San Francisco, CA
Two San Francisco Renters Fled the City for a Quieter Life. Would They Find It in Sonoma or Marin?
Nearly a decade as renters didn’t dampen Alexandra Andorfer and George Croton’s love of San Francisco. They made the most of their 950 square feet, even finding ways to grow their family — now with two dogs and two cats — in their two-bedroom just off Buena Vista Park, near the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.
But several years spent enjoying food-and-wine weekends with friends in the bucolic Sonoma Valley, about 50 miles north, inspired another possibility: Could the couple leave the city and find enough of what they loved about it in a small-town setting?
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It was, in part, a question of background. While Ms. Andorfer, 33, had mostly grown up in big cities (Pittsburgh and Baltimore) and attended college in Chicago, Mr. Croton, 32, was a product of Santa Barbara, Calif., and its rambling ambience. “Santa Barbara has that kind of ‘small city, large town’ thing going on,” he said. “It’s very beautiful, lots of outdoor stuff, but also lots of amenities and restaurants and fun things to do.”
Mr. Croton was warmer to the idea of leaving San Francisco, where the couple met in law school. Both of their jobs as attorneys were in the Bay Area, though each could telecommute several days a week, leaving room to imagine a different way of living. And Ms. Andorfer was somewhat surprised to find how much she looked forward to their getaways, especially to the town of Sonoma, a foodie haven with 11,000 residents set in the vibrant heart of Sonoma Valley wine country.
“I very quickly could see myself living there,” she said. “It doesn’t have city vibes, but it has restaurants and culture — a lot of things going on. I love to cook and I’m in a bunch of wine clubs, including several right in that area.”
It was Ms. Andorfer who suggested visiting some open houses in Sonoma — “just for fun,” she said. Mr. Croton added a wrinkle when he proposed including Marin County, about 30 miles south of Sonoma, with its coveted combination of rural feel and higher-end amenities.
At an open house in Marin County, the couple met Kristen Perry, an agent with the Kristie Martinelli Team at Coldwell Banker who previously was an executive at several tech startups.
“It’s always interesting when people leave the city,” Ms. Perry said. “Some take a very long time to get to the point of actually being ready to move. But Alex and George moved very quickly once they realized that they felt pretty sure about it.”
The couple scouted open houses for weeks, looking for a place with an airy feel and distinctive architecture. They hoped to remain within walking distance of shops and services, as they were in San Francisco, and wanted either a big yard or park access for their pets.
With some help from Mr. Croton’s mother for a down payment, they capped their budget at $1.35 million.
Among their options:
Find out what happened next by answering these two questions:
A man is in critical condition after being shot by police responding to a disturbance in South San Francisco early Monday morning.
Around 5:10 a.m., officers received a 911 call about a disturbance involving a person who was reportedly under the influence of drugs. Police said the person had armed himself with a knife and was making suicidal statements.
Officers then responded to a home on the 900 block of Sandra Court, near Susie Way. When police arrived, they spoke with the reporting party outside the home when a man in his 20s exited the residence.
The officers attempted to speak with the man to de-escalate the situation. Police said the man initially complied and approached the officers but suddenly removed a knife that was concealed on his person and brandished it.
Officers used less lethal force in the form of a stun gun and ordered the man to drop the knife.
“The taser was ineffective, and the subject ignored further commands before advancing at officers,” police said in a statement.
The officers said they gave additional commands for the man to drop the knife, but the man charged towards officers with the knife raised. Police said two officers then discharged their weapons and struck the man.
After the shooting, life-saving measures were performed on the man. Firefighters transported the man to a local trauma center.
In a statement Monday morning, police said the man is in critical condition. No injuries to officers or members of the community were reported.
Additional details about the incident were not immediately available.
Police said the department’s Detective Bureau is investigating the man’s actions, while the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the police shooting.
The San Francisco General Hospital community came together Sunday night to hold a vigil for a coworker killed on the job.
Alberto Rangel, 51, died Saturday after he was allegedly stabbed by a patient on Thursday afternoon.
“Alberto was there to help and he was failed,” said his coworker Maddy Abule.
Abule worked with Rangel for over two years. He was a social worker and she helped patients with insurance eligibility, but outside of the long-term HIV clinic, they were also friends.
“He was just such a passionate, wonderful person and had so much life to live,” Abule stated.
She went on to explain that he loved fashion, art, and had a great sense of humor. He also loved his job. She says he went above and beyond, even running a support group for those living with HIV and AIDS.
“There are people who are alive today because of him,” Abule said. “For him to lose his life at work when he was there to provide services to patients, it’s not right. It’s not right. It’s a disservice and betrayal.”
Auble was just feet away when Rangel was allegedly stabbed Thursday afternoon. She heard screaming from outside her office.
“I opened my door and Alberto was on the floor,” Abule recalled.
The San Francisco Sheriff’s Office arrested 34-year-old Wilfredo Tortolero-Arriechi for the stabbing. The San Francisco Police Department’s homicide detail will now investigate Rangel’s death
Tortolero-Arriechi was still there when Auble walked out. She recognized him as a patient they had seen many times.
“I saw Wilfredo,” Abule said. “I looked him in the eye. He saw me, too. He probably recognized me. I recognized him. And he just stood there and looked at everything and looked at what he had on and then put his shirt over his head. Perhaps to hide his identity, and then voluntarily put his hands behind his back.”
She says during this time, her coworkers were trying to help keep Rangel alive, telling him they loved him and to stay with them. Despite their efforts, on Saturday, he passed away from his injuries.
UPTE union representative Chey Dean stated they are going to make sure the hospital re-evaluates their safety measures.
“What I know is social workers have been raising the alarm about safety issues for years, to have been met with pretty much radio silence,” said Dean. “What I know is our colleague, and our friend, and our loved one deserves more than our grief, they deserve change and I know that we will not stop until we get that.”
The Department of Public Health said in a statement that they will be making improvements.
“Keeping our staff, patients, and community safe is our highest priority,” said the San Francisco Department of Public Health. “DPH and the hospital have already taken steps like adding more security, limiting access points, and speeding up the installation of weapons detection systems. We are also conducting a full investigation and are committed to making both immediate and long-term safety improvements at all our facilities.”
Auble still worries it won’t be enough, saying they raised concerns about the suspect beforehand, including filing reports, and nothing happened.
“We are furious as a community,” Auble explained. “This is unforgivable. And a lot of us don’t want to come back. A lot of us can’t come back.”
San Francisco, CA
Are the San Francisco 49ers playing today? NFL Week 14 schedule, matchups, teams on a bye
NFL Week 14 picks: Why we like Browns, Bengals and Eagles
Lorenzo Reyes is back with his best bets for Week 14 games. He explains why he likes Browns, Bengals and Eagles.
The San Francisco 49ers do not play on Sunday in Week 14 of the 2025 NFL season.
Norman High alum George Kittle and San Francisco are on a three-game winning streak.
Up next for the 9-4 49ers is a road game against the Tennessee Titans at 3:25 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14.
Here’s everything to know about the 49ers’ schedule:
No. The 49ers are off on Sunday.
There are four teams on a bye in Week 14, the final bye week of the season. The 49ers, Giants, Panthers and Patriots are on a bye this week.
All times are Central Standard Time
Record: 9-4
- AFC EAST: Buffalo Bills schedule, Miami Dolphins schedule, New England Patriots schedule, New York Jets schedule
- AFC NORTH: Baltimore Ravens schedule, Cincinnati Bengals schedule, Cleveland Browns schedule, Pittsburgh Steelers schedule
- AFC SOUTH: Houston Texans schedule, Indianapolis Colts schedule, Jacksonville Jaguars schedule, Tennessee Titans schedule
- AFC WEST: Denver Broncos schedule, Kansas City Chiefs schedule, Los Angeles Chargers schedule, Las Vegas Raiders schedule
- NFC EAST: Dallas Cowboys schedule, New York Giants schedule, Philadelphia Eagles schedule, Washington Commanders schedule
- NFC NORTH: Chicago Bears schedule, Detroit Lions schedule, Green Bay Packers schedule, Minnesota Vikings schedule
- NFC SOUTH: Atlanta Falcons schedule, Carolina Panthers schedule, New Orleans Saints schedule, Tampa Bay Buccaneers schedule
- NFC WEST: Arizona Cardinals schedule, Los Angeles Rams schedule, San Francisco 49ers schedule, Seattle Seahawks schedule
Complete NFL regular-season schedule 2025
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