It’s important to know the different housing sections of Rohnert Park, especially when you’re an SSU student considering moving off campus. There are a few things to keep in mind, such as the friendliest neighborhoods, the nicest houses, and the quickest commute to campus. Students give reviews about living in each neighborhood and my overall ranking as a resident; this will be the ultimate guide to our college town and the places you should be flagging for your next Zillow stalk.
When looking at the list of Sections, the one that ended up on the bottom simply due to the pricing and lackluster feeling of its location and community, was none other than D Section. While it’s overall a beautiful neighborhood with some houses having a view of the golf course, it just doesn’t compare to the other Sections.
Alyson Holter, a third-year year business major, confirmed my own thoughts on the neighborhood, “The neighborhood and the view is lovely, but our rent is higher than others I know and our neighbors aren’t the biggest fans of us because we listen to music in our backyard” which is a common theme of Rohnert Park citizens having a general disdain around what it means to live next to college students.
D Section is a community filled with families, making it a not-so-ideal neighborhood for a college house to be in. Unless your house is outgoing and makes connections with the neighbors around you, it might be something to consider. Alongside the pricing and landlord upkeep, I put D at the bottom of my list.
I personally live in G Section and love the neighborhood. With that being said, living in G Section makes you pretty far away from campus and some amenities. “I really enjoy living in G Section, especially where my house is located. Our backyard has a beautiful view of the rolling hills. It’s also a very safe neighborhood that welcomes people from all backgrounds and all ages. The only thing is it’s a little far from campus” said Noah Portillo, a fourth-year business major.
H Section is directly next to G so you’re still about a 10-minute drive to campus, but with H Section you get more views of the golf course, with even some located on the actual course itself. Gage O’Conner, a second-year communications major said, “H Section is great, you’re right on the golf course and it’s a welcoming environment.” This section is extremely similar to the other Sections reviewed, however, while it is still far from campus, it has some of the nicest views in Rohnert Park.
Up next is S Section, which is a five-minute drive to campus. A resident of S Section, Nevin Bell, a third-year business major, said “The neighborhood is more on the quiet end but it’s peaceful. It does have a park which is nice and a quick drive to campus. The house itself has a seventies style but is all in all a nice house.”
The housing that is closest to the high school as well as the SSU campus, is R Section. This neighborhood is just a short walk to campus and there are even some pathways you can take throughout the creek that runs along the backside of campus. Joey Botta, a fourth-year business major said, “My house is extremely big and spacious and it’s super close to campus. The only thing is the high school backs up to the neighborhood so you’re able to hear the school bells go off throughout the day, which is my biggest complaint.”
J Section is also directly next to campus, facing the back-most side. There is also a path that leads you to campus from this neighborhood, which is beneficial to student residents. Armando Santos, a fourth-year business major said, “I enjoy living in J Section. I feel like the neighborhood is pretty safe because the neighbors have a sense of community, they are always checking on each other and if they notice anything out of the ordinary they will reach out to you”
Now K Section, while the houses are the nicest might not feel like a college neighborhood. Skyler Gabriel, fourth-year Hutchins major and resident of K Section said “The houses are very nice but they’re all the same and your neighbors are directly next to you.” That being said, the proximity of the section and the newness of the homes, combined with the protective fencing aligning the neighborhood might make it a worthy living situation.
M Section is the best of both worlds for a college student. The neighborhood is across from the front of campus and is directly next to the Wolf Den Plaza. Faith Rea, a fourth-year accounting major, reflected on her time living in the community. “M Section is more of a family-based neighborhood and a quiet area to live in. Due to the majority of the neighborhood being families or elderly couples, it’s harder to build relationships with surrounding neighbors.”
Each section of Rohnert Park is unique in its own way and has overall the same sense of community throughout it, however, it is important to know what to look for when renting your first house as a student.
