Neighborhoods: San Rafael

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San Rafael is the County Seat, Marin’s most populous city, and the most culturally diverse. It’s where much of the county’s business gets done, and it’s home to a variety of unique neighborhoods. San Rafael straddles 101, so has quick freeway access from most areas and serves as a public transportation hub, with Marin’s bus lines converging at the San Rafael Transit Center. The downtown area features a nice variety of shops and restaurants and also serves as the site for outdoor events. Each Thursday evening from April through September a stretch of 4th street is transformed into one of Marin’s best farmers markets. There’s live music, lots of organic produce and tons of tasty food–in fact the now iconic Puerto Rican restaurant Sol Food got it’s start here as a vendor. Downtown streets are also closed each June for the Italian Street Painting Festival, where artists showcase their talents with intricate chalk drawings on the asphalt. But all the action isn’t confined to downtown; there’s a popular farmer’s market a few exits North at the Civic Center that happens twice per week all year long.

With its diverse neighborhoods and homes to fit every budget and taste, from modest condos to multimillion dollar estate properties, it can take some time to really get to know San Rafael. But it’s time well spent and there really is something for everyone.

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Things to love about San Rafael

Sample some tasty Puerto Rican cuisine at Sol Food
Commune with nature in China Camp State Park
Pick up some produce and enjoy some live music during the summer at San Rafael’s Thursday night farmers market
For the widest selection of organic produce year round check out the Thursday or Sunday morning farmers markets located at the historic Marin County Civic Center – a landmark building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
A local secret sandwich spot that we almost shouldn’t share! Try the tasty sandwiches on warm fresh baked bread at Michael’s Sourdough
There may just be some truth to their motto – Inconceviably Delicious Organic Ice Cream at Three Twins Ice Cream.
Mmmm yummy mexican food at Taqueria San Rafael, and a great place to bring the kiddos. Yelpers rave about the El pastor but the flour tostada salad is where it’s at.

San Rafael Neighborhoods

Santa Margarita

One of San Rafael’s best kept secrets, this neighborhood is located right off the Miracle Mile with parts of it bordering San Anselmo. The location is great for commuting and is walkable to downtown San Anselmo and the west end of downtown San Rafael. It has beautiful tree-lined streets and mostly Spanish revival architecture. When the neighborhood was first established all building had to be of Spanish style, then in the 1960’s a neighbor challenged the rule and won, so there are some 60’s style homes sprinkled throughout. There’s a secret path that offers a shortcut for kids walking to Sun Valley Elementary. Also, at the top of Santa Margarita is a great place to walk your dog and enjoy views of downtown.

Sun Valley

Sun Valley is a popular neighborhood that’s close to the western section of downtown San Rafael. It mostly consists of smaller bungalows and some Spanish style homes, and while it borders the Forbes neighborhood it’s not as stately and prices are substantially lower. The Sun Valley park is great for kids and dogs the field serves as a dog park. This neighborhood offers great access to Sun Valley Elementary, one of San Rafael’s most sought after elementary schools. It’s a good area to consider, especially if you’re looking for a starter home in Marin.

Greenfield

Like Santa Margarita across Miracle Mile, the Greenfield neighborhood offers a nice combination of charming homes and a great location, with good access to the downtown areas of both San Anselmo and San Rafael. A mix of some Spanish style with some 60’s era homes.

Forbes

The Forbes neighborhood, just West of downtown, has an upscale, tree-lined feel, with some grand Victorians dating from the turn of the century mixed with beautiful Spanish and craftsman homes from the 30’s and 40’s. There are a few 60’s era homes mixed in as well, but everything works together to create one of San Rafael’s most desirable neighborhoods. Forbes is close enough to downtown to offer easy access to all the amenities, yet just enough removed to feel a pleasant separation from the bustle of the business district. Sun Valley Elementary, one of San Rafael’s most popular public elementary schools, is a quick drive out 5th Avenue.

Gerstle Park

Gerstle Park, stretching to the South of downtown on either side of D Street, features an eclectic variety of homes and is popular for a variety of reasons. It’s close to shopping and restaurants, is just minutes from 101, has some really charming period homes on tree-lined streets, and in much of the area kids attend popular Sun Valley Elementary. It isn’t as upscale or as consistent as the Forbes neighborhood on the other side of downtown, and it’s a little denser due to a number of apartment buildings and some smaller lots, but prices are considerably lower. Like the Forbes neighborhood it has many Victorian homes mixed with 30’s and 60’s architecture. The park itself, which was originally the summer estate of Lewis Gerstle and his wife Hannah in the early 1900’s, is fun for kids with picnic areas and playgrounds.

Downtown

The downtown area has a lot of vintage homes built in the early 1900’s and offers the convenience of being so close to all the restaurants and shopping. The West End of downtown tends to have more of a neighborhood feel, but there are some condos and a fair number of rental apartments in the heart of things if you want to live right in the middle of the action. There’s a fun farmers market in the summer on Thursday evenings which blocks off a stretch of 4th street.

Bret Harte

The Bret Harte neighborhood runs south from the light industrial area around Woodland Ave. Down in the flats the homes tend to be smaller but generally increase in size as you get up the hill, and there are some pretty grand homes up on the Ridge on Bret Harte Rd. Highway 101 is just minutes away and the home prices in the flats of the neighborhood are relatively lower than many other areas of San Rafael.

Dominican

Taking its name from the college which it surrounds, the Dominican neighborhood is often compared with the Forbes area because of its grand vintage homes with large lots and beautiful tree-lined streets. The campus has a large proportion of commuter students, so while it offers benefits to the area with a nice community center with a gym and pool, and several pathways that wind around manicured grounds and gardens, it doesn’t have the same kind of impact on the surrounding area that larger, residential universities are known for. The college puts on music and cultural events, and some of the local residents actually have been known to eat at the school’s dining facility because of it’s excellent food. The area also has great access to the freeway and is just minutes to Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. The recently remodeled Coleman Elementary is located on the west side of the neighborhood near highway 101.

Canal

The Canal is a relatively high density area by Marin standards, with some of the lowest priced condos in the county. There are a large number of apartment buildings and quite a few light industrial buildings mixed in. On the eastern edge of the area are the newer developments of Baypoint Lagoons and Spinnaker Point, where many homes have great water views and there are nice walking paths along the bay. Commuters to the East Bay like the neighborhood for its easy access to the 580 freeway.

Terra Linda

Terra Linda is a large suburban neighborhood on the west side of the freeway, extending both north and south from Freitas Parkway. Mostly developed in the 50’s and 60’s, many of the homes were the product of three builders: Kenny, Eichler and Alliance. Kennys are well-built traditional ranchers with a few layouts. Eichlers have a cult following among mid century modern fans, with an indoor/outdoor feel, open living areas, and floor to ceiling windows. Alliance homes share some mid-century design traits with Eichlers and are also popular with aficionados of that period, but don’t have the atriums many Eichlers feature. Terra Linda is also home to a number of condominium developments and the Northgate Mall, with its selection of stores, restaurants, and a cinema complex. The area shares the Dixie school district with neighboring Marinwood.

Santa Venetia

On the east side of the freeway out N. San Pedro Blvd., Santa Venetia is mostly comprised of modest one-level ranchers, though some have been expanded and quite a few are on the water with their own docks, and with some of the lowest priced single family homes in San Rafael it’s a popular area with entry level buyers. Homes in neighboring Northbridge tend to be a little larger, with some pleasant tree-lined streets. There are also larger custom homes dotting the hills above Santa Venetia, many with nice views. The further east you go the closer you get to China Camp state park, which offers amazing hiking and mountain bike trails.

Marinwood

Marinwood was mostly developed in the 1950s, with a mix of smaller ranch style homes and Cape Cod style two-story models, as well as a nice town home development built in the 1970s. The neighborhood shares the popular Dixie school district with Terra Linda. We love Marinwood’s local community center, with its pool and a large park that has a year-round creek that the kiddos are often exploring.

Lucas Valley

Lucas Valley extends west from Marinwood along Lucas Valley Road. Lower Lucas Valley is comprised of the “berry” streets (e.g. Appleberry) surrounding the Marin Waldorff School, while Upper Lucas Valley is farther out along Lucas Valley Road. Both areas are mainly comprised of single-level mid-century modern Eichler homes, with floor-to-ceiling windows and an appealing indoor/outdoor feel. The lower tract was built in the 1950s, while homes in the upper development were built in the 1960s and tend to be larger. Upper Lucas Valley also contains a variety of custom homes and a small development of Cape Cod styles, and the neighborhood has it’s own homeowner’s association with a community pool, tennis courts, and a cable TV system. The area is surrounded by beautiful rolling hills and open space. To take in some breathtaking views try going on a walk or mountain bike ride from the top of Lucas Valley Road near the big rock.

Los Ranchitos

Los Ranchitos can be translated as “little ranches”, which is a pretty apt description of this unique area. It has a relaxed, almost rural feel, with homes tending to be larger and parcels more generous than those in Terra Linda, and some residents do have horses. There are spectacular views from homes on the hillsides and knolltops, and the proximity to 101 means great freeway access but can also mean a bit of freeway noise depending on the location in the neighborhood.

San Pedro Point

This is a large area of San Rafael that covers the east side of the freeway past Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods driving east on Point San Pedro. It encompasses Loch Lomond, Glenwood, Country Club, the Mcnear’s Beach area and Peacock Gap. There is quite a variety here but much of the area was developed in the 60’s with a lot of single level ranchers and some larger custom homes. Many properties in the hills have nice water views, and in some ways portions of the area have a similar feel to parts of Tiburon, but with lower home prices. The farther you get out Pt. San Pedro the farther you are from services and the freeway, but the open spaces and proximity to Mcnear’s Beach and China Camp State Park help make up for it. The Country Club area has larger lots and more estate properties, while Glenwood has a higher proportion of smaller starter homes. The Peacock Gap area surrounds a golf course and has a great neighborhood park.