Modern Luxury in Bennett Valley

The largest city in Sonoma County, as well as the county seat, Santa Rosa offers all the amenities of urban life but is not far removed from the spectacular natural scenery that the Wine Country is famous for. Old Courthouse Square is the center of downtown Santa Rosa and is surrounded by numerous shops and restaurants. Historic neighborhoods, including Railroad Square, West End, and Cherry Street District, give Santa Rosa its quintessential small-town feel. Old mansions and Victorians can still be found downtown near tree-lined McDonald Avenue, perhaps the most beautiful street in Santa Rosa. The Fountaingrove and Shiloh neighborhoods and the canyons and hillsides surrounding the city offer the most prestigious homes for sale, and prices climb along with the elevation. Estates here are of the gated variety, built on large parcels of land and offer sweeping views of the valleys below. Activities in Santa Rosa include the Charles M. Schulz Museum, dedicated to one of the city’s most famous former residents; Redwood Empire Ice Arena; and Safari West, a private African wildlife preserve just outside the city. There is a growing technology footprint in Santa Rosa, though many residents commute to San Francisco -- a trek that has gotten easier thanks to the addition of carpool lanes and road-widening initiatives.