Homebuyers searching for the perfect house in Santa Rosa may have a checklist of what they’re looking for such as; number of bedrooms, backyard, updated windows, new doors, and an overall curb appeal.

There’s plenty of well-maintained houses that fit the bill, but what makes Santa Rosa unique is the ‘walkability’ score of some of it’s most alluring neighborhoods. We’re all aware of the health benefits of walking as often as we can, and according to the surgeon general, there are three elements that create a good, walkable neighborhood: it has to be entertaining, feel safe, and provide meaningful destinations.

Since Santa Rosa has been touted as being “Out there. In the middle of everything,” it only makes sense that the neighborhoods would be, too. When house hunting, here are the three top neighborhoods, according to Redfin, that you should look at if you’re ready to take a stroll;

St. Rose 

With a walk score of 92, the St. Rose District in Santa Rosa is the most pedestrian friendly neighborhood. It’s also one of the most desirable, as of this posting there’s no homes for sale here.  If you fall in love with this neighborhood, it would be best to move quick when you notice one go up.

Called a ‘walkers paradise,’ it’s also one of the most charming, with historic homes dating from 1872 to the 1940’s. It’s so pedestrian friendly that the St. Rose Historic Society hosts walking tours throughout the neighborhood.

The St. Rose Church is a Gothic Revival style church that was built in 1900 by Italian stonemasons.

The historic Saturday Afternoon Club is still an active part of the community.

(photo via yelp.com)

According to the most recent statistics, residents in St. Rose can walk to an average of 6 restaurants, bars and coffee shops in 5 minutes, and most daily errands can be done on foot. Finding a home you love in the St. Rose district means you’ll never be without somewhere to go.

West End

(Image via srwestend.com)

The Amgen tour of California passes under the freeway through the West End. 

A score of 85 denotes that the West End Neighborhood in Santa Rosa is very, very walkable.

Walking tour map of the West End neighborhood. (Image via srwestend.com)

Currently, there are around 53 restaurants, bars and coffee shops in West End, so finding a turnkey – or even a fixer-upper, in this neighborhood may mean that homebuyers here will be able to meet up with friends at a coffee shop near their home by foot.

This home had been available for $325,000 in the West End area, but’s currently off the market. (Image via NorCal MLS)

Besides cute homes and great walkability, a resident who was interviewed about the neighborhood in 2013 had this to say about it, “People who live in the West End love it here…It’s just got a completely different feeling. You have a place where you belong when you live here.”

Julliard Park

Billed as the second most walkable neighborhood in Santa Rosa, Julliard Park is located in the creative area known as the Arts District.

(Image via zillow.com)

This single-family house was built in 1937 and is a good representation of many of the homes in the neighborhood. But alas, as with the other two walkable neighborhoods, was quickly off the market.

The owner of this home can easily walk to the actual Juilliard Park…

…or amble down to the Atlas Coffee Company on A street for a morning cup of coffee.

There are five historic residential neighborhoods, so no matter where you find your new home, there’s a lot to walk to when it comes to historical architecture, local coffee shops, farmers markets, and street fairs. Walkability is a great thing to add to your home buying checklist, but the homes go quickly in all three.  The best bet if walkability is at the top of your list is to keep an eagle eye on the real estate listings, because you never know what you’ll find out there, in the middle of everything.