Two San Francisco Renters Fled the City for a Quieter Life. Would They Find It in Sonoma or Marin?

Nearly a decade as renters didn’t dampen Alexandra Andorfer and George Croton’s love of San Francisco. They made the most of their 950 square feet, even finding ways to grow their family — now with two dogs and two cats — in their two-bedroom just off Buena Vista Park, near the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.

But several years spent enjoying food-and-wine weekends with friends in the bucolic Sonoma Valley, about 50 miles north, inspired another possibility: Could the couple leave the city and find enough of what they loved about it in a small-town setting?

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It was, in part, a question of background. While Ms. Andorfer, 33, had mostly grown up in big cities (Pittsburgh and Baltimore) and attended college in Chicago, Mr. Croton, 32, was a product of Santa Barbara, Calif., and its rambling ambience. “Santa Barbara has that kind of ‘small city, large town’ thing going on,” he said. “It’s very beautiful, lots of outdoor stuff, but also lots of amenities and restaurants and fun things to do.”

Mr. Croton was warmer to the idea of leaving San Francisco, where the couple met in law school. Both of their jobs as attorneys were in the Bay Area, though each could telecommute several days a week, leaving room to imagine a different way of living. And Ms. Andorfer was somewhat surprised to find how much she looked forward to their getaways, especially to the town of Sonoma, a foodie haven with 11,000 residents set in the vibrant heart of Sonoma Valley wine country.

“I very quickly could see myself living there,” she said. “It doesn’t have city vibes, but it has restaurants and culture — a lot of things going on. I love to cook and I’m in a bunch of wine clubs, including several right in that area.”

It was Ms. Andorfer who suggested visiting some open houses in Sonoma — “just for fun,” she said. Mr. Croton added a wrinkle when he proposed including Marin County, about 30 miles south of Sonoma, with its coveted combination of rural feel and higher-end amenities.

At an open house in Marin County, the couple met Kristen Perry, an agent with the Kristie Martinelli Team at Coldwell Banker who previously was an executive at several tech startups.

“It’s always interesting when people leave the city,” Ms. Perry said. “Some take a very long time to get to the point of actually being ready to move. But Alex and George moved very quickly once they realized that they felt pretty sure about it.”

The couple scouted open houses for weeks, looking for a place with an airy feel and distinctive architecture. They hoped to remain within walking distance of shops and services, as they were in San Francisco, and wanted either a big yard or park access for their pets.

With some help from Mr. Croton’s mother for a down payment, they capped their budget at $1.35 million.

Among their options:

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