Reviews & Comments
Sonora, CA
Friendly and Laid Back Small Town -
5/30/2009I moved back to Sonora 3 years ago after living in the Bay Area for over 20 years and I am very happy with the friendliness and small town feel that makes me feel welcome. I recently read other comments that were very critical of Sonora. Sonora does have some issues, as does any other area. The meth users are depressing to see and there is a lot of low income and poor looking housing. However, I saw this to a much higher extent in the Bay Area. What I love about the Sonora area is that everyone cares about their fellow man. When I drive down a street, strangers will wave and smile at me. When I go to the bank, I hear friendly chatting, laughter and see people greeting each other with hugs and welcoming handshakes. In the Bay Area when I go to a bank, it is silent and serious. There is a very diverse type of people here, and many are of the "good ole boy" attitude. But I also see that almost all people are very open minded here and very easy to talk to. The old timers are charming and have wonderful tales to tell. The downtown history museum offers booklets and displays with many of these stories. Sonora has a very interesting history. Besides that, the surrounding mountains and valleys, rivers and lakes are lovely. As for the shopping - well that is a problem. However, driving to Modesto now and then is not such a bad deal. When you move to the mountains to get away from it all, you have to suffer a little. The job situation is bad and I hope that it will get better, so don't move to Sonora unless you have something good lined up. The casino's, funky bars and bikers all add a certain character to this town, I wouldn't criticize any of it.