Community spotlight: Kentfield

Nestled at the feet of Mount Tamalpais, you will find the unincorporated town of Kentfield. The small town is home to people who not only love living close to nature, but also want easy access to everything San Francisco has to offer. Almost every house in Kentfield is blessed with a spectacular view, whether it is of the mountain, Bay or lush redwood forest canopy.

There’s a reason Kentfield has some of Marin county’s most expensive real estate and why celebrities such as Sean Penn have called the town home over the years.

History

For centuries, the members of the Miwok tribe roamed the land where Kentfield now sits, although they never made any permanent settlements there. In 1871, Albert Kent bought the land that would later become Kentfield and began to cultivate it, building his sprawling estate.

A town gradually grew up around the Kent estate. Kent’s son, William, would go on to become a Congressman from California, helping lead an effort to extend federal protection to the nearby Muir Woods. The town never incorporated and is now controlled by Marin County.

Life in Kentfield

Ever since Albert Kent began construction on his stately manor, the homes of Kentfield have been magnificent. Just driving through the town, it is easy to miss even some of the largest homes because local land use laws and regulations require homes to blend into the surrounding environment as much as possible. The homes in Kentfield are designed to compliment the natural beauty of the area — not supplant it.

Only 6,500 people permanently live in Kentfield, and the median income of the town is $154,000. Homes rarely go up for sale here, and when they do, they are often listed privately and almost always sold quickly. Homes range in price from $800,000 to over $10 million.

Many of the local schools are winners of the California Distinguished School award. Residents attend nearby Redwood High School in Larkspur, which is consistently one of the best high schools in California. Kentfield also boasts the College of Marin, which is well known for its outstanding drama program that has sent students on to the prestigious Juilliard, including Robin Williams.

Kentfield is about a 40-minute drive away from the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco. Many local commuters use the nearby Larkspur Ferry to cross the Bay into the City.

Entertainment and Recreation

Kentfield itself is a quiet town, but after a short drive residents can find themselves anywhere from the boutiques of San Francisco to the Mill City Film Festival in neighboring Larkspur. Gourmet food and high-end shopping malls are also within easy driving distance.

Anyone more inclined to be outdoors can find some of the best hiking within walking distance from town. Mount Tamalpais has hundreds of miles of scenic hikes and world-famous mountain bike trails. From Kentfield, you also have easy access to the Muir Woods National Park and the Point Reyes National Scenic Shoreline.

Kentfield is a unique American town. It has some of the most sought after real estate in the country. While many incredible homes can be found here, it’s not the palatial mansions that make the real estate so valuable for most. Instead, it is the one-of-a-kind views that inspire people to pay so much to live here.

Behzad Zandinejad is a Marin County real estate broker associate with Decker Bullock Sotheby’s International Realty.