Old Courthouse Square is the center of downtown Santa Rosa and is surrounded by numerous shops and restaurants, including the nationally known Russian River Brewery. 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 near downtown on tree-lined McDonald Avenue, perhaps the most beautiful street in Santa Rosa.
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. And the upcoming SMART train will offer high-speed rail service from Santa Rosa and other Sonoma County communities to Marin County's San Rafael.