$684,123Average Value$414Average Price per Sq Ft0Homes For Sale
19th-century homes amid Santa Rosa’s shops, eateries and schools
About a mile east of Downtown Santa Rosa and a mile south of Santa Rosa Junior College, the Cherry Street Historic District is among the city’s oldest neighborhoods, with its highest concentration of 19th-century homes. According to Veronica Penn, a local real estate agent with Allison James Estates and Homes, the charm of the community’s centuries-old architecture, convenience to schools and walkability to the city center attract a mix of families, college students and retirees. “It’s a quaint, historic neighborhood with nice, older homes and tree-lined streets. And at only a quarter mile from downtown, it’s walkable if you want an active lifestyle.”
The Cherry Street area first grew with Santa Rosa’s railroad boom in the 1870s; everyone from carpenters and teamsters to County officials and lawyers would eventually move here for its convenience to the through-county railroad, establishing a diversity of architecture and residents that continues in Cherry Street today. “There’s such a variety of homes – from the Gregorian to the Craftsman – and a variety of reasons people move here – from the walkability to the Junior College,” Penn says.
The Cherry Street neighborhood offers easy access to Downtown Santa Rosa and Junior College.
Santa Rosa Junior College is the major educational opportunity in Cherry Street.
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Victorian-era mansions and Craftsman bungalows
Set on manicured, 6,000-square-foot lots, Cherry Street’s earliest mansions were built in various styles between the 1870s and 1920s. While walking along the tree-shaded sidewalks of Cherry Street and College Avenue, locals will see the colorful turrets and wraparound porches of Queen Annes, the whimsically steep gables and half-timber framing of Tudor Revivals, and the ornamental vergeboards and bay windows of Gothic Revivals. These mansions rarely come to market, and as of fall 2024, none have been available for over a year. Craftsman bungalows from the 1910s and ‘20s are scattered between these mansions, often featuring colorful wooden exteriors, exposed rafter tails and full-width porches. These two-to-four-bedroom homes sit on scruffy lawns shaded by the area’s mature elm and yew trees. Prices range widely between $600,000 and $1.4 million, depending on a home's number of bedrooms.
Find your perfect home in the Cherry Street neighborhood.
Enjoy the Victorian-style mansions around Cherry Street.
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Historic Fremont Park and the Prince Memorial Greenway
Fremont Park is a significant downtown green space, spanning nearly 2 acres along 4th Street. Developed during the Great Depression, the park’s lilac bushes and Irish yews were donated by locals hoping they were building a park for the future. Today, the park’s lawns and central fountain are still shaded by these plantings, and its Cancer Survivor Plaza pays tribute to those affected by the disease.
The half-mile Prince Memorial Greenway, a network of paved pathways shaded by mature elm trees, runs downtown between Santa Rosa Avenue and Historic Railroad Square. Along the way, it runs along Santa Rosa Creek and crosses through the Cherry Street neighborhood, passing paved terraces, colorful mosaic statues, and the fruit trees, greenhouse and rose bushes of the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens.
Fremont Park has stunning statues in Santa Rosa.
Prince Gateway Park is a very beautiful park in Santa Rosa.
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Surrounded by Downtown Santa Rosa’s shops, eateries and shopping malls
Cherry Street's major avenues are lined with global eateries and locally owned shops. “You get your pizza, pasta and donut shops, your authentic Indian and Mexican cuisine, and your great Chinese take-out spots,” says Penn. “There’s just such a variety of options at your doorstep.” On Mendocino Avenue, the Edgar Allen Poe-themed Crooks Coffee serves hot chocolates overflowing with marshmallows and graham crackers, and the Tipsy Taco and Cantina pairs fried super burritos with lime-wedged Coronas. On 4th Street, the neon green sign for Treehorn Books invites readers to explore narrow stacks of literary treasures; across the street, Mirage Florist is filled with the fresh perfumes of seasonal flowers.
The Santa Rosa Plaza shopping mall is immediately west of the neighborhood. Its 100-plus retailers include Macy’s, SEPHORA and standard mall fare like Auntie Annie’s pretzels. Nearby grocery stores include Grocery Outlet and Whole Foods, both within 2 miles of Cherry Street.
Cherry Street foodies enjoy fajitas at tipsy Tacos.
Macy's is near Cherry Street at Coddingtown Mall.
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The annual release of Pliny the Younger
Although Santa Rosa is famous for its wineries, Cherry Street is better known for its beer. In late March and early April, Russian River Brewing on 4th Street has its annual release of its famed Pliny the Younger, a supremely hoppy, citrus-flavored Triple IPA. “Even though the Pliny release goes on for a couple of weeks, every day is like opening day of a Star Wars movie,” says Mark Hilgenberg, a former lab tech at Hartford Family Winery and longtime Santa Rosa resident. “The beer’s only available in super limited quantities by draft, so people come from all over the Bay Area to stake their spot in line along 4th Street. Waiting six or seven hours isn’t unheard of, and people bring chairs and picnics and multiple generations of their families. Every single last person waiting will tell you it’s worth it, though.” During Pliny’s release weeks, each quaffer is limited to three drafts and two hours in the brewery.
Cherry Street nightlife happens in Downtown Santa Rosa.
Meet up with friends at the Santa Rosa Night Market.
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Convenient to Santa Rosa City Schools and the Junior College
Cherry Street’s students are served by the Santa Rosa Elementary School District, which earns a B-minus from Niche, and the Santa Rosa High School District, which earns a B-plus. They can start at C-rated Steele Lane Elementary and can continue to B-minus-rated Santa Rosa Middle. Santa Rosa High scores an A-minus and is known for its sports teams’ legacies; the College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ernie Nevers was the school’s star football player in the 1920s, and the Santa Rosa Vikings continue to play in the 5-A division at Nevers Field. The Santa Rosa Junior College is also a mile north and functions as a 2-year feeder school for the University of California, Berkeley.
Santa Rosa Middle School in Cherry Street provides interconnected learning opportunities.
Santa Rosa High School has an amazing campus for its students in Santa Rosa.
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Near Downtown and the Route 101-Highway 12 junction
The Cherry Street Historic District sits within the greater Downtown Santa Rosa area, and the Prince Memorial Greenway provides a pedestrian-friendly route to the city’s center, less than a mile west. The 101 freeway and Highway 12 junction are less than a mile south; the 101 leads commuters 55 miles south to San Francisco, and the 12 runs 25 miles east to Napa Valley. Locals can also take the SMART Rail from the Downtown Santa Rosa station to the Larkspur Ferry, which crosses the bay into San Francisco. Santa Rosa's largest medical center, Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, is just a mile east on Montgomery Drive. The regional Sonoma County Airport is 7 miles north, and the San Francisco International Airport is 67 miles south.
The Cherry Street neighborhood runs along College Ave.
Cherry Street commuters use the SMART at Railroad Square nearby.
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Important to know
Old Courthouse Square, which is both a park and events plaza, marks the entrance to the Downtown Santa Rosa area and has a significant population of unhoused people. Displaced by wildfires and rising real estate costs, homeless people find safety and convenience in the area. In an effort to assist unhoused people, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved an emergency shelter site in the Court House’s parking lot in 2023, moving unhoused people off the street into a sanctioned encampment. There are few reported incidents of disturbance in the area.
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
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Crime and Safety
1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime
Cherry Street
US
Homicide
4
4
Sexual Assault
6
4
Assault with Weapon
5
4
Robbery
4
4
Burglary
6
4
Motor Vehicle Theft
7
4
Larceny
7
4
Crime Score
5
4
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
Cherry Street Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Cherry Street, Santa Rosa sell after 52 days on the market compared to the national average of 53 days. The median sale price for homes in Cherry Street, Santa Rosa over the last 12 months is $515,000, up 4% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
