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.   

The Setting

The Best Thing About 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. 

High Home Prices without a Downtown

The Worst Thing About Belmont? 

Belmont is mostly a suburban place with lots of parks and outdoor spaces including: [**Twin Pines Park**](https://www.belmont.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/208/702) - 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**](https://www.belmont.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/10/702) is another popular option, built for hiking and the nature passionate with plenty of scenic trails and tons of birdwatching. Finally, [**Cipriani Park**](https://www.belmont.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/14/702) 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. 


Lifestyle of Belmont

Belmont shares an [**elementary school district**](https://www.niche.com/k12/d/belmont-redwood-shores-elementary-school-district-ca/) with Redwood Shores. The overall niche.com grade for the district is a B+ with academics coming in at an A-. As with many Cali school districts the schools suffer a bit in extracurriculars even if the teachers and academics are highly rated. Belmont High Schools are part of the [**Sequoia Union High School District**](https://www.niche.com/k12/carlmont-high-school-belmont-ca/?map), that also includes Atherton, Menlo Park and parts of other neighboring cities. The district rates A+ on niche.com and Carlmont High School in Belmont is one of the true gems in the area so you can look forward to high school for your kiddos if you end up here. 

Schools in Belmont

If you’re desperate to get out of the city (any big city really) and experience the quiet of a suburb but with close proximity to bigger cities then Belmont should be on your list. It has no real downtown and so has less of the challenges many California cities face but you’re close enough to tons of other downtowns for the social experiences. 


The Quiet

Why You Should Move Here Now?

Cipriani is a high-end family-centered neighborhood filled with medium to large single family homes at the top end of the price range for Belmont. It has some of the best schools in the district in [**Cipriani Elementary**](https://www.niche.com/k12/cipriani-elementary-school-belmont-ca/) and [**Carlmont High School**](https://www.niche.com/k12/carlmont-high-school-belmont-ca/) so if you can find a way into one of the homes here you’ll love the schools. [**Cipriani Park**](https://www.belmont.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/14/702) is also in the neighborhood with beautiful ballfields, multi-use play areas, a playground and best of all, a dog park! 


Families

Cipriani

The Homeview/Sterling Downs neighborhood(s) is the first neighborhood of Belmont and one of the better lower-cost entry point housing options in the area. Smaller mid-century cottage-style homes dominate the all cul-de-sac structured subdivisions and plenty of younger families choose the area for the lower costs and immediate access to the 101 freeway.  The neighborhood has several parks with O’Donnell Park the “home base” for the Neighborhood Association and many community events. There are several gyms in the area, including Crossfit, that are part of the light industrial section of the neighborhood and a few restaurants walkable from most of the homes. The schools here are excellent, with most kiddos going to the prized [**Nesbit Elementary**](https://www.niche.com/k12/nesbit-elementary-school-belmont-ca/) and then [**Carlmont High School**](https://www.niche.com/k12/carlmont-high-school-belmont-ca/) - the path through the public schools is all A-rated. 

Homeview/Sterling Downs

While there isn’t much of a downtown area in Belmont the Central neighborhood is the closest resemblance to one the city offers. It runs along the El Camino commercial district and has a number of casual, fast casual and fast food options for the family within walking distance of most of the housing. The area is sometimes included in other neighborhood designations, like Antique Forest and Carlmont, but the Central District surrounding El Camino is a bit distinct from the rest for the more commercial availability for locals. While there are plenty of mid-century single-family homes in Central there are also modern designs, and apartment complexes like the [**Sofi Belmont Glen**](https://www.sofibelmontglen.com/?utm_knock=loc), that offer nice rentals, a short walk to El Camino, and a good option for young professionals and couples looking to be in the area who aren’t ready for the mortgage. The neighborhood feeds [**Central Elementary School**](https://www.niche.com/k12/central-elementary-school-belmont-ca/), another A-rated Belmont school, and then typically kids go on to [**Carlmont High School**](https://www.niche.com/k12/carlmont-high-school-belmont-ca/). 


Families/Young Professionals/DINKs

Central

Belmont Woods is a hugely popular neighborhood in large part to the views and immediate access to outdoor recreation via [**Waterdog Lake and Hiking areas**](https://www.belmont.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/10/702). It’s hard to beat the area if you want to luxuriate in the beauty of Belmont. The hilly blocks are an interesting mix of smaller mid-century cottages, new much larger homes, and plenty of condo/apartment options all for those looking for a quiet, green lifestyle. The schools in the neighborhood are great with many zoned for [Fox Elementary](https://www.niche.com/k12/fox-elementary-school-belmont-ca/) another A-rated Belmont school. The western side of Belmont is truly unbeatable for the outdoor options in the neighborhood and via the Santa Cruz Mountains and Pacific Ocean that run just west of the city. 

Belmont Woods

Belmont

**How is Belmont area for family?**

The Belmont/San Carlos areas are both very nice areas. Centrally located between San Francisco and San Jose makes it a good commute location. Also close to Highway 92/84 for those going to the East Bay. Weather is also nice as it’s warmer than SF on average but not as warm as San Jose. Schools are also very good and relatively low crime.

Belmont doesn’t really have a Downtown with most restaurants on El Camino or off Ralston. San Carlos has a small main drag, Laurel which has restaurants and shops.

For both cities the cost of housing is cheaper as on east side of 101 and generally more expensive as you move towards 280.

**Additional Note:**
I live in belmont (close to san carlos) i agree with everything above. You wont hear much about this place because there are not many young people living here. My wife and I are the only millennial living on my street.

**How is Belmont area for family?**

We love Belmont for our family, the schools are great and it feels safe. We moved here in 2014 and have seen it change a lot. Our street has gone from nearly no kids to about 1/3 of the houses selling to families. A lot of Belmont is older people who have lived here for 50+ years but it's changing as people pass/move and younger families are moving in. I think in 5-10 years it will look a lot more like San Carlos. The downtown area is being expanded with new construction across from the train station so it will be interesting to see what happens with that, hopefully not just chain stores. My kids play soccer for Belmont United which is an awesome soccer club with a really great approach to youth sports (growth over winning). I see the mayor and city council members out and about and it's great to be able to be close to the community politics and feel like you can easily be involved if you want. Cons for Belmont is not having a true downtown like San Carlos or San Mateo (restaurants are few, no real cafes, etc); a lot of it is hilly and no sidewalks so it's not the safest walking streets in all neighborhoods (it doesn't bother me but I know a lot of people don't like this). Good luck!

**Living in Belmont...tips?**

Much of Belmont is hilly, and can be challenging to bike. But Water Dog Lake is a nice little excursion, and you're not too far from the Bay Trail if you want some flat distance rides! (There's now a pedestrian/bike bridge over the freeway at Ralston.)

Check out the YMCA in San Mateo, or the Bay Club in Redwood Shores if you are looking more upscale.

Getting to SF by Caltrain is pretty easy, and from there many (but not all) parts of the city are easily accessible via public transit. If you're trying to optimize for time, you may prefer San Carlos or Hillsdale stations, as several trains skip Belmont during commute hours. It's possible to take your bike on the train, but there's a fixed capacity and, being in the middle of the line, you're a bit at the mercy of availability.

For food/shopping you'll mostly be heading to San Mateo or San Carlos – there's relatively little in Belmont. They're easy to get to!

Belmont, California

Bel Monte

Looklyloo Score: 83

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