Hillsborough Heights

Burrowed deep into the Hillsborough countryside, Hillsborough Heights is an affluent, exclusively residential and heavily shaded neighborhood. It spans about 0.6 square miles of leafy residential terrain and often hidden properties. And one of the district’s biggest perks is its proximity to both Downtown Burlingame and Downtown San Mateo, which make for convenient shopping and entertainment. The district also has access to Hillsborough’s public school systems which continually ranks among the best in California. Demographically speaking, the community is predominately white (over 80%) with a total population approaching 2,000.

Hillborough Heights’ residential terrain is a ritzy, upper-class community sharing the same tree-lined, bushy residential aesthetic that so many Hillsborough neighborhoods often do. For the perspective resident, homes are mixed between one and two stories and vary drastically in style. Some homes predate World War II and include such styles as Mediterranean, Tudor, French and Beaux Arts. Others have been a bit more modernized, either having been replaced, remodeled or built onto. These homes usually offer 9+ rooms (which usually accumulate to 4,000 square feet) of living space. And even better yet, residences are often plotted on some rather large properties (usually gated off) with beautifully manicured front yards with plenty of driveway parking. Listing prices for these luxury homes are tabbed between $2 to $4 million, well above each city’s neighboring quarters. And those that live within the neighborhood rake in an affluent $130,000/year.

For an escape, Hillsborough Heights is within walking distance to the pricey Burlingame Country Club. The area is outfitted with a beautiful 18-hole golf course, driving range, tennis courts, swimming pool and a lodge to host any of your assorted parties. And although public transportation is a bit limited within community, bus stops line El Camino Real while the San Mateo Caltrain is just a couple minutes away.

The Hillsborough Heights neighborhood, located just to the north of the Brewer Subdivision neighborhood, is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Hillsborough. A large majority of the homes here date back to the 1930’s and some are even older.
You will find a fair number of homes here in classic styles such as French Provincial and Spanish Villa styles. These are not quite mansions but they are larger homes and quite attractive, both inside and out.

You will even find some Depression Era homes here designed by William Wurster, who Cal students will recognize from Wurster Hall—the architecture building on campus which, ironically, also happens to have the distinction of being the ugliest building on campus. (The one I am familiar with is designed in the French Provincial style.)

There are also some larger properties here as well, including a mansion that is currently on the market for $25 million. On average, however, most homes in this neighborhood go for about $3 million as far as I can tell.

With Crystal Springs just to the south this is a pretty good area for raising kids as well. The streets are helpful in this regard, having sidewalks. (A lot of neighborhoods in California no longer have this convenience.) Though, I suspect if you live here, you certainly don’t lack for space in your home.

Overall, a great historic neighborhood, well suited to raising kids—as most of Hillsborough is.