About Healdsburg's Historic Plaza

A trend our Healdsburg Sotheby's International Realty office has noticed is seasoned homeowners deciding to move closer to the downtown Healdsburg core. It's a combination of reasons, but proximity to restaurants and shops figures high on the list. Also figuring into the move is the desire to shed maintenance chores necessary for larger acreage properties. These are primarily sophisticated buyers who know what they are looking for. Their demand for single story property within an easy walk of the Healdsburg Plaza is probably what we hear more often than any other request.

Of course, we still have plenty of interest in the vineyard property that make Sonoma County and Healdsburg such a coveted area to live in, but the trend for in-town living is very strong. Walking is one of the keys that drives the demand since doctors and health care experts are nearly unanimous in praising simple walking as a great exercise for everyone. Healdsburg is a naturally convenient walking town with the historic Healdsburg plaza as a useful destination

WalkScore is a very useful tool for people trying to figure out what makes sense for a walkable neighborhood in any part of the country. Be prepared for a disappointing score if you live where planners and developers have encouraged a car centric life style without regard for such simple functions as walking to a store, a school, or a park.

Downtown Healdsburg real estate is strictly limited by walking speed. You can choose whether to go three or four blocks from the downtown Healdsburg Plaza for your unofficial boundary, but if it takes more than five minutes to walk to a public concert or Farmer's Market, you aren't in the downtown core.

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On this map I would define the northernmost boundary as Grant St (the next street up from Piper) and the southern boundary as Haydon St. On the west University St is a convenient marker. On the east, Healdsburg Avenue is the limit of residential real estate since almost everything between Healdsburg Ave and Highway 101 is commercial including restaurants, hotels, retail, and the great Bear Republic brewery and restaurant.

The architectural stock of Healdsburg is very mixed in this district. The dominant elements include 19th century Victorians, 20th century Craftsmans and bungalows, and a few 21st century new and remodeled gems. Of course, there are many additional styles including Greek revival, 1960's schlock apartments, and original farmhouses.

Demand for downtown living has been strong for many years and shows no signs of abating. The demand is created by two main groups. One is local residents who want to move closer to the action and the other is visitors who have discovered the charm of Healdsburg and are familiar with the downtown area from visits to the many fine restaurants and hotels in the area. I would venture to say the buyers today are moderately older, more affluent, more inclined to walking for exercise, and more savvy in what they are looking for. In many cases we are working with people downsizing from country property who are seeking less maintenance and more time for fun. That's what I mean by savvy. Downtown Healdsburg appeals to people who want to enjoy life.

Matheson is the busiest street in this area. It's a main artery that leads around Fitch Mountain. Many grand homes were built here for farmers in the nearby valleys who would send their families to town for school. The streets south of Matheson also feature beautiful homes, but the lesser traffic here makes for some of the most peaceful and gracious neighborhoods in this district. Both Mason and Tucker St are wonderful streets for residences.

The homes tend to be smaller north of Matheson. There are more bungalows on Fitch and Piper. Sadly, many grand homes in this area were torn down and replaced with apartments in the middle of the last century. It lets more people live downtown, but for the most part these apartment buildings weren't erected with the care and grace previous generations lavished on their dwellings.

I have spent many years selling and refurbishing vintage homes in Historic neighborhoods, such as San Francisco, Healdsburg and Santa Rosa and on the East coast. In Northern Virginia, I was on the committee to establish Historic Designation for Fairlington Villages, built by the government to house all the G.I.'s returning from World War II. These townhouses and condominiums were the largest conversion in the United States and home to many congressman since it is a short commute to Capital Hill.

Presently, I live in Sonoma County, the Northern California wine region and as we all know, preparing homes to sell usually begins with the basics...and my first stop is Healdsburg Plaza Paints.I can praise all the staff but one person that stands out is Mark. Mark understands the depth of color, its impact and provides reliable advice because he takes the time to LISTEN. He has spent many hours with me going over paint chips, paint combinations and historical colors, light exposure and all kinds of subtleties that most people don't think about.

Paint is one of the cheapeast "quick fixes" when inititating the marketing of your home. It not only provides warmth, distinction between walls and moldings but it cleans and refreshes a home for a new buyer.

Well the funny part of this story is that ALL (females that is) who have ever sent our partners to the paint store to pick up a bucket of paint KNOW that we would never do so with out having the paint already mixed and ready to go! Apparently Plaza Paint feels the SAME WAY! I saw this sign, strategically placed behind the counter, and thought I would share it with you if you ever need any support if you are in a similar situation. Plaza Paints in Healdsburg visit their website at www.plazapaints.com

Kathleen Bonham - Sonoma Vintage Home Specialist

SonomaCountryAndVintage.com

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