San Mateo, California

Young professionals, young families and retirees flock to the Downtown neighborhood homes, condos/apartments. Many of them, like two50 Downtown and and 55 West Fifth offer immediate access to the nightlife and also are loaded with in-building amenities. Living above or near the commercial spots is a huge draw for those who want a social life within walking distance of their home. There is a wide array of restaurants, cafes, and shops along 3rd Avenue and B Street and Central Park, mentioned earlier, is also adjacent to downtown so you get walkable access to outdoor play.

This neighborhood is known for the beauty of the large luxurious homes, tree-lined streets and larger manicured lawns and gardens. Most of the residents are families and they get direct access to the excellent Central Park, a popular spot for outdoor activities, featuring playgrounds, picnic areas, and sports fields. Nearby, you can find various dining options, including Japanese cuisine at Fuki Sushi and Italian dishes at Il Fornaio. Home prices here start at $2.5m and go up from there. It’s worth it for many though to access amazing schools like Aragon High School, that is in the neighborhood and just a walk or bike-ride away.

Hillsdale is a family-centric neighborhood with some subdivisions with smaller ranch, bungalow and Craftsman style homes that are in the $1.5m-$1.7m range. While this is still incredibly pricey it is more accessible to the dual income younger families that work in the tech industry in the Bay Area but really want their kiddos in the San Mateo school system. Some of the homes in the area have been expanded from their original 1,100-1,500 sq foot sizes to much larger and those will pop up over $2m and appeal to bigger/more established families.
Lots of the subdivisions here have cul-de-sacs, really built for kids to play in the neighborhood. Living in the neighborhood also puts you right in the midst of the Hillsdale Shopping Center, one of the premier mixed-use outdoor mall facilities in the Bay Area. With fine-dining, luxury theaters, bowling and bocce, upscale and boutique shopping and a variety of coffee and fast casual food options there’s kind of everything for everyone here.