Larkspur

Halfway between Sausalito and San Rafael, nestled between Mount Tamalpais and the Bay, lies a place of almost magical charm and sweeping beauty called Larkspur. Larkspur presents very special places to play, to relax, to shop, to dine and to enjoy many of the loveliest things Marin County has to offer.

The wife of a major developer, Charles Wright, named this beautiful area for the lupine she found there, mistakenly identifying it as Larkspur. The downtown / Magnolia Avenue area is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as an irreplaceable American "turn of the century home town."

Larkspur residents have been quite successful in preserving the small-town ambience. A medley of specialty shops, boutiques, Queen Anne Victorians, cafes and first-class restaurants can be enjoyed by taking a relaxing stroll down Magnolia Avenue. Not to be missed are the Escalle Winery, built in the 1890's by the young Frenchman, Jean Escalle, who planted the northern hillsides of Larkspur with wine grapes; and the exquisite Murphy mansion, constructed in 1888 and now home to the world famous restaurant, the Lark Creek Inn. Larkspur real estate area extends north to the unincorporated area of Greenbrae.