Napa or Petaluma?

[bellalunatic]

I'm in Petaluma now, and my new neighbors across the street are a late 20's couple that moved OUT of Napa, they said, "Everyone there is too old and boring!"
They are very happy here in P-town.
As we are!

[outdoorman]

Got to agree with SF over petaluma and sonoma. As a kid, I grew up there until moving away in my early 30's (I'm way older than you, heck my motorcycle jacket is way older than you) but speaking with a still young spirit-YOU WILL NEVER GET BORED in San Francisco. For me, Sonoma was good for my weekend motorcycle rides and Petaluma was good for making jokes about (sorry you Petalumans, its been 20 yrs so I can't resist): " You can pet a dog, you can pet a cat, but you cant PET-A-LUMA"

[Azure Montaig]

Petaluma over Napa without question. Close enough to SF if you want a bit more activity & diversity, Rohnert Park has a college too right up the road, short ride to the coast & you get the temperate coastal weather (NOT so in Napa), close to Santa Rosa.

I always felt enclosed when I was in Napa. Pretty scenery, yes, but insulated.

[Napaguy]

well i do live in Napa, just moved here for a job. i have a girlfriend in nyc but would still like to meet and mingle somewhere CHEAP. anyone know anything like that in napa?

[10ofus]

Yep, Petaluma over Napa, definitely! You could check out other parts of Sonoma County, too....but if you have a job offer in Petaluma, take it!!!! It is really hard to find a job here these days. If you go back to school, Santa Rosa Junior College is top rate - excellent reputation and great classes, easy to get into. Best wishes on your move!

[ambient]

One good thing about Petaluma: it has Della Fattoria, which makes awesome bread. That rosemary-meyer lemon bread is probably the best loaf around - and I've gone through a lot of artisan breads.

That said, both towns suffer from the same problem for someone who is unstable in their employment situation: a relative lack of good job opportunities. And if something doesn't work out there, then it's going to be a far commute to the places that do have something.

[72bug]

I also recommend SF because that's what I did in my twenties and I have no regrets. But to answer your question specifically I would choose Petaluma over Napa. Cool downtown that's really for the residents not tourists. Relatively easy drive to SF.