Archive for the ‘San Rafael’ Category
Sol Food, San Rafael’s hip, ultra popular Puerto Rican restaurant is opening a bodega next door to its “Big Place” location at 901 Lincoln Ave. The bodega will carry Puerto Rican goods like coffee, salad dressing and homemade hot sauce, and it’ll be the spot where they manage all of their take-out and deliveries. It’s nice to see such a great Restaurant doing so well. If you haven’t eaten there yet it’s really yummy! I love the Camarones Criollos, large prawns sauteed with fresh garlic and onions in a tomatoey sauce, served over rice, with organic salad, avocado and fried plantain. If you like chicken try the Pollo al Horno combo. Excellente!
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.
Exploring by the Bay
Next stop: The Marin County Library (sort of)!
A weekend trip to the library is always a good excursion for us, but this weekend is even better if you are looking to make your book collection a little more permanent. The Marin County Library is hosting it’s 10th Annual Book Super Sale at the National Guard Armory in San Rafael this weekend. The sale features over 40,000 books with more than half that are not available in their regular bookshop and some children’s books with prices starting at $0.25. The sale is sponsored by Friends of the Marin County Free Libary
- When: Saturday & Sunday March 27 & 28th, 10am-5pm
- What: Marin County Library Book Super Sale
- Where: National Guard Amoriry
Directions to the armory: From highway 101, take North San Pedro Road exit. Turn left onto Civic Center Drive. Turn right onto Armory Drive and continue to far east end of parking lot.
- More Info: 415-892-0238 or the Marin County
The Marin County Public Library is a free library for the residents of Marin. It was founded in 1927 and has grown to eleven branches around Marin County. It is funded primarily by property taxes. The library provides great free resources like computers, free wireless, special programming for children, teens and seniors and study space for students. Nothing beats a good book, help support our libraries!
Image Courtesy of daviddaviddaviddaviddavid’s on Flickr
The 2009 Eichler Home Tour, Open Hearts, Open Homes is almost here! Take a self-guided tour of approximately 10 Eichler homes in the Lucas Valley area of San Rafael in Marin County, California on Saturday, September 19th. The Home Tour benefits Hospice by the Bay. Reservation deadline for tickets is September 10. Remaining tickets will be available at the door.
Eichler homes were designed in California Modern style by Joseph Eichler, famous for his modern architecture and open floorplans.
According to Wikipedia,
One of Eichler’s signature concepts was to “Bring the Outside In,” achieved via skylights and floor-to-ceiling glass windows looking out on protected gardens, patios, and pools. The homes had numerous unorthodox features, including post-and-beam construction, concrete slab floors with integral radiant heating, sliding doors and cabinets, and a standard second bathroom. Later models introduced the famous Eichler atriums, an entrance foyer designed to further advance the Eichler concept of integrating outdoor and indoor spaces.
Open Hearts, Open Home Marin Eicheler Home Tour Details:
- When: Saturday, September 19th, 11-4pm
- Where: Lucas Valley, San Rafael, CA. Registration at 1201 Idylberry Road, San Rafael
- Tickets: $50 each, includes tour, book signing and entertainment. Luncheon Buffet $25
- Benefits: Hospice by the Bay. Hospice By The Bay provides hospice and palliative care services for patients and their caregivers needing care and support during the final stages of life. Our team of compassionate and expertly trained professionals is dedicated to promoting wellness at the end of life, as well as preventing and treating distressing symptoms or conditions that might otherwise threaten the quality of life for patients and families
- More Information
Image courtesy of TracyShaun on Flickr
The Warm Wishes Bocce Ball Invitational is coming up on September 19th in Marin County. The event benefits Warm Wishes, a San Rafael non-profit organization which creates street packs to keep bay area homeless keep warm during winter. Warm Wishes volunteers distribute 5,000 “StreetPacks” or backpacks stuffed with new, warm gloves, scarves, hats, wool socks and rain ponchos to homeless men and women and children, living on the streets of the Bay Area.
Never played Bocce Ball? That is ok! It is fun and it is easy. Wikipedia has a definition that makes it all sound very complicated, it is not! You pick your team of four, and you throw these fun round little balls down a lane. There is even a practice session for those who want to get their game on! Every time I play, I think I should play more. Teams for the event must be picked by September 11th, so go ahead and register!
Warm Wishes Bocce Ball Invitational Details
- What: 2009 Bocce Ball Invitational
- When: Saturday, September 19th, 10:00 am
- Why: Proceeds to benefit Warm Wishes street packs for the street communities throughout the Bay Area!
- Tickets: Entry and Raffle Ticket Purchase form
- Sponsorship Opportunities
- Donate: Your donations are tax deductible. Donate to Warm Wishes
- Info: www.warmwishes.org
- Questions: Please contact Mary@marinlink.org or 472-0211
Warm Wishes Bocce Ball Practice Date is Sunday, September 13, 12:00-2:00, refreshments will be served, Albert park, 5 – “B” Street, San Rafael.
What is happening in San Rafael Real Estate?
While the San Rafael real estate market appears to be slowing down a bit in recent weeks, the number of San Rafael homes for sale and prices have been relatively flat. August is typically a slow month, particularly the last few weeks as schools get back in session. Here is what happened in the last seven days:
| 7-day stats for Single Family properties in SAN RAFAEL, CA as of August 28, 2009 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Median List Price | $799,000 | Average List Price | $986,431 |
| Total Inventory | 192 | Price per Square Foot | $412 |
| Average Home Size | 2,002 | Median Lot Size | 8,254 |
| Average # Beds | 3.55 | Average # Baths | 2.50 |
| Homes Absorbed | 16 | Newly Listed | 13 |
| Days on Market | 141 | Average Age | 52 |
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
This market profile is a snapshot of what is happening in San Rafael. San Rafael home prices in the 94903 zip code have continued to trend down in recent weeks while home prices in the 94901 zip code have stayed flat. While the listing inventory in San Rafael has been decreasing, days-on-market has been increasing. The Market Action Index has been basically flat, not providing a strong indication of the direction of the San Rafael real estate market.
San Rafael Real Estate Market Update
|
There are currently 180 homes for sale in San Rafael, California. There are 41 San Rafael homes under contract. |
||
| Area- Zip Code |
94901 |
94903 |
| Median List Price | $889,500 | $699,000 |
| Highest Priced San Rafael Home (single family) |
$4,500,000 349 Bay Way, San Rafael |
$6,500,000 1677 Lucas Valley Rd, San Rafael |
| Lowest Priced San Rafael Home (single family) |
$375,000 |
$379,900 842 Rincon Way, San Rafael |
| Asking Price per Square Foot | $450 | $407 |
| Average Days on Market | 126 | 149 |
| Percent of Properties with Price Decrease | 39% | 49% |
| Percent Relisted | 9% | 2% |
| Median House Size (sq ft) | 2,047 | 1,833 |
| Median Lot Size | 8,001-10,000 Sq. Feet | 8,001-10,000 Sq. Feet |
| Median Number of Bedrooms | 3.8 | 4.0 |
| Median Number of Bathrooms | 2.4 | 2.0 |
| Market Action Index | 14- Cold! Buyer’s Market | 15- Cold! Buyer’s Market |
The Market Action Index answers the question:
“How’s the San Rafael Real Estate Market?”
By measuring the current rate of sale versus the amount of inventory.
Index above 30 implies seller’s market conditions.
Below 30, conditions favor the buyer.
San Rafael Real Estate Market Data effective as of February 15, 2009. Data provided by AltosResearch and Bay Area Real Estate Information Services, Inc. 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. Download a sample report.
One of my big complaints about Marin County is the lack of good, authentic Mexican food. Being born and raised in Arizona, I was blessed with delicious Mexican food restaurants on every corner. I decided I needed to stop complaining and branch out to some of the Mexican food restaurants here in Marin. I stumbled upon Las Camelias in San Rafael. The restaurant has actually been around for 27 years and has repeatedly won awards. How I could live in Marin for this long and never hear about this place is beyond me!
My first impression was good. Nice atmosphere – very clean and nice round tables. The homemade chips- were my favorite type–thick and crispy.
I am a margarita snob, yes I admit this. I have a special recipe I make, so I am almost always disappointed at restaurant margaritas. Since I knew I would be writing a review, I just had to try one. While not in the realm of a “gingerita”, the margarita was actually quite good. It was made with agave and not super sweet.
For my dinner, I had the barbecued shredded beef crispy tacos, which were excellent. The family owned restaurant uses good quality, organic ingredients. I really enjoyed my dinner and look forward to going back to Las Camelias for some traditional Mexican food!
- What: Las Camelias Cocina Mexicana
- Website: http://www.lascameliasrestaurant.com/
- Where: 912 Lincoln Ave, San Rafael, CA 94901 (on Lincoln Ave between 3rd & 4th)
Map to Las Camelias: