Gateway Plaza — Local services in Santa Cruz

Where the heck is Gateway Plaza? Is it good that I didn’t realizei was there? Or is it bad that I didn’t realize I was there? It must have been bland enough to not stand out yet pleasant enough to not stand out as well. And also gateway to where? Should I pack an overnight bag? What’s the currency exchange? Will there be a language barrier? Oh wait. It’s the shopping center with Ross and Office Max and Chipotle and World Market and Pet Pals and Java Junction….so yes to all those previous questions. A great spot to meet with friends for a levee walk or a Pogonip bike ride. But watch out for the elderly security guard with the Canadian Mountie hat on, that man is out for blood, he’ll turn sitting down on a bench to wait for friends into the greatest criminal plot of all time. He probably should’ve stayed retired but I bet his wife’s glad he’s gone for eight hours a day. Stay...

As a parking lot, this has ample parking, two different entrances (including one with a stoplight that is helpful for turning left out of the parking lot). However, most of the time I spend in this parking lot is as a biker, and as far as parking lots go, this is about as good as you can get for bikes. It has 3 separate ramps to the adjacent riverwalk, enabling you to access it by bike very easily. It has bike lanes painted along the curbs leading away from the ramps, which is something I have never seen in any other parking lot. It also does a good job of connecting the riverwalk to the bike path near the mission, although I wish the bike lanes extended all the way to the stoplight intersection at the entrance. I can only thank whoever added the bike infrastructure to this parking lot, because it makes my bike commute from the riverwalk to...

I do a lot of shopping here, Ross, World Market. I've eaten at the few restraunts they have here one of them being Chipotle's it's alright. The Staff is nice. Not sure what to say about the food at Chipotle's except that it's Fresh and Healthy eating. I can't remember the name of the little Coffee shop but they Have amazing Frappecino's and Great lemonade. Ross is always a good store that's what I call a disposable clothing store because most of the clothes will only last one or two washings/ wearings. It's usually crowded. The staff is polite. there is ample parking tho not any shade. So please don't leave your animal in your car while shopping here. Also it's not in the greatest area lots of drug users. So that's...