Windsor, California? A good place to live? (Santa Rosa, Sonoma: living, moving to)
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I'm not sure if this is coming too late but....Windsor HOT?
And you're coming from SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA???
Haha, I have lived in Windsor ALL my life
It is BEAUTIFUL and is getting WAY better.
It is more a bedroom community because there is no real SOLID industry; the Town Green is where all of the little unique one-of-a-kind shops are located but Santa Rosa is definitely the workplace. Which is OK; 14 miles away, I believe? So no trouble.
Of course traffic sucks but if you leave earlier, you get there on time. I always leave at the last second and get there fine haha.
Sebastopol is more like 20+ minutes away because it's a smaller road/highway getting there PLUS traffic. But it has it's beautiful places. Near the ocean. Although Windsor is only like 30-45 mins from the ocean too.
Although when I go to Sebastopol, the downtown area is confusing since there's one way street(s?). They also seem very "hippyish" with their pipe shops and tie-dye things, like a small nearby town called Guerneville (which in itself is full of nuttjobs and druggies). But there are parts which are BEAUTIFUL.
Windsor is definitely suburbia!
W have a Safeway, A Raleys (A smaller safeway) a Long's Drug (Drugstore/small market), tons of little shops in Town Green with community activities (Summer movie nights the WHOLE town is out there and is loads of fun!!, Farmer's Market..), they're putting in a new Applebee's, there's several restaraunts, movie theatre is only about 5 minutes away (it's in what's considered "Santa Rosa" but technically in Windsor industrial area...seperated by ONE road haha ), Wal-Mart and so on so forth.
Crime isn't very high here. I mean honestly, I would feel safe walking around Windsor at night (I'm a woman). The only places I can think that might be more "crime"filled is West-side...and even then it's still pretty nice.
East side is very expensive but it's beautiful homes with LOTS of nice neighbors. Some streets have lots of kids and others are more adult/seniors, but most people know most people and you build a community.
The only real cons I can think of are:
*Traffic getting into Santa Rosa...unless you'd be working more in the Windsor/Shiloh/Airport Industrial area, then there is really only the typical 5:00 pm traffic
*No Windsor Water Works (the waterpark slides someone mentioned they took them down!!)
*Pretty expensive...not many apartments and they're off down roads (which I guess is nice, more privacy...but you cant see them from main roads really)
*Not TOO much diversity as far as race....generally Hispanic and White. I am both haha and I only went to school with 3 black people. Dunno if thats of bother/concern...
*Not much in nightlife. We are really just a bedroom community, which works both ways; we don't get a lot of people coming in here to start sh*t.
Some big pros:
*Not high crimes; the police force here is awesome. A lot of highschoolers always complain of how they get busted and how they have to go to Santa Rosa or other cities to do stuff haha and for bigger stuff, it gets handled really well. (Apparently neighbouring cities such as Santa Rosa and Healdsburg have complained saying all our gangs are in their cities doing their business 'cause our police keep busting them haha so I guess they're forced to do their crime eslewhere).
*Community oriented. Down Town/Town Green has really helped out; you go down there and there's usually something going on!!!
*GREAT PLACE TO RAISE KIDS!!!!! Now, being a college student at the local Junior/Community College (SRJC, which, by the way, is one of the TOP colleges in the NATION!!!) I can't wait to get the HECK outta Windsor and start exploring my world. And that's because this is a place for 30+ year olds with careers. This is a place I see myself coming back to once I'm settled and ready to start my family and do my career. But I grew up here since day 1 and I LOVE it and feel safe and enjoy everything about it, but it's not a 20 year old just-starting-my-life!! kind of place. Again, it's a Im 30+ and have a family and a career and am looking for a nice community to grow old in. I felt safe here, I love my friends and am still friends with them, have fun parks, safe neighbourhoods, and well...anyway!!!!
The weather is never really HOT HOT HOT but it can get somewhat hot I guess. Most houses have air conditioning and there's always the Russian River, a local hotspot for a LOT of people (kyacking, swimming, beach fun, bbqs, hangouts!) and it's just a few minutes away! It's never really cold here, either. Not much flooding...some places JUST outside of town experience a little flood....but never in the main roads or suburbs. We dont get TOO much rain, it does get a bit windy though haha but then it's only windy here when it's windy everywhere nearby :P
I visit SanFran A BUNCH, cuz I love the city, but not a lot of what's there comes here. I'd say the cut off point is Novato (a city about 25/30 minutes north of SF) and then it starts becoming heavy wine industry and more spread out houses. ACTUAL BACKYARDS!!! lol.
No major hospitals; there is a health center behind Safeway. It's nice, clean and the staff are very friendly And then there's the private practices also around. Major hospitals are in Santa Rosa but there's a small volunteer firestation on Westside, and the bigger main station on East side...and considering Windsor is only 4 miles wide....you're relatively safe!!! haha
Again, West side is not as NICE as East Side, but then East Side is very expensive (like most of California...haha!) so druggies and the like can't really afford the cost. Not an insult, just reality.
Check us out, you will see we have a lot to offer and a great place to start a new chapter in your life!!
Last edited by Marka; 09-06-2020 at 10:30 PM..
Reason: per request
I'm not sure if this is coming too late but....Windsor HOT?
And you're coming from SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA???
Haha, I have lived in Windsor ALL my life
It is BEAUTIFUL and is getting WAY better.
It is more a bedroom community because there is no real SOLID industry; the Town Green is where all of the little unique one-of-a-kind shops are located but Santa Rosa is definitely the workplace. Which is OK; 14 miles away, I believe? So no trouble.
Of course traffic sucks but if you leave earlier, you get there on time. I always leave at the last second and get there fine haha.
Sebastopol is more like 20+ minutes away because it's a smaller road/highway getting there PLUS traffic. But it has it's beautiful places. Near the ocean. Although Windsor is only like 30-45 mins from the ocean too.
Although when I go to Sebastopol, the downtown area is confusing since there's one way street(s?). They also seem very "hippyish" with their pipe shops and tie-dye things, like a small nearby town called Guerneville (which in itself is full of nuttjobs and druggies). But there are parts which are BEAUTIFUL.
Windsor is definitely suburbia!
W have a Safeway, A Raleys (A smaller safeway) a Long's Drug (Drugstore/small market), tons of little shops in Town Green with community activities (Summer movie nights the WHOLE town is out there and is loads of fun!!, Farmer's Market..), they're putting in a new Applebee's, there's several restaraunts, movie theatre is only about 5 minutes away (it's in what's considered "Santa Rosa" but technically in Windsor industrial area...seperated by ONE road haha ), Wal-Mart and so on so forth.
Crime isn't very high here. I mean honestly, I would feel safe walking around Windsor at night (I'm a woman). The only places I can think that might be more "crime"filled is West-side...and even then it's still pretty nice.
East side is very expensive but it's beautiful homes with LOTS of nice neighbors. Some streets have lots of kids and others are more adult/seniors, but most people know most people and you build a community.
The only real cons I can think of are:
*Traffic getting into Santa Rosa...unless you'd be working more in the Windsor/Shiloh/Airport Industrial area, then there is really only the typical 5:00 pm traffic
*No Windsor Water Works (the waterpark slides someone mentioned they took them down!!)
*Pretty expensive...not many apartments and they're off down roads (which I guess is nice, more privacy...but you cant see them from main roads really)
*Not TOO much diversity as far as race....generally Hispanic and White. I am both haha and I only went to school with 3 black people. Dunno if thats of bother/concern...
*Not much in nightlife. We are really just a bedroom community, which works both ways; we don't get a lot of people coming in here to start sh*t.
Some big pros:
*Not high crimes; the police force here is awesome. A lot of highschoolers always complain of how they get busted and how they have to go to Santa Rosa or other cities to do stuff haha and for bigger stuff, it gets handled really well. (Apparently neighbouring cities such as Santa Rosa and Healdsburg have complained saying all our gangs are in their cities doing their business 'cause our police keep busting them haha so I guess they're forced to do their crime eslewhere).
*Community oriented. Down Town/Town Green has really helped out; you go down there and there's usually something going on!!!
*GREAT PLACE TO RAISE KIDS!!!!! Now, being a college student at the local Junior/Community College (SRJC, which, by the way, is one of the TOP colleges in the NATION!!!) I can't wait to get the HECK outta Windsor and start exploring my world. And that's because this is a place for 30+ year olds with careers. This is a place I see myself coming back to once I'm settled and ready to start my family and do my career. But I grew up here since day 1 and I LOVE it and feel safe and enjoy everything about it, but it's not a 20 year old just-starting-my-life!! kind of place. Again, it's a Im 30+ and have a family and a career and am looking for a nice community to grow old in. I felt safe here, I love my friends and am still friends with them, have fun parks, safe neighbourhoods, and well...anyway!!!!
The weather is never really HOT HOT HOT but it can get somewhat hot I guess. Most houses have air conditioning and there's always the Russian River, a local hotspot for a LOT of people (kyacking, swimming, beach fun, bbqs, hangouts!) and it's just a few minutes away! It's never really cold here, either. Not much flooding...some places JUST outside of town experience a little flood....but never in the main roads or suburbs. We dont get TOO much rain, it does get a bit windy though haha but then it's only windy here when it's windy everywhere nearby :P
I visit SanFran A BUNCH, cuz I love the city, but not a lot of what's there comes here. I'd say the cut off point is Novato (a city about 25/30 minutes north of SF) and then it starts becoming heavy wine industry and more spread out houses. ACTUAL BACKYARDS!!! lol.
No major hospitals; there is a health center behind Safeway. It's nice, clean and the staff are very friendly And then there's the private practices also around. Major hospitals are in Santa Rosa but there's a small volunteer firestation on Westside, and the bigger main station on East side...and considering Windsor is only 4 miles wide....you're relatively safe!!! haha
Again, West side is not as NICE as East Side, but then East Side is very expensive (like most of California...haha!) so druggies and the like can't really afford the cost. Not an insult, just reality.
Check us out, you will see we have a lot to offer and a great place to start a new chapter in your life!!
My e-mail is SR-Young@hotmail.com , feel free to e-mail me with questions should you have any
THere is a lot of good info in your post. Would you recommend the east or west side of 101? Also, are there any horsie properties in the area? Which I mean are there any places to have horses adjacent to trails and such.
Also, any trails for hiking or bike riding?
Look at the Elsbree neighborhood, it's near Foothill park, horse trails and hiking. I lived there for several years. Great place. I live in Santa Rosa now, like being closer to the downtown, but miss the easier drives to Healdsburg and especially Santi's in Geyserville.
I recommend Petaluma. It may be hot during the day in the summer, but it is almost always cool in the evening. Air conditioners aren't necessary. We have lived there since 1985 without an A/C. It is cooler than Santa Rosa, but I'm not sure whether it is cooler than Sebastopol. It has a lovely historical downtown. The westside is the historical side and is hilly, and the eastside has more newer housing and is flatter. We have Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, etc. We don't have Target yet, but one is scheduled to be built. I love the westside, because I can walk to downtown. There is also a park with trails in town.
I would recommend the West side of 101....East Side is more downtown with condo's above the shops and then there's high school (which means TRAFFIC) and then the kind of "ghetto"ish area. But ultimately it's nice all over even for the more "shady" areas (with the quotes I just mean they would be considered shady for our town, like, maybe not as safe to walk around at midnight...but really safe throughout the day as compared to other LARGE cities where you would avoid certain places no matter what).
There are horsie properties! Infact all along Arata Lane is fields and countryside for horses. I've included this link which has Google image of it: Arata Lane Windsor CA - Google Maps
Just as Annadel says, there's the Foothills (Foothill Regional Park) which has great hiking trails and horse ones too. It's right off of Arata Lane too!
(NOTE: ALL IMAGES WERE FOUND OFF GOOGLE, THEY DO NOT BELONG TO ME! I am only using them to show the Foothills park!)
You can bike all around Windsor, but that (the foothills) might be your designated area....if you keep following Old Redwood Highway heading north, you get deep into Healdsburg(neighboring city)'s Wine Country with GREAT scenery for biking!
And no, it does not snow here. I believe the last time it ever snowed was in Santa Rosa back in like...2000 and it was like 1 inch IF that. And THAT was crazy for us since we don't experience that type of weather. But it melted that same day haha The climate here keeps usually in the 70's and then gets warmer in the summer...getting about to 50's/60's for winter (although this Winter has been CRAZY all over the nation. I was in Portland and then Seattle and BOTH had insane snow...neither was prepared for it hahaha although I shouldn't laugh, it meant my flights were delayed or cancelled , but back on subject..) but never snow. Just frost !
My husband and I are thinking about moving to Windsor, California, have some questions, but don't see any posting about this place, so any help will be appreciated.
We don't need to worry about school or work, because our son is going to college and we work at home.
We are thinking about Windsor because it is not too far from SF, and Santa Rose is close by, so we can go to the city but don't need to worry about problems come with the city life, is this true?
Hows the weather? how hot and cold it gets in the summer and winter? are there problems with flooding? how safe is the place? are there plenty shopping choices such as supermarkets, health food store, Target? hows the health care? any major hospital? What is the Town Green and old downtown like? are there any areas are better and safer to live than others?
Thank you for your help.
sebastopol is hot in the summer,as the area in general is.
rhonert park is tract homes,too.
healdsburg,next door to windsor,is a beautiful town with a tourist industry-but it's quaint and upscale. so if you lived in windsor,you could go to h'burg to visit.
Sonoma city [small] is also an option. AGain,hot in the summer,but no hotter than so cal.
Yes,the entire county rains in the winter alot. Coast area proper will have less predictable weather patterns,but there's no population center along the sonoma coast,really.
Depends on what size town and what type of lifestyle/housing you are used to or are looking for.
Cotati and petaluma have downtowns and 'stuff' going on-arts,markets,etc. and both are close to sonoma state univ.
Again,the short summers will not be any hotter,and usually less hot,than so cal.closer the coast,the cooler. and proximity to the redwoods can be had in santa rosa and sebastopol,and not too far from windsor [russian river area which is eccentric but has many small towns along the river;alot of tourists in the summer],too.
Hello All, thanks for all the helpful information, I think Windsor will be too hot for us, we are from southern California, and live not too far from the ocean, so hot weather will be a problem for us.
But we love Sonoma County. Is Sebastopol the only city that is cooler in summer and close enough to Santa Rosa, or are there other places we should consider?
How hot does it gets in the summer in Sebastopol? Also, does it rain a lot in the winter there? And what areas should be avoided due to flooding?
I can't imagine people thinking the area is too hot. It gets into the low to mid 80s during the day but cools into the mid to low 50s at night.
I live in San Jose, which has a similar climate to Santa Rosa as far as daytime temperatures go....but it does not cool off as much at night down here....yet I live fine most days without air conditioning, unless we get a heat wave where it is 95 or hotter.
I too live in Windsor though not a native. Only been here about 3 years.
As far as the heat goes it generally only lasts a few days and when it is hot (by that I mean 90 and above) the whole area is hot.
The town green (which is Windsor's downtown area) is really nice and they have several events during the summer that are great as well as a good farmers market. A few good restaurants down there as well.
The traffic on 101 has gotten a lot better since the construction! Yippee!!!
While I have not looked at property I would presume there are horse areas around. I know there are a few places to board but if looking to buy I don't know but would guess the answer to be yes.
I think much really depends on what you are looking for in a town - besides weather. Most of your healthcare is going to be in Santa Rosa most likely. The closest Target is in Rohnert Park but there is a WalMart. Are you looking for a lively nightlife? Or ??
Yeah, the entire north bay gets the most rain out of the whole Bay Area, quite a bit more, but it does all fall in the winter. Most of the Bay Area isn't that wet, but up there, it really pours in the winter.
Windsor is definitely going to be too hot for you if you like coastal weather, and it does get to freezing on some winter nights (prob averages about high 80s in summer, mid 50s in winter). Sebastopol is cute and cooler, but very small. Not much to do or see there. You may want to check out Fairfax in Marin County if you can get farther south.
Hello Christie,
There are several nice places to live in the Santa Rosa area. Windsor/Larkfield, Bennett Valley, Fountain Grove, Sebastopol, Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, Oakmont (over 55), Sonoma, etc., all have nice areas. The weather is pretty moderate, not too hot and not too cold. I have lived here since 1973. Love it. Have never needed an air conditioner. Great place to live. I recommend you come up and stay for a week or more and just visit the whole area. The place is quite diverse, especially the Santa Rosa area. Good Luck.
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I'm not sure if this is coming too late but....Windsor HOT?
but if you leave earlier, you get there on time. I always leave at the last second and get there fine haha.
), Wal-Mart and so on so forth.
Dunno if thats of bother/concern...
and for bigger stuff, it gets handled really well. (Apparently neighbouring cities such as Santa Rosa and Healdsburg have complained saying all our gangs are in their cities doing their business 'cause our police keep busting them haha so I guess they're forced to do their crime eslewhere).
Reply to Dean
although I shouldn't laugh, it meant my flights were delayed or cancelled 
