The homeless head here when they get out of the shelters.
So do families who love the playground.
There is wildlife on one side and county employees and jurors on the other. Occupy Santa Cruz took it over for months with tents and piles of garbage.
It's home to some big festivals for bluegrass, marijuana and good vibes, but fewer these years than in the past.
Bike thieves come here to exchange parts. Meth users walk around dreamily.
And two sides of Santa Cruz are at war over it. Some say the homeless should have the same rights to use it as everyone else, pitching tents, cooking food and living freely, when they can't afford a real home.
Others say they bring in drifters and people who don't want to work; a dirty element that makes the park unfriendly, unsafe and unseemly.
Here are some random photos from Thursday morning.
