Sonoma County recommendation? (Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Sebastopol: to rent, employment, to buy)

[Midnite09]

I will be relocating to Sonoma County in April with my fiance (and small lab). Can anyone recommend a good place in Sonoma County that would be a good fit for us?

We are trying to find a small town with good liberal people, good food (OG grocery store is crucial), lots of privacy, close to the coast, accessible to a larger town from time to time, (and it would be nice to see the occasional reggae concert.) We are a young couple (29 years old), so affordability is still a factor (although we are moving from Boulder, CO which is VERY overpriced). Ideally we would like to rent for under $1400 until we can better scope out the area to buy a place. We have been looking around the Russian River area but feel like I am still missing some good places?We have been only able to find places around Guerneville that offer us privacy and is within 30 min to the coast that also fit our budget. From what I read though it seems like a struggle to get anywhere and drunks on the road and flooding do worry me.....I could be absolutely wrong about Guerneville, but this is just what I read. Sebastopol seems ideal, but it doesn't look like you can get too much for 1400 and under. 30 minute drive seems to be our magic drive time we are looking to be from coast, town, and job for my fiance....but we are certainly willing to sacrifice any of those for right location/fit.
Any thoughts on the job situation? My employment allows me to work anywhere , so employment for the most part is taken care of..... except for my fiance still will be in need of a simple job. She has gone to culinary school and has worked at Whole Foods and is only in need of a job that pays in the $10-15 range. This seems like an area where this wouldn't be too much of an issue, but I could be wrong and who knows how bad the economy is going to get. Any help would be greatly appreciated....Thanks!!

[joebarb]

From what your mentioned, Sebastopol sounds like it might be a fit. There are good grocery stores including a Whole Foods. It's in close proximity to Bodega Bay, and for just the two of you, you should be able to find a one bedroom somewhere. Guerneville is pretty and a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. It's definitely a "quirkey" kind of place.
You could also try Petaluma, which is a bit larger than Sebastopol with everything else you could want. It is about 45min to the coast depending on where you are in town. Having made a big relocation myself once, I can tell you that it is best to take a few days and visit before you make a decision. Advise is good, but seeing places from your own perspective before making a decision is crucial.

[Stacy From Cali]

I second Sebastopol. Honestly for the price you have in mind you are not going to be able to find much anywhere in Sonoma county. Sebastopol is actually less expensive than Petaluma, Sonoma, Santa Rosa etc. 30 minutes to the coast is also a rather unfair boundry since most of western Sonoma is completely rural. You could also look at Forestville or Graton, but those are much smaller towns that do not offer much other than beauty.

Speaking of beauty, the entire area around Sebastopol is amazingly lovely, so that 45 min drive to the coast will not seem onerous whatsoever. I promise.

Other cool things about Sebastopol are that they have a good farmer's market on Sundays, they often have craft fairs and festivals in town, there is always live music somewhere, there are good places to eat (even restaurants that specialize in organic and/or local food), amazing places to shop and some fine coffee. I love Sebastopol (can you tell?) and would move there in a heartbeat if I could.

Have you checked out the Sonoma County Farm Trails? There are lots of places to buy straight from the farmers very near Sebastopol (including my favorite cheese place).

[Midnite09]

Thanks for the input! Is it an easy commute from Forestville or Graton to Sebastopol? We definetely want to be a little further out to have a private lot. We are used to commuting 25 minutes which isn't bad. We don't necessarily need to be in town, just accessible to town.

[Stacy From Cali]

Both Forestville and Graton are close enough to Sebastopol to be considered local. Many properties that are listed as Sebastopol are in face out in the surrounding countryside as well. Sebastopol is not very large itself, but its close to Santa Rosa where all the "big" shopping is. Its rather cool how West Sonoma is one large community...I worked at the Whole Foods in Sebastopol with people as far afield as Bodega Bay...I actually lived in Petaluma at the time and it was a 45 minute daily commute...which was really no big deal because its a pretty drive.

Sorry for the run-on sentence. Are you checking out Craigslist?