Living in Sonoma County, CA
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Living in Sonoma County, CA
Sept 2009
We may have to relocate to the No. Bay for job reasons. We're
looking to downsize and have a ''simpler'' life too... Tired of
trying to keep up here in the Bay Area. Which town is a
family-friend, open-minded/intelligent minded?, good schools
area?
Thanks.
anon
Petaluma is an amazing town and I would move there in a
heartbeat. I call myself a Petaluma ''wanna be''. I live in
Novato and part of my job entails Petaluma. I do alot of
networking and socializing and its a very welcoming community.
Real community. Beautiful old historic downtown. Lots of event.
Check out aqus cafe and their website/online newsletter and it
will give you a tast of all happenings. The West side of town is
older, more historic (built along river) and more expensive.
East side is new and more like a typical subdivision. But you
will feel embraced.
Carol
All the cities you mentioned are great, but different. I might
also add to the list Cotati and Sebastopol. (Forestville and
Graton are nice too, but much smaller). Being born and raised
in Sebastopol, I definitely have a soft spot for Sonoma County,
my family may move up there in the next few years as well. I
haven't lived there in over 10 years, but my sister and parents
still do, so I'm up that way a lot. Here's my experience with
your options:
Petaluma- Super cute, on the river, great downtown, very family
oriented with annual festivals, farmers markets, etc. I
personally prefer West Petaluma (West of hwy 101) as it has
older construction, is close to downtown, and less strip malls.
Used to be a farming community, but now the Marin vibe has
seeped into the
culture, so it is kind of Mill Valley meet Hicktown.
Santa Rosa - Much larger of the three, so the city changes
dramatically neighborhood to neighborhood. There are some great
areas and some not great areas, you really have to find a local
to show you the different areas. Our favorite area is near
Annadelle the largest park with in city limits in the entire US.
Windsor - This used to be a pretty lame tract home community,
but recently it has had a new awakening. The Healdsburg wine
country has infiltrated and given Windsor a face lift. My best
friend from HS lives there with her husband and son, and they
love it. The schools are pretty good, there is now a cute
downtown with good restaurants, and it appears a young family
vibe.
If you have any other specific questions feel free to e-mail me.
Good Luck
as
April 2008
Does anyone have any recent info about living in Petaluma? We are
considering a move from Oakland to Petaluma with our small kids. The
east side looks nice to us but we really know nothing about it except
through cruising around. Housing cost and pace of living are very
appealing. Any thoughts about moving from the east bay to Petaluma?
Schools? Diversity? Etc.
Hmmmm
We moved up to Petaluma in 2003 after 7 years in Berkeley, we love it here.
There is so much that I can help you with, and no, I'm not a realtor! There
are lots of SF and East Bay 'refugees' up here so I'd be happy to help you out
in making the dicision.
m.
I lived in San Francisco before I got married, moved north to
Rohnert Park before we finally ended up in the East Bay.
Sonoma County is a great place to live, and we actually spent
a lot of time looking for a home in Petaluma before moving
back to the Bay Area. My best friend moved from LA to
Petaluma a few years ago and loves it. The east side is the
''newer'' side, west side has a lot of beautiful historic
homes. Petaluma is small town living with all the advantages
of being near a big city. Great restaurants, cafes,
shopping, and they now have a movie theater. You have easy
access to the wine country or coast, all kinds of festivals
and fairs. You don't have to venture far for fresh eggs,
milk, produce, no air polution... Good schools, lots of
activities for the kids. Wish we could live there but the
commute is too far for my husband and I. Only downside I can
think of is the traffic on 101, but if you are not commuting
every day, it is not really a problem.
Maybe we will move back
May 2007
We're moving back to the bay area and would love to be in the
Albany/Berkeley area but are intimidated with the ever pricey
homes. We are starting to think about Petaluma as a lower cost
alternative. Anyone out there who has moved there from the East
Bay? I'd also love to hear from anyone with advice on the area.
We have two small children so schools are an issue. We're coming
from a 2 year stint in a small town with a pretty conservative
feel and are more than ready for a change! Wondering if Petaluma
leans too far in that direction.
Thanks in advance for any input.
Jackie
Hi Jackie
YES! to the Petaluma move!...we lived in Berkeley for 7 years and happily moved to
Petaluma 3 1/2 years ago. we have a 4 year old and a 1 year old. We love it! The
local school system ROCKS!
Contrary to popular East Bay belief...it is NOT totally overrun with right wing
extremists! the split is about 80/20 to with the 80% going to the LEFT!
We have a lot of SF & East Bay ''refugees'' and it's great!
Although maybe not as less expensive as you may hope!!?
moniz
Have you ever consider Benicia? It's affortable and close to Easy Bay. It's 20 plus
minutes to the Bay Bridge and 10 mins or so to Walnut Creek so it's not a bad
commute and there is a ferry service into the city. If there is anything else you
like to know please email me. A great and safe community with
a lots of parks.
Amy
We just moved from Petaluma to Albany and I am happy to share with you my personal
experiences and information about schools etc... Without knowing your circumstances
and what exactly you are looking for, it is hard to say if it would work for you or
not. It is a growing community with a great deal to offer, but it really depends on
what you are looking for. There is a liberal community within Petaluma, but there is
also a conservative one. They don't have a parents network, but
a 'mothers club' - you can check it out at:
http://www.petalumamothersclub.org/
Rachella
July 2004
Does anyone have any experience (first hand or through
friends/family) about living in Sonoma County? We live in
Rockridge and are considering a move to that area for several
reasons (cost of living, commute, etc) but really know nothing
about it. Areas of interest are Santa Rosa, Petaluma and
Sebastopol. On first glance, I would think that it might be too
much of a shock to our systems to move (lack of diversity,
services, restaurants??) but I really have no knowledge of the
areas at all. All info appreciated.
I am originally from Sonoma County (the outskirts of Santa Rosa
up in the country) and love it there! I would move back there
but our work situation keeps us here. While it isn't
Berkeley/Oakland (nothing is!), the area has a ton to offer.
There are many, many liberals and progressives there (especially
in parts of Santa Rosa, Sebastopol and other smaller
communities), some great health food stores and co-op markets,
restaurants of every imaginable cuisine, great parks, great
schools (my mother taught school out there for 20 years and I
went to school there as well), parent groups, outdoor
activities, fairs, etc. It really is a wonderful community. My
familiy is multi-cultural (Mexian, Italian and American) and we
feel right at home when we visit. It has a laid-back feel. I
could just go on about the area. If you would like to chat more
about the area, feel free to email me.
SR native
Okay, the first McDonalds didn't come to Sonoma County until
1976, but they have been doing a pretty good job of keeping up
with the Jones since then... :-)
Seriously, if your concerns re: Sonoma county are of diversity,
services & restaurants then you don't need to worry too much.
I grew up in Sonoma County and even back then, before everyone
figured out that it was a great place to escape from the
financial pressures of the close-in Bay Area, it had a good
amount of diversity (1/4 of my graduating class was from or had
family from Mexico/Central or South America...I realize that is
not diversity from the world over, but it is a pretty good
start). Great wine and great food go together. I know that
The Wine Spectator lists at least one restaurant in Sonoma
County among its top ten in the Bay Area.
In many parts of Sonoma County, East-Bay politics look VERY
CONSERVATIVE (Guerneville, Occidental, Monte Rio...basically,
anything out toward the Russian River), so if you like Berkeley
politics, then you will find many like-minded individuals.
That said, there are many more republicans residing within the
SonCo borders than you would find in the Berkeley.
Santa Rosa has good cultural offerings, but San Fran is only an
hour away if you need the opera.
That said, while growing up there, I couldn't wait to escape.
The hippy/rednecks (they are weird breed and exist within the
same person if that can be believed...picture people on their
front porches shooting at rabbits while smoking pot and talking
about recycling) drove me nuts. Also, there is a large 'love
of track homes in gated communities, hang out at the mall'
population' ala East of the tunnel.
If I were to move back (which is on a short list of
possibilities, even though none of my family still lives
there), I would look at the Healdsburg or Sebastopol.
Sebastopol is a very hip small town. Healdsburg is becoming
that as well. Both towns have lots of 'in town' homes and
great food/shopping.
Hope that helps.
El Molino class of ;86
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