August 3rd, 2010 By George Crowe

Peace, sustainability, reggae, and fire dancing will all be in the mix at the Good Festival, happening this Saturday in downtown Fairfax. Sounds like a great opportunity to channel your inner hippie and see a side of Marin that sometimes gets lost amid the Range Rovers these days. It’s on from 11-6 on Saturday, August 7th at Bolinas Park.

May 25th, 2010 By George Crowe

An increase in the number of five and six-year-olds entering Marin public schools is forcing some Marin districts to get creative. According to the San Rafael City Schools enrollment office, some 390 fifth graders will be graduating this Spring but there will be 560 kindergartners entering district schools this Fall.  For the 2010-2011 school year Sun Valley, Coleman, and Bahia Vista elementary schools would have more kids than class space.

To meet the increased demand the district is in the process of adding three kindergarten classes for the coming school year at Short Elementary, the formerly decommissioned school at Marin and Bayview in Gerstle Park. People in the enrollment office said they’ll also have a preschool for special needs kids at the site. They said to keep an eye on the district website for updates.

The Ross Valley School District is also working on options to handle increased enrollment in Fairfax and San Anselmo.  There’s been a lot of talk about reopening the Deer Park School as a K-5, but according to the website they’ll be deciding on a course of action by June.

April 5th, 2010 By Ginger Wilcox

I got a notice from Marin Sanitary Service today that made me smile.  Yes, I know that sounds strange.   Apparently, Marin Sanitary Service is finally bringing the county’s first food composting program to Marin.  I was sad to see it won’t immediately impact where I live, but the program is being rolled out in stages.  The program will start in the San Anselmo & Fairfax communities of Sleepy Hollow, Oak Manor, and Bolinas Ridge in April.

According to wikipedia, composting is the purposeful biodegration of organic matter such as yard and food waste.  The Environmental Protection Agency says that composting can:

• Suppress plant diseases and pests.
• Reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers.
• Promote higher yields of agricultural crops.
• Facilitate reforestation, wetlands restoration, and habitat revitalization efforts by amending contaminated, compacted, and marginal soils.
• Cost-effectively remediate soils contaminated by hazardous waste.
• Remove solids, oil, grease, and heavy metals from stormwater runoff.
• Capture and destroy 99.6 percent of industrial volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in contaminated air.
• Provide cost savings of at least 50 percent over conventional soil, water, and air pollution remediation technologies, where applicable.

Residents in Marin Sanitary Service’s pilot program will be able to put food scraps into their yard waste cans.  For more information, call (415) 456-2601.

I am looking forward to seeing this program expand throughout Marin and beyond!

~Ginger

April 3rd, 2010 By George Crowe

All aboard!  A chance to own your own railroad in Fairfax.

A slice of Marin history is coming on the market this week and as the saying goes, they really don’t make them like this anymore.  If you were a kid living in Fairfax back in the 60s or 70s you may have ridden the Raccoon Gulch railway, a 7.5 gauge line that wound for about a fifth of a mile through train aficionado Gordon Adams’ property in Cascade Canyon.  The home and grounds are soon to be up for sale, complete with tracks, tunnels and a mini locomotive.  The property is listed by Fred Kusin with Frank Howard Allen Realtors.

I had an opportunity to preview this place last week.  The two story, 4 bedroom house is relatively modest, but the the lot is pretty amazing–a beautiful, sunny, flat, tree-studded 1.8 acres or so bordered by a babbling creek.  The property exemplifies the combination of quirky charm and natural beauty that makes Fairfax such a special place.  If you happen to be a train fan you shouldn’t miss the chance to check it out.  And if you rode the Raccoon Gulch line as a child, we’d love to hear your stories or see your pictures.

-George

April 1st, 2010 By Ginger Wilcox

Exploring by the Bay

Next stop:  Fun events with kids!

The Bay is brimming with fun events for kids this weekend.  Here are just a few.  Feel free to add additional events in the comments!

San Francisco

The 19th Annual Union Street Spring Celebration & Easter Parade takes place on Sunday April 4, 2010 from 10:00am – 5:00pm on Union Street between Gough & Steiner.  The event is a fun and eclectic San Francisco tradition.  The promo even mentioned roller blading cows!! The celebration features some of Union Street’s best restaurants serving attendees in an outdoor bistro setting along with a variety of activities including large inflatable bounces, kids’ rides and games, a climbing wall, a hands-on children’s activities area, costumed characters, a petting zoo, a pony ride and musical entertainment.

Spring Eggstravaganza takes place on Sunday, April 4, 2010 from 11 am – 3 pm at Stern Grove.  San Francisco throws a giant Easter celebration that’s kid-friendly but open to all ages. Egg hunts, carnival rides, arts and crafts, entertainment, food and giant inflatables will keep you busy. At Stern Grove, 19th Ave. and Sloat Blvd. $5 admission. For tickets or more information, call (415) 831-2700 during business hours.

Big Bunny’s Spring Fling at the San Francisco Zoo takes place every day from now until April 4th from 11am to 3pm. All activities are free with paid Zoo admission and include live entertainment, bunnies to see and learn about from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (weather permitting), photo opportunities with a costumed bunny, crafts, and games to play. Additionally, the Zoo will offer one FREE child’s admission with one paid adult for kids ages 4 to 14 who bring along their favorite plush bunny.

Marin

Belvedere- Join the Easter bunny at the Belvedere Community Center’s Easter Bunny Brunch on Saturday, April 3, 2010 from 10 am-noon.  The event includes brunch, crafts, face painting, music and of course, an Easter egg hunt!  To purchase tickets, call the recreation office at (415) 435-4355 or visit the Belvedere Community Center website.

Corte Madera- The  Corte Madera Parks & Recreation will be hosting a Children’s Egg Hunt, Saturday, April 3, 2010 at the Corte Madera Town Park.   The hunt starts at 10am. For more info, call (415) 927-5073.

Fairfax- Fairfax hosts it’s annual Easter Egg Hunt at Bolinas Park Saturday, April 3, 2010 from 10:00 am-12:00.  Call 415-456-5652 for more information.

Mill Valley- The Strawberry Recreation District will be holding their Spring Faire on Saturday, April 3, 2010 from 11:30am to 4pm at the Strawberry Recreation Center at 118 E. Strawberry Drive.  The event features activities for children ages 1 to 8 and will include carnival games, prizes and an egg hunt.  $5 admission per child. Call 383-6494 for more information.

Sausalito hosts their 30^th Annual Easter Parade and Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 4, 2010 from 10am -2pm at Dunphy Park located on Caledonia Street and Bridgeway.  The schedule of events includes:

• 10:00am – Parade led by the Easter bunny!
• 10:15am – Egg Hunt
• 10:30am – Live Music
• 11am – Easter Bonnet Contest- bring your craziest, creative and beautiful Easter bonnets.

More information

San Anselmo- The San Anselmo Parks and Recreation holds an egg hunt on Friday, April 2 from 7:50 pm (don’t be late) for kids ages 8 and older at Memorial Park in San Anselmo. For kids under 7, check out the Children’s Egg Hunt at 11am on Saturday, April 3, 2010 at Memorial Park in San Anselmo.  Call (415) 258-4640 for more information.

Santa Cruz Area

Time for a Sunday drive?  Consider heading down to Felton in the Santa Cruz Mountains for the Eggstraordinary Egg Hunt III on Sunday April 4, 2010 at 2:00pm at Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton.  Kids take the steam train to Bear Mountain to hunt for thousands of chocolate candy eggs hidden by the Easter Bunny in a redwood forest and win prizes. Special Easter crafts and games for families and kids.  Sounds like a blast!

March 10th, 2010 By Ginger Wilcox

New Listing:  59 Cypress, Fairfax $799,000

What We Love:

We love this listing for it’s vintage charm and the great location just minutes from downtown Fairfax and a quick bike ride away from miles of hiking and biking trails, waterfalls and endless open space.

Cool Details:

• Front Porch- a throwback to yesteryear (We love front porches!)
• Vintage fireplace with bricks from the San Francisco’s 1906 earthquake
• Bathrooms renovated to capture that perfect period charm
• Two separate parcels create a unique opportunity for a new buyer to get creative
• Great home to entertain family and friends with a spacious deck back opening out to a backyard oasis perfect for entertaining friends and family

All the Specs:

• 3 bedrooms, 2 baths
• Hardwood floors
• Recently remodeled kitchens and bathrooms
• Sunny double lot with enormous level lawn
• Entertaining deck
• 2 car garage
• Off-street parking for 3+cars
• Mature fruits trees
• Tons of storage
• Finished 3 room basement with laundry room

Visit 59 Cypress, Fairfax:

• Call Stephen 415-720-7832

Move to one of our favorite Marin towns!

March 3rd, 2010 By Ginger Wilcox

There are 12 active homes for sale in Fairfax and 10 homes under contact. Six Fairfax homes have sold this year. The average list price for a single family home is $748,120. The average sales price is $747,333. The average days on the market for a Fairfax home sold in 2010 was 157 days. The table below shows the trends for the month of January over December 2010, for 1 year and for 15 months.

Fairfax Home Sales Year to Date

• 35 Azalea Ave $501,000
• 79 Hillside Drive, $595,000
• 28 Oak Tree Lane $626,000
• 4 Spring Lane $656,000

Fairfax Real Estate Market Data effective as of March 2, 2010. Data provided by Bay Area Real Estate Information Services. Are you a Marin real estate junkie? Sign up to receive very detailed real-time market reports in your email. Just register and let me know which neighborhoods you are interested in.

March 2nd, 2010 By Ginger Wilcox

Photo Courtesy of Uzvards on Flickr

Fairfax is one of my favorite Marin communities and today it celebrates it’s 79th Birthday! The Town of Fairfax was incorporated in 1931. Fairfax still retains its eclectic downtown area, features a vibrant local live music scene and is bustling with energy. Simultaneously, Fairfax is one of the prettiest outdoor communities with access to miles upon miles of hiking and biking trails, reservoirs, and more. Just outside the town you will find the Mt. Tamalpais Game Refuge and the Marin Municipal Watershed with thousand of acres of open space land reaching from Mt. Tamalpais to the Bolinas Ridge.

According the 2000 U.S. Census, 7,319 residents live in Fairfax.

Wishing a very happy birthday to the Town of Fairfax, California!

~Ginger

September 2nd, 2009 By Ginger Wilcox

What is happing in Fairfax Real Estate?

The number of Fairfax homes selling has outpaced the number of Fairfax homes being listed in recent weeks.  The is making the market action index stronger.  Home prices are still falling because of all of the excess homes that have been sitting on the market, but if the favorable supply & demand trends continue, we might see some price adjustments as well. Here is what happened in the last seven days:

(more…)

July 13th, 2009 By Ginger Wilcox

Farmer’s Markets are a great way to get fresh produce locally grown. Marin County is fortunate to have a number of great farmer’s markets on all different days. These are often great outings as many of them offer live music, games for kids, and a fun social atmosphere in additional to lots of fabulous locally grown produce! Each farmer’s market has its own special flare, so try out more than one. My personal favorite is the Thursday night event in downtown San Rafael.

Corte Madera Farmer’s Market

• When: Wednesdays, 12 noon-5pm, year-round
• Where: Corte Madera Town Center, Hway 101 & Tamalpais
• More info: shoptowncenter.com

Fairfax Farmer’s Market

• When: Wednesdays, 4pm-8pm, May-September
• Where: Bolinas Avenue Park
• More info: marinfarmersmarket.org

Larkspur Landing Farmer’s Market

• When: Saturdays, 10am-2pm, May-October
• Where: Larkspur Landing, off Sir Francis Drake near the Larkspur Ferry terminal

Novato Farmer’s Market

• When: Tuesdays, 4pm-8pm, May-September
• Where: Historic downtown Novato, Grant & Sherman
• More info: marinfarmersmarket.org

San Rafael Farmer’s Market- Civic Center

• When: Thursdays & Sundays, 8am-1pm, Year-round
• Where: Marin Civic Center, Hway 1010 & San Pedro East
• More info: marinfarmersmarket.org

San Rafael Farmer’s Market- Downtown

• When: Thursdays, 6pm-9pm, April-September
• Where: Downtown San Rafael, 4th Street between Lincoln & B Street
• More info: marinfarmersmarket.org

Sausalito Farmer’s Market

• When: Fridays, 4pm-8pm, May-October
• Where: Sausalito Ferry Landing at Bridgeway
• More info: Sausalito.org