If you are considering relocating to Marin County, you are in for truly pleasurable times ahead. One of the most stunning and distinctive areas in America, Marin County not only promises dazzling scenery, but also outstanding schools, fine restaurants, never-ending open spaces and parks, great shopping, and that only scratches the surface.
Some of the most sought-after places to live are in Marin County’s southernmost reaches – most of them in direct sight of the spectacular Golden Gate Bridge. A first time visitor to the area was so overwhelmed with the fantastic scenery that his eyes were feasting upon as he drove up US101 that he literally “had to pull off the road.” And he was a jaded advertising man from New York!
With its houseboats and long waterfront, Sausalito has incredible views of San Francisco. Located just west of Sausalito, Tiburon not only has phenomenal views of the City; it also has wide-open spaces. Located between Tiburon to the west and Sausalito to the east, the island City of Belvedere is the pice de rsistance and one of the wealthiest municipalities in the United States.
Situated in Mill Valley, Tamalpais High School – also open to students from Sausalito – was awarded the California Distinguished School Award in 1999, 2005, and 2009 and since 2005, has ranked in the top 5% of American schools. Mill Valley is probably the most sought after area in Marin County for larger families.
The process of relocating to Marin County is made much simpler by easily accessed online information that is available about virtually every aspect of each town that one could wish to know. To illustrate, copy and enter the following URL into your browser window: http://www.city-data.com/city/Mill-Valley-California.html. To learn about Tiburon, Belvedere or Sausalito, simply substitute these places for the Mill Valley part of the URL.
Another aspect of Marin that is outstanding is its topographic diversity, beginning with tidal flats along the coastline and rising up the rugged 2,600 foot Mt. Tamalpais. Lush and towering Redwood groves and the open trails of the Tennessee Valley Trailhead, which is part of the Marin Headlands and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area National Park Service, are perfect locations for hikes and horseback riding. Swimming, boating, fishing are all possible in the San Pablo and San Francisco Bays as well as the Pacific Ocean.
From a historical vantage point, Marin County is also interesting. Settled by Miwok Indians in the early 1850s, the time of the Gold Rush, the area became more fully populated with many people of different nationalities who were driven across the Bay to Marin County after the 1906 Earthquake and fires that followed in San Francisco. Owned before the US Mexican War by Mexico, the area was broken into enormous ranchos that were given to Mexicans and Spanish speaking Americans.
In 1579, famed Sir Francis Drake sailed into a small harbor in western Marin County to repair his ship, The Golden Hind, after a year of marauding along the Mexican coast. While he claimed the surrounding territory for Queen Elizabeth I and England, those claims were never recognized.
