In the late 1700s, Siberian fur trader Osip Volkov jumped ship in Monterey Bay, assimilated to Spanish culture, became a Mexican citizen, and was ultimately the first non-native settler in what is now Scotts Valley.
Nestled in the San Lorenzo Valley in Santa Cruz County, Scotts Valley is home to about 11,500 residents who appreciate the forest-like environs, easy access to Santa Cruz and San Jose, and a quality of life that makes it an easy city to love
In the late 1700s, Siberian fur trader Osip Volkov jumped ship in Monterey Bay, assimilated to Spanish culture, became a Mexican citizen, and was ultimately the first non-native settler in what is now Scotts Valley.
Nestled in the San Lorenzo Valley in Santa Cruz County, Scotts Valley is home to about 11,500 residents who appreciate the forest-like environs, easy access to Santa Cruz and San Jose, and a quality of life that makes it an easy city to love. Scotts Valley has been home to humans for over ten thousand years, with several iterations of native peoples living along the areas waterways and hunting and gathering. The city was eventually founded and took its name from Hiram Scott who bought the sprawling Rancho San Agustin. Scott purchased the land grant from a guy who bought it for $400 from our ship-jumping friend Volkov -- who was by then known as Jose Bolcoff.
Scotts Valley's geographic location -- halfway between techie Silicon Valley and hippie Santa Cruz -- probably explains the variety of businesses that got their start here. Seagate Technology, world leader in computer hard drives, was headquartered here. But so was surf/skate/snow-boarding outfitter Sessions. Prior to its move to neighboring Los Gatos, Netflix first called Scotts Valley home as well. This is a long-winded way of telling you not to be fooled by the quiet forest setting. This is a town with some juice and a very desirable place to live.
While tourism brings daily visitors to town, you won't need to worry about a high or low long-term renter's season. If it's a rainy winter, that might be a pain when you're trying to protect your couches, but there's no wrong time to move here.
Given the area's popularity, allow yourself four to six weeks to narrow down rental properties and find the best place for you. Come armed with references, credit history, proof of income, and deposit money so you can seal the deal in short order.
Scotts Valley gets high marks for walkability, but those scores don't necessarily take topography into account. Commuter transit service is available to convey residents into Santa Cruz or San Jose; however, a car is a good idea, at least for your apartment search (and probably for errands, too).
Scotts Valley is relatively small and compact. Character-filled, historic rental houses are harder to come by, but modern developments are still growing and you should be able to find a rental apartment within an easy walk of the city's parks and its central Kings Village Shopping Center. Furnished apartments will be harder to find, though there are a few.
Condo developments and townhomes for rent are more easily found in Scotts Valley than in some other Santa Cruz County cities. Most of these are close to main arteries. The closer you stick to Scotts Valley Drive, the more amenities will be close by. Fanning out from there, and moving away from Highway 17, lots will get larger, trees taller, and neighbors more frequently deer or the occasional bobcat.
Top Apartment Complexes
Acorn Court: With onsite BBQ areas, a playground, and all the modern conveniences you'd expect in a new development, Acorn Court offers life in an Oak forest with two-bedroom, two-bath floor plans. This area offers easy highway access and is relatively close to local retail and is an easy walk from MacDorsa Park.
Bay Tree Apartments: With one, two, or three bedroom layouts, this development is ideal for all renters. Enjoy a few laps in the pool or run a few miles in the on-site workout room before hoping on nearby Highway 17 to start your day. On the weekends, grab your pole and walk a short distance to Camp Evers Fishing Park.
Emerald Hill Apartments: Conveniently located on Scotts Valley Drive with easy access to local amenities, Emerald Hill Apartments offer several floor plans with great storage and onsite parking. You'll be able to get your sushi fix easily at nearby Rumble Fish restaurant.
Scotts Valley grew thanks to its lumber, grain mill, and tanning industries in the 1800s. Once upon a time, in the 1950s-70s, it was home to "Santa's Village," a Christmas-themed amusement park. Sadly, you can't meet Mr. and Mrs. Claus here anymore, thanks to a developer's botched plans to grow the attraction into a full-fledged theme park. Its most famous resident -- aside from the Clauses, of course -- was Alfred Hitchcock, who surely appreciated the redwood rain forest atmosphere of the town.
The air in this valley comes from the ocean, lending a salty spirit to the redwood forests surrounding the city. Warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters are the general rule here. Scotts Valley stays slightly warmer than coastal Santa Cruz, but it still far more pleasant in the summertime than a hot day in Silicon Valley in August. Morning fog and the marine layer are common visitors -- especially in the summer.
There are plenty of small-scale amenities here, mostly lining Scotts Valley Drive which runs the length of the town. The Kings Village Shopping Center anchors the southwestern end of town with both chain and boutique stores.
Dining options likewise center around the Kings Village and along Scotts Valley Drive. Check out Sandabs for its seafood or Bruno's BBQ if you're feeling saucy. Towards the northeastern end of town, you'll find a few fast food options as well as Jia Tellas, a popular local Cambodian food restaurant.
As you might imagine, there's no shortage of outdoor recreation options in a place situated in a forest. Nearby Big Basin Redwoods State Park will make you feel short. It's the oldest State Park in the state, established in 1902, and features over 81 miles of trails. You can follow one of them all the way over to the next state park, Castle Rock. Or take the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail to the Hoover Natural Preserve. If you decide to stick with Big Basin, however, you'll enjoy a gorgeous walk or hike past waterfalls, towering redwoods, and local flora and fauna.
If you hate walking, take a ride on the Roaring Camp & Big Trees Railroad -- a narrow gauge railroad (that means the rails are closer together than what your Amtrak cruises on) that starts in neighboring Felton and runs straight up Bear Mountain.
