One of the most unique and distinct communities in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sausalito has had an impressive and notable list of famous people that have called the city home at one point or another. Often referenced in their creative works, music, movies, and more Sausalito has had as much an impact on its residents as they have had on it.

A few of the more colorful and memorable residents of Sausalito over the years are listed below.

Sally Stanford – Sometimes known as the “Madam Mayor”, Sally Stanford was a one-time madam in one of the most noted brothels in San Francisco before becoming a city council member in Sausalito and one of the more famous and influential Mayor’s of the city’s history.

Phil Frank – Local historian and locally-famous throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, Phil Frank was the cartoonist and mind behind the wildly successful Farley comic strip.

Jerry Garcia – Venerable leader of the Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia arguably influenced the course of music as we now know it and was proud to call Sausalito his home.

Gina Berriault – An acclaimed and award winning novelist and short story writer most famous for her novels and collections of short stories such as Women in Their Beds, Berriault was a longtime Sausalito resident.

Paul Hawken – Co-founder of the massively popular and renowned garden store Smith and Hawken, Paul Hawken was also a well known environmentalist.

Edith Heath – A well known industrial designer, Heath is well known and loved in Sausalito where her store, Heath Ceramics, has been operating since 1948.

Baby Face Nelson – One of the more iconic names from the “Roaring 20’s” days of American gangsters, legend has it that Baby Face Nelson resided in Sausalito.

Otis Redding – Sitting on a houseboat in the San Francisco Bay in 1967 would inspire the words to the iconic song “Dock of the Bay” that would become the singer/songwriter’s best known classic.

Alan Watts – A renowned 20th century American philosopher, Watts was a proud Sausalito resident. The Sausalito Library currently has one of the largest collections of audio works of his spoken words for loan.

Jean Varda – A Greek artists and well known compatriot of novelist/painter Henry Miller, Varda was also part owner of the famed Vallejo ferryboat.

Mary Tuthill Lindheim – Famous for her sculptures, Mary Tuthill Lindheim was also among those that were the impetus behind the Sausalito Art Fair.

Tim Lincecum – A member of the World Champion San Francisco Giants baseball team as their star pitcher, Lincecum also called Sausalito home at one point.

Shel Silverstein – Known for his many talents, from singing, songwriting, painting, cartooning, and more to his enormously well received children’s books, Silverstein is among the most well known Sausalito residents.

Bill Cosby – Actor, comedian, and spokesman for many community and charitable organizations, “The Cos” spent many years in Sausalito.