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Old 06-09-2011, 11:03 PM
 
63 posts, read 298,979 times
Reputation: 59

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We are looking at moving from Utah to Sebastopol, CA. Through City-Data, I have learned from others that it may be a nice place to live. We briefly visited and liked what we saw. We have considered living in San Francisco or San Rafael, but I come from Montana & Iowa, so Sebastopol's rolling hills and wide open spaces (with trees) appeals to me. Also, I love gardening and animals, so living on 1-5 acres appeals to me. I also am fairly liberal, love healthy living, art, creativity, diversity, etc. I want to be a part of a friendly community. Yet, I also need some conveniences (for my daughter's sake). My husband and I work from home and hope to continue to do so. We have a 5 year old and want to move ASAP (next fall 2012) in order to get her situated in school. It is doubtful that we can afford private school, so public or charter may have to do, for now. I am fairly "grounded" and realistic person, yet I have a love for art, creativity, "New Age" things (is that an old term?). I am an older mom-41, educated with a degree in Biology and a Masters in education. So, that our background. (Maybe more than you wanted to know! But, I want to know if I would "fit in".)

I think Sebastopol would work for us, but here's my concerns... What is the general feel of Sebastopol. Is it fairly friendly and open to outsiders, trying to make it their home? Are the locals rich and snooty or not? (Hope not!) Is it fairly liberal and artsy, as we have heard? I am darker in color and half Japanese, but I look Hispanic to most. This is fine, but how will I be treated? Is it easy to make friends? Do most people who have homes in Sebastopol, travel from San Francisco to Sebastopol on the weekends? Most of the houses seem to have large properties, so does Sebastopol feel like a community? Or, does it have problems, being separated by large parcels of land? Will my 5 year old like living there? Or will she tire of being in a "small" town? It looks like there are things to do there or in Santa Rosa, such as ballet, Aikido, yoga, etc, so I should be able to keep her busy and interested in a variety of things. Is this correct? Will I have to do a lot of driving? How are the schools? Will I have to put her in a private school? Is there a stigma or a problem with sticking my child in a public school? If I have to, I will place her in a private school, but it means living in a smaller house. Which brings me to housing situations. I am used to living in a large Victorian and somewhat decent, larger houses, so when I look at the houses in Sebastopol, I am dying! If all goes well, I am hoping to be in the range of $500,000 to $1,000,000, but I have to do a lease/option. All I am seeing is crap, crap, crap- meaning small little houses with some property. It's a little scary to see so much crap for so much money! The houses are so much smaller than I am used to and I am seeing 50's, 60's, 70's houses that need to be torn down or rebuilt. They aren't even small, yet CUTE! It has us worried that we will be forced to purchase a tiny 1200-1500 square foot hut on 1-3 acres (if I am lucky) for $700,000 and up! I am just not used to this! I will accept it, eventually, but please tell me, somebody....what is going on in the housing market in Sebastopol? Are the prices dropping? Foreclosures? Or, are the prices remaining quite high? What do you foresee? What can I expect by next fall? Any ideas? Also, does anybody have any ideas if the internet or cell phones are hard to use in this area? I HAVE to have a fast internet connection with no glitches. It is essential for my business. Does anybody have any ideas if there are any problems?

So, there you go. I just want some more detailed information on Sebastopol, before I pack up the bags or get my hubby to try it for a few months before we pack up. Any info is helpful. Thanks!
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Old 06-10-2011, 12:02 AM
 
Location: South Korea
5,242 posts, read 13,038,663 times
Reputation: 2957
It's just kind of remote compared to the rest of the Bay Area so be prepared to deal with that, don't expect a short commute to work in SF or whatever. If you need to get jobs you'd have to commute to, then figure out where you're working before picking a place to live, there are plenty of other funky rural towns spread around the Bay Area.

I don't know what the housing stock is like in Sebastopol but you'll find Victorians spread out around the Bay Area, in Oakland, SF, Alameda, Marin, etc. You might want to look at less rural areas like Santa Rosa or maybe some of the towns around Napa County or Marin if you want somewhere that is spacious and kind of rural but not quite as remote as Sebastopol. Maybe the Petaluma area.

Yes housing is expensive here and a lot of housing is dumpy. Victorians are usually 2 floors which means they're expensive. I imagine you could find one for less than a million the further east you looked, away from the Marin/Sonoma/Napa money.
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Old 06-12-2011, 11:37 AM
 
63 posts, read 298,979 times
Reputation: 59
Thanks, mayorhaggar. Very helpful!
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Old 06-13-2011, 03:51 PM
 
Location: THE USA
3,257 posts, read 6,113,612 times
Reputation: 1998
I loved growing up in Sebastopol. Ranches, hot tubs, apples, what else is there? Of course we went to Cotati much of the time living closer. I've been back to visit and it still seems quaint and friendly. There will be lots of driving as it is country still.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RunningWild View Post
We are looking at moving from Utah to Sebastopol, CA. Through City-Data, I have learned from others that it may be a nice place to live. We briefly visited and liked what we saw. We have considered living in San Francisco or San Rafael, but I come from Montana & Iowa, so Sebastopol's rolling hills and wide open spaces (with trees) appeals to me. Also, I love gardening and animals, so living on 1-5 acres appeals to me. I also am fairly liberal, love healthy living, art, creativity, diversity, etc. I want to be a part of a friendly community. Yet, I also need some conveniences (for my daughter's sake). My husband and I work from home and hope to continue to do so. We have a 5 year old and want to move ASAP (next fall 2012) in order to get her situated in school. It is doubtful that we can afford private school, so public or charter may have to do, for now. I am fairly "grounded" and realistic person, yet I have a love for art, creativity, "New Age" things (is that an old term?). I am an older mom-41, educated with a degree in Biology and a Masters in education. So, that our background. (Maybe more than you wanted to know! But, I want to know if I would "fit in".)

I think Sebastopol would work for us, but here's my concerns... What is the general feel of Sebastopol. Is it fairly friendly and open to outsiders, trying to make it their home? Are the locals rich and snooty or not? (Hope not!) Is it fairly liberal and artsy, as we have heard? I am darker in color and half Japanese, but I look Hispanic to most. This is fine, but how will I be treated? Is it easy to make friends? Do most people who have homes in Sebastopol, travel from San Francisco to Sebastopol on the weekends? Most of the houses seem to have large properties, so does Sebastopol feel like a community? Or, does it have problems, being separated by large parcels of land? Will my 5 year old like living there? Or will she tire of being in a "small" town? It looks like there are things to do there or in Santa Rosa, such as ballet, Aikido, yoga, etc, so I should be able to keep her busy and interested in a variety of things. Is this correct? Will I have to do a lot of driving? How are the schools? Will I have to put her in a private school? Is there a stigma or a problem with sticking my child in a public school? If I have to, I will place her in a private school, but it means living in a smaller house. Which brings me to housing situations. I am used to living in a large Victorian and somewhat decent, larger houses, so when I look at the houses in Sebastopol, I am dying! If all goes well, I am hoping to be in the range of $500,000 to $1,000,000, but I have to do a lease/option. All I am seeing is crap, crap, crap- meaning small little houses with some property. It's a little scary to see so much crap for so much money! The houses are so much smaller than I am used to and I am seeing 50's, 60's, 70's houses that need to be torn down or rebuilt. They aren't even small, yet CUTE! It has us worried that we will be forced to purchase a tiny 1200-1500 square foot hut on 1-3 acres (if I am lucky) for $700,000 and up! I am just not used to this! I will accept it, eventually, but please tell me, somebody....what is going on in the housing market in Sebastopol? Are the prices dropping? Foreclosures? Or, are the prices remaining quite high? What do you foresee? What can I expect by next fall? Any ideas? Also, does anybody have any ideas if the internet or cell phones are hard to use in this area? I HAVE to have a fast internet connection with no glitches. It is essential for my business. Does anybody have any ideas if there are any problems?

So, there you go. I just want some more detailed information on Sebastopol, before I pack up the bags or get my hubby to try it for a few months before we pack up. Any info is helpful. Thanks!
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Old 06-23-2011, 03:38 PM
 
63 posts, read 298,979 times
Reputation: 59
Thanks for the info!
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Old 06-23-2011, 03:58 PM
 
Location: Sacramento, Ca
2,039 posts, read 3,270,533 times
Reputation: 1661
Sebastopol is pretty nice, and, in reality, you aren't very far from Santa Rosa so most stores and conveniences aren't too far. It's also a quick drive to Bodega Bay and the Sonoma Coast, which is beautiful and a great place to go when it is hot inland.

As far as internet, i think you will have ATT and Comcast to choose from, I don't have either so I can't really speak on performance and reliability in the area, but I would guess that it would be fine.


Good luck.
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Old 06-28-2011, 12:29 PM
 
Location: Santa Rosa, CA
1 posts, read 8,444 times
Reputation: 15
Sebastopol, known as "West County" to us in Santa Rosa, is known as a liberal, progressive enclave. Of course there are always a few redneck tea party types around. Housing has crept down in price over the last 2 years, with repos all over the place. Check on Zillow for things for sale, or contact local banks for repo lists. Exchange Bank, BofA, Wells Fargo, West America, Bank of the West are the larger locals. Schools in Sonoma County are under a lot of fiscal pressures, although a new County Super has taken over with a good policy. West County schools are pretty good without some of the problems of Santa Rosa. West County has a somewhat cooler climate than the rest of Sonoma County, so your growing season is shorter, but there are a lot of microclimates to choose from (hence all the grapes). My wife teaches music in the Windsor Schools (yes music is still in the schools here) and we are Texas transplants from the 1970's. We love this place.
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Old 06-28-2011, 12:45 PM
 
49 posts, read 69,962 times
Reputation: 26
sounds too much like Chernobyl.
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Old 06-28-2011, 08:12 PM
 
89 posts, read 185,309 times
Reputation: 74
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChuckVan View Post
Sebastopol, known as "West County" to us in Santa Rosa, is known as a liberal, progressive enclave. Of course there are always a few redneck tea party types around. Housing has crept down in price over the last 2 years, with repos all over the place. Check on Zillow for things for sale, or contact local banks for repo lists. Exchange Bank, BofA, Wells Fargo, West America, Bank of the West are the larger locals. Schools in Sonoma County are under a lot of fiscal pressures, although a new County Super has taken over with a good policy. West County schools are pretty good without some of the problems of Santa Rosa. West County has a somewhat cooler climate than the rest of Sonoma County, so your growing season is shorter, but there are a lot of microclimates to choose from (hence all the grapes). My wife teaches music in the Windsor Schools (yes music is still in the schools here) and we are Texas transplants from the 1970's. We love this place.
+1, pretty much nailed it
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Old 07-20-2011, 08:04 PM
 
1 posts, read 8,321 times
Reputation: 13
Smile Sebastopol

RunningWild your post really hit home with me. I live in Illinois and am looking for that perfect place for me to live. I don't have little children anymore to worry about as far as school goes. One is 19 and the other is 17 and will graduate high school next spring. It sounds like I am looking for most of the same things your looking for. I visited Sebastopol a couple of years ago and thought it was a place to keep in mind. Every question you ask is one I have in my head too. I'm hoping to make a visit to Sebastopol in the next couple of months to check it out again. But, I think it is hard for us to get the answers that we would like. I think it is more the feel of the town, the sense of belonging there. My son is in San Diego going to college and my daughter will probably follow him there. My brother and his family live there and I have looked at homes and thought of moving there also. It just doesn't have that feel that I am looking for. That smaller community that you can get involved in, belong to. But, without the small mindedness, a town that thinks outside of the box but, in a down to earth way. My concern is I would be moving there on my own. Without friends, family, any support system. I would want to fit in and be able to make friends easily. So all of your questions make total sense to me. Another California community that I fell in love with is Ojai which is close to LA. Unfortunately it is expensive too. I think of Portland too, but, don't know if I can handle all of the rain. Anyway, I look forward to replies to your post to hopefully get answers of my own. If I come across anything of interest I will pass it on to you. Good luck. Maybe one day we will be neighbors somewhere we love. I would be happy to have you over for coffee. Your daughter can play with my dogs.
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