I used to think of Sausalito as a town for international visitors and yuppies.

Common misconception, it turns out. Sure, it’s a popular tourist draw, but I’m learning that Sausalito appeals to singles, downsizers and now, even families. Here are a couple of facts you may not know about Sausalito.

Whence these revelations? I’ve been enjoying a lot more time in Sausalito lately for work and for fun. The work part entails holding open house at my new listing at 315 Richardson. Also, I take part in a jewelry fabrication class, held in one of Sausalito’s many artisan workshops and taught by world-class jewelry artist Amy Nordstrom. Both of these activities have allowed me to converse with Sausalito locals willing to share their local knowledge.

The famous waterfront stretch called Bridgeway is NOT the local’s main “Main Street.” That distinction goes to the calmer but equally enticing Caledonia Street. This stretch of small businesses and shops contains galleries, restaurants, a grocery store, movie theater and a hardware store. It stretches from the The Taste of Rome to about the Sausalito City Hall and Library.

Another interesting fact: Sausalito has a new(ish), high-perfoming K-8th public charter school with a dedicated parent-teacher community. Surprised? I was. I had heard great things about the Willow Creek Academy, but assumed it was a private school. It’s not. It’s a public charter school. It’s free, and for those who rate their schools based on test scores, it’s high-scoring.

The positive energy and dedication I sense in the Willow Creek community reminds me of some of the other amazing parent communities of Marin’s best public and private schools. There are some distinctions worth boasting about, though:

• WCA claims to be the most diverse school in Marin.
• Then there’s that whole K-8th thing. Parents of young children tend to adore the K-8 format (perhaps imagining that the middle school phase can be skipped altogether?), but there exists only one other K-8 public school in all of Marin County, and that is the very sought-after, high-achieving Ross School.
  
  
  For more info on Marin’s public schools go to www.marinschools.org

Some other hidden and not-so hidden treasures of Sausalito:

• The Children’s Discovery Museum
• Southern Marin Mothers Club
• Sausalito Art Festival
• Sausalito Historical Society
• Le Garage, a French bistro tucked away in what used to be an boat garage. On a balmy day, a harbor-front table can make you feel transported to a little port town on the French Riviera. The food is yummy and easy-going.
• A very casual waterfront place is Fish where you’ll get delicious dishes like fish and chips or Thai fish sandwiches, along with an education about sustainable fishing and fish consumption. Their website alone is an education!
• There is nowhere better for special occasions than the spectacular Murray Circle and Farley Bar, located nearly at the foot of the Golden Gate bridge, at the Cavallo Point Resort
• And could Cibo have the very best cup of coffee anywhere in Marin? Try their slow-drip dark roast or their espresso drinks and see if you agree they’ve got to be in the top 3. Of course, Peet’s may give Cibo a run for their money, if they do in fact open at the waterfront café space across the street as planned.

Not too bad for a little town of tourists and yuppies.

Image courtesy of John H. Kim