‘This Must Be The Place’ is a feature where PrimeCrush-ers share the one special place they love to go.
Christian Pan´s Northern California Escape
A little bit about me…
New York has been my home since 1990, but I grew up in California, and have also lived in Europe, Asia, and Oceania. I write erotic short stories, have published six books so far, and recently began interviewing sexy/smart folks for the Pulse Session, a new segment for the monthly podcast All the Filthy Details. To learn more about me, you can check out all of my stuff here.
In the past, I’d go out…
Until the sun came up! Before I started writing, I worked primarily as an actor and dancer, so once the curtain came down the night was just beginning for me. Especially during the ´90s, everything (and everyone) I enjoyed seemed to be within walking distance; I lived on St. Marks Place, right above Cafe Siné, and during the week I would easily be up until at least 1 or 2, bar-hopping. Weekends, I would frequently stay up past 4. I don't remember a lot of sleeping. I miss that era sometimes.
When things changed…
After 9/11, I felt like the city really started to shift into a different kind of place. The first eleven years I lived here, one could still afford rent in lower Manhattan without needing to work two full-time jobs, and there were a lot more spaces to show your work then, too. A lot of the places I loved from back then, and which felt an important part of my neighborhood–CBGB´s, the Ohio Theatre, PS 122, Joyce Soho, Yaffa Cafe, the Pyramid Club, Leshko´s, Dojo´s–they´re all gone. They've been replaced by Chipotle and Chase. I feel like some of the grit and unique character of the city has been lost, and that it's becoming more like everywhere else. And people like me left everywhere else, to come to New York.
I (we) landed…
I´m not sure if I´m “landed” back in New York–maybe I´m just refueling during a delayed connection to a destination currently unknown? When I left New York early in 2008, I also left the United States for nearly 12 years; and when I returned, it was just a few months before the lockdowns from the covid-19 pandemic, which canceled the majority of my employment & income, had me lose my apartment, and personal loss. Over the next 18 months, I moved from different places, only staying in each place for 4-10 weeks; on top of avoiding the coronavirus, I also avoided the wildfires plaguing northern California, got stranded in the Paris during its 6pm curfew, camped outside of Oslo, and sublet a tiny apartment by the sea in Croatia. I have only been back in New York since August 2021, and to be honest, I can't say how long I'll be here. For me, once you’ve formed roots here, New York is a pretty hard place to beat.
The place I love most…
Pajaro Dunes, located in the Monterey Bay Area of Santa Cruz County, less than a 2-hour drive south from San Francisco. My family used to go to the Dunes multiple times a year. Nowadays, with all of us spread out all over, my cousins, aunts, and uncles continue to gather there for Thanksgiving, spending a week just hanging out, eating, collecting seashells, playing pickleball, talking, and laughing. Furnished condos are available to rent right along the beach, and many of them are so close to the Pacific Ocean that you’ll have sand in-between your toes in less time than it will take you to read this.
The reason I go back…
I return just about every Thanksgiving to Pajaro Dunes. My family is pretty big–over 100 of us (Irish Catholics)--and we´re all over the US as well as in Europe and Asia. This is often the only time of the year that I know I´ll get to see everybody. But more than that, I love the slowed-down pace of the Dunes, where I can get lulled to sleep by the sound of the crashing waves outside my window, stroll along the beach with my cousins while we watch our kids boogie-board or build sandcastles. There's always a ton of delicious food, and everyone is just hanging out, playing games, staying up late talking. It's the kind of place that always renews my energy, no matter how long I stay there.
In one word, I’d describe the atmosphere as…
Peaceful.
If you go there, I’d recommend…
Stay there for at least a few days, and turn off your devices. Pick up some food at Nob Hill (less than 15 minutes away), and just cook inside your unit (many of them have an outdoor grill, as well, if that is your jam). Part of the big attraction is that there’s not that much “to do” except hang out by the beach. If you´re with loved ones, it's a simple, romantic, and welcoming spot.
How to get there…
If you're in the Bay Area, it's easy to get to Pajaro Dunes by car. If coming from San Jose or Palo Alto, take 101 South towards Gilroy, then hop onto 152 to wind through the foothills before you reach the coast. Since I moved out of California 30+ years ago, I find it easiest to fly into SFO, and take Highway 17 south all the way to 1 (Pacific Coast Highway). Both routes are simple, scenic, and easy.
Check out pajarodunes.com for more details.
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