Belmont

I had a business partner who lived up here so I would occasionally come up into this neighborhood and hang out—mix with each other’s families, plot how we were going to take over the world, that sort of thing.

I really love this little neighborhood and would not have minded living here myself. The houses here are not eye-popping or spectacular by normal standards, but they are definitely distinctive. The homes here largely date from the 1950’s and 60’s.
These are really nice, large homes

There is one house there that is sort of like a Cape Cod, with a gambrel roof over the front facing garage, wood thatch roof, with white trimmed casement windows and a gnarled old tree highlighted by the perfectly green lawn that surrounds it.

Many of the homes here are in this sort of style—kind of an upper class Eisenhower era sort of a feel to them.

So what is the price tag for a home here?

These beautiful houses average about a million bucks, which is about what you expect for the Peninsula.

If it were not for the eye-popping price tag, you might even consider this perfect neighborhood for families, given its outstanding schools and the nice sheltered feel it has. The local elementary, Fox; middle school, Ralston; and high school, Carlmont; are all outstanding. And those are just the public school choices. There are a number of private schools—both religious and secular—in the area as well.

The other nice thing about this part of Belmont is Water Dog Park whose mountain biking and hiking trails are pretty great.

If one had to pick one qualm for this area, it is that it is a bit out of the way from nightlife and that sort of thing. Overall though, if you are raising a family this is a great spot—if you can afford it.

The Belmont neighborhood is the heart of the city (which so happens to be called Belmont). The district is a well-polished, predominately white community that is rarely visited by the outside community. It is also a skinny strip of exclusively residential land that boasts a somewhat quaint and yet bushy suburban aesthetics. However, the neighborhood is somewhat disconnected from any commercial real-estate, hindering any sense of close dining or entertainment.

If you’re looking into moving here, you won’t be disappointed. Belmont’s homes are usually perfect upper middle-class residences that tend to be plotted on somewhat sizable properties. They grant charming house fronts, nicely manicured front lawns and attached two-car garages. Properties are usually situated on a bit of an incline with orderly roads climbing some moderately steep hills. For numbers sake, the median house values are just below $1 million, while residents here rake in around $100,000/year. Also, there is a communal living space/apartment housing complex situated along Saint James Road. The commons are all of the same style and shape (dark brown with garage space), which offer a cheaper option, but less seclusion.

Like many San Mateo County cities, Belmont is a very reclusive neighborhood. The district hugs the rolling savannah grasslands to the west that incorporate Highway 280, which make it a far drive from any commercial quarters. The district is also nestled next to Water Dog Lake, a small body of water that offers a plethora of walking trails (for your dog) and bike paths. Elsewhere, the Fox Elementary School is squeezed between Ralston Avenue and the vast easterly grasslands and has garnered a 4-out-of-5 stars on greatschools.org.