Depends on how well you deal with traffic mostly. Highway 1 can be a nightmare depending on where you need to get to at what time of day. I’m in Aptos/Rio Del Mar, which is sleepy and full of retired people, and wooded with lots of beach and wildlife (I have a red shoulder hawk that likes to hang outside my kitchen window, and a gray fox and baby showed up night before last). But to get to the grocery store I need to get to Capitola/Soquel, which can be a chore some times of day, so I schedule around it. But once you know the tricks you can deal. Much like any area.
Capitola or Live Oak is the choice area to live, lots of retail and you can take the back ways into Santa Cruz, if you’re lucky walk to the beach or into Capitola Village. In Santa Cruz, up by the university is nice and def pricey. I don’t really know the rest of SC all that well yet re housing. The choke points on that end are the Fishhook (hwy 1 and 17 junction), and Mission street (what they call hwy 1 in Santa Cruz) is always a mess and quite slow.
I love it here so much: lots of restaurants, lots of live music all over. There’s a really decent BBQ place in Aptos that has blues every night and I hang out over there sometimes, sometimes I go to a show at the Rio or Moe’s Alley or other places. Always something to do, and beaches and beauty everywhere.
I used to live in south SJ, near Oakridge Mall. I didn’t care for that at all.
DM me if you need more. After 5 years I’m still a noob here, but I have friends I can ask.
ETA: it’s going to be hot hot in the Bay Area tomorrow. If you pop over the hill it’s going to be mobbed, because all of Silicon Valley comes to the beach when it’s hot, and tomorrow will be the first truly hot day of this year. Come on over! - just be aware.