The Real Houseboats of Marin County

One of the many fascinating houseboats in Sausalito.

From Wikipedia:

The Sausalito houseboat community consists of more than 400 houseboats of various shapes, sizes, and values, along the north end of town, approximately two miles from downtown.

The roots of the Houseboat Community lie in the re-use of abandoned boats and material after the de-commissioning of the Marin shipyards at the end of World War II. Many anchor-outs came to the area, which created problems with sanitation and other issues. After a series of tense confrontations in the 1970s and 1980s additional regulations were applied to the area and the great majority of boats were relocated to approved docks. Several are architect-designed pieces that have been featured in major magazines.