Such a fun little paper + gift shop in Santa Cruz. This place is packed with the coolest cards,…read moregame boards, quirky toys, and playful finds you didn't know you needed. Everything is well-organized, so it's easy to browse without feeling overwhelmed. Located on a lively, busy street that's great to walk around, with street meter parking nearby. Perfect spot to pop into while exploring the area and looking for a unique card or gift.

On 06/19/21, The dude calls Station businesses "Princess Places" as I have an obsession with…read morestationary - it's my hobby (that's what I tell myself to feel better a out it xD). I love everything about it. I was hesitant on coming in as I had my mind set on getting cookies a block away and he convinced me to stop in so we can look for Princess things for me and my bestie!! I was ALL in at that point. Upon entering in, I knew I didn't want to go. They had cute cards you can mail out which I'm so old school I love it. I spent a good 30 minutes trying to find the perfect Santa Cruz card!! I grabbed so many and started narrowing it down and down. I ended up not picking any of them and found a really small unique card I fell in love with which was perfect for the theme I was going for!! This place has so many hidden TREASURES. I was rummaging through everything from vintage games, books, puzzles, trinkets, unique items and the dude found a mermaid shell the actually hatches a mermaid. I knew that was the perfect item to pair with my cute card!! A unique find in Santa Cruz which was awesome. While I was in awe of the store the dude found a Coney cup *insert love emoji eyes* I literally squealed my princess skirt off!! There was no way I was walking out the store without it. I think the dude and I spent about an hour in the store until I realized we had to go pick up my hat that was being done. The line wasn't too long for check out and the owners informed us that they barely put the Coney Line Friends cup out two or three days ago!! Just my luck. I let them know they need BROWN BEAR - CONEY'S true love! So they were pleased that someone bought it. The owners were incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Their store made me fall in love with Santa Cruz and make the trip very special! It was clean organized and such unique items you won't find! I highly recommend you come and check it out. Something for everyone!

I love the idea of having a gift shop and plant nursery next to an arboretum. Lots of plants (ca…read morenatives too) and acute gift shop. Some local items and other fun things to give as gifts or keep! The lady working behind the counter was super sweet too.

This is a gem of a giftshop! There's an excellent variety of gift ideas. Staffing and purchasing is…read moreall done by volunteers. Prices are reasonable, only downside is that it closes at 4:00 PM.

Botanic and Luxe combines all my favorite shoppable things into one place: gorgeous healthy…read moreplants, local delicate jewelry, pillows, baskets, handcrafted goodies, candles and other scented gifts, wall art, travel and cook books, fine kitchenware. I mean seriously, did someone read my journal of Favorite Things and create this store just for me?!! L-O-V-E! There is no walking around downtown Santa Cruz without stopping by Botanic and Luxe. I have purchased gifts here as well as framed art (with a locally-made wooden frame) that hangs in my home, and recently attended their anniversary event where they had local vendors serve matcha and desserts, and they provided 20% off the entire store, so naturally I went home with another plant baby. Even though the store was PACKED with customers, they asked me if I needed help twice and also spent time giving me plant care instructions! Botanic is a higher-end plant shop, so expect to see some matching "luxury" prices as well. But people don't usually come here to get the best deal; they come to feel a certain way while they peruse a beautiful shop that sources many items locally, to get a certain level of service, and to be ensured a certain quality of product.

I absolutely love this cute little spot in Santa Cruz. I have a little tradition that every time I…read morecome here I buy a new plant. The day I bought the cutest little mini monstera. They also have a wonderful variety of different artisan crafts and very delightful scented oils. If you want to uplift your mood, come into botanic and lux. In a good mood immediately with all their soothing music and they're gorgeous atmosphere. The service is always very friendly and I plan to patron this place very often.

What a fabulous cache of the most unique selection of almost anything and everything your little…read moreheart may desire. Home decor, (for the inside and outside), original art work produced by local artists, and lovely, lovely jewelry. This does not even begin to describe all the inventory tastefully organized in this cute, small store located in midtown Santa Cruz. I could have wandered around for much longer but I had dinner plans at my favorite Italian restaurant (Sugo) next door so I was on the move. I spent fifteen minutes checking out everything and wanting to buy something, LOL! And there it was. A cool, casual purse perfect for a day at the beach or on a sail... maybe even a hike. The only purse I brought was not suitable for outdoor activities. Score! It is adorable and so practical but also a one of a kind find. I love it. The price was reasonable for Santa Cruz. Actually I could see it costing about the same in my city. Home/Work is fun! I will return on future trips for sure. Maybe pick up some gifts for a few lucky friends. The woman working was so sweet. No pressure but happy to answer any and all questions. Street parking on busy, crazy Soquel Avenue is challenging. Perhaps find a side street. This store does not rely on tourists. It is supported and loved by the local community/neighborhood. (Check out the photos left by Yelp reviewers.) Home/Work is worth seeking out. Do not miss this treasure. It is guaranteed to bring you joy!

We had dinner reservations next door, but were early (natch) so we stopped in this boutique shortly…read morebefore they closed. It was nice, a bit eclectic, very clean, bright and well organized. Lots of stuff for the dining room and bar, games, fun cards and stickers. We got no flack for hanging out right up to closing time. In fact, someone else came in after we did.

This is a great long standing store front! The new owner (daughter of original owner) is doing a…read moregreat job! Prices are typical and set (for Santa Cruz skateboard gear) but she did have some great sales. DEFINITELY the place for any type of sticker you'd like for your car, skateboard, computer etc. Show some Santa Cruz love and shop here first!

Do not miss this store on the wharf. Best prices on Santa Cruz "red dot" apparel. Best SC…read moresouvenirs. Good selection of local art (prints, postcards, stickers, jewelry, decor). Some local personal care including te RECOVERY PILLOW with proceeds supporting our veterans. Keep this local busin as here by shopping this store on the SC Municipal Wharf.

On our way to Davenport, this place caught my eye, so we stopped on the way back. Our dog, Zoey,…read moreappreciates any opportunity to shop, and garden centers are a favorite destination. There is an indoor store as well as outdoor areas to walk through. They had a nice selection of succulents here, and a really cute area designated for children. We encountered a friendly and helpful employee who gave Zoey a warm welcome. This is a great place for plant enthusiasts and their dogs!

I absolutely love this nursery! The staff are always so polite and helpful whenever I have…read morequestions. I'm a big fan of protea plants, and they have an excellent selection at reasonable prices. There's also a charming little shop inside with a variety of cute, unique items. Bonus: it's dog-friendly, so after spending time at the beach, we love stopping by The Garden before heading home.

I went on a treasure hunt during the beginning of Shelter in Place for two articles of clothing…read morefrom a hard to find Scandinavian brand called Just Female, as couch shopping and traveling were all that one could do for awhile. I was pleased to find one half of the outfit online at Cameron Marks Boutique. I giddily added to my cart and it was at my door before I knew it, and carefully packaged and shipped. Love supporting small, curated boutiques who source interesting things, and Cameron Marks seems to fit that bill. The other half of my outfit came from a shop in Toronto, Canada, so I definitely think I'll be visiting Cameron Marks first as I live in the Bay Area. Thank you for getting me out of my yoga pants and into something a bit more fashionable.

Definitely a cool shop at the Swift Street Courtyard. I love small boutique stores like this…read more Beautifully and carefully curated collection of goods ranging from office to kitchen to skin care to outdoors. Pricey but fun! Malin & Goetz, Aarke, Baggu, hand crafted pottery / ceramics & jewelry, candles, Aesop... the list goes on. I love their greeting card selection - creative & witty & one of a kind. A little on the upper scale for home goods but very unique finds. Fun place to browse and kill time because you'll find very interesting items. You bet we didn't leave empty handed. Putting this under the "there is something for everyone" store category.

This place is so cute! It reminds me of Powells Books in Portland. Its open and full of little…read morenooks and has fun recommendations and stands. You can spend the whole day looking around and exploring. It also has tons of fun stationary, or kitchen decor things, like the fun stuff for your home or office, not necessarily the stuff you need, but the stuff thats going to make you smile (so, the things you need). I also loved that there were two doors. I know that is silly, but I liked that you can park in the back, walk in, go shopping, then walk out the front and you're now in downtown. It is a bit overwhelming, but, super cute and I would recommend any age stopping by for something you'd like.

This bookshop is one of the stores I *must* stop into when I'm downtown. It calls my name! It has…read morea huuuge variety of books -- the usual suspects, but also some interesting subjects that are very à la Santa Cruz, like LGBTQ themes, and then there are the huge number of gift items as well as a UCSC section, which is always fun to look through. The staff is lukewarm-friendly, but overall I find them talking amongst each other behind the register like they're at a Sunday backyard BBQ, so if I have a question, I am disrupting their conversation. They'll help me out but they aren't too happy about it. That's how it feels anyway. I wish there was a self-price scanner and a way to find books more easily, so it takes out the need for customer service. All in all, the Santa Cruz Bookstore is a place you can easily spend an hour or longer to kill time or to meander after dinner. It's really fun, and is a perfect place for the loner types who don't like people talking to them... because usually staff won't approach you here on their own. (See? This can be a positive!)

Amazing store Amazing message and amazing staff…read more They have just a little bit of everything in the store. My first visit and they are so willing to give you information about any of the various items they sell. I ended up picking up a really pretty silver shell ring that matches earrings and necklace that we bought in Utrecht. And some delicious looking honey both photos below.

This is a fantastic store with friendly staff and great homemade items to purchase as gifts and as…read morepersonal treasures. The proceeds go to help the homeless in many ways!

Well, where do I begin? The service streetlight provides is great!!! Got to hand their enthusiasm…read moreand care for their customers and the store itself, they have lots of good selections of records, games and movies. Although the layout is average for a store itself kinda cramped when walking through the store. Downtown Santa Cruz, definitely needs to keep this store around I know Santa Cruz wants to tear everything down and build apartments everywhere it seems. I always raid their movies section, because I still collect physical media and I'm NOT on board with streaming, I never leave streetlight empty handed. The best part? NONE OF THIS IS CRAZY EXPENSIVE! I left the store with four movies, I could've easily got more but I decided to get the HELL OUT OF THERE before my wallet took a huge dive. Props for staying in business and truthfully I would rather support places that have knowledge about what they're doing, rather than your typical generic-random-big chain store - thank you for the hospitality and I am satisfied with my purchases, please keep up the great work! I'm already looking forward to my next visit.

Felt nostalgic coming back here. I always love coming here just to walk around and look through all…read morethe physical media (DVDs, CDs, vinyls, etc). I particularly like this record store more than Redwood because of the large variety of music genres. I saw how they had some of my dad's favorite bands like REM and carried older albums of my favorite artists. My boyfriend and I were able to score an old Lil Wayne album as well. Love the charm this place has and they are able to cater to everyone's kind of music. Still giving niche, but up to date as well!