The Neighborhood Spot.


East Fifth St. 

Watsonville, CA. 25 minutes south of Santa Cruz and 30 minutes north of Monterey. That is where Watsonville is located. There is one spot that tends to stick out when people ask where is a good place to eat in Watsonville? That spot is called Pizza Mia. A family owned restaurant that has been in the community since 1996. Now why is this all important? Well it is located than no other than on East Fifth Street which is about two blocks from where I grew up at.  

Everyone in the neighborhood knew what time it was when we were hungry, growing up all you needed was three dollars and you were good for the day. Three one dollar bills was the sweet spot growing up, you would get two big slices of pepperoni pizzas, which at the time were as big as my head and I needed to have both hands to hold my plate. The counter was so high up I had to be on my tippy toes at times when I ordered my food. 

When things were going on around the area that weren't the most "positive" there were very few spots that felt a bit safe. Pizza Mia had that welcoming effect that you just felt okay and safe and it also had one of the best "maquinitas" in town. Me and my friends would spend hours playing las "maquinitas." They had all sorts of games from street fighters to racing to shooting games. You would get your slices of Pizza then head over and play the arcade games and BOOM, it was a good day. In an area where there were some levels of uncertainty at times places like Pizza really served as a neutral environment for all. The area around in particular has been known as a dysfunctional neighborhood. I used to see a bit of everything. To be fair I was oblivious to certain things at the time. But for some reason I always found myself in positive spaces (sometimes). 

At the time you could get two slices for $2.50! Two slices and you was good till the next day! Pizza is still great, could be the memories, could be the secret sauce, or the dough they use, who knows? After all these years, I still go from time to time. If you are ever in the area, stop by and grab a slice! 

You will thank me later. 






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