Anyone familiar with this area? Just wanting to know what it's like as far as weather, cost of living, things to do, etc.

 

That was my stomping ground for half my life.
The only reasons for not being up there now are the cost of living and my massive allergic reactions to the hay harvests....and the psycho girlfriend I left ten years ago.
Still have many friends and family up there though.
Santa Rosa is a pretty good sized city, right around 250,000 I believe.
Terrain is all over the place from the Sonoma Valley to the Sonoma Hills.
Lots to look at and is very similar in landscape to Northern Italy.
As is the soil.
Also has alot to do with the massive Italian immigration to that area to start, among other things, wineries and farms.
Weather is perfect in my opinion.
True turns of the seasons.
Spring is still kind of damp, lots of green everywhere, highs average in the 60's.
Right around May it starts to get a bit warmer with the summer coming, highs will average in the 80's with the night temps coming back down to the low 60's.
That's the best part of the summer's there to me, unlike here where the ambient stays in the upper 90's during the summer.
Fall is pretty typical starts to get much cooler earlier, more breezes, and Fog shows up much more.
They do get a true Indian Summer up there though, right around the first week of Oct., you get two weeks of the best weather of the year, real mild and very little fog.
After that, you can definitely tell winter is on the way.
Very moist, typically about 20-24 in of rain a year there, might be more.

Cost of living for Sonoma County was in the top three for California when I left, next to Marin and San Diego Counties.
I wouldn't doubt for a second that it's still entrenched in that same level.
Things to do:
One hour away from SF.
45 min away from the beaches, they're cold, but still fun.
Three hours away from Tahoe.
Wineries everywhere, very cool to visit.
Sears Point as I know it, Infineon as it is called today, hosts all kinds of racing from Vintage Sports cars to NASCAR, to NHRA to ALMS and bikes.
That's about a half hour away.
Fishing and camping everywhere, lakes everywhere, although much like everywhere else, they're probably getting lower.
I used to go to Lake Berryessa and Lake Mendocino alot. Both about an hour, hour and a half away.
Tons of restaurants, almost all of them great, in particular the Italian restaurants, no surprise based on the history.
Sonoma has still got to be mostly supported by the agriculture there, but over the last five years more tech companies have rolled into Rohnert Park and Petaluma, but don't be fooled, it's still mostly hicks waiting for hunting season.

Anyway, hope this gives you some insight.
FWIW, I'd move back there in a second if I thought I could do there what I do here and afford it.
If you already have a job, awesome, if not and you are skilled in electrical or carpentry, pm or email me.

 

Dave,

Thank you very much for your helpful reply!

I do not have a job there but am considering one. The pay is great (well, by TX standards... may be poor for a place like that) and I'm very qualified for it.

 

If it's a good job with benefits and quick pay scale, I would seriously consider it.
The Cloverdale area is probably your best bet for the cheapest housing outside of an apartment or Condo.
Cloverdale is just North about an hour.
I got your pm, I think that's pretty good if that's your starting pay, as long as you don't have your own Brady Bunch.

 

Don't miss the Silverado brewery if you are looking for good beer. Its on the highway east of Calistoga.

 

No, we don't have a Brady Bunch. Just a dog, cat and some fish tanks.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

If you move up here and are interested in joining a car club check out our website. We got a couple F bodies out in the SR area. Theres a forum on our site so feel free to drop a line.

-Rude