What downtown business is good for both one-stop shopping and last-minute gifts?

The Homeless Garden Project store. Because it is a community effort and has really useful and beautiful things, and allows you to connect with a lot of folks who are doing great work in Santa Cruz.

Miriam Greenberg, Santa Cruz, UCSC Professor

Bookshop Santa Cruz is good because they have everything, Streetlight is good because they have an eclectic mix of intelligentsia and bizarre. And Paper Vision. Those are my three favorite.

Heidi Morgan, Santa Cruz, Crossing Guard

Rivendell has rugs, carpets, ethnic handmade items, fabrics, books, clothes—and really friendly people.

Andy Couturier, Santa Cruz, Writing Teacher

Chefworks, because there are all kinds of great kitchen gadgets and smaller items. A wide range of cute gifts, especially for those who like to cook.

Scarlett Schwarz, Santa Cruz, Photographer

I’d say the most unique store, which is really what I look for with the Christmas gifts, is Stripe. And I would also say Palace Arts because they have reasonable prices and a huge variety.