Marin has reached its goal of meeting or exceeding its reputation across the board in 2025. “Everything they say about us is true, and always has been,” said the county’s press officer. “But we’re always looking for new ways to deepen and reinforce those stereotypes.” She added that Marin’s ability to resemble its own caricature is a collective effort and would not be possible without the participation of the entire community.
That effort has not gone unnoticed by visitors. Bryn Satalaya, of Rhode Island, came to see Muir Woods, but was equally transfixed by the sight of a free-spirited mom with a botox bruise taking up two parking spaces with a Rivian. “You can really see the work they put into corroborating the allegations,” she said. Her husband agreed. "All the rumors I've heard about this place have been confirmed," he said, as a pack of teens in pajama bottoms zoomed by on electric dirt bikes on their way to an upscale outdoor mall. “If anything, I feel like this whole Marin situation has been sugarcoated significantly."
But it isn’t just about how the county is perceived from the outside. Marin has also taken steps to fulfill the worst nightmares of people who grew up in the area. “Every fear I’ve ever had about this place has come to pass,” said Artie Banford, a sixth-generation Marin resident. “But I do respect the steps the county has taken to make me right.”