80,512
Population
Sunny Days: 255
71100 Affordability
85100 Schools
60100 Diversity
85100 Safety
Foster City, California
Super Hyphy
Leo Ryan Park Amphitheatre, Credit: Photo by chicnthegeek
Twin Pines Park, Credit: Photo by chicngeek
The Best Thing About Foster City?
Location
When you ask locals to describe the best things about living in Foster City lots of different positives come up but location is on everyone’s list.
Foster City is just above the midway mark between San Francisco and San Jose, and for many being a bit more north is a plus because many go to San Francisco more frequently than San Jose for social occasions, events and weekend touristing. Foster City is right along the 101 Freeway, the primary thoroughfare for the west side of the bay area. Even cooler is that it is at the western end of the San Mateo Bridge. This means you can get to the east bay very fast and remove the Bay Bridge headaches that cities north of Foster City face. Finally, Foster City sits right on the bay so you get immediate access to the wonderful waterworld of the bay area without having to drive anywhere and it never gets really hot as the water keeps the area cool in the summer.
The Worst Thing About Foster City?
No Downtown
Foster City is one of the suburban cities lining 101 that has no downtown. It has shopping/malls and big box stores nearby but no fun, walkable downtown to build a commercial culture around. The city is close to other cities with downtowns; San Mateo, Palo Alto, etc., but a missing center is a sore spot for those who want a walkable chance for drinks and eats.
Lifestyle of Foster City
The city has done a nice job creating an outdoor culture in a suburban city. The streets of Foster City surround waterways on a peninsula that juts into the bay. That means water-based outdoor activities are always at your doorstep here. Additionally, the city is lined with wonderful bike and walking infrastructure. Families truly can spend a lot of their time on the water or on the paths, enjoying the A+ year-round pleasant climate. An additional bonus is that many of the parks in Foster City are built on the waterfront so locals enjoy both park and water play from the same spot. Boating, kayaking, paddleboarding, fishing AND then tennis, basketball, pickleball, playgrounds and open greenspaces are available throughout the city.
Outside of that you can expect a healthy family-focused suburban culture here. Tons of families, playing in little leagues and soccer leagues, enjoying an excellent school system and growing up in a highly educated population. The city is extremely safe, and plenty of kids bike around to friends and school without fear.
Community events are aplenty in Foster City, in spite of the absence of a downtown. Much of the action happens in the parks, community center and Amphitheater. This includes a year round farmer’s market, summer concert series, constant family movie and meal events, and great big family-centric holiday events like a big 4th of July festivity, Summer Day event, community bike rides, Halloween Festival and Holiday Tree Lighting festivities. Check it all out via the calendar of events.
Schools in Foster City
Foster City elementary schools are part of the San Mateo-Foster City School District and it’s one of the prime reasons families like to live here. It rates an A on niche.com and every school in Foster City is at the top of the rankings for the area. At the high school level the city is part of the San Mateo Union High School District that rates an A+ on niche.com so that’s all good. The only downside is there are no high schools in the district in the city proper so you have to head into San Mateo (right next door) for school.
Why You Should Move Here Now?
Waterfront Convenience
If you want to live in the Bay Area, on the water, and have that water-lifestyle built right into how your family lives then look at Foster City. There’s no suburban city quite like it for integrating the bay and waterways into how you live.
Living in Foster City
Neighborhoods in Foster City
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Sea Colony
Families/DINKs/SINKs
Sea Colony is often referred to as the sporting gem of the Peninsula due to the fact that Sea Cloud Park is here -- the home of Foster City Little League, a 23-plus acre sports haven. Filled with baseball diamonds (and batting cages), soccer fields, playgrounds and plenty of open spaces. The neighborhood has a lot more than the park for outdoor play however, as it also has a wonderful trail running along its border for hikers, bikers and walkers and a number of other parks.
Most of the blocks are filled with single-family homes built in the 1970s and 1980s, along with several townhome and apartment buildings. Typical home prices are above $2m with many on the water that sneak above $3m. Townhomes and condos can sell for as high as $1.5m (although some smaller ones can fall below $1m, and apartment rents average in the $3.5k per month range.
The neighborhood has wonderful parks, including Sea Cloud, Port Royal and Antigua, so your kids will never lack for open spaces to play, on or off the water. Check out the neighborhood details on google maps.
Carmel Village
Families/Young Professionals/DINKs
Carmel Village is a bayfront neighborhood with a mix of single-family homes and newer condominiums, townhouses and apartments. It’s popular with locals due to its two shopping centers that make for convenient shopping and access to restaurants and pubs. It also has plenty of parks, runs along the Bay Trail for hiking and biking, and is home to Bowditch Middle School, Foster City’s only public middle school serving grades 6-8. It’s also beloved for the Belmont Slough Beach and Wildlife Refuge, that give locals a nature preserve for personal and family enjoyment.
Marlin Cove, one of the two shopping centers in Carmel Village, is also home to a large apartment complex and that mix creates a commercial center of sorts for those craving a good walkscore for their daily chores and weekend fun.
Homes are mostly single and two-story homes built in ‘60s, and prices typically in the $1.5m+, which is quite reasonable for peninsula homes. There are also plenty of townhomes and condos which range from under a million to $1.3m+ .
Check out where Carmel Village sits on the city map.
Bay Vista
Families/DINKs
The Bay Vista neighborhood is most notable for its stunning views of the San Francisco Bay (hence the name). That view doesn’t just come from the homes, townhomes and apartments, but also from Bridgeview Park, Kildeer Park and the entire stretch of Beach Park Blvd that runs along the coast of Bay Vista along the bay.
Many of the homes were built in the ‘60’s by – Kay, Duc & Elliot and Eichler (a beloved mid-century developer) and are iconic single family houses that sell for a median price of $1.5m. There are also a number of multi-unit townhome, condo and apartment complexes. Buying a condo can cost you $1.3m at the high end and renting apartments runs ~$3.5k per month.
Bay Vista is home to Audobon Elementary School, a much beloved school, appreciated for quality and the ability to walk or bike everyday! Check out Bay Vista details on google.