Belmont, California

One of the best things about living in Belmont is the setting. The city sits between the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west and the San Francisco Bay to the east. These are two of the most beautiful places in California and so living here means that every single day you get to look at these two beauties. They aren’t only amazing to look at though, in addition to providing breathtaking views they also provide world class opportunities for outdoor recreation. And these opportunities are available to you every single day you live in Belmont.

So this is a weird answer given there are cities nearby like San Mateo and Palo Alto that have much more expensive home prices. Belmont however is supposed to be a wonderful but more affordable alternative to its super-schmancy neighbors. With a median home price well above $2m it’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world that thinks of Belmont as a reasonable option, particularly when it’s missing the downtown experience that cities like Palo Alto and San Mateo offer.

Belmont is mostly a suburban place with lots of parks and outdoor spaces including: Twin Pines Park - a favorite with locals due to its truly secluded and bucolic walking trails, picnic areas, playgrounds, and a community center for play and local events. Waterdog Lake Park is another popular option, built for hiking and the nature passionate with plenty of scenic trails and tons of birdwatching. Finally, Cipriani Park is big with families due to the sports fields, tennis courts, big playground and to many the most important part, a huge dog park for fido to run around.

Belmont doesn’t have a true downtown, mostly restaurants along El Camino, including Vivace Ristorante: An Italian restaurant good for date night or family night. The Van’s Restaurant, which has excellent seafood and steak and a great view of the Bay, and Godfather's Burger Lounge: A popular spot for juicy burgers and gourmet milkshakes. Ultimately though for real nightlife you’ll need to pop down to Palo Alto or up to San Francisco.