Work in Novato, where to live as a gay single, 30 yr old male? (Santa Rosa: apartment)

[tazzgonzo]

Hi everyone,

Last year, I moved from Austin, Texas for a job in Novato, CA. At the time, I was renting out a room from a nice elderly lady here in Novato and stayed there until Sept (she was driving me nuts!). Luckily, I had a friend who was subleasing a room in his apt for a really cheap price in the Outer Richmond in SF. Unluckily, it came with a roommate that was ok at first, but it has recently gotten out of hand with his drug use.

Long story short, I am looking to get my own place and avoid having to deal with surprises from roommates. My big internal debate is deciding between staying in the city and trying to find a reasonably priced studio in the Richmond/Sunset area (doable, but the places are tiny), OR looking elsewhere within a reasonable commute radius to Novato.

I didn't enjoy Novato too much because I felt a bit too bored...well that and the old lady I was staying with was always home so I didn't really have any alone time.

I like the idea of Sonoma because I can get an actual house (or a large apartment) for the same price as a tiny studio in SF. I love the town, the plaza, and the folks there. And it's the same distance (commute-wise) to Novato as Novato is to SF.

Petaluma is also another option, but I recently visited during a weekend and found the lack of folks out and about in the downtown area to be a bit disturbing.

San Rafael is ok, but not as much bang for my buck as Petaluma or Novato.

My major concern with Sonoma is that I'm afraid I'll feel too alone and not be able to meet other gay singles up there. I'm not one too to go clubbing every night or anything, but I do occasionally like to connect with folks every once in a while.

My major concern with SF is that all the places I can afford seem quite small and I've been longing for a place to call my own for a while now.

Should I suck it up and look for a place in the city? Will I be happy with the Sonoma lifestyle?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

[pch1013]

Originally Posted by tazzgonzo

I like the idea of Sonoma because I can get an actual house (or a large apartment) for the same price as a tiny studio in SF. I love the town, the plaza, and the folks there. And it's the same distance (commute-wise) to Novato as Novato is to SF.

Petaluma is also another option, but I recently visited during a weekend and found the lack of folks out and about in the downtown area to be a bit disturbing.

San Rafael is ok, but not as much bang for my buck as Petaluma or Novato.

My major concern with Sonoma is that I'm afraid I'll feel too alone and not be able to meet other gay singles up there. I'm not one too to go clubbing every night or anything, but I do occasionally like to connect with folks every once in a while.

Do you mean the town of Sonoma, or Sonoma County generally?

I have a few gay friends who live up there -- one in Cotati, a couple in Santa Rosa, one in Sebastopol and some along the Russian River -- and they love it. Guerneville, as you've probably figured out by now, is a bit of a gay hotspot, with resorts and bars that draw hordes of visitors from all over the Bay Area on weekends. I don't know about the gay scene (if any) in Santa Rosa, but you're bound to find a nice, relatively inexpensive place to rent there, even in a nice area.

The problem with living north of Novato is that you'll have to commute via the "Novato Narrows," that weird non-freeway stretch of 101 south of Petaluma. It's a huge bottleneck. They're building a train to get around it, but I have no idea when it'll be ready, if ever. Likewise, the road itself is apparently being widened -- but that means construction delays in the short term.

[tazzgonzo]

Originally Posted by pch1013

Do you mean the town of Sonoma, or Sonoma County generally?

I have a few gay friends who live up there -- one in Cotati, a couple in Santa Rosa, one in Sebastopol and some along the Russian River -- and they love it. Guerneville, as you've probably figured out by now, is a bit of a gay hotspot, with resorts and bars that draw hordes of visitors from all over the Bay Area on weekends. I don't know about the gay scene (if any) in Santa Rosa, but you're bound to find a nice, relatively inexpensive place to rent there, even in a nice area.

The problem with living north of Novato is that you'll have to commute via the "Novato Narrows," that weird non-freeway stretch of 101 south of Petaluma. It's a huge bottleneck. They're building a train to get around it, but I have no idea when it'll be ready, if ever. Likewise, the road itself is apparently being widened -- but that means construction delays in the short term.

Thanks for the info! I meant more the town of Sonoma itself in that regard. It also doesn't help that I fear living in SF when "the big one" hits. The town of Sonoma seems to be relatively safe in that regard, but again, it's just a fear.