The Circles were primarily built in the early 1900s on small lots. Beach bungalows, cottages and Craftsman homes with wood-shingled siding are common home types in the neighborhood. Along West Cliff Drive, there are large, luxury homes in addition to older, midcentury style designs. Lush, tropical landscaping is the norm, with palm trees dotting the horizon and colorful flowers lining the sidewalks. Homes in the Circles typically list for between $800,000 and $2 million, while Lighthouse district homes list for between $1.5 million and $3.5 million.
Craftsman homes are popular in the Santa Cruz area.
There are a lot of modern homes in the Santa Cruz area.
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Solidly rated schools in the Santa Cruz school district
Young learners attend Bay View Elementary School, which earns a B-minus rating from Niche. The school places a strong emphasis on visual arts, music and environmental education both inside and outside the classroom. Students move on to Mission Hill Middle School and Santa Cruz High School, both of which earn A ratings.
Santa Cruz High School prepares students for bright futures.
Bay View Elementary has the best classes in the Santa Cruz area.
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There are many buses that run around the Santa Cruz area.
Getting around Santa Cruz and beyond
Lighthouse-The Circles is bordered at its northern edge by State Route 1, a commuter corridor that connects to coastal destinations like Half Moon Bay and Capitola. It also offers a connection to State Route 17 which twists and turns through the Santa Cruz Mountains on the way to Silicon Valley. For those who prefer public transit, there are several bus lines that traverse the neighborhood. Bike lanes make for a safe, easy ride throughout the area.
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
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Lighthouse-The Circles Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Lighthouse-The Circles, Santa Cruz sell after 33 days on the market compared to the national average of 52 days. The median sale price for homes in Lighthouse-The Circles, Santa Cruz over the last 12 months is $1,550,000, up 5% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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