Blog by the Bay » Marin Neighborhoods

Our favorite spot in Marin for a kid’s birthday party

Stephen Pringle — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:28:08 +0000

Trying to find the perfect place for a kid’s birthday party can be a challenge if you want to avoid the crowds or the cost of an indoor space. Our favorite outdoor spot is at Marinwood Park in San Rafael. It has a large open lawn area to throw a football or frisbee around and there’s a small grassy hill that the kids love to roll down. Talk about instant entertainment! The play structure area is nice and has a separate section for smaller kids, and there’s a concrete path that surrounds the park which makes a perfect loop for little ones to ride their bikes around.

You can reserve a spot near the play structure area for a private party, but we like to be out in the grassy area, which has picnic tables and BBQs. Bring your hot dogs and burgers (or tofu dogs), start up the grill and make it an adult party too. In the summer they have a great community pool which you can also make part of the party for a fee. The best part is the secret path along the side of the play structure area that leads to a year round creek. Kids love playing in it, especially when the weather’s hot. One important tip: get there around 9:00 am to claim your table with a cooler and table cloth so when the party starts later in the day you will have a primo spot.

Sun Valley Market Now Open!

George Crowe — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 18:15:19 +0000

It took a while but it was worth the wait. We stopped by the new Andy’s Sun Valley Market the other day to check it out and it’s a really nice addition to the neighborhood. It’s been given a complete makeover, with a great looking deli and a nice wine selection, and tables outside. They’re having a grand opening block party BBQ on Labor Day. It’s at 2202 5th Ave at California in San Rafael.

Big Changes in the Works for the Ross Valley School District

George Crowe — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:56:05 +0000

In order to accommodate rising elementary school enrollment in Fairfax and San Anselmo the Ross Vally School District Board is in the process of redrawing the boundaries that determine which school goes with which neighborhood. It’s part of a process that will also split the two Brookside Elementary campuses into separate K-5 schools.

According to the RSVD website the aim of the changes will be to:

Create and maintain four, independent “k-5” schools of similar size
Prioritize enrollment for residents who live closest to a school site and within its boundary – taking into consideration natural geographic boundaries – to:
- enable and encourage walking and biking to school, and
- minimize the number of people traveling by car.
Align with Safe Routes to School for students who walk or bike to school.
Maintain accessibility to District-wide programs (e.g., MAP and the Learning Center).
Minimize the number of current students who must change schools during the transition phase as a result of these boundary adjustments.

Jack Schreder & Associates, the consulting firm the board hired, has come up with four scenarios for redrawing the boundaries. They say that they’re now going to look at more tax assessor and census data, get input from the Board of Trustees, district staff, and the community, and then do some recalculating before presenting a final scenario.

There’s a special board meeting tomorrow night at White Hill Middle School to discuss the process. The Powerpoint presentation outlining the four enrollment boundary options is available here. For more info visit the RVSD website or contact the district office at 415.454.2162.

Greenbrae’s Value & My Interview on Forbes

Ginger Wilcox — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:12:05 +0000

Forbes recently published their list of America’s most expensive zip codes, most of which have seen very sluggish home sales. As part of the story, they focused on real estate markets that have tremendous value for being the luxury home market “next door” to the toniest of neighborhoods. The Marin County neighborhoods of Kentfield and Greenbrae received the majority of the focus in the story which I was interviewed for.

Kentfield has seen prices decline 20% this year while Greenbrae is only down 9% according to stats by Altos Research.

Check out the video here:

View Greenbrae Homes for Sale
View Kentfield Homes for Sale

Greenbrae, Kentfield, Larkspur- oh my!

Ginger Wilcox — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 07:07:58 +0000

Many people are surprised to find out I live in Larkspur when they thought I lived in Greenbrae but I have a Kentfield zip code. Did I confuse you?

Our little cities in Marin County are so close together, I think it is confusing to everyone. So how does this whole city/town/county thing work in Marin?

Part of Greenbrae is unincorporated, meaning it is not part of a city or town with its own government. Another part of Greenbrae is incorporated into Larkspur. Need a building permit and you live in that half of Greenbrae? You go to the City of Larkspur. Live in the unincorporated are of Greenbrae? Permits and other services fall under the domain of Marin County.

The zip code for Greenbrae is 94904. 94904 is also the Kentfield zip code. Like Greenbrae, Kentfield is also unincorporated.

The school district for Greenbrae is not the Corte Madera -Larkspur School District, it is in the Kentfield School District. Go figure.

Got it?

A bird’s eye view of Marin neighborhoods

Ginger Wilcox — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 23:54:34 +0000

Want to explore a new neighborhood? Get a street level view with Google Maps. If you haven’t checked it out, you should. Google has literally hired photographers to take pictures of every street and neighborhood across the country. San Francisco is basically done. Marin County is underway. In the snapshot below, you can see one of my favorite parks in a street view from San Rafael Blvd in Belvedere.

It is a pretty cool tool right now- and will get even better as more photography is completed. I wish they had this when I moved to Marin!

Want to learn how to use it? Watch this goofy but helpful video from Google.

Greenbrae Community Picnic- September 9th

Ginger Wilcox — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 13:36:11 +0000

The Greenbrae Community Picnic will take place on Sunday, September 9 from 3-7 pm at the Greenbrae School Park (off Parkside Way). Children’s activities include a climbing wall, jumppee, jula hoop demonstrations & more! The picnic will be catered by Swami Tommy’s BBQ Experience and will feature sliced tri-tip, chicken, side dishes & salad. Live bluegrass music will be performed by the David Thom Band.

Tickets: $8 children/ $12 adults in advance, $10 children/$15 adults the day of the event. Admission fee includes meal, beverage, and dessert + entertainment.
Need More Info? Contact me!

Marin Neighborhoods- Corte Madera Part 1

Ginger Wilcox — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 04:35:55 +0000

Corte Madera has long been a hidden gem in Southern Marin.

Everyone knows where Corte Madera is- it is the retail center of Southern Marin. Corte Madera Town Center and the The Village at Corte Madera Shopping Mall flank highway 101. From Nordstroms & Williams Sonoma, to Il Fornaio & Champagne Bakery. Corte Madera has tons of fabulous shops and restaurants.

But do people actually live in Corte Madera? Yes! They do!

Corte Madera was incorporated in 1916. It is a beautiful community nestled between the San Francisco Bay and Mt. Tamalpais. Imagine beautiful open space and sparkling bay water. This small town has the best of everything- close proximity to San Francisco, gorgeous views and fabulous weather. The town is often protected by the fog its neighboring city, Mill Valley, receives.

Corte Madera shares many services with another neighboring city- Larkspur. Called the “Twin Cities”, Corte Madera and Larkspur share basic services such as police and fire.

Housing prices in Corte Madera have increased substantially over the last decade. It is a wonder it has taken so long!

For more information about Corte Madera, watch for Part 2 of my Marin Neighborhoods series on Corte Madera.

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Marin Neighborhoods- Strawberry Part 2

Ginger Wilcox — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 19:56:36 +0000

This is Part 2 of my Marin Neighborhoods series about Strawberry in Mill Valley, California. (View Strawberry Part 1)

Strawberry has many diverse neighborhoods and housing styles. Despite its close proximity to San Francisco, it is still somewhat of a hidden gem among Mill Valley neighborhoods.

The Strawberry neighborhoods:

De Silva Island
A condominium development of 62 units located on 30 acres of wetlands just off the Highway 101 freeway. The luxury complex features flats and townhomes along with three single family residences. De Silva Island is Strawberry’s most visible neighborhood with its close proximity to Highway 101.

Harbor Point
A large complex featuring luxury waterfront apartments and a tennis and swim club.

Strawberry Manor
Development of Strawberry Manor began in the 1950s. Strawberry Manor features more modest homes (relatively speaking!), many of which have undergone major transformations in the last few years. The neighborhood varies widely between small homes on small lots, to large scale homes overlooking Richardson Bay and the San Francisco skyline.

Strawberry Vista
The Strawberry Vista subdivision is a 64 lot hillside development of custom homes developed in the late 80s and early 90s. It features good size homes on wide streets. Most homes in the subdivision are on upslope or downslope lots.

The Shores (aka Strawberry Shores)
A subdivision of luxury waterfront homes situated on the bay. Most homes have stunning views of the San Francisco skyline. This exclusive neighborhood features wide flat streets. Many homes have private boat docks with direct bay access.

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Marin Neighborhoods- San Anselmo Part 2

Ginger Wilcox — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 10:54:54 +0000

This is Part 2 of my Marin Neighborhoods series about San Anselmo. (View San Anselmo Part 1)

Making sense of the different San Anselmo neighborhoods is not all that easy. The neighborhood names can change depending on who you are talking to, how long they have lived in San Anselmo and how old they are! Downtown, Sleepy Hollow, Barber Tract? What do they all mean.

Barber Tract- The southeast corner of San Anselmo (Barber avenue, east of Sir Francis Drake), on the Winship Park border.
Calumet Park- West of downtown from Calumet to Saunders. This charming area is in the flats of San Anselmo and features homes built in the 1940s and 50s.
Downtown- The downtown neighborhoods feature small, closely built San Anselmo homes around San Anselmo Avenue, the shopping and dining hub of San Anselmo.
Hawthorne Hills- Neighborhood west of Butterfield to Suffield. It was annexed into San Anselmo in 1929.
Morningside-Development began in 1924 in this bungalow style neighborhood north of Sir Francis Drake.
Seminary- On the Ross/San Anselmo border, the Seminary neighborhood surrounds the San Francisco Theological Seminary. This highly sought after area features beautiful tree lined streets and pretty San Anselmo homes. It is within close proximity to downtown San Anselmo.
Sleepy Hollow – Development began in the neighborhood in the early 1940s when sales began on 141 one acre residential lots. Situated in a pretty valley, this neighborhood features a variety of housing styles from ranch style homes to a small Eichler subdivision. It is a large neighborhood with a homeowners association.
Sunnyside- San Anselmo’s first subdivision. Lot sales in the neighborhood began in 1881. Located Near Bolinas Avenue, today this neighborhood is often referenced as the Seminary Area.
Yolanda Park- West of downtown. Off Center Street to Alder. Development in the neighborhood began around 1905.

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