Do you know?... The HISTORY & 'The PEOPLE' of APTOS | Aptos, California

[@Shelly-op1kx]

WoWWW, I lived in Aptos when I was 7 years old in 1967. I was in 2nd grade and attended Mar Vista Elementary school while we were there. My father left and we were then a broken family of 5 kids. I remember 3 of us having to move here from the Southern California/South Bay suburbs to live with our Aunt Betty, (one of our mother’s sisters and her family) The other 2 kids went to live with another Aunt, Carol in Nevada, where we all ended up at eventually, for a while. It was a pretty confusing, difficult time. Daddy left and Mama wasn’t with us for a while at the time either. I remember feeling displaced and lost. I would cry when night time came but I do remember that the Aptos outdoors was beautiful! Our cousins would take us for walks and there were pretty & quaint homes on quiet streets and tons of beautiful trees. We would go to one area, for some reason, my cousin called The Boondocks where there were tons of huge trees and some kind of overlook or canyon or something where we would stand and throw little twigs and things and watch them hit the rocks below for entertainment. It seemed very safe, we never got hurt. That part was pretty fun. We were country kids for a while. I don’t know what made me think of Aptos but I did today and with the internet, here it is! Mixed emotions but lots of memories. Wow, thanks for sharing this.😊

[@chiefskingdom4151]

I went to Mar Vista School around mid 80s… i grew up on Santa Cruz avenue. I own the building on corner or Center and state park. Used to be seacliff video. I left. I hate what the area has become. Hateful and racist liberals have overrun the area. I knew it was bad when i was asked if all my kids were white . Nice place but terrible People.

[@julieort2863]

Wow this has totally changed. I lived here from 1965 through 1976. It was so community oriented. I remember when we had the first quick stop! and when then Santa Cruz transit would take me from Watsonville to downtown Santa Cruz for .10 cents. OMG. Also I would walk from my home to Seacliff beach with my Lab to fish by dropline for perch! So many memories

[@StrockTeam]

Thank you for sharing all of these amazing memories! Santa Cruz is definitely a special place. Our office is actually right here in Seacliff, two doors down from Manuel's!

[@ferreally]

Share more! I love hearing about the beach days!

[@dougtodd305]

My parents were friends with Manuel Santana,We frequented his restaurant and ate there the first night it opened and l belive he was related to the famous guitarist,behind the restraunt there was a "hippy" shop where people bought rolling papers ,pipes that sort of thing.it was called the Winds of change.across the hiway was the infamous Sticky Wicket,where the Merry pranksters may of had the first acid test

[@chiefskingdom4151]

@@StrockTeamI use to own the building next to manuels . It was a video store and forget me not and a barber. I hate the area. Never seen more racism and hate. I own a house on Sea Terrace way and was told by the neighbors when we moved that we better rent it to whites Only. Santa Cruz is the most hateful place i have ever lived.

[@susanlucas1125]

Beautiful , but extremely expensive.

[@Conflictinator]

I grew up in a neighborhood just above the Polo Grounds. I felt blessed to have lived there for so long, and sorry I had to finally leave, just a few short years ago. I spent many a summer day inside Nisene Marks, hiking, riding my bike, walking the creeks....I'll always miss it.

[@annkennedy7935]

I was like 17-18 years old when I lived in Aptos, California! Indeed! Jane enjoyed cooking cuisine from the local area, which would include Carmel, Monterey, and Santa Cruz , California. Indeed. Ya'll would love my collection of cook books!!! Jane liked good cuisine! My mother liked/ enjoyed cooking as an Art! Right! 🖥️🎥🇺🇸💯💯❤️💅💅💅🇫🇷🪶

[@annkennedy7935]

Just sayin' 🎥🎥🎥🖥️✔️🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸💯🖥️

[@C-tro831]

Yea shit don’t look like that anymore was my go to beach since I’m like 40 minutes away

[@annkennedy7935]

Aptos California has a lot of history! 🖥️🎥🎥🇺🇸

[@annkennedy7935]

I actually lived in Aptos, California. Indeed! 💯💯💯🎥🎥🎥🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🤓✔️🖥️🖥️🖥️🖥️

[@annkennedy7935]

We know! 🖥️🖥️🖥️🎥🎥🎥🇺🇸✔️😭

[@yankeeuk1]

I lived on cliff drive back in the late 80's. I absolutely love Aptos, I miss it

[@StrockTeam]

Amazing! That's a great area! You might need to visit soon.

[@yankeeuk1]

I visited in 2010. I wish I could move back, but so expensive 😩

[@bpmosby]

HOME SWEET HOME !

[@StrockTeam]

Right?!

[@alissataylor6029]

Where do you get the rare pictures inside of cement ship? Thanks

[@tiaturnbullchampionscoachi9587]

Shhhh, don't tell anyone while I'm telling everyone? 😀 ❤

[@richborgo]

in 1965 my parents bought their first house there in Aptos, 13,000 dollars. Today over a million. In the old days we didnt invite people to come to Aptos, remember the Valley Bug Out signs we painted everywhere? Remember throwing fireworks wrapped in mustard pack ( that we got from the hot dog stand on the corner of aptos beach rd, now a Chinese lady owns the store there. Remember going onto the cement ship and standing on the blow hole and it would create a vacuum and suck all the air in then blow it out like a freight train? And the snack stand at the end of the pier where you could buy that pink popcorn? Then Valley people started coming , and ruined it for the local kids, making it nearly impossible to work and buy a house there. My Dad and Uncle were both captains on the Aptos fire dept, they started when the fire dept was in the village , now a bbq place, and I'll never forget my daily breakfast at the Pop Inn restraunt in my 7th grade year.( The place before the Aptos bridge. Valley please bug out so I can return home.

[@dougtodd305]

Are you related to Mark?

[@richborgo]

@@dougtodd305 no

[@StrockTeam]

Amazing memories, thank you for sharing!

[@richborgo]

@@dougtodd305 I have a step brother named Mark Rogers.

[@viannecash3774]

I was a "valley" visiting Aptos from the 1960's. I recall staying at the Aptos Hotel & antique shopping below or Redwood Village cabins later turned into boutique shops. Aptos pizza. Walking out on the cement ship. Moved to Seacliff in the 80's just in time for the big quake, running out of Krazy's that day. I am grateful for my years there but sure don't miss the expensive cost of living.

[@dougtodd305]

I lived there in the late 50s,through the 70s, Germanos pizza,Pixie plaza when it was new,Piggies market when it was on Soquel drive,no overpass,hiway one was 3 lanes there was a gas station at LA Selva Beach and a dummy cop car there because people used to speed past there, l had a note from the Mangles family .l had free reign to go anywhere l wanted in "old mill",what you call Niecene Marks .l would camp in there Sometimes for a month,with my dog. I had a home in there at one point. When l was young we drove from old mill to olive springs in a 1954 Ford with a glass roof.l lived on Rio del Mar blvd,before the condos with an unobstructed view of the pacific l watched the Aptos Beach inn burn ,and people loot the antique furniture. I went to the first Aptos 4th of July parade, l remember the Richfield gas station where the antique cars staged for the parade.The Aptos club was rite there,in the old days it was a bar and a brothel.

[@doncarmanjr]

Hi Doug, I have an vague memory of Germanos Pizza with ice cream to the right as you came in, Pinball to the the left, and a "Cook-your-own" grill at the back with a deli case to choose your steaks. This was probably during the late 60's or early 70's. Can you confirm this memory? Don

[@dougtodd305]

@@doncarmanjr vague here too ,but yes the counter was on the right,pinball on the left ,l played that pinball game many many times. Hallums store came later on the corner

[@doncarmanjr]

@@dougtodd305 Do you remember the grill?

[@dougtodd305]

@@doncarmanjr Barely,l remember a band played there one summer

[@StrockTeam]

Thank you for sharing these memories - Aptos has a rich history.

[@altratronic]

Is this guy descended from Union general George Meade? He sure looks like it.

[@StrockTeam]

Hi There! Thanks for the question. Are you referring to the man narrating the video, Ben Strock, or one of the historic photos? Thank you!

[@annkennedy7935]

Aptos California has a lot of history! 🖥️🎥🎥🇺🇸

[@annkennedy7935]

🎥🎥🎥🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸😭💯💯💯✔️💅🇫🇷