California's Dangerous Capitola Village Situation
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Capitola, California, nestled along the picturesque coastline of Santa Cruz County, boasts a rich history dating back to the late 19th century when it became one of the state's first resort towns. Initially established as a seaside retreat, Capitola's charming cottages, sandy beaches, and colorful wharf attracted tourists seeking respite from bustling city life. Over the decades, it evolved into a vibrant community blending historic charm with modern amenities, drawing visitors with its scenic beauty and relaxed atmosphere. However, despite its allure, Capitola faces the looming threat of storms due to its coastal location. With rising sea levels and increasing intensity of weather events fueled by climate change, the town's coastline is vulnerable to erosion and flooding. Efforts to mitigate these risks through coastal protection measures and sustainable development are underway, emphasizing the delicate balance between preserving Capitola's natural beauty and ensuring its resilience in the face of environmental challenges.
IT’S HISTORY - Weekly Tales of American Urban Decay as presented by your host Ryan Socash.
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@RETALIATION187
Ай бұрын
Please do the history of City Island in the Bronx..
I lived in Capitola for 6 years. Flooding of lower downtown has always been a huge issue. In reality, just a poor area to build structures. They should have left it an open beach.
@russelmurray9268
Ай бұрын
Been there several times as I lived in Santa Cruz and definitely not a smart place to build homes
@stevevaughn2040
Ай бұрын
Yeah. I crashed at a friend's shop in the strip off beach and parking lot got hit with waves fairly often. Good times
@ankhpom9296
Ай бұрын
But now Santa Cruz is one of the most expensive places in the USA.
@jdiazpdx
Ай бұрын
Same goes to rio Del Mar
@siddharthrajagopalan8056
Ай бұрын
no it's not lmao unless if you live on East Cliff or West cliff/Pleasure point/Opal Cliffs on the coast@@ankhpom9296
I grew up in Santa Cruz and even though Capitola had many problems, it was always a great place to go to for the day. The annual Begonia festival with boats parading down the Capitola river decorated with Begonia flowers brings back wonderful memories. It was a quiet peaceful peaceful town with really nice people. My kids loved playing on the beach.
Things have been sliding off of cliffs in California since I was a kid and I am pretty sure it's been happening long before then too.
I still here in Capitola, since 1976
Thoroughly enjoyed the video, it reminded me of why I don't want beachfront property. Cheers.
@californiahiker9616
Ай бұрын
It’s nice there when the Pacific is…. pacific. But no way would I buy a house or business there!
I was born in Santa Cruz following my dad,2 uncles, and an aunt. My great grandfather Brennan lived in a two story home in downtown Capitola, and all his grandkids spent their summers with him. His home is on a hill downtown. You can see it as you pass over the pridge. Fortunately, he could witness the storm without getting his feet wet. During the summer the sand was plowed to cause the river to dam up it made the best beach in the area. Boats were usually available to rent to increase the fun. I live in Colorado now and remember all the fun times in Capitola as being the best place on earth.
The earth operates on geologic time, we don’t.
@rosemarietolentino3218
Ай бұрын
🤣 how does that happen? I would love to hear you explain how we don’t operate on the same time. 🤣
I lived in Capitola for two decades and I loved it. And then the real estate developers took over.
@williaml.baptiste3597
Ай бұрын
I left because of that...and the Dot-Comms.
@fire2box
Ай бұрын
You moved to capitol because real esate developers were already there before. Look in the mirror with your criticism.
@Strideo1
Ай бұрын
@@williaml.baptiste3597 I left because of all the damn vampires.
@TRKJSR
Ай бұрын
@@Strideo1hahahaha!
@heycoreytoo
Ай бұрын
Howdy Neighbor! I lived in/near Capitola from ‘94 to ‘14. It was a little slice of heaven.
The town of Pacifica further up the coast is also slowly falling into the ocean.
@HUMBOLDT879
Ай бұрын
Pacifica is South of Capitola.
@troybullard9631
Ай бұрын
@@HUMBOLDT879 No, Pacifica is north of Capitola. It's in San Mateo County, between Half Moon Bay and San Fransisco. Maybe you're thinking of Rio Del Mar beach in Aptos Village, or Seacliff beach ?
@nutmeg5
Ай бұрын
@@HUMBOLDT879 no. It’s north of Capitola. South of San Francisco.
Gee, the town built on the beach is being encroached upon by the ocean. I would not have guessed that.
@wolf-yw9wk
Ай бұрын
“but but but climate change” can’t let high net worth investments built in areas they should never have been lose money.
Thanks for this video. We used to visit Capitola back when I lived in CA back in the '80s.
Property-developers have had quite a history of sand-mining beach dunes, then building homes and other structures where they're vulnerable to erosion and inundation from wind and waves from storms (& low-pressure cells causing storm-surges). But the mugs never learn and keep buying properties on or near the beaches!
If you live near or right on the coast of the ocean, don’t be surprised when the big storms hit! We have the same thing here on the coast of NC (and many other coasts on the Atlantic!). People want to live on the coast but get really peeved when their home is damaged by a hurricane - almost every single year! The Earth will always win!!!
@july8xx
Ай бұрын
I’ve lived on the west coast of Florida for sixty five years the first forty no severe hurricanes the last twenty five they are more frequent and severe, I just wonder, do you think that global warming has any thing to do with it just like it was predicted? The oil companies have been propagandizing that it is not for years and paying off politicians years just like the tobacco corporations did before them.
@rosemarietolentino3218
Ай бұрын
Common sense!
@thearrtofwarr719
Ай бұрын
Welllll… not always.
Santa Cruz neighborhood bubba. South of Santa Cruz by a couple of miles. Strange place. Sea level and practically in the ocean so it should be expected to suffer from storms and heavy surf
there were 2 massive sand harvesting plants near Santa Cruz that were dredging sand from from the ocean straight to the land to be sold and used for high strength concrete. By dredging huge holes in the ocean just off shore, those holes fill back in with the sand that used to fill the shorelines and create the huge beach Capitola used to have. Also, when the army corps of engineers built the Santa Cruz harbor in the 1960's, that also stopped the sand flow moving south. So ever since then every beach south of that harbor has had less and less sand. its not sea level rise.
I have a lot of fond memories of Capitola. I once lived within walking distance of the Capitola Village, one of the sweetest places on Planet Earth.
@wyrlismike
Ай бұрын
yeah if you dont mind the smell of poop!🤣🤣
@ronniebrown2517
Ай бұрын
i lived on escalona drive from 73 to 76......did you know michael "seal" riley?.......i walked up and down the hill to the beach a lot...worked at mccary paints for a while....i really like that entire area
Well when you build next to a ocean the ocean can get you.
Used to live near Capitola and my kids went to school there. I pass by there almost everyday and it's a quaint beautiful town.
Wow, I never knew this Town existed(let alone heard of it). Learn something new every day(or night), thank you for this super informative video Ryan
@ITSHISTORY
Ай бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it!
Its like highway 1. They keep rebuilding it because it makes so damm much money it's worth it. I grew up in the Palisades above LA. When I was a kid I used to walk down the main street to the end at the cliffs overlooking the ocean where it ended abruptly. I would look over the edge and noticed there were a lot of pipes coming out of the cliffside. In my older age, I realized that what I was seeing was the remains of the many houses there that the ocean had taken.
@ONELOVE-bk7tx
Ай бұрын
The thought of the pipes is kinda haunting..
Maybe waterfront development should expect this?
@rosemarietolentino3218
Ай бұрын
It should be common sense by now!
Driving down PCH in Huntington Beach right now. City just finished relacing all the safety railing on the bluffs because the footpath colapsed. You can see the old pipes & electric boxes & stuff mixed in with the rocks at the bottom. Heading to Neuport Peninsula where king tides flood every year & have done so as long as anyone who lives there can remember.
Capitola is home of Pizza my Heart and has a cute coffee shop up the way. I think it's called Mr. Toots or something like that.
@chrisdooley1184
Ай бұрын
Mr Toots huh 🤔? That’s actually a pretty decent name for a coffee shop lol.
@yvettefilgo5383
Ай бұрын
Mr. Toots was right above margaritaville. I remember that. Mr toot was an upstairs tiny coffee shop. Sometimes a violinist or poet would entertain
Great show! This was so interesting. Please continue to produce more videos like this.
As always, thanks again for yet another extremely interesting video Ryan! I don't know how much work you have to put into each segment you bring us.. I'm sure it's a lot... but, I truly appreciate your passion for what you do. It shows that you really love what you do! Until next time, God bless the I'm~ Scott 💙🙏🏼
I grew up in aptos in the early and mid 80’s I was an intern at a tiny TV station in 1983 called Capitola Channel 8 when I was 16. I would film the people on the beach and the esplanade. Man I wish I had that footage now to see how different it is. I climbed up on the railroad trellis and filmed up there too! I would interview the different merchants there. That was in 1983! Wish I could find the guy that ran that little station. ❤❤
@GTKdje3
Ай бұрын
The village itself hasn’t changed much. Still looks similar to way it did in 70s and 80s
I lived in Soquel for a couple of years, I love Capitola. The story of the crazy architecture makes me think a little bit of Portmeirion the Village of the Prisoner.
people on california discovers why people around the world dont make buildings on beaches
@waltciii3
Ай бұрын
Yet everywhere in the world people DO build buildings on beaches. Even though they wash away... Like castles made of sand.
@Support_Ad_Blocker
Ай бұрын
ever hear of a place called "Miami Beach?" 🙄🙄
Thank You. Great History on my old Hone Town.
What an interesting story. The village is so cool looking and with such a long history.
Wonderful! Having been to California many times during 1960s to 1980s I was enthralled by your well delivered tale of Capitola; partly because I had never heard of this amazing town! Thank you for the history lesson and my best wishes for the safety of the current residents❣️
1st video of yours I've seen. Instantly subscribed! 😎👍 My wife and I have vacation-rented one of the colorful houses three times so far.
@ITSHISTORY
Ай бұрын
Welcome aboard!
Very interesting story. Thanks
thanks for this video mr. SoCa$h. I grew up in the valley and my best memories are driving to capitola on a friday afternoon with all my friends to go to the skate park and the beach. caught some of my first waves right off the jetty. best place on earth I hope it will be able to withstand time so future generations can enjoy it like i did
Nice video
I'll have to check it out the next time I go to Big Sur...
My grandfather owned one of the beach houses in the late '60s to early '70s. We loved to spend weekends there.
Born and raised in Santa Cruz, mom also grew up in Santa Cruz, dad in Halfmoon Bay and SC, Its not new that part of has always been prone to flooding low coast surrounded by high cliffs on 3 sides and Soquel creek flowing into the ocean.
Look at this lovely bit of beach, it looks like it was washed clean. Let's build on it.....
So cool!! ...A place called "Gabagool" Tony will love it three!!
I lived in Santa Cruz for 5 years and 1 year on East Cliff Drive a few footsteps from Capitola. There was a house across the street hanging off the cliff and I woke up every morning wondering if it would still be there 😅
While going it is a pretty relaxing spot. I find that it is very isolated
I stopped here on the way down to the Herst Castle. Had a burger and a walk around. Went to a candy stop as well and hit the road.
I thought it was an HO scale model by the pictures.
My friends lived on the canal. It was great fun to kayak up and down. Beautiful town.
i worked at the capitola venetian hotel for 14 years. started when i was 18yrs old. saw a lotta crazy times there, lived in the village too. that place would flood often. it was normal to keep sandbags in front of every condo
The CA coast can be very treacherous. Remember the Honda Pt. naval disaster in 1923, located near Vandenberg SFB.
@williamhinshaw6838
Ай бұрын
My dad was with NASA at Vandenberg with the Scout missile program. We used to go on base to Honda point,..collected many corroded brass ammo shells etc. from the naval disaster.
@elaineteut9579
Ай бұрын
What happened there?
My grandparents have a condo out there that they used to live in. It’s an amazing place to visit, and my wife and I go there when we want to get out of town.
My friend bought a small house on beach in Martha's vineyard during extreme high tides the ocean lapped at her bedroom wall. She sold it to Riverdance people. She now lives near coast but inland enough to be protected from flooding.
I lived in Capitola 24 years ago, such a lovely place ❤️
How delightfully eccentric!...only in California?...I am reminded of Clough Williams-Ellis's magnificent Portmeirion in N. Wales...thank you again...dgp/uk
Wow. How scary !!!
There is no Shangri-la. Natural disasters occur everywhere. Capitola IS beautiful. Nothing lasts forever.
I lived in a house built in 1851 across from the big Catholic. It wS the oldest wooden home in the county. Built by a Spanish stowaway running from their Civil War. He married the daughter of a timber baron and became the first Sheriff of the County. His house is still there and I lived in the top . It was restored and made of Huge Redwood old growth planks and square nails. They had 13 children and built stalls for them luke cows. You could still see where the partitions were We also had the FBI out front watching the house. The people who restored it lived in Alaska but were very politically active in the 60s to 80s. Many groups including NORML and Earth First had meetings there. Everyone knew about the FBI we used to bring them coffee. Margarita Ville had a restaurant there my girlfriends worked there. It was fun to go many of the Professional football players came from the Bay Area. I was there during the 1989 Earthquake. Not fun. My house burned later on Bay Street. Damaged chimney. It's too expensive to live there for normal humans. I hung on until 1995.
My husband and I lived in San Jose. We would have many more day trips to Capitola all the time. Our family rented one of the many vacation homes That are there to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday. Her husband had Maine lobster shipped in for the celebration. I have nothing but good memories of Capitola.
Please take a look into the long gone Alameda California Red Trains system and the Ferrie Mole terminal for transfering to San Francisco Ferries The Mole was located where the Alameda Naval Station was built in it's place at the start of WW 2.
The band of Ohlone that lived in Capitola/Soquel were called the Shoquel.
I was born and raised in California! Moved east in my mid 30s. Always heard the name and saw it on the map. It wasn’t until 38 years later that i saw via the internet what a great place to visit. Wish i had gone there when i lived there.
Santa Cruz is being ravaged by the ocean
@identifying.as.asovereignhuman
Ай бұрын
That's not really accurate
Branciforte (not Capitola) was established in 1791 east of the San Lorenzo river just above where the heart of downtown Santa Cruz is today along the West bank of the river.
“Amazing architecture” might be a little overstated. Whom engineered that?
Painting your house bright colors like Capitola, is a sure sign of low education! 😮
i live in Capitola. If you want to start a business in the core village nook, better get you some flood insurance. Otherwise it's nbd.
I fought the ocean and the ocean won
Haven’t been there for over a decade, less sand than I remember.
I'll never bang Pizza My Heart or Margaritaville, but it's still Cop-itola to me
@foxfakenews3293
Ай бұрын
Tell me about it. I was profiled there and given a ticket for not using my directional while turning right at a 4 way stop from a right turn only lane with a traffic island and solid white lines on each side of the corner. The cop turned around and followed me, just waiting for a reason. I went to traffic school 15 years ago where the cop teaching said you didn't need to signal your turn at that kind of intersect because the white lines meant it was a continuation of the lane and the traffic island prevented people from changing into that lane. Didn't matter to this pig. My car was dirty. Lesson, you will get profiled there if your car is dirty. But the beach area is very cool. It's quaint, cozy, intimate, and quiet. Scotts Valley, about 3 miles north toward San Jose, is the same. Got profiled there too. I call that place Naziville and avoid it like the plague. Go to Pizza My Heart and order their pesto pizza. You won't regret it. Best Pizza on the West Coast.
Many Adobe building of San Jose were demolished in the early 20th century.
I have only been to Capitola in the summer. It was beautiful and the various bars and restaurants were great. Margaritaville was as good as its reputation. The most popular drink was also the most popular bar. It's also a popular Jimmy Buffet song (Margaritaville).
Its happening on the Atlantic side of the United States too. Stop building on the beaches...!
What idiocy, to build there and be surprised when it floods.
❌Ah, Predictions of "Climate Activists"❌
It’s pretty much built up with sand…not meant to be a beach. I used to go there every summer as a child. The shore area just seemed to get smaller and smaller. I was shocked to see the area of sand later on in my adult years (30s/40s), it seemed like the water was getting closer to the esplanade. There has been a history of flooding but the last storms have really proven that the businesses and hotels in the direct line of the rising tide won’t be sustainable in the coming years.
I was just there. The storm are going into restaurants and shops. Will need a lot of work to these areas livable.
@mikegrizwold2522
Ай бұрын
all been fixed for some time now
@skitown11
Ай бұрын
You can't form a sentence.
@foxfakenews3293
Ай бұрын
@@mikegrizwold2522 Until next winter. I have friends that live in the flats in Rio Del Mar, and they get flooded often. The price one pays for living within a flood zone. I lived in Rio Del Mar for 3 years, but it was on a ridge top with a view of Monterey Bay and Peninsula and the only open valley in the entire area, ringed with houses on three sides and no obstructions in front of my house, just pampas grass. Amazing view and got to watch the storms come in but stayed dry.
I love 5 minutes away
it's only a problem for owners of properties within 100 feet of the beach. all those properties are worth 10 million plus. so yeah. those people aren't really concerned either their rich AF.
When you listen to history and makes you think people nowadays saying their lives are so hard 😅😅😅
It's really pretty simple. Just don't build so close to the edge of the sea. Give it a lot of berth.
Coming from San Antonio, Texas, I looked up San Antonio, California but unless it's that part of Oakland now, I'm not sure of city named San Antonio in the mid-1850s. Any info?
My brother owns part of the tan building. He has water damage.
I first went to capitol in 1956 I remember the flood in 1983 then they rebuilt it and that ruined the original beach town..
Id live to see you do a video on the garsen mall and history of the Palomar inn and boardwalk , town clock etc etc Thank you for this amazing informative history of this unique magical treasure we have in this special community
Building next to the ocean. Zero common sense
@GTKdje3
Ай бұрын
Not many of those structures are permanent residences. Most are beach rentals or tourist restaurants and have been there for over 100 years. All are typically repaired in a matter of months.
The North Sea is considered the most dangerous sea.
Brian, "Exacerbate". Not "exasterbate". Just though you should know for future purposes. Nice job on the Capitol story. Lived there for a couple years. Very nice little community. Thanks for sharing. ❤️
The climate changes every day: Earth wobbles on its axis, solar flares, volcano eruptions, plate tectonics and so on all affect weather. 1.5 million years back, when a cooling trend started NYC was under about two miles of ice, the weather does change and vary from year to year. Also the coast of California is very unstable, just like its leaders, there is always something sliding down a cliff side or buildings being hit by big waves. Take away: Don't build on a unstable cliff, or on the Ocean/Beach or just above it.
@foxfakenews3293
Ай бұрын
Can't mention California without slipping in a dig. Grow up.
@stewartteaze9328
Ай бұрын
@@foxfakenews3293 GOT communism.
I'm living in Florida, presently., I am very familiar with Capitola, Santa Cruz,Watsonville and,in general, the Pajaro valley... Steelhead used to be in abundance in the San Lorenzo River to lay their eggs.... Those days are long gone 😢...Sad to say, after Santa Cruz was destroyed by the '89 earthquake... What used to be the beautiful Pacific Garden Mall,was decimated and the attempted recovery was woefully inadequate... Living in Florida is way different than living on the Central California, Monterey Coast..Used to be gorgeous, not so, nowadays 😢😢😢💔
@skitown11
Ай бұрын
Stay in Florida.
@foxfakenews3293
Ай бұрын
No, it's still gorgeous. The great Art Deco building near the boardwalk is still there. The PGM still has charm, but some of the best buildings are gone. The views of the coast are still beautiful. Capitola is still unique and quant. It's just different.
No insurance issues back then
CALIFORNIUM DISASTER IS A RISK MANAGEMENT WE LOVE OUR COAST ,REDWOODS,ROLLING HILLS ,STUNNING VALLEYS . ❤
Best restaurant in California in 1970s : Shadowbrooke
I love how part of the history combienently was left out like the g3n0sid3 by Fremont and Stanford
Best to to build too close to the ocean.
"exasterbated" ... That's a new one.
Insurance Companies are changing what they are insuring. And you will now be paying high insurance rates by the Ocean’s.
Also Pacifica.
Video starts at 7:00
I live a town away from
Growing up in the area, I was astonished that residents were always referred to as 'Tola rats! Yep. Sleazy, rundown tourist traps selling shoddy merchandise, and wornout pinball arcades. Smack dab in the middle of one of the most expensive counties to live in, downtown Capitola was an interesting throwback to an earlier era. It was where you went, when you wanted to go slumming for a while, while figuring out your financial problems. Interesting video.
Interesting! God made a perfect California and man has not respected it. When the Spanish arrived Oceanside CA was forested. Today Oceanside is a desert.
So it was hot in California before ICE vehicles? Never would've thought that.
@waltciii3
Ай бұрын
Hot with good air quality...
@brettvictory4606
Ай бұрын
It’s a desert climate. Nobody has ever argued against that. The air quality was shit after cars took hold. Catalytic converters and exhaust gas recapture systems helped reduce most of the smog.
@magerted64
Ай бұрын
@@brettvictory4606 Funny then how it's not called global air quality degradation but rather global warming.