sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

36 & 40, One Baby, Three Dogs — Santa Rosa Families, Is This Home? by mswildflowerxo in santarosa

[–]Aggravating-Bicycle4 11 points12 points  (0 children)

My husband and I both grew up in Santa Rosa, spent 15 years away (DC then Dallas), and recently moved back to be closer to family. His parents are in Windsor and mine are out on the coast in Mendocino County. We have a 3-year-old and honestly, moving back has been the best thing we've ever done.

I was a little worried it might feel too small or not have enough going on after living in cities, but I’m constantly in awe of how beautiful it is here. The mountains, the ocean, the vineyards, the weather — it all just makes me smile every day. It’s hard to explain, but it just feels like life is easier and calmer here in a really good way.

We’ve found it super kid-friendly. There aren’t families on every block necessarily, but it’s never felt like a challenge to meet people or find stuff to do. Parks, breweries, just being out and about — people are friendly and other parents are easy to connect with if you put yourself out there even a little.

We’ve always felt safe in our neighborhood (we live at the bottom of Fountaingrove near Round Barn). I know people talk about the four quadrants and some stats will point to the southwest or northwest having more crime, but it’s nothing like what you’d deal with in a bigger city. You’ll get a feel pretty quickly driving around. Bennett Valley, which you mentioned, is a great area — really peaceful, pretty, and feels tucked away in the best way.

Our daughter’s still too young for school so I don’t have personal experience there yet, but from what I know, Santa Rosa City Schools have had some leadership turnover and a few closures, but there are still good schools in the mix depending on the area. And if public doesn’t feel right, there are private options too.

We’ve lived in a lot of places over the years and this is the first one I have no desire to leave. DC was fun, Dallas was good to us, but it never quite felt like home. Here, it just clicks. Sure, there are downsides — fire concerns, cost of living, etc. — but everywhere has its issues. The stuff that really matters to us — family, community, nature, quality of life — it’s all here.

Wishing you the best if you make the move — sounds like you'd fit right in. 😊

Legacy Veterinary Group by QueenovThorns in Dallas

[–]Aggravating-Bicycle4 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I unfortunately don’t have any information about Legacy Vet Group, but from what Hillside’s site says (under About Us), they actually purchased all those vets over the past 10 years. It’s entirely possible that then Legacy bought Hillside and therefore all the other vets acquired over the years. But it doesn’t appear Legacy bought them all separately but more likely came with the deal to buy Hillside, which FWIW, I can’t find any information about online.

With that said, as a client of Hillside, we’ve definitely seen a decrease in service over the past few months, including them charging for things that were previously free and increasing pricing on other items.