The county seat of Marin, San Rafael is large, diverse, eclectic, and historic. That history stretches from California's beginnings, with the 1817 founding of Mission San Rafael on the old El Camino Real, to the construction of the Marin Civic Center in the 1960s. Designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the Civic Center was completed in 1962 and is so futuristic that it pops up in science fiction films. San Rafael still looks to the future thanks to a vibrant downtown redevelopment effort. The focal point of San Rafael’s bustling downtown is the Smith Rafael Film Center, which features a state of the art multiplex cinema that screens independent and foreign films. Within a few blocks of 4th Street, diners can find sushi, Indian, Thai, Italian, Mexican, and Puerto Rican food. Thursday afternoons in the spring and summer find 4th Street hosting a farmers market, which features live music. The neighborhoods of San Rafael are equally distinctive. From the sought after midcentury Eichler homes of Terra Linda, to the Victorians that surround Dominican College and the custom homes of Lucas Valley, San Rafael provides a wide range of price and style. It's also easy to get away from it all in San Rafael. Nearby China Camp State Park is a jewel by the bay, offering a shallow, protected swimming beach, biking and running trails, and a hike-in campground for tents only. The San Rafael City Schools are comprised of eight elementary schools, one K-8 school, one middle school, and three high schools.

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