For better or worse, most of us live in ordinary neighborhoods. The homes are comparable, the landscaping is more or less consistent, and even the vehicles in the driveways resemble each other. What you won’t usually find is a charming neighborhood of classic bungalows dotted with larger than life creatures and odd vehicles.
Sebastopol resident Patrick Amiot has contributed his special talents to create a wonderfully whimsical neighborhood that’s a must see whether you’re looking for real estate in the Sebastopol area or just exploring west Sonoma County. Patrick’s Art
Active Listings on Florence Ave in Sebastopol
Sonoma County is agricultural heaven. Famed horticulturist Luther Burbank went so far as to say about Sonoma County, “This is the chosen spot of all this earth as far as Nature is concerned. I won’t disagree. For those who are looking for an acre or two of this gardening paradise, Sebastopol stands out among all the others. For a host of reasons, including the failure of apple growers to make enough profit from their work, many Sebastopol country properties were broken into smaller parcels before zoning laws were enacted to preserve large farms. Other agricultural towns, like Healdsburg, simply don’t have a lot of small parcels available.
To really understand this area and get a feel for the microclimates and neighborhoods, a bike ride is ideal for exploring the back roads. The major roads are a little busy with regular traffic for me to recommend bicycling, but the smaller roads have an easier pace. Still, ride carefully. If you can’t take a bike ride, an old fashioned Sunday drive crisscrossing the countryside between Graton, Occidental, Freestone, Bloomfield, and Hessell will give you a strong flavor of the different neighborhoods. You may even run into some friendly live stock along the way.