Welcome to San Rafael
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Mission San Rafael Arcangel was established on Dec. 14, 1817, and replicas of the original buildings including a museum with historical artifacts stand on 5th Avenue between Court and B Streets. San Rafael is the County Seat and home to the iconic Civic Center designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. As Marin’s most populous city, it is the most culturally diverse, and home to a variety of diverse neighborhoods and homes to fit every budget and taste, from modest condos to multi-million-dollar estate properties.
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San Rafael is centered near 10 1, so it has quick freeway access from most areas and serves as a public transportation hub, with Marin’s bus lines converging at the San Rafael Transit Center. The downtown area features a nice variety of shops and restaurants and also serves as the site for outdoor events. Each Thursday evening from April through September, 4th Street is transformed into one of Marin’s best farmer’s markets, featuring live music, lots of organic produce, and delicious food s. Downtown streets are also closed each June for the Italian Street Painting Festival, where artists showcase their talents with intricate chalk drawings on the asphalt. There’s a popular farmer’s market a few exits North at the Civic Center that happens twice per week all year long.
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Other notable places to visit are the lovely Dominican College campus and the Falkirk Cultural Center, a meticulously preserved, 17 -room Victorian mansion that is set on 11 manicured acres. San Rafael has 14 parks including the picturesque China Camp State Park, yacht clubs, docking, and launching facilities, tennis & swim clubs, and bicycle trails. It is a community where families can partake of a rich historical and cultural heritage while enjoying an active lifestyle. Serving as the county seat and most populated city, San Rafael is a lovely community, lively college town, and residential haven all wrapped into one package. The assortment of housing is diverse in size, age, architecture, and price range, offering a neighborhood for every lifestyle.
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Schools
Students in San Rafael are served by the San Rafael School District or the highly regarded Miller Creek School District, an elementary district serving the northern San Rafael community of Terra Linda, Marinwood, and Lucas Valley. Miller Creek School District includes three elementary schools serving transitional kindergarten through 5th grades: Lucas Valley Elementary School; Vallecito Elementary School; Mary E. Silveira Elementary School. Sixth through eighth graders attend Miller Creek Middle School. There are also a number of sought out private schools including Brandeis, Marin Waldorf School, Mark Day School and Marin Academy.
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