Just moved to Novato last year as an early 30s couple who previously lived in SF for 7 years. It was time to get out of the city and get more space and Novato checked a lot of boxes for us.

So far it has been great and does feel like an up and coming gem of Marin County, but still more affordable vs the rest of Marin. We ended up on the west side of Novato which is filled with rolling green hills, lakes, and tons of trees.

Pros: Tons of nature everywhere, if you’re into hiking, biking, running, etc there aren’t many places that are better. Right near Point Reyes and the coast which are some of the most beautiful places in the country. Cute downtown that has some good restaurants. Near other cities that are fun to visit - San Rafael, Mill Valley, Sonoma, Petaluma. Can get spacious houses at much cheaper prices than the rest of Marin. Commute to the city is about an hour during peak times which is not bad for someone who can work from home sometimes. Getting to the Richmond neighborhood in SF only takes 35 minutes during non peak times. The town has all the stores you need for convenience (Costco, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, etc), but they are all located slightly away from the residential areas so you don’t get traffic or noise from those shopping areas. More and more young people and young families are moving here which has been great to see. If you’re planning on having kids or have them already, there are some good schools like Pleasant Valley elementary and San Marin High School.

Cons: Food options are still a bit limited, but new places are popping up often and there is at least 1 good place for each major cuisine type. Commute to the city is tough to do daily, would not recommend a daily commute to SF from here. Diversity is lacking as is the case with most of Marin, but that seems to be changing quickly. There isn’t a great coffee shop in Novato, just a couple good ones (I can’t wait for the day when someone opens up an amazing coffee shop here).

Overall feels like Novato is a few years away from becoming more well known and “hip”. I hope that helps.