Moving to Novato area with kids (San Francisco, Santa Rosa: apartments, rentals, how much)

[jenhippiechic]

Our hippie family is moving from Topanga to bay area with 2 young children 3 and 5. We love the country, farmer's market, hiking, homeschooling. I am trying to decide where to look for a rental. My husband will be working in Novato. We like open land but being on the water would be cool too. Where do you recommend for a down to earth, liberal family? We live on a creek now and love it. Ideally we would like to have some chickens and maybe raise some honey bees. But, we would like to live near cool people as well.

[bellalunatic]

Petaluma (west side) or Fairfax or Sebastopol.

[shmorg96]

i love novato! Back down atherton ave there are two big places to hike, mt burdell and then indian tree hills (i think it's called) There is more open space further back in novato but also very expensive homes. Petaluma, Penngrove are both known more for farming.

[nmnita]

I go along with the Petaluma and north or slightly east suggestions. there Novato has grown and certainly isn't rural in my opinion anyway, plus it is more expensive than areas north and not partuclarly geared to the hippy life styple..It is pretty much suburbia..

Nita

[Stacy From Cali]

Actually if your husband is going to be working in Novato, you are within sane commuting distance of Sonoma...that's where I would look. Sebastopol is a really cool town, and I love it, but the commute to Novato will take about an hour (or more if traffic is bad). Petaluma has its charms too (I'm moving there myself soon) but its kind of...pretentious. It has lost most of its hippie vibe in exchange for a more polished image.

The town of Sonoma is cute too, but if you stay on the southern side. If you go too far North the drive through town gets pretty bad traffic-wise. It could add half-an-hour to the commute. Which is too bad because just north of Sonoma is Glen Ellen...another wonderful place.

There is tons of countryside around Sonoma...with beautiful and earthy people and places. The farmers market in Sonoma rocks (better than the one in Petaluma IMO) and there are many, many local farms. There are also some cool countryside places around Petaluma (often listed under "Pengrove") which would be a better fit than living in the town itself. Another place to look sort of between the two is on Lakeville Road past Casa Grande street. In other words, out of Petaluma proper.

If you live in Petaluma your husband will probably be commuting down 101 to Novato, and if you live in Sonoma the commute will be via Hwys 37/121.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Stacy From Cali

Actually if your husband is going to be working in Novato, you are within sane commuting distance of Sonoma...that's where I would look. Sebastopol is a really cool town, and I love it, but the commute to Novato will take about an hour (or more if traffic is bad). Petaluma has its charms too (I'm moving there myself soon) but its kind of...pretentious. It has lost most of its hippie vibe in exchange for a more polished image.

The town of Sonoma is cute too, but if you stay on the southern side. If you go too far North the drive through town gets pretty bad traffic-wise. It could add half-an-hour to the commute. Which is too bad because just north of Sonoma is Glen Ellen...another wonderful place.

There is tons of countryside around Sonoma...with beautiful and earthy people and places. The farmers market in Sonoma rocks (better than the one in Petaluma IMO) and there are many, many local farms. There are also some cool countryside places around Petaluma (often listed under "Pengrove") which would be a better fit than living in the town itself. Another place to look sort of between the two is on Lakeville Road past Casa Grande street. In other words, out of Petaluma proper.

If you live in Petaluma your husband will probably be commuting down 101 to Novato, and if you live in Sonoma the commute will be via Hwys 37/121.

stacy, after I posted I too thought about Sonoma..

bTW, off the subject, how are you feeling?

Nita

[PeixeGato]

Sonoma would be a good fit, but I'm not sure how many rentals there are on properties where you can raise chickens and such. A good portion of the rental units in the town of Sonoma are apartments. And when you do find a house on a sizable piece of land, the rent shoots up.

Pengrove and Cotati might be options, but you don't have the same community feel of Sonoma in those locations (at least not in Pengrove). Not sure how close you need to be to a "town center", so that could be an issue as well.

From Sonoma to Novato, you are looking at about 30 mins non-rush on two-lane country highways (incredibly beautiful scenery). I don't know how much longer it is during rush hour though.

[bellalunatic]

Originally Posted by Stacy From Cali

Actually if your husband is going to be working in Novato, you are within sane commuting distance of Sonoma...that's where I would look. Sebastopol is a really cool town, and I love it, but the commute to Novato will take about an hour (or more if traffic is bad). Petaluma has its charms too (I'm moving there myself soon) but its kind of...pretentious. It has lost most of its hippie vibe in exchange for a more polished image.

The town of Sonoma is cute too, but if you stay on the southern side. If you go too far North the drive through town gets pretty bad traffic-wise. It could add half-an-hour to the commute. Which is too bad because just north of Sonoma is Glen Ellen...another wonderful place.

There is tons of countryside around Sonoma...with beautiful and earthy people and places. The farmers market in Sonoma rocks (better than the one in Petaluma IMO) and there are many, many local farms. There are also some cool countryside places around Petaluma (often listed under "Pengrove") which would be a better fit than living in the town itself. Another place to look sort of between the two is on Lakeville Road past Casa Grande street. In other words, out of Petaluma proper.

If you live in Petaluma your husband will probably be commuting down 101 to Novato, and if you live in Sonoma the commute will be via Hwys 37/121.

Stacy,

Pretentious in Petaluma? Funny, that's how Sonoma feels to me!
You're moving to Petaluma? Where? When?
The Farmer's Market in Petaluma has now expanded from just Sat. afternoons to the BEST Wed. night Farmer's market...
Perfect for the hippie OP with small kids, seriously!

[Stacy From Cali]

Yeah, I'm moving there in May. Nothing new really...I've lived there before and I (for some reason) feel it necessary to move once a year (which is why I've lived in Petaluma, Cotati, Santa Rosa, Napa, and San Francisco)!

The Wednesday market sounds cool...do they have music like they sometimes do on Saturdays? My big complaint about the Petaluma market is the prices farmers charge...which for some reason is more than what you find in Sonoma and Sebastopol (comparable to SF really, which is silly). There is also not as wide a selection of items as in Sonoma.

I miss the quirky places that used to exist in Petaluma. I mean downtown has become seriously "wine country" focused. A wine bar? Really upscale restaurants? I miss the hippy store downtown (which at this point has been gone for probably 7 years). Even Sacks had to move because their rent went way up. Lombardi's Bakery is the latest to close (the other two family bakeries are already gone...I miss Polly Ann's!)...but I guess there is still Della Fatoria (which has great stuff, but its SO expensive). Too many people cripe about the teens that hang out downtown (because it hurts the city's "image").

So yeah, Petaluma has changed in a big way over the last 10 years, and I do not think for the better.

I'm feeling great Nita...thanks for asking!

[bellalunatic]

Quirky for you Stacy in Petaluma...come on down to Aqus Cafe when you get here! Sat. mornings for the live music is best...one of the owners has revived the membership of the local Moose Lodge as well! The place is great, but I see what you mean about some of the downtown stuff.
PM me when you get around town...I'd would like to give you the inside scoop on everything( of the past 5 years)!

And for the OP Jennie

I think Petaluma would be the best spot for you, it is a great town for left leaning families with small kids!