Many peninsula cities and towns feel new-ish and pretty prefab. Burlingame was developed in the late 1800’s and the historic architecture and deep roots give it a different vibe than other cities in the area. The city origins come from San Francisco residents in the late 1800s building estates just below the fog line. Burlingame is sunny, but not hot, and the pleasant weather combined with beautiful wooded landscapes, made for fabulous estates for city folk escaping the summer fog. Development in Burlingame started in the 1800s but accelerated after the 1906 earthquake when San Francisco residents moved south to rebuild their lives. A commercial district and train station were developed during this same period to serve the growing population and new subdivisions. This early development, much of which remains today, gives the city a sense of history and substance that other options in the area lack. 

You can argue that housing prices are the worst part of every city in the Bay Area. So, why pick on Burlingame? Perhaps because, unlike better-known neighbors like Hillsborough, Atherton, or Palo Alto, newbies think Burlingame will be a "bargain" but at a median price of $2.7m that just ain’t the case. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $3.5k so renters get a break for sure but it’s still pricey.


Historic Vibe in the Sun

LookyLOO Review of Burlingame

Burlingame has the welcome bonus of having two downtowns. The historic downtown runs along Burlingame Avenue and makes the city feel like a classic American town, albeit one with lots of bucks. Much of the lifestyle of Burlingame beyond suburbia stems from the activities in this part of the city. The area has hundreds of stores, restaurants, both upscale and casual, pubs, bookstores, grocery stores, and plenty of upscale boutique shopping. While San Francisco isn’t far away, there’s enough to do in Burlingame to handle much of the social life of singles, couples, and families, at least for quieter nights. 

Community social activities are also aplenty in Burlingame. Downtown, the community center, and local parks play host to a Pet Parade, Movies in the Park, Farmer’s Market, Community Campout, Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony, and a Royal Ball, among many others. Seriously, a lot of day and night events happen throughout the year in Burlingame that tie the community together. These events have a very low-key vibe, making Burlingame way less upscale/more down-to-earth than its fancy neighbors and frankly, that’s a big part of its charm. 

To see what locals get up to for fun in Burlingame check out the [calendar of events](https://www.burlingamedowntown.org/events). 

We highly recommend visiting Burlingame and staying in the community in a [VRBO](https://vrbo.com/affiliate/p4JS4ZC) rather than a hotel to get a feel for living among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our [partnership with Expedia](https://expedia.com/affiliate/9NZ8LBQ) as well.


Mainstreet USA

Lifestyle 

Burlingame has its own district for elementary schools, and it's highly rated on [niche.com](https://www.niche.com/k12/d/burlingame-elementary-school-district-ca/). There are six different elementary schools, all A-rated, sprinkled throughout the city, so you can’t go wrong regardless of which neighborhood you choose to live in. 

At the high school level, Burlingame is in the San Mateo Union High School District and things get even better. [Burlingame High School](https://www.smuhsd.org/burlingamehigh) is A+ rated on [niche.com](https://www.niche.com/k12/d/san-mateo-union-high-school-district-ca/) and is a huge part of the community fabric. 

Schools

If you have the bucks to live in one of the multi-million dollar suburbs in the bay area but are craving a bit more subtlety in the exhibition of that wealth then consider Burlingame. Sure, it costs a ton to live here, but the lifestyle does less to celebrate that fact than others, and for many that makes it feel like a more comfortable place to hang. 


 Relaxed (and comfortable) Living

Why You Should Move Here Now?

**bayareainquiries**
2y ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

Living in the Mid-Peninsula is great! Awesome weather, good food, near everything but without many of the headaches of being in a larger city. My family has been in the area for many years and are very happy with what the area has to offer.

However, the biggest caveat for you is that this is not nearly as happening a place for younger adults and especially singles. If you want that crowd, the best you'll find nearby is probably actually downtown Redwood City, followed by downtown San Mateo. Burlingame is a very nice town and closer to SF but it skews heavily towards wealthy families and their kids (Burlingame Ave. is a major hangout for rich teenagers lol). Palo Alto of course has more young people but it sounds like that's out of your target area.

Spend some time in each of the downtowns on Fridays and Saturdays to get a feel of each. Just be warned if you want hang with / date people in San Francisco or San Jose, you're going to be going to them way more than they'll come to you. Peninsula might as well be a different state for folks in either city, despite being only 30 min away!

For more reviews of what living in Burlingame is like from locals, check out [The Reviews](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/burlingame/reviews).


Reviews of Burlingame from Locals

Burlingables is perhaps the hottest neighborhood in the city. Families love it for plenty of reasons including: it’s just a short walk to [**Burlingame High School**](https://www.smuhsd.org/burlingamehigh), the city's excellent public high school option. It also wins on walkability to Burlingame Ave’s downtown area and the Caltrain station. You can keep the car parked for long stretches here, which makes it a real outlier for peninsula neighborhoods. Finally, Burlingables is home to [**Washington Park**](https://www.burlingame.org/parksandrec/facilities/parks_and_playgrounds/index.php), the oldest park in the city and one of its best (maybe the best?). It’s a year round center for community recreation with hundreds of classes and events both in and around the new Community Center. It offers tennis courts (and YES, even pickleball courts!!!), baseball fields, soccer, doggo play area, basketball, kiddo playground and plenty of open grass to play or relax amidst the stunning trees. 
Combine the amenities, the walkability, the beautiful tree-lined streets and classic Burlingame homes and you get one of the more desirable areas of the city. That’s reflected in the $2.6m average home price in 2022 and the fact that homes rarely come on the market here. Check out where Burlingables sits on the [**map of Burlingame**](https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?ll=37.58381458150318%2C-122.3427355&spn=0.040267%2C0.090895&msa=0&iwloc=0004a9a77249e08f771b7&mid=1dtIVQThuEfjMK02ndxWHD8TpG_4&z=16).

Families

Burlingables (Oak Grove Manor)

Burlingame Gardens is another neighborhood prized for its walkability to [**Burlingame High School**](https://www.smuhsd.org/burlingamehigh) and the Broadway downtown area. It’s also popular due to its availability of “starter homes” for families looking for a break from the insanity of other neighborhoods in the area. Now we use that starter home expression lightly as it’s media price tag is still ~$1.8m but that means you can find a home or two in the ~1.5m-$1.6m range if you’re persistent. For a city like Burlingame that’s considered a remarkable bargain, no matter how silly that might sound. In addition to being close to Burlingame High School you’re also near [**McKinley Elementary**](https://mckinley.burlingameschools.org/), a great school to get the kiddos started off right. 

Burlingame Gardens runs along 101 which either makes it too noisy for some or the best of all possible worlds to others, by making your commute to 101 extremely quick. Being on the eastern side of Burlingame also puts the Gardens neighborhood closest to the Bay. If you’re into water sports this will come in handy. Check out the neighborhood on [**google maps**](https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?ll=37.5866065992294%2C-122.35358000000001&spn=0.040267%2C0.090895&msa=0&iwloc=0004a9a77249e08f771b7&mid=1dtIVQThuEfjMK02ndxWHD8TpG_4&z=16). 


Families/DINKs/SINKs

Burlingame Gardens

Easton Addition is the city’s signature neighborhood. No area is more picturesque, with a mix of classic bungalows and Arts & Crafts cottages and majestic Victorians, all surrounded by the most beautiful Eucalyptus, Oaks, Maples and Pine trees that line the stunning blocks. They don’t call it Tree City for nothing. 

Unlike other luxurious neighborhoods in other cities, this one is also easily walkable to the commercial district of Downtown Broadway. That’s an unusual mix more typical in college towns. The neighborhood has a number of parks and to some best of all, it is home to the architectural beauty, the [**Burlingame Public Library**](https://www.burlingame.org/library/). 

Median home prices are ~$3.5m and good or bad news, depending on your pov., while other neighborhoods lost value during covid, Easton Addition actually gained value. Check out where it sits in the city on [**google maps**](https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?ll=37.58313016364871%2C-122.37602235270744&spn=0.040267%2C0.090895&msa=0&iwloc=0004a9a77249e08f771b7&mid=1dtIVQThuEfjMK02ndxWHD8TpG_4&z=16). 


Easton Addition

Burlingame

**bayareainquiries**
2y ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

Living in the Mid-Peninsula is great! Awesome weather, good food, near everything but without many of the headaches of being in a larger city. My family has been in the area for many years and are very happy with what the area has to offer.

However, the biggest caveat for you is that this is not nearly as happening a place for younger adults and especially singles. If you want that crowd, the best you'll find nearby is probably actually downtown Redwood City, followed by downtown San Mateo. Burlingame is a very nice town and closer to SF but it skews heavily towards wealthy families and their kids (Burlingame Ave. is a major hangout for rich teenagers lol). Palo Alto of course has more young people but it sounds like that's out of your target area.

Spend some time in each of the downtowns on Fridays and Saturdays to get a feel of each. Just be warned if you want hang with / date people in San Francisco or San Jose, you're going to be going to them way more than they'll come to you. Peninsula might as well be a different state for folks in either city, despite being only 30 min away!

**cocoacowstout**
2y ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

Grew up in the area, both San Mateo and Burlingame downtowns have some good restaurants and bars. Great place to plant some roots. You will probably need to go to SF for any serious nightlife but between Caltrain/Bart/Uber it shouldn't be a problem.

It's a perfect temperature in my opinion, not as hot as South Bay but you get the warmth of the summer unlike the city.

Burlingame, California

Tree City

Looklyloo Score: 93