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In Scottish, Greenbrae means "green hillside"—-a name reflecting its pastoral history, first as a ranchero, and later a dairy farm owned by the Catholic Church. Previously a land of rolling grass-covered hills and placidly grazing cows, over the latter part of the 20th century Greenbrae grew to become a thriving independent community.

Yet, Greenbrae remains somewhat of a mystery to county residents—-in some ways even to its own community members.

Greenbrae is an unincorporated part of Marin County, and its borders run loosely from Highway 101 near the Sir Francis Drake Boulevard on-ramp in the east to the dividing line of Manor Road in the west, and from Corte Madera Creek in the south to the northern ridgeline with San Rafael. The borders aren't clearly defined because half of the homes in Greenbrae are actually within the city boundaries of Larkspur. Many of the streets in Greenbrae have a patchwork pattern of houses that are in and out of the city of Larkspur. It's not uncommon for one resident to pay taxes to Larkspur while the adjoining neighbor pays taxes only to the county. Many houses with Greenbrae addresses are within the Larkspur city limits.

If figuring out which home is in the city or in the unincorporated area isn't hard enough, figuring out who claims county public spaces can be nigh impossible. One example is Creekside Park: a grassy commons right next to the Corte Madera Creek, Marin Catholic High School and a protected marshland. That park and its connected marsh area are sometimes claimed by both residents of Kentfield and Greenbrae (in truth, the park is in Greenbrae).

In this confusion over what belongs where, Greenbrae residents often seem to be the only people in the county who know what Greenbrae encompasses.

Most of the homes in Greenbrae are situated in the hills north of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, many enjoying views of Mt. Tamalpais, the bay and marshland. This hodgepodge of apartments, condos and multi-family complexes, mostly clustered behind Bon Air Shopping Center, runs out to Corte Madera Creek. The Greenbrae Boardwalk is a small, tight-knit community of houseboats and homes perched on pillars sunk into the marsh. Unknown to many Greenbrae residents, it floats out near Highway 101 and the Corte Madera Marsh State Ecological Reserve.

Over the years, as Greenbrae has blossomed, residents and developers have made a special effort to keep the community's great oaks alive and build around them. Accordingly, many neighborhoods are filled with greenery, and it isn't unusual to see 100-year-old oaks on the sides of the road. The Greenbrae Property Owners Association acts as a liaison between Greenbrae and the outside world, enforcing building restrictions and common neighborhood landscaping laws. (Chopping down trees, for instance, is rarely allowed.)

Though Greenbrae is home to people from many walks of life, residents still have a strong sense of community. Neighbors smile while passing each other on the narrow sidewalks, and on many streets there is a welcome party when newbies move to town. Evidence of the tight community can be found in such socially oriented deed restrictions as limiting fence height, which renders casual conversation between neighbors practically a daily ritual.

But the hamlet's history long predates suburban bliss. The areas of Greenbrae, Ross Valley and the tip of the San Quentin peninsula started as part of the Rancho Punta de Quentin, which was granted by Governor Juan Bautista Valentine Alvarado to ship-trader Juan Cooper in 1840. This expansive parcel changed hands many times throughout the ensuing years (changing size with each new deed holder). During this time it was also converted into a huge dairy ranch before being sold to the Catholic diocese of San Francisco.

The area remained in the hands of the church until 1940, when land-developer Niels Schultz bought it from the church and began its metamorphosis into modern-day Greenbrae. With houses in development, neighborhoods being created and families moving in, there was another important ingredient needed: a place to shop. And as everyone in Greenbrae knows, that place became Bon Air Shopping Center.

The first store, the Bon Air Super Market, opened in the early 1950s. Almost immediately, more shops were added and Bon Air became the place to go for mid-century community members. Residents would meet each other during the day in the shops, and Bon Air grew to become the unofficial town center.

Over the years, the Bon Air Super Market changed hands and names (it has been a pharmacy, Petrini's market and is currently a bustling Mollie Stone's.) Bon Air has expanded from its humble beginnings to include more than 50 stores of all kinds—-from restaurants to supermarkets to small and expensive boutiques.

With the addition of the Bon Air Shopping Center, Shultz's dream of a fully functioning community was almost complete. Greenbrae had homes of all types, from apartments to single-family houses, as well as places to shop, dine or relax. But it still lacked two important features: a school and a hospital.

Greenbrae Elementary School was completed in 1951 and immediately enrolled students. The school was small at first, but soon added classes and multi-purpose rooms. Over the next two decades the school thrived. But attendance waned in the 1970s and, like many schools throughout the country, Greenbrae Elementary was forced to close. It shut its doors for good in 1981. Since then, Greenbrae kids have attended schools in the Kentfield School District, which is composed of Bacich Elementary and A.E. Kent Middle School.

But Greenbrae's most defining ingredient was yet to come: Marin General Hospital. There were two neighboring hospitals at the time of Greenbrae's inception, but neither could handle the rising Marin population, let alone serve the growing Greenbrae community. County residents realized this and approved funds for a state-of-the-art hospital. The site at Bon Air Road was chosen and construction started in 1950. Opening in 1952, Marin General quickly became the primary healthcare facility in the county.

With the hospital, Greenbrae had finally developed into the kind of self-contained community Schultz had envisioned. The buildings may have changed over the years and some local services have come and gone, but the essence of the town has remained largely the same. It's still the same mishmash of Republicans and Democrats, families and singles, wealthy and middle-class wage earners.

Greenbrae residents may be a blend of different people, but most take pride in their community and share an appreciation for the "green hillsides" they call home.

Greenbrae at a Glance

Fire Station: Kentfield Fire Department, 1004 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.

Library: Larkspur City Hall, first floor; 400 Magnolia Ave.

Park: Creekside Park, Bon Air Road (across from Marin General Hospital)

Post Office: 822 College Ave., Kentfield

Public Schools: Bacich Elementary School, A.E. Kent Middle School, Kentfield; Redwood High School, Larkspur

Did You Know? Drake's Plate, the plate originally planted by Sir Francis Drake to mark that area as belonging to England, was allegedly found on top of one of the hills in Greenbrae.

— Sabina Chapman

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