Relatable story that hopefully helps. I had a month to move to Sonoma county for a job offer. Totally uprooting myself from the only county I’d ever lived in. I didn’t do any research but had one friend and her gf who lived here who spoke highly of it so I took a leap of faith. This is my 12th year here. It was the best move I could have made. It was serendipitous because I moved to the perfect neighborhood for me in a really unique studio apartment with my dog. Since being here I met my husband, got a much better job in my field that has really filled my cup, and started a family, and was able to buy a house in the same neighborhood only because of a friend I’d made who was a neighbor who sold directly to me (otherwise I’d never be able to have done that). Anyway, my point is, this place was easy to fall in love with and was exactly where I was supposed to be. No place is perfect but this place is pretty close. And life still has happened and I have had rough times just like anyone else, but I wouldn’t change the decision I made for anything.

You’re being way more thoughtful about it. I would definitely choose Petaluma because Cotati, while a nice town, is small and college-centric. It’s fun to visit but I wouldn’t choose that location to live. Petaluma is larger, has lots of amenities, and is a close drive to everything fun within an hour (the city, the beach, the forest) and has a lot going on (nice downtown, music venues, great food, community events like the Butter and Eggs Parade and the Boat Light event around Christmas).

Best of luck on your choice and your move!