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Novato
Explore top-rated local businesses, hidden gems, and real local recommendations in Novato.
More space, family rhythm, and practical access.
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Audio story: Bouncy Balls and Open Spaces in Novato - a short listening guide about Novato's open-space culture, family rhythm, and North Marin atmosphere.
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Novato offers room to breathe: broader streets, suburban ease, and a practical base for exploring the county.
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Best things to do in Novato
- Visit Grant Avenue and Hamilton for a mix of local history, art spaces, and neighborhood dining.
- Get outside at Mount Burdell or nearby preserves for wide-open North Marin trail views.
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Hidden gems
- Slow weekend loops through older corridors
- Low-stress basecamp strategy for northbound days
About
Novato, California — Marin's Largest City by Area, Gateway to Wine Country, and North Bay's Most Underappreciated Gem
Novato is the place in Marin that quietly overdelivers. As the county's northernmost city, it blends open land, deep history, and everyday livability in ways that surprise visitors expecting a typical suburb. With broad neighborhoods, protected natural space, a historic downtown corridor, strong arts institutions, and direct access to North Bay wine and farm country, Novato offers one of Marin's most complete full-day and full-weekend experiences.
From Coast Miwok Villages to California Statehood History
Long before modern development, Coast Miwok communities lived across what is now Novato. Their legacy remains central to understanding the area's creeks, wetlands, oak landscapes, and settlement patterns. Nearby Olompali and surrounding historic sites connect Novato directly to key chapters of California's transition period, including land-grant history and pivotal statehood-era events.
Hamilton Field — From Military Base to Arts and Innovation District
Hamilton's transformation is one of Novato's defining modern stories. What was once a major military base evolved into a mixed neighborhood of homes, businesses, parks, and repurposed historic structures. Today, Hamilton also anchors major cultural activity through the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art and a district identity that blends architecture, creative workspaces, and bay-adjacent setting.
Open Space at Scale — Novato's Outdoor Advantage
Novato's extensive open space network gives the city a rare sense of room in the Bay Area. Trails, preserves, and parks are embedded across the city footprint and connect residents to hiking, riding, wildlife viewing, and seasonal landscapes. From Mount Burdell climbs to wetland edges and family-friendly day parks, Novato supports a wide range of outdoor use without requiring long drives.
Downtown Grant Avenue and Community Traditions
Downtown Novato retains historic texture and practical local energy, with legacy buildings, independent businesses, and gathering spaces that still function as civic center points. Weekly market activity, live music, and annual events help keep Grant Avenue active across seasons, while major celebrations like the Fourth of July parade reinforce Novato's unusually strong community participation culture.
Wine, Agriculture, and North Bay Positioning
Novato sits at a strategic crossroads between West Marin agricultural landscapes and Sonoma-Napa wine corridors. That geography shapes local tasting, farm-adjacent food experiences, and scenic driving loops. Within short distances, visitors can combine downtown dining, winery stops, and classic meadow picnic settings in ways that feel distinctly Northern California.
Neighborhood Range and Regional Access
From historic Old Town blocks to Hamilton, Bel Marin Keys, San Marin, and Indian Valley, Novato's neighborhoods span a wide variety of housing forms and lifestyle patterns, including waterfront edges, equestrian-friendly areas, and mountain-adjacent communities. Direct Highway 101 and Highway 37 access, SMART train stations, and regional transit links make Novato both well connected and easy to use as a base for exploring greater Marin and the North Bay.
Pro tip: Give Novato a full weekend. Start Saturday downtown for the Grant Avenue market, hike Mount Burdell in the afternoon, and do dinner in a lively beer-garden setting. On Sunday, drive Novato Boulevard to Marin French Cheese for a meadow picnic, then loop through Hamilton and finish at Marin MOCA. That two-day plan shows why Novato rewards people who stay longer than a quick stop.
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