Old Houses/Neighbourhoods by WulfstanTraveller
Like other towns in Sonoma County, Santa Rosa has a wealth of beautiful, quaint, or cute old neighbourhoods with interesting old houses. In Santa Rosa the grandest old houses, including large plantation-style houses, and very substantial Victorians, tend to be concentrated mostly on and near McDonald Ave., just NE of downtown. These include Mableton, the mansion of Mark McDonald powerful local businessman who owned, among other things, the local power company. This house was used in the old Disney movie Pollyanna and is on a huge corner lot. McDonald Ave. has huge, beautiful old trees, too. Other nearby neat streets include Monroe, Spring, Proctor, 16th St., etc.
The Burbank Gardens area south of downtown has smaller, but very interesting homes in another old-fashioned neighbourhood. It is next to its namesake, south of Sonoma Ave., east of Santa Rosa Ave.
The South A St area is nearby and similar. It's mostly along South A St, but includes Sonoma Ave west of Santa Rosa Ave, Sebastopol Ave., Boseley St. It's between Hwy 101 to the west and Santa Rosa Ave to the east, south of downtown.
The Cherry St. area in the northern part of downtown has many Victorians. This area is primarily north of 7th St, south of College Ave., and between Mendocino Ave and E St.
The St.Rose area of northern downtown is another significant area. It is between Hwy 101 and Mendocino Ave, north of 7th and south of College Ave.
The West End is a neighbourhood north and west of Railroad Square, mostly between Wilson St and Dutton Ave, south of 9th St. It connects to the Ripley St neighbourhood, not yet officially designated, which is between Wilson/Cleveland Ave to the west, Hwy to the east, north of 9th and south of College.
On Mendocino and College Avenues, busy streets north of downtown, there are many other large, architecturally significant homes, many of which are now offices. Mendocino in particular has some significant houses, including the large Comstock house.