What's it like to live in Sebastopol

[sss]

My wife and I are considering moving to Sebastopol with our five year old daughter. I've lived in San Francisco for twenty years and looking for a more rural, less expensive place to settle down. We are both come from very creative backgrounds, with interests in Buddhism, arts, culture, and are planning to send our daughter to the Waldorf school in Santa Rosa (our daughter is in Waldorf school now). We are both in our forties.

Can anyone advise on what culture and daily life are like in Sebastopol? As well as other factors: safety, climate, lifestyle, good neighborhoods, other schools? We'd love to buy a place around $600k and I am good at fixing places up myself.

Many thanks.

[Goat Rock Ukulele]

Sebastopol is safe. Half the people I know who live in the countryside don't lock their doors at night. Climate is warmer than SF but does still have a coastal influence. You can grow tomatoes but you won't roast like they do in Healdsburg. There is a foggier area south west of town that tends to be cooler and windier. There are a lot of people living here who have similar interest as you have described. The public schools seem pretty good and there are charter schools that others like. There is an active art community, we will be having Art At The Source open studios the first and second weekends in June. Sebastopol is a pretty small town that is quiet at night. There is an active farmers market in the center of town on Sunday that a lot of people like. There tends slow traffic on the main drag on the weekdays around 5pm. It's pretty simple to go around depending on destination. This is not SF type traffic, this is maybe 10 extra minutes. You have to go to Santa Rosa about 15 minutes away to get good pho., but there are some OK restaurants. There are areas in and around town that may be more or less desirable but mostly due to lay of the land, other houses, road noise etc. Please feel free to post or email me if you find a home you like if you want an opinion on that location. I used to sell property in the west county and have lived here most of my life. I'm not sure exactly what to say in terms of culture, maybe this, Bernie Sanders will carry the Sebastopol area by 65%. or more.

[JayS]

You give a glowing review but do you realize what is happening? Long time residents and people who grew up in Sebastopol are being forced out by those that consider $600k a moderately priced home.

...We'd love to buy a place around $600k and I am good at fixing places up myself

Sebastopol is safe....

[podfish]

I'm not sure exactly what to say in terms of culture, maybe this, Bernie Sanders will carry the Sebastopol area by 65%. or more.

and while Waccos are pretty common around here, there really is a big part of the county that's not represented by the discussions on this forum. You can't safely extrapolate what your neighbors might be like from our crowd!! but as you can tell, we make an entertaining bunch...