Marin’s Sleepy Hollow Is Ideal for Families

Cataract Falls
Cataract Falls is one of many beautiful trails near Marin County’s Sleepy Hollow community.

Not to be confused with the New York village from the short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” Marin County’s Sleepy Hollow is a family-friendly community nestled in unincorporated San Anselmo at the Fairfax border.

Known familiarly as “the Hollow,” the community has been home to a dairy farm; a secret ammunition storage depot for the U.S. Army; the country’s second-largest play-as-you-go golf course; and a lavish mansion complete with theater, dance pavilion, and many well-attended parties.

Today, it’s one of the best places in Marin to raise a family.

“You get a lot more for your money there,” one of Pacific Union International’s top Marin agents said. “The homes are larger, the schools are great, and it’s peaceful.”

Sleepy Hollow includes about 800 homes of varied styles, such as traditional, modern, Spanish, and ranch, as well as 15 custom-built Eichler homes — something for everyone. Sleepy Hollow homes for sale tend to range in price from about $800,000 to $2.5 million.

Many neighborhood children attend Brookside Elementary School, which earned a state Academic Performance Index, or API, score of 946 out of 1,000 in 2012; White Hill Middle School (API 923), and Sir Francis Drake High School (API 850). There are also several private schools nearby, and the neighborhood boasts its own early-education option, the Sleepy Hollow Nursery School.

Sleepy Hollow is located near numerous amenities. The town of Fairfax, less than a mile away, is home to an eclectic collection of shops and Good Earth Natural Foods, the local organic health market.

The nearby Red Hill Shopping Center features a Safeway and other stores. Downtown San Anselmo offers a variety of restaurants, shops, and the San Anselmo Coffee Roastery, a favorite spot among locals for sipping coffee, chatting, and listening to music.

For outdoor enthusiasts, there are numerous hiking trails in Sleepy Hollow and surrounding areas, including the Cataract Falls waterfall hike, particularly spectacular after a rainstorm.

A strong sense of community may be Sleepy Hollow’s most noteworthy quality. Around three quarters of residents belong to the Sleepy Hollow Homeowner’s Association, and the community includes a clubhouse and pool, which is home to the Marin Swim League’s top team, the Sleepy Hollow Sea Lions.

The Boy Scouts of America San Anselmo Troop 50 has called Sleepy Hollow home for the past 60 years. Neighborhood events include the annual 4th of July Parade and BBQ, summer happy hours, and a holiday children’s party.

“It’s like a retro experience,” a second Pacific Union agent said of Sleepy Hollow. “People are walking and riding bikes. Sleepy Hollow is its own little neighborly community.”

Perhaps the only downside to living in Sleepy Hollow is its single access road, the 2-mile Butterfield Road. But not everyone thinks having just one way in and out of town is a bad thing.

As resident Karen Martin told Marin Magazine, “We’re all by ourselves out here. There’s a lot of ‘togetherness’ among us.”

(Photo of Cataract Falls by Satosphere, via Flickr.)

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