The Little House on Buena Vista Avenue - Lee Anne Birka
Lee Anne's Sonoma Journey - I Found page
This is the second of three stories about Lee Anne's relationship with Sonoma.
🟩 A Village Fair and a Fifth-Wheel Trailer - Chapter 1
🟥 The Little House on Buena Vista Avenue - Chapter 2 (You are reading this story.)
🟦 Twenty-Six Years Behind the Bar - Chapter 3
Click the story title above to continue Lee Anne's journey through twenty-six years at a Glen Ellen gathering place.
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Lee Anne Birka came to Sonoma Valley for what was supposed to be a temporary construction project. After her marriage ended, she bought an affordable cabin near Guerneville. Then the 2008 housing crash gave her an opportunity to return and buy a tiny house on Buena Vista Avenue. A local contractor rebuilt it for her, and the small house became the h
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When I moved to Sonoma Valley in 1998, I thought the move might last only as long as a construction project.
Instead, I found work, built relationships, and began creating a life here.
My first job was in the kitchen at Viansa Winery. I did not really love the work, and after my shifts I sometimes stopped at the Jack London Saloon in Glen Ellen for a cocktail.
I had done some bartending in the past. When I learned that the saloon had just lost a bartender, I said, "I can do that."
At first, I worked three days a week at the saloon and kept two days at Viansa. As soon as I could get a fourth day behind the bar, I left the winery.
That job gave me a lasting connection to the community, but finding my permanent home took more time.
We still owned the house in Soda Springs. After we sold it, my husband and I were also going through a divorce.
I bought a small cabin in the Guerneville area because it was beautiful and affordable. It gave me a place of my own, but my work and much of my life remained connected to Sonoma Valley.
During the 2008 housing crash, an opportunity appeared.
I was able to buy a very small house on Buena Vista Avenue. It looked almost like a mobile home, but it was a real house.
The construction industry had slowed dramatically, and I found a local contractor who was available to rebuild the house for me.
The result was a home that felt truly mine.
I love Sonoma. The weather is some of the best anywhere. The people are good, and there are enjoyable little places to go. I also like living in a smaller community.
I grew up in Sacramento, but I later lived in Tahoe City, Soda Springs, Truckee, and other smaller mountain communities. Those experiences taught me that I prefer a town where life feels more personal and familiar.
Sonoma has changed during the more than twenty-five years I have been here. Traffic has increased, except during the quiet period of COVID. Restaurants and local businesses have come and gone. Some places that people loved have disappeared, while longtime institutions such as the Swiss Hotel continue.
Technology changed daily life too. Cell phones, the internet, and online shopping altered the way people connect with businesses and with one another.
Even with those changes, the things I value most remain: the weather, the people, and the feeling of living in a smaller community.
The fifth-wheel trailer brought me here temporarily. The little house on Buena Vista Avenue gave me a permanent place to call home.
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Lee Anne moved from Viansa Winery to bartending at the Jack London Saloon after recognizing an unexpected job opportunity.
Following her divorce, she bought an affordable cabin near Guerneville while remaining connected to Sonoma Valley.
The 2008 housing crash allowed Lee Anne to purchase a small house on Buena Vista Avenue.
A local contractor rebuilt the house and helped turn it into a home she loves.
Sonoma's weather, people, and small-community character convinced Lee Anne to remain here.
Over more than twenty-five years, she has watched traffic, technology, restaurants, and local businesses change the valley.
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This story was created from a recorded conversation between Lee Anne Birka and Don Lundgren as part of the Sonoma Stories project. The conversation was edited for clarity and length while preserving Lee Anne's experiences, reflections, and voice. Once published, Lee Anne may request changes at any time or ask to have the story removed.
