Unlike Sacramento’s Old Town, Monterey’s Cannery Row or Disneyland’s Main Street, the charm and energy of Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square hinges on the fact that it’s real. It’s not a tourist center filled with cute little shops sporting fake facades and hawking overpriced wares. Instead, Railroad Square is where the locals—-as well as the tourists—-come to eat, shop, hang out and play. You can dine at one of the famous gourmet restaurants, find a refrigerator for your home, browse one of the trendy boutiques, people-watch while drinking a latte, and buy another chicken for your coop, all within the same few blocks. Could you find an appliance shop or animal feed store at Pier 39? I think not.

Each different section of the square has its own character. Each individual shop exudes the personality of its owners. This area isn’t completely pristine and color-coordinated. Yet, everything comes together beautifully, anchored by the commanding presence of the turn-of-the-century stone buildings. And the entire Railroad Square District is listed with the National Register of Historic Places.

The Old Depot building was built in 1904, on the Northwestern Pacific Railroad line, to replace another depot which had burnt down. As well as being steeped in history, this particular building also enjoys an aura of glamour. It appeared in one of the classics of American cinema: Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt , which was shot on location in Santa Rosa. The legendary director called this his favorite film of all the ones he ever made. In it, Santa Rosa serves as the archetype of the idyllic, peaceful, all-American small town.

As the rising popularity of automobiles ended society’s reliance on the “iron horse,” the depot shut down and remained abandoned for many years. But, recently, it was renovated and is welcoming travelers once again as the site for the Santa Rosa Convention and Visitors Bureau and the California Visitors Center. Even if you don’t need any of the maps, brochures, or Santa Rosa souvenirs, stop in anyway just to see the new promotional poster up on the wall. It’s a picture of our governor sporting sunglasses reminiscent of his Terminator days. Written underneath are the words: “See California. You’ll Be Back!” …only in California.

The bronze sculpture of a smiling Charlie Brown with an arm around his pal Snoopy was commissioned by city and county agencies to honor Peanuts creator and Santa Rosa luminary Charles M. “Sparky” Schulz. Although Schulz had declined to have a public statue made of him, he did approve of one for the Peanuts.

Schulz moved to Santa Rosa in 1958 and spent over 40 years writing his Peanuts comic strips here. In the meantime, he became a beloved and respected member of the community. Soon after his death in 2000, the county renamed the regional airport to the Charles M. Schulz Airport in his honor. (The logo shows Snoopy atop his red doghouse, clad in goggles and a scarf, taking to the skies.) In 2001, this Peanuts sculpture was unveiled. In 2002, the Charles M. Schulz Museum opened two blocks away from his former studio.

Then, in 2005, the city organized the “It’s Your Town, Charlie Brown” tribute, which featured 55 statues of Charlie Brown placed throughout Santa Rosa, each uniquely painted by a different Sonoma County artist. The homage attracted a record number of tourists from around the globe who combed the city searching for each statue. The following year the city sponsored the “Summer of Woodstock” tribute. You’ll see the Charlie Brown and Woodstock figures sprinkled throughout town. We’ll see a few of them as we continue our walking tour.

The Flying Goat, in the old Western Hotel building, is a popular coffee shop featuring fresh-roasted specialty brews. This structure was built at the turn of the century by the same group of Italian stonemasons who built the depot, plus two other buildings still on the square. Look straight across Depot Park to A’Roma Roasters, which is housed in one of these buildings. The second is kitty-corner from that and is the Hotel La Rosa. Other examples of the stonemasons’ work can be found at the Kenwood Depot, the ruins of Jack London’s Wolf House, and the Stonehouse Inn on Highway 12, just east of downtown.

The big, gray basalt blocks used to make these buildings came from a former quarry at Annadel Park, on the eastern side of town. In fact, the Annadel quarry was one of the prime sources for paving many of the streets of San Francisco.

Unfortunately, not many more original buildings remain on Railroad Square. Some were destroyed during the great 1906 Earthquake. Although it’s usually referred to as the “San Francisco Earthquake,” the United States Geological Survey reported in 2005 that, according to new data, the quake was most powerful in an area between Santa Rosa and what is now Sebastopol. It caused more deaths and destruction in Santa Rosa, per capita, than in any other place. In effect, no other city in the United States, throughout history, has ever suffered as much devastation from an earthquake as has Santa Rosa.

The beautiful Hotel La Rosa is now one of Santa Rosa’s more famous establishments. Way back when, it was a bit more…infamous. For example, the hotel’s bar supposedly served alcohol all through Prohibition. The story goes that a Santa Rosa policeman tried to close the bar down once. But, he came so close to being tarred and feathered, that neither he, nor anyone else, attempted that feat again.

Via: About.com