Downtown San Rafael - San Rafael, CA Area Guide

Like many California cities, San Rafael grew up around a Catholic mission. Mission San Rafael Arcángel was built in 1817 as an adjunct to the mission in San Francisco. It was abandoned in the mid-1940s and eventually demolished. A newer mission stands on Fifth Avenue.

During the hippie heyday of the 1960s, many artists and entrepreneurs tired of the influx of newcomers to the Haight-Ashbury district in San Francisco moved across the Golden Gate Bridge to Fairfax, Larkspur and San Rafael. Notable residents of the area include Fillmore founder Bill Graham, sci-fi novelist Phillip K. Dick, Metallica lead singer James Hetfield, musician Carlos Santana and the legendary Janis Joplin.

To know more about the history of San Rafael and Marin County, visit the Marin History Museum, one block north of Fifth Street.

Fourth Street is where you'll find the majority of restaurants and nightlife venues in downtown San Rafael.

Lotus Chaat and Spices delights local diners with savory treats including samosa, buryani, naan, paneer and other South Indian specialties. Vegan dishes are available. Find Lotus Chaat at 1559 Fourth Street.

Owner/chef Bill Higgins' Whipper Snapper restaurant and sangria bar has been a local favorite for many years. Try the Cuban Cigar spring rolls stuffed with Prather Ranch organic beef and spicy chipotle ketchup. Downtown residents and visitors clamor for chef Bill's Cajun-spiced deep fried calamari with citrus aioli. Sweeten things up with a side of fried plantains.

George's Nightclub provides a big dance floor and live music most nights of the year. The crowd at George's is eclectic -- some nights, the place is full of old rock-and-rollers dancing to the classics, other nights find the place crammed with lively salsa dancers. Check the Website to see who's playing at George's and when.

Although not exactly in the downtown area, Terrapin Crossroads is a world-famous venue and bears mentioning. Owned by Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, Terrapin Crossroads is a great place to grab a bit of New American cuisine with new and old friends. Find Terrapin Crossroads about a mile west of downtown.

The downtown area is very walkable, with numbered streets that run east to west, and lettered streets stretching north to south. The area is bicycle-friendly too, and most businesses in the area provide a place to park your bike.

Streets in the downtown area have metered parking, which is strictly enforced. If you plan to drive and park downtown, expect to return to your car periodically to feed the meter.

Marin Transit moves people around San Rafael for $2 one-way. Get on or off the bus at several locations on Fourth Street. Golden Gate Transit will take you across the bridge into to San Francisco for $6.25.

Route 101, also known as El Camino Real, is a north-south thoroughfare that extends south to San Francisco and San Diego and northward into the state of Washington.

Uber is a popular transportation option for riders who need a ride in town or across the Golden Gate Bridge.

Several excellent public parks sit only a few minutes away from the downtown area. Sun Valley Park provides a fenced-in kiddie playground, a barbecue area, picnic tables and clean restrooms. There's also a big grassy area for dogs. The small community park is located at Solano and K streets. Three-and-a-half acre Gerstle Park provides walking areas, marked hiking trails, picnic tables, playground equipment and a great place for a dog to meet new friends.

Peacock Gap Golf Course has been a favorite Bay Area course since 1960. Celebrities Bing Crosby, Kirk Douglas, Dean Martin and Bob Hope golfed here in the Marin Invitational Tournament of Stars in 1964. Head east on 4th Street, and you can drive to the course in fewer than 15 minutes.

George Lucas wrote the Star Wars stories while living in San Rafael, and Imagination Park commemorates his achievement. The little city park has no playground, picnic tables or barbecue pits, but there's a fountain area with statues of Indiana Jones and Yoda. The park's less than 2 miles from downtown San Rafael.

Residence in downtown San Rafael doesn't come cheap, but locals who live here seem happy to pay more to dwell in the town that ranked #399 on Forbes magazine's list of the 500 most expensive American zip codes in 2014.

The cost of living in downtown San Rafael is more than double that of the national average. A one-bedroom apartment runs about $2,150 on average, and a gallon of gas costs more than 20 percent more here than in most other American towns. Expect to pay $6 for a draft Lagunitas IPA and $7 for a Death and Taxes Black Ale. A cab ride in downtown San Rafael costs $2.75 plus 30 cents every 1/10 of mile.

Shopping opportunities are abundant in the downtown area. The Fourth Street corridor presents a lively mix of locally owned eateries, coffee houses, art galleries, cafés and community gathering places.

Andy's Sun Valley Market stocks an extensive range of grocery and sundry items to suit every taste. Here you can buy grass-fed local beef, organic veggies, top shelf liquor and wines from nearby vineyards in Sonoma and Napa. Be sure to check out the deli department and pizza bar. Andy's is open seven days a week. For specialty foods and groceries, visit Brazil Marin Store. Take home a bag of pao de queijo mix to bake up a batch of authentic Brazilian cheese bread at home.

The 2nd Fridays Art Walk is a downtown San Rafael tradition. On the second Friday of every month, Fourth Street merchants band together to present special art exhibits, live music and refreshments.

San Rafael’s Downtown Farmers Market on Fourth Street happens Thursday evenings from April through September. More than a place to purchase locally sourced organic veggies and fresh flowers, the one-of-a-kind weekly event features live music, prepared foods, handcrafted art, a “Meet Your City Council” booth and a play area for the kids.