If you love the Golden State Warriors and Steph Curry then you’re going to love Atherton. Steph moved to Atherton in 2019 because: “safety and privacy for us and our kids continues to be our top priority”.  Safety and privacy also drive other pro athletes and tech billionaires to pick Atherton among the many wealthy enclaves in the area. We kid about needing to love Steph in order to appreciate what’s great about Atherton but hey, if the wealthiest and most popular pro athlete in the bay thinks they can raise their children safely, privately and successfully in Atherton maybe it can work for you? 

Steph

The Best Thing About Atherton?

Atherton is frequently rated the #1 most wealthy town in the country. That in and of itself isn’t a bad thing. It can and does however at times limit the social aspects of the town as people who move here are in part doing so to escape random social interactions. There are no commercial or communal spaces in Atherton, except a single park, an equestrian center called [**Menlo Circus Club**](https://www.menlocircusclub.com/), and schools. Locals appreciate the limited/non-existent commercial or development activities happening as they’re paying absolutely top dollar to be protected in a peaceful, secluded community. Many will like this seclusion, many will find it off-putting. 


"Money don't get everything, it's true but what it don't get, I can't use"  - The Flying Lizards

The Worst Thing About Atherton?

Atherton is very small, only 7k residents, but also very roomy as the few residents live on lots zoned for a minimum 1 acre. It’s purely residential and also very intentionally rural, at least for a town in the middle of the action of silicon valley. The streets are all heavily tree-lined, with massive oaks, redwoods and cedars, and no sidewalks. The estates here are built for residents to enjoy their time on their own property not out in communal spaces. If and when people go out on weekends or at night they head to neighboring cities like Menlo Park or Palo Alto for a drink or a meal. 

Within the city it comes down to just a few things: 
1) [**Menlo Circus Clu**b](https://www.menlocircusclub.com/) is the most exclusive club in Silicon Valley. An invitation is required but it includes access to a stunning Olympic-sized swimming pool, tennis courts, a gym to rival Equinox, and an equestrian center with riding  programs and camps for children, along with fine dining and a wedding and event venue.
2) [**Holbrook Palmer Park**](https://www.ci.atherton.ca.us/180/Holbrook---Palmer-Park) is Atherton’s only public recreation site. It’s 22-acres of beautiful gardens and walking paths. Indoor and outdoor facilities including a ball field, tennis courts, and a children’s playground, along with three structures available for event rental. It’s also doggo friendly as long as you keep Rover on a leash. 

Setting aside these two community options the city is dominated by social interactions via the local public and private schools, all of which are top notch. Expect the best of everything in school sports, extracurriculars and overall educational experiences. If you want to understand the social side of life in Atherton it starts and ends with the experiences they have through the schools.


Lifestyle of Atherton

Atherton is zoned within the [**Sequoia Union**](https://www.niche.com/k12/d/sequoia-union-high-school-district-ca/) and [**Menlo Park City**](https://www.niche.com/k12/d/menlo-park-city-elementary-school-district-ca/) School Districts. Both are A+ rated on niche.com. School options include: Encinal Elementary School (Public, K-5), Las Lomitas Elementary School (Public, K-3), Laurel Elementary, (Public, K-5), Sacred Heart School (Private, PK-12) and Menlo-Atherton High School (Public, 9-12). While in some cities you pay close attention to which neighborhood you move into in case you get zoned for an underperforming school, that’s just not an issue in Atherton, they’re all excellent choices.


Schools in Atherton

The present Warriors "Dream Team" is shooting for their 5th title and moving to Atherton is a statement that you’re winning multiple wealth-accumulation titles as well. There are plenty of other amazing and wealthy communities to put on your shortlist if you can pay the freight: Hillsborough, Woodside, Palo Alto etc., but living in Atherton is just a slight notch above when it comes to it’s community of Dream-Teamers. 


A Fifth Ring

Why You Should Move Here Now?

Lindenwood is a very quiet, upscale neighborhood enjoyed by locals for long strolls and family bike rides along the oak-filled and minimally trafficked blocks. It’s right next to Downtown Menlo Park so locals get the privacy and the easy access/walkability/bikability to restaurants, bars and cafes. It is a car dependent neighborhood, but you're close enough to bike to many locations.

Lindenwood also is home to [**Holbrook Palmer Park**](https://www.ci.atherton.ca.us/180/Holbrook---Palmer-Park), Atherton’s only public park, so families get the greatest access to outdoor play on the 22 acres of open spaces, gardens and indoor/outdoor sports facilities. 

Families are zoned for either Laurel Elementary or Encinal Elementary and then Menlo-Atherton High School – all A+ rated.  The median sales price in Lindenwood is $6m+. The average price per sq ft is $1.81k. 


Families

Lindenwood

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**](https://adelanteselby.rcsdk8.net/). High school students are zoned for Menlo-Atherton High School and both are A+ rated options. 


Lloyden Park

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**](https://encinal.mpcsd.org/), which is a walk or short bike ride for locals. Middle-schoolers attend [**Hillview Middle School**](https://hillview.mpcsd.org/) and then graduate to [**Menlo-Atherton High School**](https://www.mabears.org/), all A+ schools. Of course there are also excellent private school options including [**Sacred Heart**](https://www.shschools.org/), a popular k-12 option. 


Atherton Oaks

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**](https://www.menloschool.org/) and [**Sacred Heart School**](https://www.shschools.org/). It’s also zoned for the public [**Las Lomitas Elementary School**](https://ll.llesd.org/Our-School/About-Las-Lomitas/index.html) 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. 


West Atherton

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**](https://www.sharonheightsgcc.com/) on the south side and [**Menlo Country Club**](https://www.menlocc.com/) 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. 


West of the Alameda

Atherton

**What's it like to live in Atherton?**

Atherton is a suburb of San Jose with a population of 7,168. Atherton is in San Mateo County and is one of the best places to live in California. Living in Atherton offers residents a rural feel and most residents own their homes. In Atherton there are a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many retirees live in Atherton and residents tend to have moderate political views. The public schools in Atherton are highly rated.

-Median Home Value: 2,000,001 USD

-Compared to National: 217,500 USD

-Median Rent: 3,501 USD

-Compared to National: 1,062 USD

-93% are Homeowners

Ranks:

Best suburbs to Live in California: #55 of 524

Best Places to Retire in California: #61 of 816

Best Suburbs to Raise a Family in California: #62 of 524

**What is the best part about living in Atherton, California?**

It’s a great place to live if you can afford it.

Atherton, 94027, is the most expensive zip code in the United States, with average sales price of homes at almost $7.5M for the fifth straight years. It has the highest per capita income among cities of its size. It’s only a 20 minutes drive from the technology and innovation capital of the world Silicon Valley.

Past and present notable residents include Microsoft founder Paul Allen, HP CEO Meg Whitman, Google chairman Eric Schmidt, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, brokerage magnate Charles Schwab, baseball great Willie Mays, football great Jerry Rice and Dancing with the Stars’ Cheryl Burke.

NBA Golden State Warriors’ super star Steph Curry bought a mansion there in 2019 for $31M.

It’s a city of the rich and famous. You’ll be rubbing elbows with the elites.

**What's it like to live in Atherton?**

Atherton is nice. It used to make a difference if you lived in West Atherton, home of the huge, gate-bedecked lots, or if you lived in Lindenwood, the (ostensibly) warmer, more accessible subdivision. But lots in Lindenwood, which were around $1.5 in 1999 are now around $4m. And with that price comes a level of ... expectation that's a bit different than your typical neighborhood. People smile .. and keep walking. Almost zero cultural involvement with neighbors or within the town. Everyone's booked. They have their friends, their coteries, and they're incredibly busy. I've been to "Town parties" where nobody really talked to the new people.

Best things about Atherton: Nobody bothers you. You can pretty much do whatever you want, and everybody will leave you alone. The police department is the best, ever. If you're nervous and your husband is out of town, they'll come over with a flashlight and walk through your entire yard, just to help out. They are warm, friendly, and you can leave your key there when you go on vacation. :-) (Google Atherton Police Blotter for amusement.) And although it sometimes gets targeted for thievery, it's very safe.

If you have small children and you want them town-socialized, I'd suggest Palo Alto. If you want sculpted perfection, then I'd suggest Menlo Park, but the schools are quite warm, not a lot of bullying, and there's a nice neighborhood flavor. If you live in Atherton, you live too far away from neighbors to ever give your children the feeling of being part of a neighborhood. Your kids will go to Menlo Park schools (or private), but they won't live where the neighborhood action is.



Atherton, California

Fair Oaks

Looklyloo Score: 82

Reviews

What's it like to live in Atherton?