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Marin Buzz Dinner Club Returns on August 26
Back in January, we tried an experiment. People loved it so much, we’ve done it eight more times, with some of the same people returning time and again. The Marin Buzz Dinner Club.
After taking some time off for the summer, we are excited it will come back to Tiburon and Fairfax on Wednesday 8/26. You take a short personality quiz, then are assigned a restaurant and group of Marin neighbors you’ll meet at your table of 6 (yes, you can join as a couple or friends). Optional afterparty to follow. Go here to get sign up.
Then on August 29 we return to Eria Sausalito for a fun Michael Jackson birthday celebration. Lock in your $20 early bird pricing now.
For over twenty years, Marin shoppers walked past a Lawrence Halprin landscape on their way to buy socks.
The guy who designed Ghirardelli Square. He designed Sea Ranch. He designed the FDR Memorial in D.C. That Halprin.
Two masters created the Northgate mall in San Rafael. The outdoor Northgate mall, that is. The buildings were by Welton Becket of Capitol Records Tower fame.
There were reflecting pools, a sculptural fountain in a central plaza, raised natural stone planters, and long slatted wood benches. The Emporium was the anchor.
Halprin lived down the road in Kentfield. The project finished in the mid-1960s.
Then it vanished. The Halprin mall has been gone since 1986.
In 1985, Macerich bought Northgate. New owners of aging malls do one thing: spend money to catch up.
There was catching up to do. The Village at Corte Madera had just opened with a Nordstrom — the hottest retailer in America. Northgate was twenty-one years old. Suddenly the old one.
The fix was the industry standard: enclosure. Since the fifties, roofing over an open-air center had been the answer to every question in the mall business. Climate control. Longer visits. Department stores demanded it. By 1985, open-air didn't read as elegant. It read as dated.
Courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design Architectural Archives, Lawrence Halprin Collection
So in 1986, the roof went on. Glass panels over the walkway. Separate buildings fused into what the city's own consultants would later call "essentially... a new, massive building." The Halprin landscape? "Completely removed." Their words.
Nobody fought it. Mid-century design was deeply out of fashion. Halprin was still working, and living designers don't count as historic. The National Register won't even look at a building until it turns fifty. Northgate was twenty-two.
There was no category for what was being lost. So it was lost.
Today there’s another major Northgate mall redevelopment project. And this time Northgate is old enough that the review had to ask: is Northgate historic? The consultants said yes. The famous names alone put it in reach.
Then they said it didn't matter. The mall "does not retain its integrity of design, materials, or workmanship." Not eligible for the National Register. Not the California Register. Not even a city landmark.
Historic status wouldn't have stopped the wrecking ball, but it would have forced a reckoning. Studies. Alternatives. A fight.
Instead: nothing.
What would Northgate be today if the roof had never gone on?
Carson Falls by Michael J. Padilla
If you’d like to be considered for Scenic Photo of the Week (nature, architecture, wildlife, etc.), please fill this out!
Because leaving Marin might take more planning. Look for our Marin events in the Wednesday email.
Tony Gemignani (one of the biggest names in pizza) is behind this fun event in Washington Square Park. All you can eat pizza and bagels. Four beers included as well. 8/15, noon-4, $96.
Witness adults sharing their teen diaries in front of strangers. Maybe you’ve heard the podcast or seen it on Netflix? 8/13, 7:30pm, $27.
This event pulls in people from all over for "America's Biggest Accordion Party." $23 in advance, kids are free.
Zillow of the Week brought to you by: Making Marin Home. From neighborhood trends to off-market opportunities, our team offers the local real estate expertise that gives you a real advantage. Email [email protected] today.
Please note that this property isn’t associated with the banner sponsor above or Marin Buzz in any way. It is just a unique home you might be interested in seeing, for entertainment purposes only!
$779k Small Home in San Anselmo
How many people move from San Francisco to Marin County and complain about the food options and how far apart everything is?
Well here’s a small home in San Anselmo, right across from Taco Jane’s — a perfect location for a foodie to walk to some of the best restaurants in Marin. The new Tu Tap, Kuro Nami, Creekside Pizza, and two others not yet open (soon at the Hilda’s spot and Woods on the corner is just starting construction).
Not to mention spots just a block farther: Madcap (the only Michelin star in Marin) and Marinitas. Another block you have Comfort’s and Insalata’s. It’s tough to beat the food options on this stretch.
The home is a 1911 build with 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1,347 square feet. What do you think?
Oreo is beloved by all who meet her. She's a regular at the St. Anselm's School pick up line and the unofficial dog mayor of our street in Sleepy Hollow. Oreo is 4 years old.
If you’d like your pet to be considered for Pet of the Week, please fill this out!
Discover Springboard and Platform Diving at Dive Lab
Dive Lab, founded in 2021 by former champion diver and licensed therapist Miranda Maas, is a nonprofit diving program based at the Indian Valley Campus/College of Marin. Built on a holistic philosophy that prioritizes personal growth over podiums, Dive Lab blends diving, mindfulness, strength training, and even circus skills to create confident, healthy athletes. Serving participants ages 6 to 60, the program fosters community, resilience, and joy in and out of the pool. Learn more about our year-round program, explore the last few weeks of Summer Dive Camp, or visit our website to discover how we’re changing the future of club sports.
Thanks for reading. We will be back with the regular events and activities email Wednesday morning!
