Larkspur

The Ideal Central Marin Community

Nestled into the eastern edge of Mt. Tamalpais, magical Larkspur (along with Greenbrae) enjoys the finest weather in Marin County. Its wooded canyons were once favorite hunting grounds of Spanish settlers. In the late 19th century, subdivisions offered ideal sites for vacation homes, plus homes for permanent residents. The downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Larkspur is the Twin City to Corte Madera. It shares a main street, history, and police department. 

Homes boast diverse architecture including cabins, Victorians, mission-style, New England, Tudor, California ranch, and modern. Settings range from deep canyons lined with Redwood, Bay, and Madrone trees (on the west side town) to level settings on former bayfront land on the east side. Larkspur is equal to Mill Valley in lifestyle, and the limited number of homes  sell for a premium, with prices greater than Corte Madera and comparable to Mill Valley.

The town provides the sought-after walk-to-town that many homeowners want. Stroll down Magnolia Avenue, the main street, and enjoy dining in fine restaurants, shopping in high-quality specialty stores, or relax in an intimate coffeehouse. The meandering town limits include part of Greenbrae to the north and the San Quentin Peninsula to the east along the bay, with the Larkspur Ferry terminal and the popular Marin Country Mart with bustling restaurants, and a variety of shops.

Magnolia Ave., the main street of town, merges imperceptibly with Corte Madera Ave., a main thoroughfare of Corte Madera. Proceeding north along Magnolia Ave., to the west, the canyons and foothills of Mount Tamalpais shelter wooded neighborhoods such as Baltimore Canyon, placed there long before autos arrived in Marin. To the right are the level, sunny neighborhoods that were slowly built up on the shallow banks of the bay (see Heather Gardens and Meadowood). The town stretches eastward to the San Francisco Bay with its waterfront Larkspur Marina neighborhood. 

This drone video of Larkspur shows Larkspur from the bay, arrayed along the Corte Madera Creek, to the foothills of Mt. Tamalpais. Hidden from the drone are the beautiful wooded streets and older homes in the hills on the west side of town and the charming downtown. 

Shared with neighboring Corte Madera, the Larkspur-Corte Madera School District is highly regarded. Note that students living in the Greenbrae section of Larkspur may be assigned to the Kentfield School District, also excellent. Outstanding Redwood High School serves Larkspur and several surrounding towns. 

Larkspur Real Estate

Property Values

See our market report for the price of homes sold in Larkspur over the last month and last two years. 

New Listings

Most Expensive Homes

Least Expensive Homes

Living in Larkspur

Community Information

• City of Larkspur
• Larkspur Library is a classic reading room on the 1st floor of the city hall building
• Larkspur Chamber of Commerce
• Larkspur City Data
• Larkspur Historical Society
• Larkspur Golden Gate Ferry
• Marin Airporter. Great way to commute to the San Francisco Airport.
• Piper Park

The Annual Fourth of July Parade is not to be missed!

Walking, Biking & Hiking

The area offers a wide variety of outdoor hiking trails on Mt. Tamalpais and King Mountain.

The old railroad tracks are now a beautiful, level walking and cycling path that extends from Corte Madera to Kentfield and out across the marsh toward San Francisco Bay. Follow the trail from its south end near Tamalpais Drive in Corte Madera, or near the Lucky Supermarket downtown.

Favorite Places

The downtown business district extends a few blocks along Magnolia Ave, from Town Hall to the corner of Doheny Dr. There are more shops at the north end of Magnolia Ave, closer to Kentfield. The Marin County Mart, in east Larkspur on Sir Frances Drake Blvd, hosts a collection of shops and popular restaurants.

• Coquelicot, Lovely French shop in the downtown, with unique linens, tableware, and antiques. Always a fun place to stop. Very delightful owners.
• The Lark Theater, a late art deco movie house in the heart of town, has been renovated with comfortable seating. It screens first run Hollywood, independent, and art films. You can purchase wine and snacks in the lobby.
• Folio has the best stationary, custom invitations, and elegant home gifts.
• Jim Corbet’s Hardware is a complete, old-fashioned hardware store. They have everything, including a very good kitchen section. 
• Silver Peso is one of the oldest, funky neighborhood bars in Marin, complete with pool tables and shuffleboard. It’s a good place to meet local residents.

Restaurants

• D.J Chinese Cuisine, across from the city hall, serves traditional Chinese food. A favorite in Marin.
• Emporio Rulli is the best for people watching and tasting the sweetness of Italy–an authentic Italian café. Offering a wide variety of pastries, cookies, coffees, gelato, wines, Italian foods, and interesting kitchen pottery. Very good light lunches.
• Farm House Local on Ward Street, at the main intersection, serves excellent and innovative breakfast and lunch menus. Consistently good. Outdoor patio available.
• Left Bank is French bistro in the historic Blue Rock Inn. Good burgers, Salad Niçoise, and other French standards. Very popular, with a great happy hour and bar. Outdoor seating.
• Locando Marin has exceptional Italian food at reasonable prices – another of Madeline’s favorites.
• Picco in downtown, has elegant, fine food, and one or our favorites. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. The Pizzaria Picco next door gets rave reviews. 
• Perry’s is in a Victorian building among the redwoods at 234 Magnolia Avenue. The best dining is on the patio, under the redwood trees, on a warm afternoon.
• Rustic Bakery may be the finest bakery in Marin; pastries, muffins, bread, even crackers are exceptional. The café is always busy for breakfast and dinner. 

East Larkspur – Marin County Mart

The recently revamped Marin County Mart offers a dozen eateries along with a Food Truck event on Sundays. These are a few favorites:

• Farmshop offers a well made, high-end food.
• Rustic Bakery may be the finest bakery in Marin; pastries, muffins, bread, even crackers are exceptional. The café is always busy for breakfast and dinner.

Hotels

• Courtyard by Marriott Hotel Larkspur Conveniently located near the Larkspur Ferry and Larkspur Landing with restaurants, shops, and transportation, including the Marin Airporter.
• Larkspur Landing Hotel Suite hotels suitable for extended stay and corporate housing. Great location.