Greenbrae

Greenbrae in Larkspur (though I thought it was separate from Larkspur?) is all about location, location, location as the saying goes. This is one of those places that if you picked it up and moved it across the Bay, the home price would be cut nearly in half. But being in Marin County and close to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal, Greenbrae is basically million dollar home territory. (You will rarely find any homes selling for below $750,000 around here.)

The homes here are mostly spread out against the hills with pretty good views. They date mostly from the 1950’s and 60’s, and they are pretty nice for homes from that era. This is hillside living where you get great views of the north Bay out to Richmond and of the valley down to Larkspur. Very nice but high maintenance.

One of the big draws, as you might expect are schools, which are very strong in this area. From Redwood High School and Hall Middle School down to the elementary level, the education system here is top notch--the best that money can buy. You cannot be farther from the urban problems that plague the schools just on the other side of the Richmond Bridge.

As far as commuting goes, this is a pretty good starting point for commuting to anywhere in the northern Bay from SF to Oakland. This is not, however, where you want to be for a Silicon Valley commute. As mentioned before, the Larkspur Ferry Terminal is nearby so you can definitely make that commute work. From the Larkspur Terminal you can either go to the SF Ferry Building or down to AT&T Park.

As far as entertainment and the rest of it, this is pretty much suburban living with all of its benefits and drawbacks. There are all the usual stores and conveniences of living a relatively quiet suburban life. You get the usual set of movie theaters and even an occasional watering hole--usually of the sports bar variety. You are also close to SF for all the weekend entertainments you could hope for and to the outdoor activities offered by Marin County and the northern Bay Area.

Overall, a pretty nice place to live and raise a family, but very, very expensive.