Marin Opinion
This is the post theme where we discuss the merits of specific areas of the generally termed “bay area”. Marin: would you live there? Have you lived there? Why? Better or worse than life in SF? Or just so different beyond comparison (pshaw).
Friend and I drove up to Tennessee Valley yesterday. It took 20 minutes from North Beach. Sweet. I’ve heard people say that it’s a quick trip. And yet, usually it’s an exhaust inhaling parking lot on the Golden Gate Bridge. Following the jump: stereotypes, unfounded generalizations and sweeping opinion on Living in Marin.
Could you handle the elitism? Or is that simply an easy stereotype by folks who can’t afford a redwood cabin and a yacht, or a ranch and a organic farm? San Francisco is pretty close to nature, but Marin is even closer. As we rounded the bend and saw the Miwok stables, three hawks were perched on the corral fence.
Given millions of dollars, I would still miss my “walk to coffee” (billed at 5K by realtors) and you can’t really get that in Marin unless you live in downtown Mill Valley (dtmv). I love having the option to ferry to work. But you can get that in the East Bay too. For anyone who hasn’t read this and is interested in life in the 70s in Marin, read or watch: The Serial. Oh, and it’s a movie with 70s pin-up Tuesday Weld.
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I used to live in Sausalito and actually liked it quite a bit. Although one is required to have a car (which I did at the time) to do anything, it was nice and quiet and I had an amazing view from my balcony. The only downside was that driving into SF started to add up on the FasTrak. Still it was kinda funny to see the fog literally stop at the county line.
Well this native San Franciscan didn’t think Marin was far enough into the unspoiled natural world so I ended up first in Pescadero which is another ‘close to SF’ pastoral destination…I left Pescadero in the late ’70’s and weekend traffic was bumper to bumper on Hwy One back then so I recommend that as a weekday getaway. I have lived in southern Mendocion County since ‘79, and always came to SF to see folks and get my city fix, which i can’t live without. But you cityslicks need to go farther than Marin to get just how amazingly close you are to the most beautiful, unspoiled coast in California. Get to Jenner via Bodega Bay and make the drive to Gualala. Plan to stay at a B&B or the Gualala Hotel or any number of other lovely lodgings. This a weekend getaway and any time of year is interesting.
Now I am Anna’s neighbor one week a month, when I check out of Paradise and come in for all those easy lattes, some serious culture and some fine dining.
So, I’m in Marin and I’m hungry and it’s the fourth of July. Joe’s Taco Lounge is not open, so I go next door to Whole Foods, buy a sandwich, and sit at the counter to eat it. Normally when I sit at a lunch counter I mind my own business, but a 100% pitch-perfect stereotype of the Marin cat-hoarding weirdo sits right next to me and starts yapping away. “My that sandwich does look nice. I wish I could eat one but I’m detoxifying. Our environment here in Marin is really toxic you know.” And so on, covering her own health, the Bush administration, the environment, unusual forms of spiritualism, her sons, her dying mother, and whatever.
Then something even more amazing happens. Another woman sits down on the other side of me, takes off her shirt, and starts smearing green vegetables (kale, broccoli, etc) all over her skin. I am not making that up.
So I could live in Marin, if I was at least a mile from any other person living in Marin.
Jeffrey… that’s funny as shit…
“So I could live in Marin, if I was at least a mile from any other person living in Marin.”
west marin is really the only place in the county to live.