Marin

MARIN COUNTY SCHOOL INFORMATION

Marin county maintains 20 local school districts; each governed by its own elected board of trustees. Among the two-year colleges in Marin are Indian Valley Colleges in Novato, College of Marin in Kentfield and Santa Rosa Junior College in nearby Santa Rosa (Sonoma County). Graduate and undergraduate programs are offered at several four-year colleges such as Dominican College and Sonoma State University (Sonoma County).

In addition, Marin County has approximately 75 private schools offering excellent educational challenges from elementary (K-8) through secondary ( 9-12) grades. All private schools are required by law to file with the Superintendent of Public Instruction an affidavit or statement containing up-to-date information on the school.

Marin schools typically have done very well on standardized state tests. In comparing Marin school districts to other districts in the state with similar socio-economic conditions, every Marin school district scored above the low score in comparative score bands.

BELVEDERE

With a population of approximately 2,200 the town is located on a tiny island at the end of the Tiburon peninsula. While there are a few shared buildings, this jewel of a neighborhood is known for its stately mansions and beautifully manicured gardens and lawns, reminiscent of the South. Most of these homes were built by San Francisco’s wealthy businesspeople as isolated summer homes on this beautiful island that is at once convenient and removed from the rush of daily life. View a current report from the Marin County Assessor, Marin County Sales.

CORTE MADERA

This peaceful, private community was originally part of the fabulous Corte Madera del Presidio Rancho of Mexico, which included land granted to John Reed (the first known English speaking resident) by Governor Figueroa of Mexico. A lumber mill was built there which provided the lumber to build the Presidio in San Francisco. Today, Corte Madera (population 8,525) is a prestigious bedroom community, reflecting the easy, outdoor lifestyle associated with the open spaces of California. Water sports, hiking, biking and picnicking are available in nearly every direction. View a current report from the Marin County Assessor, Marin County Sales.

FAIRFAX

This midwestern, old-fashioned charming town of 7,125 is the small town people dream of, where everybody knows everybody else. Although Fairfax didn’t install it’s first traffic light until 1992, that doesn’t mean it is out of touch with the times. In fact, the area is extremely environmentally-oriented and is constantly working to preserve its natural treasures. Originally, the town was part of the personal estate of area governor Lord Charles Snowden Fairfax. During the Gold Rush, Italian immigrants settled in Fairfax because it reminded them of home. Lots of open space in the hills just outside the city make Fairfax the perfect location for outdoor activities; anything from picnicking to hiking along the picturesque trails and pathways. View a current report from the Marin County Assessor, Marin County Sales.

LARKSPUR

At present Larkspur is a city of approximately 12,000, although its real growth did not start until after the completion of the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937. Originally the area was inhabited by the Coast Mace Indian tribe, who relocated when Mexican settlement began. The name is actually a mistake; the wife of the founding developer thought that the local blue wildflower found there was Larkspur, when in reality it was lupine. Larkspur is a city of contrasts, modern and open by the ferry terminal; and on the other side of town, the city is graced with well-kept homes amidst redwood forests that grow wild, even through the streets. The downtown district is a gathering place for locals and visitors alike, with bricklined sidewalks gracing the restaurant section. View a current report from the Marin County Assessor, Marin County Sales.

MILL VALLEY

Mill Valley is a commuter haven, only 3 minutes from the freeway, and as few as 15 minutes from downtown San Francisco. It is an ecclectic combination of artists, film-makers and entertainers, a magnet for those with creative spirits. The Annual Film Festival is an international event which attracts and showcases premiere films and visitors from all parts of the globe. Another popular event in Mill Valley is the Dipsea Footrace, a seven and a half mile race established in 1904, which begins in downtwon Mill Valley and ends up on the other side of Mt. Tamalpais at Stinson Beach. But what really sets Mill Valley apart, is not just the spectacular beauty of its setting, but its unique environment – a combination of tranquility and liveliness, privacy and community involvement, urban sophistication and village charm. View a current report from the Marin County Assessor, Marin County Sales.

NOVATO

Where city meets country. Novato the first or second largest city in the county (sharing honor with San Rafael ), is truly a blend of atmosphere – with hiking, horseback riding and jogging as three of the area’s most popular pastime. Novato is home of the largest employer in the county, with all the services of a real city, yet enough space to allow residents to feel like they live in the country. Perhaps no township in Marin County is a better representation of the blending of the natural and the urban than Novato. It’s a tough combination to beat. View a current report from the Marin County Assessor, Marin County Sales.

ROSS

A peaceful, private township, Ross tends to retain things and people over time. In fact many residents are now raising their families in houses where they themselves grew up. The local grocery is owned and operated by the same family since World War II. Residents agreed years ago to forego door-to-door mail delivery. Ross was named after a local developer, as was the railroad station. This affluent community where gated homes with swimming pools and tennis courts are common, is proud of its town especially the local school which has an outstanding record. View a current report from the Marin County Assessor, Marin County Sales.

SAN ANSELMO

Just 20 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge you may visit this charming city, also known as Northern California’s Antique Capital. Tree-lined streets offer award winning cuisine, over 130 antique shops, many California craft and gift shops. On week-ends you may enjoy jazz at the local coffee house, or picnic at Creek Park with the creek running right through the downtown. The most striking attraction however, is the San Francisco Theological seminary with its majestic stone buildings inspired from the Middle Ages. View a current report from the Marin County Assessor, Marin County Sales.

SAN RAFAEL

Also the county seat, San Rafael draws together people of diverse cultures and backgrounds. The largest city in the county, honor shared with Novato, has many unusual characteristics: from quaint, upscale middle class neighborhoods, and Victorians in the downtown district to the county civic center designed by world famous Frank Lloyd Wright and Mission San Rafael Arcangel, the twentieth mission established in California by Father Junipero Serra. Other interesting sites are San Quentin state prison just outside the city limits, Dominican College and its elegant surrounding neighborhood and LucasArts, the entertainment company owned by George Lucas ("Star Wars"), which is rapidly becoming one of the largest employers in the county. San Rafael boasts very good schools, including Gallinas Elementary which in 1995 was placed in the states "distinguished" category. Its busy downtown district has been going through some renovation and modernization recently. The city of San Rafael with its 14 parks, yacht clubs, tennis and swim clubs and bike trails is the kind of town for the family with an active lifestyle. There are several good docking and launching facilities for the boater or fisherman. San Rafael and Novato are practically the only cities in Marin County adding population in significant numbers. If you are buying in either town and the adjoining fields are vacant, we recommend you check with city hall to see if any construction is planned. View a current report from the Marin County Assessor, Marin County Sales.

SAUSALITO

A mere 10 minute ride from Golden Gate Bridge, the first Marin County city North of San Francisco. Visitors from all over the world fall in love with Sausalito and its unique lifestyle and architecture. Quiet, elegant with its Mediterranean-like sophisticated charm, this waterfront community is a haven for artists, writers and craftspeople. Sausalito was originally home of the Miwok Indians and was first discovered in 1775 by Spanish explorer Juan Manual de Ayala. He named the area "Saucelito", which means little willow. During World War II Sausalito’s district now known as Marinship, became a major shipbuilding site for ships, tankers and landing craft. Today ferryboats operating from Fisherman’s wharf in San Francisco, take you past Alcatraz Island and Golden Gate Bridge to the picturesque village on the bay. A quiet stroll along Sausalito’s waterfront takes you to boutiques, shops, galleries, street side cafes, fine restaurants and elegant hotels. All this while you enjoy a magnificent view of sailboats, friendly seals and seagulls, and in the background, the Oakland Bay Bridge and towering buildings of downtown San Francisco. View a current report from the Marin County Assessor, Marin County Sales.

TIBURON

The hilly Tiburon peninsula stretches southward into Richardson Bay, toward Angel Island State Park making the town of Tiburon a haven for surfers, boaters, bikers and hikers. Surrounded on three sides by water, Tiburon boasts plentiful marinas, yacht clubs and swim facilities, as well as tennis courts. Once a railroad working class community, Tiburon is now a wealthy community with a history all its own, and where a home that lines the shore may sell for close to $ 5 million. Tiburon is extremely proud of its heritage and takes special care of its landmark treasures, especially St. Hilary’s Roman Catholic Church, built in 1886. It is one of the few examples of Carpenter Gothic architecture which survives in its original condition and setting. The building stands on beautiful gardens which include extremely rare plants, two of which grow nowhere else in the world. Another cherised treasure is the China Cabin, a 22 k gold Social Saloon from the SS China which landed in San Francisco in 1867. The China Cabin is open to the public as a maritime museum. You may call Parks and Recreation at 415 – 435 – 4355 to inquire about hours open to the public. View a current report from the Marin County Assessor, Marin County Sales.

WEST MARIN

West Marin towns include Bolinas, Dillon Beach, Forest Knolls, Inverness, Lagunitas, Marshall, Muir Beach, Nicasio, Olema, Point Reyes Station, San Geronimo, Stinson Beach, Tomales and Woodacre. Although the coastline of West Marin is rugged and seemingly forbidding, it holds tremendous appeal. The shore is rich with shells and populated with thousands of migrating birds. Some areas, such as Stinson Beach are open to tourists while another like Bolinas, just North of Stinson Beach may be difficult to find, simply because the locals destroy highway signs giving directions to the town. Along the West Marin coastline and towns are wonderful attractions one must see: The Point Reyes Lighthouse and Point reyes National Seashore, Slide Ranch in Muir Beach, Muir Woods National Monument, Agate Beach located in the Duxbury Reef State Marin Preserve in Bolinas, Samuel P. Taylor State Park in Olema, Hog Island Oyster farm in Inverness or the Tomales Bay Oyster Company in Tomales, just to name a few.

We hope you have enjoyed our tour of beautiful Marin County. Give us a call anytime at: 415-331-9000 or e-mail us at fhallen@marinestates.com for additional real estate information. The following are a few telephone numbers to keep handy for useful information about this area.

Maps

Google Map of Marin

Recreation

It’s amazing that Northern Californians ever get any work done, surrounded as they are by recreational temptations. Marin can count at least 17 private tennis clubs, many of them with nearly filled memberships. For tennis players who are not club members, there are numerous public courts on school grounds, and in parks and playgrounds.

Golf too, is a favorite among Marinites and the list of Marin courses include the private Marin Country Club and Meadow Club layouts; the semi-private (memberships, but also open to the public) Peacock Gap and Indian Valley, and the public Mill Valley Municipal Course. Raquetball is played at several facilities, some of which are the Marin Racquetball and Athletic Club in Novato, Mount Tam Racquet Club in Larkspur and Nautilus Fitness Center of Marin in San Rafael. Bowlers can practice their strikes and spares at Country Club Bowl and Nave Lanes and swimming centers include the Tiburon Peninsula Club, the Paul Daly Swim School in Kentfied, the Jewish Community Center of Marin in San Rafael and many other pools at schools, and recreational centers open to the public or operated as clubs. Stables that board and rent horses and academies that offer riding lessons are a big part of Marin’s recreational life. Also, Sonoma, rural Petaluma and Penngrove, just a few miles north, are centers for riding schools and stables. Boating and yacht clubs abound and San Francisco Bay is nearly always punctuated with sail and power craft. Many Marinites use their boats (or charter craft) for salt-water fishing from the Farallon Islands to San Pablo Bay. Marinites are avid freshwater fishermen, too, and are frequently spotted at such lakes as Lagunitas, Nicasio, Stafford, Alpine, Kent, Phoenix and Bon Tempe for fish. But, the most popular and favorite activity in Marin is hiking and biking; after all, the mountain bike was invented in Marin. Hiking trails cross and criss-cross Mount Tamalpais, Golden Gate Recreational areas and Point Reyes National Seashore. Scores of bike paths offer Marinites opportunities to stretch muscles and take in fresh air usually a very short distance from their homes.

On rare, unusually cold winters a short-lived snow may be seen at Mt. Tamalpais. But Marinites are enthusiastic winter sportsmen, joining the northward bound winter weekend traffic into the High Sierra with its superb runs, an approximately 3-hour drive from Marin.

Natural and Historical Attractions

Marin is rich with California History and blessed with numerous national and state historical monuments. Visitors always leave with a list of stops they plan to make on "their next visit." Here are some of the most popular attractions.

Angel Island State Park in Tiburon. This park has been a Civil War fort, an immigration station for Chinese immigrants, a major military embarkation center and a Nike missile base. Excellent hiking and biking trails across the Island offer panoramic views of the Bay area. Part of the enjoyment is the ferry boat ride from the Town of Tiburon to the island.

Golden Gate Bridge. Joining Marin County to San Francisco this landmark is a major attraction for pedestrians, bikers and tourists, both local and foreign. The east walkway is open to pedestrians Monday through Friday and Saturdays from 5 am to 9 pm. The west walkway is open to cyclists Monday through Friday from 3 : 30 pm to 9 pm and Saturday and Sundays from 5 am to 9 pm.

Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Located on the headlands of Marin, the area includes such sites as the Point Bonita Lighthouse, Rodeo Lagoon, California Mammal Center and the coastal artillery battery locations.

Sausalito Bay Model Visitor Center. Operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers, the model is a 1-acre hydraulic scale model of the San Francisco and San Pablo Bays which is used to analyze problems that cannot always be solved mathematically. During Winter, open Tuesday-Saturday 9am to 4pm; in Summer, Tuesday-Friday 9 am to 4pm. Weekends and Holidays 9am to 6 pm.

Bay Area Discovery Museum. Located at Fort Baker in Sausalito, this is a hands-on museum for children with interactive exhibits on Bay Area themes.

Marin County Civic Center. In San Rafael, domed complex built in the 1960’s by world famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Free tours by appointment, Monday-Friday, 9am to 3pm.

Marin Marine Mammal Center in Golden Gate National Recreation area, Sausalito. Rescues and rehabilitates seals, sea lions, whales, dolphins, porpoises and sea otters that stray along the North and Central coastline. The Center’s science programs provide data for scientists around the world. Giftshop. Visiting hours Monday-Sunday 10am to 4 pm.

Lyford House, Tiburon. Built in the late 1800’s, this spectacular Victorian house was originally owned by Dr. Benjamin Lyford, considered to be somewhat eccentric, consumed with cleanliness and health. Open to the public Sundays 1 to 4pm, November through April.

California State Prison at San Quentin. Visitors can enter the prison grounds to view artifacts, photos and memorabilia depicting the 138 year history of the prison. Admission $ 2.50; hours vary, call for information. (Long-term free stays are also available! )

China Camp. An authentic look at the lifestyle of the early Chinese fishing community in the Bay area, with tours led by Rangers Saturday and Sunday at 1pm, April through October.

Services

Whatever your plans are, staying close to town or nestled away in the redwoods accommodations in Marin County will satisfy your lifestyle. Here you will find charming, authentic bed and breakfast inns as well as the sleek, elegant business hotel. From cottages to honeymoon suites, from executive suites to travel lodges, Marin county has it all.

Just in case, Marin’s medical services include three modern hospitals: Marin General in San Rafael, Novato General in Novato and, Kaiser Permanente in San Rafael and Novato. In addition, there are a number of private clinics and convalescent hospitals.

Shopping

Shopping is easy, with lots of free parking. All the good stores are within close distance…Macy’s, Nordstroms, Gap, The Limited (to name a few) and many exclusive boutiques. Some of Marin’s shopping areas are:

• Strawberry Village in Mill Valley

• Boardwalk in Tiburon

• The Towne Center and • The Village in Corte Madera

• Bon Air Shopping Center in Greenbrae

• Woodlands Shopping Center in Kentfield

• Larkspur Landing Shopping Center across from the Ferry Terminal

• Ignacio Center and Vintage Oaks Shopping Center in Novato