Atherton, California

Lloyden Park has the most suburban atmosphere of all the neighborhoods in Atherton. Original homes were largely built in the 1920’s and prior with plenty of new mansions and upgrades since those early days. The neighborhood has worked hard to maintain its original home design character and expect to see plenty of Mediterranean’s, Tudors and some Colonials. While the median home price tends to be a bit lower in Lloyden Park, due to smaller lot sizes and proximity to the Caltrain station, recent sales have been in the $6m+ range so it’s still a pricey proposition.

Lloyden Park is the only neighborhood with underground utilities, street lights, and sidewalks. For commuters who prefer taking the train, the Fair Oaks Caltrain station is one block away from the main gates of Lloyden Park, as are Atherton’s library, post office, and town hall so walking to the train, the library and post office are all possible.

Lloyden Park is within the boundaries of the Redwood City School District, and elementary school students attend Selby Lane Elementary School. High school students are zoned for Menlo-Atherton High School and both are A+ rated options.

Atherton Oaks is another great neighborhood for newcomers who prefer proximity to the train station and quickest access to Stanford University and the Stanford Shopping Center. It has the greatest range of home types with some smaller single-story Ranch homes and the original grand old manors from when the wealthy San Franciscans built here so they could be close to the train station.

If you’re looking for a less expensive path into Atherton check out the homes closest to the Caltrain tracks as they run as much as 15% less than those farther west.

Most of the children in the neighborhood are zoned for Encinal Elementary School, which is a walk or short bike ride for locals. Middle-schoolers attend Hillview Middle School and then graduate to Menlo-Atherton High School, all A+ schools. Of course there are also excellent private school options including Sacred Heart, a popular k-12 option.

In the spirit of the motto “Go Big or Go Home” if you want to live in the wealthiest city in the country you might as well look at the most prestigious (and expensive) neighborhood in that same city – which is West Atherton.

It’s all mansions, gated estates, and big lots, which is why tech company CEO’s and sports celebs like Jerry Rice live here.
In addition to the stunning estates West Atherton is also home to the area’s top private schools including Menlo School and Sacred Heart School. It’s also zoned for the public Las Lomitas Elementary School which ranks as high or higher than any public elementary in the area.

West Atherton’s homes are almost entirely blocked from street view by tall lines of bushes or fences and locals covet that privacy. It comes with a price tag as anything below $10m is generally a tear-down and the rebuilds are generally in the $20-$30 million range.

The West of Alameda neighborhood is on the western edge of Atherton and as such the most “rural” of the areas in town. The homes here are beautiful but perhaps more understated than the opulence of West Atherton. Estates west of Alameda stretch up into the hills around the 280 freeway, lending a more secluded and bucolic setting than other neighborhoods and an easy commute for those driving up or down the peninsula. This neighborhood also runs along the Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club on the south side and Menlo Country Club on the north side. If you’re into golf this is your neighborhood.

These “country estates” come at a price. The median listing price for the neighborhood is ~$10.2m with plenty bumping up to the $15m range.