Rohnert Park is one of the country’s first planned communities. There’s lots to love and lots to question about planned communities but no matter where you sit on that topic it is hard to take away the amazing location of the city. You’re 50 miles from San Francisco, 20 miles to the ocean, you’re in Sonoma County (one of the great wine counties in the world), and minutes from Napa (another of the great wine counties). You’re also sitting in the center of a magnificent outdoor culture with amazing hiking, biking and camping throughout Marin and Sonoma Counties. 

Location

The Best Thing About Rohnert Park?

Planned communities that were built in the early cycles of these developments left out city centers. The mistaken assumption was that people were craving suburban lifestyles as an escape from cities. While that may have been true for awhile it turns out that people on the whole really do want a walkable city center, albeit in many cases, a less intense and less expensive one than they may have left. Rohnert Park has massive development plans for a **[new town center ](https://www.rpcity.org/city_hall/departments/development_services/downtown)**but until then you’ve got to go to Santa Rosa or another neighboring city to experience cultural or nightlife experiences. 

No Downtown

The Worst Thing About Rohnert Park

As was noted, Rohnert Park is a planned community and so it’s lifestyle is built around suburban family activities.  There are plenty of parks including the massive Crane Creek Park which has 128 acres of trails, disc golf, meadows and even cows grazing. There is a big sports culture here (for kids and adults) and facilities like the Rohnert Park Community Center offers sporting fields, fitness classes and community rec programs. 

SOMO Village is a fun community space where the city gathers for farmers’ markets, festivals, concert and family events. Finally, the Spreckels Performing Arts Center and Green Music Center, on the campus of Sonoma State, host year-round concerts, plays, musicals and live dance events. Even though the city doesn’t yet have a downtown there’s a lot happening to keep locals busy. 


Lifestyle of Rohnert Park

The biggest employer in Rohnert Park is Sonoma State University. Add jobs at the school with the manufacturing, tech and healthcare sector and Rohnert Park has a solid economy for those looking to live and work in the same neighborhoods. Additionally, right next door is Gratan Resort and Casino, a massive employer in the hospitality and entertainment sectors. While much of wine country is quiet on the professional front, Rohnert Park boasts a strong local economy. 


Worklife of Rohnert Park

All of the bay area is expensive but Rohnert Park offers homes a bit less than other cities because of the lack of a walkable downtown. If you want to move to city BEFORE it becomes the next hotspot consider Rohnert Park while the big downtown development project is in the planning stage and prior to the city taking off. 

Prior To Blast Off

Why You Should Move Here Now?

The University District neighborhood surrounds Sonoma State University and as a result has the energy of the students and all the school has to offer as a bonus for all who choose to live here. Sporting events, theater and cultural events are year round just a walk away on campus. You’re also living next to Crane Creek Park and North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park so you can hardly do better for an outdoor lifestyle. While there are plenty of students who live in apartment rentals, the neighborhood is booming with higher-end, new development single family homes for those looking for beautiful homes and the more active culture the school provides. 

College Students/Faculty/Families

University District

Mountain Shadows is a family-centric neighborhood known for its mix of mid-priced and high-end homes. The name of the neighborhood comes from the beautiful light and shade that comes off its position in the foothills of the Sonoma Mountains. Families enjoy the newer homes and outdoor recreational opportunities including a half-dozen parks and community rec areas. The neighborhood, with its mix of housing options, is particularly popular for starter homes for young families who appreciate the lower prices (by California standards). 

Families

Mountain Shadows

Rohnert Park

**Cotati/Rohnert Park vs Petaluma**

I live in RP. It's a nice place to raise a family. No real crime, though petty property crime is rising. Extremely convenient home-life shopping - every large box store in the country seems to have found a spot here. Some very good restaurants, but admittedly a lot of ho-hum besides a few winners. Plenty of open/park space. Traffic isn't too bad once you actually enter RP, but entrances/exits at 101 can be tough at commute times. Still better than west Petaluma though.

RP is distinctly not exciting. SSU has some interesting events, as does the casino. Nice farmer's market in season. But otherwise, it's pretty generic. Works for me, I sort of prefer it that way at this stage of my life, but it's not everyone. I don't think anyone is miserable because of the town's embrace of suburbia, but may find better options elsewhere if that doesn't appeal to you.

Cotati is pretty cool but if NIMBYism is already bothering you - new things coming to town can get heated there. RP is pretty neutral. Unless you try to put up a homeless shelter right by a neighborhood, then things get loud.

**Cotati/Rohnert Park vs Petaluma**

My husband and I grew up here in Rohnert park, as did a large portion of our friends, but I’ve never experienced anyone being against transplants moving here from other places. Rohnert park didn’t even exist before the 1950s, so literally all of our parents who moved here were transplants from elsewhere. The one thing I do notice people complaining about, is that all of the new houses they’re building seem overpriced and have hardly any back yard.

As far as walkability, it’s actually not too bad, as long as you don’t live on the very edge of town (for example, in the new W section). I can walk to the grocery store in about 20 min, but it’s my preference to bike there since it’s so much faster. If you’re into biking, bike lane quality varies throughout town, and definitely avoid biking on Golf Course Drive, as biking accidents are common there.

The schools are fairly good, and for Elementary school you can choose which one to send your kids too. You aren’t required to send them to the school in your neighborhood if you like another one better. The different schools have different focuses and teaching styles, and there’s even a year-round elementary school option.

My in-laws moved to Petaluma, and every time we visit them, I feel like Petaluma is just kind of a bummer compared to RP, in terms of ambiance. RP has lots of redwoods, parks, and multiple creek trails… Petaluma just feels a little bland in comparison, so I sort of know what you mean!

**Cotati/Rohnert Park vs Petaluma**

I grew up in San Francisco and we moved to Petaluma in 2012. At that time, it was right on the cusp of the mass influx of San Franciscans, but as soon as I got there I definitely felt like an outsider. I lived on the west, and people were generally friendly and very open to conversation, but it felt very obvious that I was an outsider to them. The kids have their friend groups well established by 1st/2nd grade, youth baseball is a cult among the parents (this was the year Petaluma little league won the championship or something), and there's definitely a big Karen vibe among people in the west. You can't do ANYTHING without someone watching you, or worse, getting into your business and asking a bunch of questions. Once my dad and I went to dump some cardboard boxes at Grant Elementary's recycling, and this lady who was walking her dog decided to interrogate us.

I live in Rohnert Park now, and I like it a lot better. Sure, we don't have a downtown, but the neighborhoods are newer, there are more parks accessible to every neighborhood, and the houses are better. Also, the culture is a lot more welcoming because most people who live in Rohnert Park are not multi generational families who have been here since the dawn of time. The newer neighborhoods are a lot more culturally diverse and people are very social. Just stay away from D, E, F, and R section. Those tend to have longer term residents and a LOT more wackos. R is full of cops, and D section is the only place I have seen trump flags in Rohnert Park.

**[22 Male] Moving to North Bay Area for a job offer and debating on living in Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, or Novato**

Move here to Petaluma. You could look at Theater Square apartments if you like being downtown. There's always cool stuff going on. I moved here from FL last summer after looking at Novato, Petaluma, Rohnert Park and Santa Rosa. I don't regret landing in Ptown.

Novato is nice but it's a lot quieter. I feel like it's more of a retiree place. It's not so much closer to SF that it's worth living there and commuting to Petaluma.

Rohnert Park is definitely the most affordable and it is close to both Petaluma and Santa Rosa. So if you don't mind a little bit of driving or you're used to it, that could be a good deal too.

You could also look at Cotati and Pengrove. They're nice little communities.

I'm a little older than you (42) but if you have any questions about being a recent transplant here, message me. I grew up near Grand Rapids so I may have a little shared perspective.

**[22 Male] Moving to North Bay Area for a job offer and debating on living in Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, or Novato**

I wouldn't worry about distance to SF. If you don't work there it is unlikely you will be going there enough to have that influence your location.

Santa Rosa is a larger city, so it has a real downtown with quite a few restaurants, bars, clubs (sorta) and whatnot. Definitely a fun place for a young person if you live walking distance.

Rohnert Park is a lot smaller and less exciting in my book. More of a quiet family area with some hippies, but I don't really go there much so I could be corrected.

Novato is pretty darn boring and caters to people that commute into SF. Not worth the price and definitely not an enticing place to live for somebody in their 20's.

Honestly, I would say you should live in Petaluma proper. Its a cool large town/small city with a great downtown. Good selection of bars, breweries and restaurants. Leaves you close to both Santa Rosa and SF if you want more or different entertainment. Also, you will thank me later that you don't have to commute down Highway 101. It is a nightmare.



Rohnert Park, California

RP

Looklyloo Score: 82

University District

College Students/Faculty/Families

Mountain Shadows

Families