Healdsburg, California

Healdsburg has just eleven thousand or so residents but in spite of that small package it offers an amazing historic downtown area with a world class foodie scene, beautiful suburban neighborhoods, and finally some of the most stunning rural vineyards and farms you can live amidst if that’s your preference. If you choose to live in a small town but want that town to deliver an amazing lifestyle you could hardly do better than Healdsburg.

So this is a tricky one. What’s it like to live in a town so beautiful and iconic that everyone flocks there to visit? If you live in Healdsburg, at least in the Downtown, expect to see lots of tourists enjoying the art, food and wine at the local spots. Is this a bad thing? Since many locals earn their living from the hospitality industry most would argue its a good thing. We’ll suspend judgment and simply note that plenty of locals will moan about tourists (and SF tech types) ruining the humble town they remember.

Healdsburg is often described as a haven for wine lovers and a theme park for grown-ups with world class restaurants and wineries. It is though a tale of two cities as you have second-home owners and airbnb renters mixing with long-time local families and agricultural workers. If you want a suburban family lifestyle – kids in public schools, little league and girl scouts, dogs and playing in parks on weekends, then Healdsburg has that available. If on the other hand you’re looking for a second or retirement home with lots of great wine, meals a short walk from home, and tons of downtown events and boutique experiences (and you have the money to pay for it) then Healdsburg offers that as well.