![4/27/2014: B1: AND THE WINNER IS: Farrah Caldwell, right, took the top prize Saturday in the Cutest Little Chick Contest, while Johnny Anzelc, center, was second and Bane Zuniga third out of more than 50 adorable entries at the Butter & Egg Days festival in Petaluma. PC: Farrah Caldwell, right, took the top prize in The Cutest Chick contest, while Johnny Anzelc second, and Bane Zuniga third out of over 50 adorable entries at the Butter & Eggs Festival in Petaluma on April 26, 2014. [BUTTER & EGG DAYS]](https://d1sve9khgp0cw0.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/jb0426_chick_023-1024x702.jpg)
Webby Award-winning home and lifestyle blog Apartment Therapy recently released its list of the “15 Vibiest Towns in America.” Petaluma made it on the list as its only featured town in Northern California.
“Petaluma is peak California,” the Apartment Therapy list stated, “with stunning coastal vistas, Redwood forests, a booming antiques district, and top-tier restaurants and wineries — it’s the gateway to Wine Country.”
While Petaluma has a scenic river, great for kayaking and bird-watching, it doesn’t actually provide views of the Sonoma Coast, which is at least a half-hour drive away. And the closest redwoods are in Sugarloaf Ridge or Spring Lake parks (about a 30 to 45-minute drive) — but locals know the best place for redwoods is at Guerneville’s Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve.
A press release announcing the blog site’s “vibiest towns” winners stated that Apartment Therapy’s editors chose towns based on their distinct personality, the quality of things to see and do, and the residents who love where they live. Other factors in the consideration process included median rent, median sale price, geographical diversity and demographic diversity.
Apartment Therapy indicated that Petaluma’s vistas are its primary draw for being a vibe of a town. From the peaks of Helen Putnam Regional Park, visitors can take in sweeping panoramic views of the city and the vast rolling hills of Petaluma’s countryside, dotted with grazing cows and clusters of oak woodlands.
The Petaluma downtown area is iconic for its historic buildings — charmingly cool enough to be featured in such films as George Lucas’s 1973 “American Graffiti” and Francis Ford Coppola’s 1986 “Peggy Sue Got Married,” among other locally filmed movies.
An accompanying article to the Apartment Therapy list, by a Petaluma resident, points to some local favorite places in town, such as The Shuckery and Barber Cellars inside the century-old Hotel Petaluma. The writer also notes Kentucky Street’s antique and vintage clothing shops, like Summer Cottage Antiques and Opera House Collective.
The artsy side of Petaluma certainly lends to its appeal. The town is painted all over with vibrant murals from local artists, seen in places like American Alley and on the side of the town’s iconic Phoenix Theater. Quirky annual events abound here, too, such as the historic Butter & Egg Days Parade, the steampunk-themed Rivertown Revival and the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest.
Want to explore more of what this vibey town has to offer? Check out our favorite things to do in Petaluma.