What is it like in Marin County? (San Francisco, Santa Rosa: for sale, real estate)

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by GlobalArchitect

Wow that really flies in the face of everything I have been told so far. I keep getting told that places such as San Anselmo and northern Tiburon are awesome for kids and that many of the areas are throwbacks to small towns in the past. You make it seem like it is the opposite of that...do you live there now?

I live in SF now, I prefer to stay out of Marin unless I am avoiding an even bigger traffic jam going into SF on the Bay Bridge.

I think Livermore would be an ideal place for kids if one did not have to commute and if one does not mind the heat. It does not have the exclusivity and sense of entitlement that certain rich enclaves in Marin have.

Also watch out for flood zones in Marin.

http://www.townofsananselmo.org/docu...RossValley.PDF

Ross Valley flood plans updated - Marinscope Community Newspapers

[thecooler]

Marin is a mixed bag. Its very safe and most areas your kids can play in the streets. Also the area has Mt. Tam and surrounding parks, trails etc that really can't be beat for outdoor activity opportunities, there are hundreds if not thousands of miles of trails. The people there are a weird mix though. The Fairfax area has some hippi-ish working class folks, as well as snobby soccer mom types who require vegan/organic food etc. There are definitely snobby elites there (though I'm not sure if it compares to East Coast snobs-i think its a different kind of thing), but there's a lot of outdoorsy types, and a few leftover hippy types, and its largely a family friendly area. Though Tiburon is absolutely gorgeous, I wouldn't live there, too snobby and there's not much there, because its small and secluded. Fairfax/San Anselmo are nice, but the big drawback there is there is only one road out of there to get around and it can get backed up (Sir Francis Drake Blvd). The only area really to avoid is Marin City and the Canal District in San Rafael, and Novato is not quite as nice, the rest of the county is great.

As the other poster noted, there is one area around the Larkspur exit off of 101 which frequently has mini-floods (during one El Nino year it had a big flood), but other then that its not really a regular problem. Also the traffic to and from SF are the worst on weekends when the city folk come up to do outdoorsy stuff, during the week outside of rush hour, traffic's not bad at all- at least by Bay Area standards.

[Mack Knife]

Originally Posted by GlobalArchitect

I have a job that allows me to work from home and I have done so successfully since 1999. Given this fact, I can live anywhere is the U.S. I want and that makes choosing a specific location extremely difficult. Without being forced to live in one area, it is hard to figure out what area works the best.

I currently live in New Jersey and I need out. The people are pretentious, superficial and just not remotely interested in being active. I have small children who I love more than anything in the world and yet most parents I know see their kids as, at most, an inconvenience and more commonly as some necessary evil.

Active lifestyle is a bad term here and people look at you funny if you suggest a bike ride or, gasp, actually walking for more than 20 feet. Sure there are tons of gyms but I generally detest gyms and very much prefer to be outside.

My wife and I are well educated professionals with my wife preferring to stay at home for now to focus on our kids. We want to live in an area with similar people where those people want to be outdoors and are social, active, educated and have a world view (as opposed to a secular U.S. viewpoint or a strong religious bent). We want to meet other parents of young kids who are devoted to their kids, plan to be active in their schools and, in general, want to build a strong and grounded community. My kids will be well-versed in technology given my profession but I would much rather that they be outdoors-focused and active with their friends when they get older as opposed to playing video games.

We have been through a LARGE number of locations over the years and we are now looking at places in Marin County - specifically Fairfax/San Anselmo/Larkspur and parts of Tiburon that are not elitist and disconnected from reality. I get the cost of living (after being in NJ nothing shocks me) but, outside of that, I am trying to figure out if these areas are a fit.

If you live in those areas, or in Marin County in general, can you please share some insights? Are there people there during the week (as opposed to the SF commuters)? Are people really open and social and outdoors-active?

Thank you for your time!

You'll fit right in most places in Marin. If you're look for non-superficial, open minded people though, look elsewhere.

[Harrier]

Ask Scott Peterson.

[tstieber]

Marin is awesome. I wish we lived there, but we go there at least twice a week from the East Bay just to soak in the amazing atmosphere. It's just so beautiful, and so varied (mountains, bay, beach) that there are endless outdoor activities (kayaking, paddleboarding, surfing, hiking, biking, sailing, walking, horseback riding, tennis, golf, you name it). I know people who raised kids there for a number of years and still miss it. It's really a slice of heaven. Not sure if there are men in their 30s/40s who work from home, but I imagine there must be. Weather is perfect there too, about 10 months of the year.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Mack Knife

You'll fit right in most places in Marin. If you're look for non-superficial, open minded people though, look elsewhere.

Please. This may be public perception in other parts of the US, but it's not true in much of Marin.

[tstieber]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Please. This may be public perception in other parts of the US, but it's not true in much of Marin.

I agree. Like anywhere in the Bay Area, there are some snooty people who value their financial success above family or community, but there are plenty of other nice, down to Earth people, some more affluent than others. But just because Marin is relatively wealthy doesn't mean it's automatically shallow either. It's a mixed bag like everywhere else.

[legal_eagle]

I don't like it. I lived there for four years when my daughter was in high school. I still commute to San Rafael from the City for work, but am resisting strongly any idea of moving back to Marin. Of course, I'm not raising a kid there anymore, but even when I was the place just rubbed me the wrong way. It's painfully boring (to me), and very difficult to get around. The population skews heavily toward white and "older," so if you are looking for a place to eat out after 9:00 p.m. you may be out of luck. The scenery is frankly kind of blah to my tastes ... low hills covered in shrubs (meh). There is a huge amount of drinking and drug use among teenagers, and the parents are really lackadaisical ... old hippie-type mentality. Many people are extremely materialistic. Lots of NIMBYs. The place tries to walk a fine line between suburban and rural, while failing to retain the benefits or character of either. I think a lot of kids who live there their whole lives end up with a stunted world view. I would gladly ignore the place if my work did not take me there.

[legal_eagle]

Originally Posted by capoeira

Please reveal the secret route from Novato to Mill Valley that does not involve the 101. I know it is theoretically possible but I have never heard of anyone who tried it.

Take Sir Francis Drake through Fairfax and into San Geronimo Valley. Go right on Nicasio Valley Road. Go right on Point Reyes-Petaluma Road. Go right on Novato Blvd.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by GlobalArchitect

I have a job that allows me to work from home and I have done so successfully since 1999. Given this fact, I can live anywhere is the U.S. I want and that makes choosing a specific location extremely difficult. Without being forced to live in one area, it is hard to figure out what area works the best.

I currently live in New Jersey and I need out. The people are pretentious, superficial and just not remotely interested in being active. I have small children who I love more than anything in the world and yet most parents I know see their kids as, at most, an inconvenience and more commonly as some necessary evil.

Active lifestyle is a bad term here and people look at you funny if you suggest a bike ride or, gasp, actually walking for more than 20 feet. Sure there are tons of gyms but I generally detest gyms and very much prefer to be outside.

My wife and I are well educated professionals with my wife preferring to stay at home for now to focus on our kids. We want to live in an area with similar people where those people want to be outdoors and are social, active, educated and have a world view (as opposed to a secular U.S. viewpoint or a strong religious bent). We want to meet other parents of young kids who are devoted to their kids, plan to be active in their schools and, in general, want to build a strong and grounded community. My kids will be well-versed in technology given my profession but I would much rather that they be outdoors-focused and active with their friends when they get older as opposed to playing video games.

We have been through a LARGE number of locations over the years and we are now looking at places in Marin County - specifically Fairfax/San Anselmo/Larkspur and parts of Tiburon that are not elitist and disconnected from reality. I get the cost of living (after being in NJ nothing shocks me) but, outside of that, I am trying to figure out if these areas are a fit.

If you live in those areas, or in Marin County in general, can you please share some insights? Are there people there during the week (as opposed to the SF commuters)? Are people really open and social and outdoors-active?

Thank you for your time!

I wonder if you've ever considered a place like San Luis Obispo on the Central Coast? College town. Great weather. Supposed to be very outdoor and community oriented. Supposedly the "happiest city in America" according to a book by Dan Buettner. Home prices not cheap, but cheaper than Marin. Doesn't have a reputation for being pretentious at all. Disclaimer...I have never lived there..only visited and read about it, but I liked the vibe when visiting. The main disadvantage is that it's isolated from a major metro area.