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The 1998 Metro Gold Awards

Best Lilith Vibe: Paradise Surf Shop Saluting all the good stuff that makes Santa Cruz shine Sniff, sniff. Wait a sec--you smell that? Kind of a weird blend of patchouli oil and greenbacks, redwood and ocean spray. Must be getting a whiff of the original Mystery Spot, the Home of the Strange--good old Santa Cruz, California. We have our reasons for feeling just a little more special than the rest of the planet, y'know. San Franciscans need that worn-out orange bridge to justify acting like snobs. New Yorkers, well, they have the Broadway or a few lousy museums, we suppose. But look around this little chunk of real estate and the entertainment never ends: We got your Mr. Twister and twisted sisters, big-buck biotech billy-goat raisers, baby-doll butches and buck-naked beaches, forests of green for hiking and Forrest Gumpian politicians for skewering. This town is just like a box o' chocolates, only just a little heavier on the fruits and nuts. But, by God, we love every fondant and caramel chew in the sampler. Join us on a tour of Santa Cruz bests--from sweet to bittersweet to just plain bitter, our favorite finger-licking, cavity-causing, stuck-in-the-braces, hypoglycemic, bite-sized morsels of Surf City. Readers' Survey People and Places Arts and Entertainment Sports and Recreation Food and Drink Music and Nightlife Goods and Services Staff Picks People and Places Sports and Recreation Food and Drink Music and Nightlife Goods and Services [ Santa Cruz | MetroActive Central | Archives ]