Sebastopol

Sebastopol

The town of Sebastopol sits smack dap in the middle of Sonoma County’s popular Wine Country. Fortunately, it has retained much of its small town charm.

Importantly, its only about a 45-minute drive to the Golden Gate Bridge. And with a climate that most places would die for, Sebastopol is truly a wonderful place to buy a home in the Wine Country or anywhere else for that matter.

What also makes the town unique is the origins of Sebastopol name. You can’t make this stuff up.

Bar Fight Sparks Name of this Wine Country City

Most towns and cities in America are named after their founders or presidents, the physical attributes of the place or perhaps, a Christian saint or the Native-American tribe that once occupied the area.

However, there was a town named Pine Grove in Sonoma County whose current name is a result of an 1850’s knocked-down brawl in a saloon among  drunken settlers. The fighters tumbled out into the street and one combatant, after getting his clock cleaned, barricaded himself behind the door of a general store. His opponent waited outside for him to emerge so he could give him another shellacking .

 The siege lasted quite a while prompting one observer to say that”… it looks like the siege of Sebastopol…” which, at the time was a drawn out, high profile battle taking place in the Crimean War between Britain and Russia.

Thus, Pine Grove became  “Sebastopol”  which is its name today.

It’s name is probably the only thing that Sebastopol California has in common with that large city on the Black Sea, which is currently being fought over between Ukraine and Russia (the Russians annexed it in 2014 and Ukraine is fighting to get it back).

Apples to Grapes

Historically a farming community known for its Gravenstein apple orchards and more recently the grapevines of highly sought Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards, Sebastopol is a small, family-oriented city of older homes. Horses graze just a few blocks from Main Street, and cars brake for chickens brazenly crossing the road.

The city’s natural beauty and its proximity to the rugged Sonoma coastline and Russian River corridor are just some of the reasons Sebastopol is popular with people who want to buy a home in the Sonoma Wine Country.

​​​​​​​ To promote the sustainable farming and locavore movement, Sonoma County Farm Trails - an agritourism and farm marketing group - offers tours of farms, ranches, and vineyards around Sebastopol.

With about 9,000 residents, the city has remained much more rural than many of the surrounding communities. Many of the properties for sale in Sebastopol come with large lots. Some residents will refer to the West Country when thinking of this city. The West Country includes the Russian River, Forestville, Graton and Occidental communities and buying a home in the Russian River region takes patience because there are usually so few on the market.

Buying a Home in Sebastopol

Close to the Sebastopol business district, 100-year-old Craftsman bungalows predominate. In the countryside, buyers can find simple ranch style houses as well as architecturally significant properties with vineyards, apple orchards, redwoods, and streams. There is also a sprinkling of grand Victorian homes for sale in Sebastopol.

Because of its diversity of architecture, buying a home in this Wine Country town is an adventure, although not for those with few funds because homes are expensive here.

In fact, the most expensive property for sale in Sebastopol right now (3/23*) is a 72-acre property with a 5,300 sq ft home featuring four bedrooms and three bathrooms. 32-acres of this magnificent estate boasts mature Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards. Also appealing to many, it’s just eight short miles to the scenic California coast.

The least expensive home for sale in Sebastopol is a nice 1,300 sq ft home with four bedrooms and two bathrooms for just $525,000. While this price might sound high for those who come from the South or Mid-West – the median price of a home in the U.S. is $387,000 – in California, this is a bargain – the median price in California in 2022 was $832,000.

The median price of a home in Sebastopol is $1.2 million, down 2.1% from the year before. It takes an average of 82 days to sell a home in Sebastopol.

One unique advantage to living in Sebastopol is that you can tell your friends that the city’s name came about because of a drunken bar fight. Not many folks can make a claim like that.