Welcome to Sausalito
Hop over the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, and discover Sausalito a delightful community reminiscent of a European seaside village set into steep wooded hillsides and shoreline tidal flats. The waterfront views in many Sausalito homes for sale are world-class, and the proximity to San Francisco makes it a top choice for those who commute the city for work.
Why Buy Sausalito Real Estate?
Living in Sausalito is for those who love being close to water. Whether up in the hills or near the water’s edge, many Sausalito homes for sale have incomparable views of the San Francisco Bay and its surrounding natural beauty.
Naturally, many activities in Sausalito are tied to the waterfront. It’s popular with sailing and kayaking enthusiasts and is home to several yacht clubs and boat marinas. There are three houseboat neighborhoods, where one can own a floating home. There is a ferry service between Sausalito and San Francisco, offering one of the most beautiful ferry rides in the world. A stroll on one of Sausalito's wooden boardwalks is another way to enjoy the aquatic scenery. And of course, a number of the city’s restaurants and shops that sit next to the water, or even over it.
Sausalito’s main thoroughfare, Bridgeway is near the ferry harbor and is filled with cafés, candy shops, ice-cream parlors, art galleries, and boutiques. Nearby Caledonia Street is also popular with locals for its upscale eateries and shops.
Sausalito is home to Fort Baker, a former military base that now houses the Cavallo Point lodge and hotel and the Bay Discovery Museum for children, as well as up-close views of the bridge and bay.
Sausalito is also jam-packed with fun events year-round, starting with the Sausalito Souper Bowl in January all the way to Breakfast with Santa in December. The three-day Sausalito Art Festival, held on Labor Day weekend each year, draws in thousands of art lovers from all over the Bay area and beyond, and features top-notch headline entertainment. Also popular during the summer months is the weekly Jazz and Blues Nights on Friday evenings, with free musical performances, bring-your-own picnics, and an exquisite background of the bay and San Francisco skyline.
Fun Facts & Statistics
Sausalito has a long history of boatbuilding dating all the way back to World War II when it housed a major military shipyard that built a staggering amount of wartime freighters and tankers. Its boatyards have held a variety of vessels, including fishing and other workboats, government-contract vessels, and recreational yachts.
Singer or songwriter Otis Redding was inspired to write one of his most famous songs, "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" during his stay on a houseboat at Waldo Point in Sausalito in 1967. It was his last composition, as he died shortly after the song was recorded in a plane crash while on tour.
Because of its location facing the Golden Gate and isolated from San Francisco by the same waterway, Sausalito was a hot spot for bootlegging during the Prohibition era. It was also a favorite landing spot for rum-runners, who would smuggle illegal alcohol on boats.
Sausalito Nature & Geography
Adjacent to Sausalito is a large swath of land designated as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The GGNRA includes the sweeping Marin Headlands, Fort Baker, Rodeo Beach, Rodeo Lagoon, and the Point Bonita Lighthouse all within walking or short driving distance from Sausalito.
A Perfect Day in Sausalito
Once you’ve found your perfect Sausalito home for sale, it’s time to enjoy all this picturesque waterfront town has to offer.
Start your day at the Lighthouse Café for a Danish-style breakfast. Take a coffee-to-go and stroll down to the stunning waterfront, where you can spy fishermen working on catching dinner.
Then take a mid-morning tour of The Marine Mammal Center, the world's largest marine mammal hospital where you can watch veterinarians and volunteers care for the animals, as well as learn more about ocean conservation. After your visit, enjoy the beautiful Marin Headlands, where you can walk along Rodeo Beach, visit historic sites or hike the coastal trails.
Enjoy a packed picnic lunch on the trail, or venture back to Sausalito and sit down to a delicious catch-of-the-day meal at Fish on the restaurant’s picnic tables near the water.
Take some time to stroll down Bridgeway for a little shopping and perhaps a break at one of several wine tasting rooms, or for chips and salsa at Copita. Keep on going to Viña del Mar Park, the best known and most photographed park in Sausalito, and visit the elephant stone statues that were part of the 1915 World’s Fair in San Francisco.
If you are going upscale for dinner, make a stop at Scoma’s of Sausalito or The Trident, both on the waterfront and known for seafood and steak entrees. For a more casual evening, sit at the sushi bar at Sushi Ran on Caledonia, or stop into Bar Bocce for a sourdough-crust pizza on the patio, and, you guessed it, a game on the restaurant’s bocce ball court a week. Or catch a flick in the art-deco movie theater, which always shows the most recent releases.
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