Kentfield

Corte Madera Creek runs through this delightful unincorporated area between Greenbrae and Ross. Kentfield is most well known as the home of the College of Marin but, driving by on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, you won't see Kentfield's charms. You need to wind through Kentfield's neighborhoods, climbing the slope of Mt. Tamalpais, to appreciate why homes here are some of the nicest in Marin. Most of the homes in this area blend into the scenery. All you see are the Calla lilies and Manzanita trees, elaborate fences and black iron gates along the roads, which give the area a rural sense of peace.

 

In Kentfield, you won't find a "historic downtown," a movie theater, or bars. What Kentfield does have is a nice post office, a bank, wonderful restaurants, the upscale and healthy Woodlands Market, and the Sloat Garden Center. It also has an excellent school system and the Corte Madera Creek. A paved bike path runs along Corte Madera Creek, starting at the College of Marin and ending at Creekside Park. This popular park includes a huge lawn, playground, picnic facilities, and a natural marsh area. Another great outdoor recreation area in Kentfield is Phoenix Lake at the end of Lagunitas Road. There's an easy 4-mile hike around the lake, or, if you want, you can hike from Phoenix Lake all the way to the top of Mt. Tam.

 

Kentfield has its own school district with truly superior schools. A K-4 elementary school and a 5-8 middle school serve just under 1,000 students, giving a very low student-to-teacher ratio. These schools are supported by an active PTA, the nonprofit Kentfield Schools Foundation and a supportive community. High school students attend Redwood High School in Larkspur, also a California Distinguished School.

 

Kent Woodlands is a community of exclusive homes on the eastern slopes of Mt. Tam, centered around the Kent Estate. Albert Kent bought this 800-acre valley in the 1870s from pioneer James Ross. His son, William Kent, was a Republican U.S. Senator who was instrumental in the creation of both Muir Woods National Monument and Mount Tamalpais State Park; President Teddy Roosevelt later wrote him a letter thanking him for his contribution to preserving the area's natural beauty. Senator Kent and his wife built the sensational Kent Estate, which, until recently, remained in the Kent family and was frequently the setting for various social events. The large, heavily wooded home sites in this neighborhood are set back off the roads and usually enclosed behind impressive walls and gates. William Kent also donated the land where the College of Marin stands.

 

Since 1926, this community college has educated residents of Marin (currently about 7,000 per year) with associate degrees, transfers to other universities and community education on a beautiful 27-acre campus full of old trees and ornamental gardens. While Kentfield enjoys being a mostly residential community, with no real commercial hub, it is also very near the shopping and amenities of Greenbrae (and Marin General Hospital), Larkspur (with the ferry terminal), San Rafael and Corte Madera.