Downtown Santa Rosa - Safe place for a Senior to Live? Homeless problems? (Redding: 2014, crime)

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Hello Santa Rosa folks,

I have the potential opportunity to move to downtown Santa Rosa in a senior facility downtown on Mendocino between 4th and 5th streets. Can anyone tell me if it's a safe place to live - downtown? How is the homeless situation downtown?

I just moved into subsidized senior housing in downtown Redding, and didn't expect to get to the top of the waiting list in Santa Rosa so quickly! But, I got a call today that there will be an opening soon at a senior facility downtown Santa Rosa.

I did search old threads and didn't see anything about crime downtown, but generally, people asking about Santa Rosa have families, and so other areas have been recommended. I also haven't seen anything posted about a homeless problem in Santa Rosa.

I'm afraid to assume anything. So, can someone from Santa Rosa please let me know how safe I would be in downtown Santa Rosa? And how the homeless situation is?

Redding is okay, but there is a serious homeless problem downtown. I watch my P's and Q's, and I get along fine. I'd much prefer to live in Santa Rosa overall (closer to my daughter and friends in the SF Bay Area, and the weather). But, if the crime and homelessness situation is the same in downtown Santa Rosa, I may just stay where I am for now.

Would appreciate any feedback from folks who know the downtown Santa Rosa area.

Thanks!

[lrmsd]

I would get out of Redding and pick SR any day! SW Santa Rosa has more issues [roseland area] than downtown, as far as I know.
Overall, Sonoma county has a much better quality of life than Redding. [My strong opinion(:]

Downtown SR [the area you are asking about] is pretty nice and fairly mellow for a city of its size. When I lived there, the homeless in that area were not significant, but someone else will hopefully add more current info. [I did want to reply to give your thread a bump to the top, however].

SR has had some gentrification [railroad square, nearby to downtown] etc over the last ten years. Closer to the 101 does tend to be sketchier [as with any city-proximity to freeways seems to increase those issues.] But your location is not *too* close. Have you google imaged it yet? I know it's a snapshot in time, but you can definitely tell the general area by looking at the pic and scanning the street and neighboring buildings. Also, google maps will bring up all of the retail and restaurants around you and that gives you an idea of the atmosphere, as well.

Good luck-Santa Rosa is a nice city with good amenities and folks in Sonoma county are pretty amenable overall, IMO. Plus, the weather and food are pretty nice, too (:

Also, even if the situation were the same as Redding [which I doubt], you prefer SR for proximity to family, friends and weather...so I say go for it!

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Originally Posted by lrmsd

I would get out of Redding and pick SR any day! SW Santa Rosa has more issues [roseland area] than downtown, as far as I know.
Overall, Sonoma county has a much better quality of life than Redding. [My strong opinion(:]

Downtown SR [the area you are asking about] is pretty nice and fairly mellow for a city of its size. When I lived there, the homeless in that area were not significant, but someone else will hopefully add more current info. [I did want to reply to give your thread a bump to the top, however].

SR has had some gentrification [railroad square, nearby to downtown] etc over the last ten years. Closer to the 101 does tend to be sketchier [as with any city-proximity to freeways seems to increase those issues.] But your location is not *too* close. Have you google imaged it yet? I know it's a snapshot in time, but you can definitely tell the general area by looking at the pic and scanning the street and neighboring buildings. Also, google maps will bring up all of the retail and restaurants around you and that gives you an idea of the atmosphere, as well.

Good luck-Santa Rosa is a nice city with good amenities and folks in Sonoma county are pretty amenable overall, IMO. Plus, the weather and food are pretty nice, too (:

Also, even if the situation were the same as Redding [which I doubt], you prefer SR for proximity to family, friends and weather...so I say go for it!

Thank you!

[lrmsd]

Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe

Thank you!

Good luck! Also, maybe your daughter or a friend could drive up there and check out the area for you? It does seem like the sonoma questions don't get answered on here as much...I like to think that's b/c it's such a great place to live. People are busy enjoying their lives!

[tikkasf]

You will likely be happy in Santa Rosa, although cost of living will likely be higher. Santa Rosa is very warm in the summer.....but, not as hot as Redding. Likely a bit more cultural amenities in SR vs Redding. If you befriend someone with a car, the coast is not that far away and also some interesting smaller towns worth visiting that are not that far from Santa Rosa

[California Vagabond]

I lived in Santa Rosa many years ago, and occasionally spend a day there while visiting a friend. I'm not a current resident and might be missing something I'd see if I were, but nothing around downtown gives me pause at all. I'd live there without hesitation.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Originally Posted by lrmsd

Good luck! Also, maybe your daughter or a friend could drive up there and check out the area for you? It does seem like the sonoma questions don't get answered on here as much...I like to think that's b/c it's such a great place to live. People are busy enjoying their lives!

You know, that's what I was thinking - that there must not be giant problems in Santa Rosa, or people would say so on some thread. I searched a lot of old threads.

I've decided to go ahead and drive myself after the 1st (payday :-) ). The manager said I could come check the place out and he'd show me around. It will likely cost me a tank of gas, but c'est la vie. I'd rather know sooner rather than later if I'd want to move again.

Originally Posted by tikkasf

You will likely be happy in Santa Rosa, although cost of living will likely be higher. Santa Rosa is very warm in the summer.....but, not as hot as Redding. Likely a bit more cultural amenities in SR vs Redding. If you befriend someone with a car, the coast is not that far away and also some interesting smaller towns worth visiting that are not that far from Santa Rosa

I actually do have a car - an ancient Toyota that is still running. I sure wish I'd gotten the choice to move to SR before I moved to Redding! I will probably have to save up for a year before I can move to SR, though. But, the good news is, that the manager said that won't be a problem. Some places won't entertain your application again, if you've turned them down. But, he said they don't operate that way. That I could save up and then let him know when I'm ready, and he would then let me know when another vacancy came up. So, I might have to wait a year or so, but then move.

The other option is to borrow money from my daughter, and she was already mad at me for moving to Redding in November LOL! She'll really think I'm nuts if I tell her I want to move again already! I'd rather not have to ask her for money, anyway. I hate borrowing money from anyone.

Originally Posted by California Vagabond

I lived in Santa Rosa many years ago, and occasionally spend a day there while visiting a friend. I'm not a current resident and might be missing something I'd see if I were, but nothing around downtown gives me pause at all. I'd live there without hesitation.

Thanks so much! I've been DMing with a couple of Santa Rosa people here, and it sounds like there are some homeless that hang out in that area during the day, but that the police keep them out of the parks downtown at night. In Redding, they pretty much have carte blanche, though the police do try. I think the resources here are just slimmer.

[BodegaHead]

Although I moved out of the town & now live closer to sf I still work part time in downtown sr & there are a lot of homeless drifters & kind tweaked out crazy people roaming around & loitering constantly. Downtown santa Rosa is still decent & overall safe but there is a homeless problem similar to Santa Cruz where the normal people,shoppers,workers,families & beautiful women just walk around & seemlessly blend in with a lady on the sidewalk talking gibberish to herself smoking tweak out of a garden hose piece pushing a baby stroller full of soda cans she is grabbing out of all the trash bins around & stepping around a drunk guy passed out on the bench,etc.. The town is pretty safe but it just kind of functions around these people lime they're not there. There is a noticeable homeless problem here, lots of people camped out on the sidewalks,begging for money & just hanging out.

[lrmsd]

Originally Posted by BodegaHead

Although I moved out of the town & now live closer to sf I still work part time in downtown sr & there are a lot of homeless drifters & kind tweaked out crazy people roaming around & loitering constantly. Downtown santa Rosa is still decent & overall safe but there is a homeless problem similar to Santa Cruz where the normal people,shoppers,workers,families & beautiful women just walk around & seemlessly blend in with a lady on the sidewalk talking gibberish to herself smoking tweak out of a garden hose piece pushing a baby stroller full of soda cans she is grabbing out of all the trash bins around & stepping around a drunk guy passed out on the bench,etc.. The town is pretty safe but it just kind of functions around these people lime they're not there. There is a noticeable homeless problem here, lots of people camped out on the sidewalks,begging for money & just hanging out.

Oh, bummer! I was hoping this had not infected SR, as well. As others said, nothing gives me pause when I visit...but I don't usually spend time downtown. STILL, it HAS to be better than Redding. That place is notorious for crime, meth, homeless, not safe, etc. SR overall is a nice city and close to other desirable areas. OP: I guess you'll be able to tell first hand when you are in the area, whether or not it *feels* as bad as Redding. Not that you want to keep moving, but if there were also SR housing locations in windsor or somewhere nearby, it's possibly worth being in SR to keep an eye out for 'ideal' options. Anyway, good luck and report back if you feel like it, so people researching in the future can get the low down for 2014.

[Hypersion]

Compared to other downtown I've been to and lived in the SR homeless problem seams fairly benign.