The Future of Work Needs Flexible Spaces — And Santa Cruz Has One of the Most Unique
Article by Greg Lukina
Santa Cruz has always done innovation differently.
While other startup communities were built around office parks and corporate campuses, Santa Cruz grew through creative energy, independent thinking, and a culture that blends entrepreneurship with lifestyle. Some of the region’s most interesting companies, makers, designers, and founders have come from spaces that never looked or felt like traditional offices.
That is exactly what makes 108 High Road on Santa Cruz’s Lower Westside so compelling.
Originally home to renowned photographer Frans Lanting’s creative studio, 108 High Road represents something increasingly rare in California real estate: a true live/work property with approved flexibility for both residential and business use. In a market where zoning and usage restrictions continue to tighten, opportunities like this are becoming exceptionally difficult to find.
For founders, creators, remote-first companies, and emerging businesses, flexibility matters. The modern startup no longer operates within the confines of a traditional 9-to-5 office. Teams collaborate remotely. Founders need spaces that inspire creativity while supporting productivity. Makers and entrepreneurs need room to build, prototype, edit, design, meet, and create — all without sacrificing quality of life.
108 High Road was built for exactly that kind of work.
The property offers a bright, adaptable environment with high ceilings, polished concrete floors, abundant natural light, and a flexible open layout that can evolve alongside a business. Whether used as a creative studio, production workspace, startup headquarters, design office, photography studio, or hybrid live/work environment, the space supports the kind of innovation that has long defined the Santa Cruz community.
And then there is the location.
The Lower Westside has quietly become one of Santa Cruz County’s most dynamic hubs for innovation and entrepreneurship. Within minutes are some of the region’s most creative businesses, breweries, wineries, coffee shops, makerspaces, surf brands, wellness companies, and technology ventures. It is a neighborhood where people still value collaboration, creativity, and quality of life as part of the business equation.
For entrepreneurs recruiting talent, that lifestyle component matters more than ever. Walkability, access to trails and surf, proximity to coffee shops and gathering spaces, and the ability to integrate work and life into a single environment are no longer perks — they are competitive advantages.
In many ways, 108 High Road reflects where work is heading rather than where it has been.
It is not just office space. It is not just residential space. It is a property designed for people building something.
For startups, innovators, creatives, and entrepreneurs looking for a different kind of workspace in Santa Cruz, opportunities like this rarely come to market.
Learn more at 108HighRoad.com.
Special thanks to Greg Lukin/David Lyng Real Estate for sponsoring our upcoming New Tech event on July 1!
