The prestigious town of Atherton has preserved its character with expansive estates and gorgeous foliage set in the heart of Silicon Valley. With its scenic streets and minimum lot size of one acre, this serene atmosphere has made it one of the most sought after addresses in the country. Atherton residents cherish their town’s rural feel and quiet streets. The town begins in the flatlands then moves westward to the hills by Highway 280. Beautiful foliage, elegant gardens and heritage trees dominate this quiet small community. Seemingly a world away, Atherton actually abuts the downtown Menlo Park shopping district and is a short drive from the bustling downtowns of Palo Alto and Redwood City. Several private schools call Atherton home and the private Menlo Circus Club provides a swim, tennis and equestrian venue for local residents. The Town of Atherton has preserved its character as a scenic, rural, thickly-wooded, residential area. Despite its small size, the town has abundant open space and has its own library and community facilities, including the beautiful Holbrook-Palmer Park. Atherton real estate is strictly residential and very exclusive. Residential properties encompass large luxury estates and upscale homes. From the 1800’s, Atherton was home to a handful of large estates, the summer homes of wealthy San Francisco families. Early residents wanted a town that would not contain businesses. To this day, there is no commercial zoning in Atherton. The era of large estates ended in the 1940s and 1950s, when the extravagant country homes were divided into large parcels, with a minimum size of one acre.
Micro-neighborhoods include Lloyden Park, Lindenwood, West Atherton, Atherton Oaks, and West of Alameda.
Once an agricultural town with many summer cottages, Los Altos is now an affluent bedroom community located of miles south of San Francisco. Los Altos is a residential community that mostly developed between the 1950s and 1970s. Its semi-rural atmosphere is highlighted by roads with broad dirt shoulders and little or no street lighting. The minimum lot size for most homes is one-quarter of an acre. The seven square mile city prides itself on its small town atmosphere, excellent schools, volunteerism, community spirit and family-oriented annual events such as the Kiwanis Pet Parade, Arts & Wine Festival and Festival of Lights Parade. Los Altos is served by several small retail areas, as commercial zones are strictly limited to the downtown area (Los Altos Village) and a few small shopping and office parks lining Foothill Expressway and El Camino Real. Its civic center sits in the middle of an orchard, a remnant of those that once covered the area. The tree lined streets of the six block downtown triangle evoke the quaint, village atmosphere of small town America.
Micro-neighborhoods include Central Los Altos, Country Club, Loyola Corners, North Los Altos, Old Los Altos, Rancho, South Los Altos, Woodland Acres/The Highlands.
A popular address in the Silicon Valley, Menlo Park borders the communities of Palo Alto, Atherton and Redwood City as well as Stanford University. The city is popular for its central location and convenient lifestyle. It is a small town of about 30,000 residents. You see your neighbors in the grocery store and when you walk your kids or your dog down the street. The excellent blend of suburban accommodations and urban conveniences make Menlo Park a great place to call home.
Menlo Park’s thriving downtown on Santa Cruz Avenue services the city as well as the nearby shopping and entertainment districts in Palo Alto and Redwood City. Stanford Shopping Center with 120 stores and restaurants is minutes away from most Menlo Park homes. House is varied and includes turn of the century bungalows, mid century ranchers and some rural-feeling areas. Recent home building has been active as owners have replaced older houses with modern estate-sized homes.
A strong public school system and the presence of several private schools make a Menlo Park address a favorite of school-aged families. All of its schools and community facilities have undergone upgrades within the past five years. A great performing arts center has just been built at the high school. During the summertime, there’s music in the park and different block parties, where they shut off the main avenue. There’s also a summertime arts festival that locals love to bring their friends to. Menlo Park is such a sweet town because it is so small and close-knit. You see your neighbors in the grocery store and when you walk your kids or your dog down the street. The excellent blend of suburban accommodations and urban conveniences make Menlo Park a great place to call home.
Micro-neighborhoods include Apline Road, Sharon Heights, Central Menlo, Allied Arts, Felton Gables, West Menlo Park, Menlo Oaks, Flood Park, Fair Oaks, The Willows.
Palo Alto is one of the world’s great centers for technology and innovation. Whether it’s computers, telecommunications, social networking, biotech, or venture capital, Palo Alto is the engine that turns ideas into reality. Located halfway between San Francisco and San Jose, Palo is the place in Silicon Valley where everything seems to happen. Unlike their more suburban neighbors, Palo Alto residents enjoy the opportunity to stay connected to the pulse, while still maintaining a sense of seclusion and privacy.
While most famous cities are founded near natural resources, Palo Alto was founded upon something even more precious: human progress. This integral elevation of ingenuity and the human spirit runs through the city like a vibrant current of energy. In Palo Alto’s vibrant community, knowledge and business ideas are an integral part of daily life. While similarly affluent cities may isolate neighbors with tall hedges and vast properties, Palo Alto’s layout connects people.
As a hub of innovation, Palo Alto has a gravity that naturally draws influential people and ideas to its center. Even those who live outside the city’s borders are drawn to its 800 bars and restaurants as meeting places for business and socializing. With Palo Alto’s low-key, accessible attitude, you never know whom you might run into or what connections you will make here.
Micro-neighborhoods include Palo Alto Hills, Green Acres, Barron Park, North Palo Alto, South Palo Alto, Midtown, Ventura, College, Old Palo Alto, Green Gables, Crescent Park, Community Center, Professorville, Downtown Palo Alto, Stanford.
Residents of Portola Valley consider their town trail system as the very heart of their community. With miles of trails, the system provides not just hiking, biking and equestrian opportunities for the town’s citizens, but it is also an important walking tie to neighbors, shopping and city schools. The Windy Hill Open Space Preserve supplements the town trail system by offering additional backcountry access and incredible scenic viewing opportunities. Horses and equestrian activity are an important part of Portola Valley’s character. Multiple boarding and riding clubs can be found throughout the town. Horse trails traverse the community and extend well into portions of mid-peninsula open space district. Camping enthusiasts enjoy overnight camping at nearby Portola Redwood State Park. Youth and adult sports are actively supported through a pair of town fields and local swimming and tennis clubs.
While some neighboring affluent communities on the westside of Interstate 280 have restricted commercial enterprises for fear of corporate intrusion, Portola Valley gracefully supports local establishments to serve resident needs. The unobtrusive town center is anchored by the locally owned Robert’s Grocery store. Here both residents and cycling visitors gather to “fuel up” on groceries, prepared gourmet meals and of course, coffee. A gas station, hardware store, several restaurants and professional services offices round out the local town center.
Portola Valley is a great combination of seclusion, outdoor living, natural environment and convenience. It’s a place that ought to be hundreds of mile away, but lies only a couple of minutes from everything on the peninsula. Its secluded, peninsula outdoor lifestyle offers sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of the Valley.
Micro-neighborhoods include Palo Alto Hills, Los Trancos, Portola Valley Ranch, Brookside/Willowbrook, Central Portola Valley, Ladera, Santa Maria/Russell.
Redwood City, at the midpoint of the San Francisco Peninsula, is home to a newly revitalized downtown and a growing number of tech startups. “Climate Best by Government Test” has proudly become the city’s trademark. Downtown Redwood City features the restored Fox Theater, a weekly Farmer’s Market, restaurants and bars, a large theater complex, and weekly summer events at the Courthouse Square, from free live music to tango lessons. Caltrain runs through Redwood City, making for an easy a commute to San Francisco. Many local businesses offer shuttle service from the train station.
Micro-neighborhoods include Centennial, Emerald Hills, Farm Hill, Friendly Acres, Redwood Shores, Woodside Plaza.
Woodside offers a secluded feel and outdoor living. Separated from the ocean by the Santa Cruz Mountains, towering redwoods dominate its western hills, with oaks and eucalyptus in the lower areas. Residents value its privacy, access to nature, large parcels of land and diverse architecture.
This town of 5,287 enjoy local trails, horse farms, open space preserves, a quaint downtown area, an artists’ colony and summer jazz at the beautiful Filoli Garden. Its neighborhoods are a mix of architectural styles and lot sizes.
The small business district includes a few restaurants, Roberts Market, a hardware and horse tack store.. It is home to the famous Bucks restaurant, where many venture capital deals have been inked. Woodside is home to a mix of Silicon Valley movers and shakers – CEOs and venture capitalists, as well as famed musicians and artists.
Horses, hiking and cycling are part of the local culture. Popular cycling routes draw cyclists in droves on the weekends, along Old La Honda Road, Kings Mountain Road, Skyline Boulevard and Highway 94. Woodside is home to several open space preserves, including Purisima Open Space, Huddart County Park, the Phleger Estate and Skeggs Point.
Settlers arrived in the early nineteenth century to log the rich stands of redwoods. Woodside’s first generation of redwoods were used to build San Francisco’s original homes. Lumber was dragged by oxen teams to Redwood Creek, and floated by raft to San Francisco. Its second growth was used to rebuilt San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake. Sequoia redwood trees in Woodside are currently third generation growth.
Many people were attracted to this beautiful valley. Prosperous San Francisco families built country estates in Woodside in the 1800s. Regular stagecoach service to San Francisco was established in 1852. Sawmills were replaced by farms, small cattle ranches and vineyards. Its hillsides and steep ravines are now filled with vines, tended by notable winemakers such as Thomas Fogarty. 555 new houses were built after World War II. This rapid growth alarmed local residents, who feared that their rural haven would be transformed into an urban area. Residents incorporated in 1956 to retain local control and stop urbanization.
Micro-neighborhoods include Hidden Valley, Old La Honda Road, Skywood, Skyline, Central Woodside, Emerald Hills, Woodside Hills, Woodside Glens, Woodside Heights.