San Anselmo

San Anselmo is bounded by Ross to the south, Fairfax to the west and San Rafael to the east. Today, San Anselmo possesses a unique sense of charm and history, thanks to an older housing stock reflecting a range of architectural influences on shady, tree-lined streets. Its slow-pace lifestyle and creekside location has also helped the town become a beloved place for families.

Some of its recent claim to fame includes a ranking among Pacific Sun readers as the “Best Town Other Than Your Own” in the area, the “Best Non-Mall Shopping Town in Marin County” and “Best in the West” for antiquing, as declared by Sunset magazine. In fact, San Anselmo is regarded as the “Antique Capital of Northern California,”with more than 150 antique dealers in town. Numerous fine dining opportunities and cafésalso exist within its borders, while a sweet mix ofawning-shaded boutiques, galleries, and hiking and biking trails offer points of interest for everyone. Favorite local landmarks include the Robson-Harrington House and Park, the American Legion Log Cabin and the Carnegie Library. Family-friendly festivals—usuallyfocused around art, wine and antiques—also lure many people to the area each year.

The San Anselmo name came from the Punta de Quentin land grant, which marked this valley as the Canada del Anselmo. For a few years, the town was referred to on railroad maps as Junction, but in 1883, the name San Anselmo came back into use. Becoming unprofitable as a result of competition from the automobile and the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge, the railway was officially closed on March 1, 1941. San Anselmo was incorporated in 1907, and to this day remains one of Marin County’s most alluring towns.