Leland Manor

Framed by Middlefield Road, Oregon Expressway, Embarcadero Road and Louis Road, Leland Manor is an upscale, exclusively residential community set within a quiet, affluent rancher ambiance. Also, its convenience and location within Palo Alto make it a prime example of how neighborhoods can flourish given just the right chance. Geographically speaking, the neighborhood spans about 0.4 square miles with a total population just under 2,000 (fairly dense). Its residential makeup is predominately white (about 75%), while its next largest racial group is asian (20%).

To try to describe Leland Manor’s residential aesthetic would be difficult due to its wide range of house styles. For the perspective resident, homes are rather old, built between 1940-60. They afford such styles as post World War II tract homes, single-story traditional ranch homes and a handful of two-story east coast style homes that fill within pockets of the community. Residences here are no less than 18000+ feet and sit on rather sizable properties. Some are elegantly groomed, while others are fairly unattended to. For numbers sake, average estimated house values are a wealthy $1.4 million (while some can exceed $3 million). Also, the median household income is around a surprising $150,000/year.

Leland Manor is a great location amidst a busy Palo Alto city. For one, its just down the street from US Route 101. Secondly, its within minutes of the prestigious Stanford University. And finally, its recently paved streets and quaint, green community aesthetics put it within the upper echelon of Palo Alto communities. For recreation, there is a small youth sports field situated along North California Avenue. The area offers a baseball diamond and plenty of space for a couple soccer fields.

One of the things I really like about Leland Manor is the way that they make their cul-de-sacs in some spots. In the center of the turnabout they place a little circle of grass with one of those early 20th century lampposts right in the middle of it. There is something very inviting about this type of a set-up—as if you could look out your kitchen window and see the neighborhood kids playing basketball together. (I doubt this actually happens, but it seems comforting to offer the possibility.)

Despite being a tiny neighborhood, there are a variety of styles in Leland Manor. Of course, many of the homes are the really nice Ranch style homes that you find throughout Palo Alto, but you also get a number of other kind of homes here from sprawling Mediterranean style homes with U-shaped driveways and architectural highlights that make them look as if they have a squat tower on the end to large English style manors.

It is really quite beautiful and just oozes wealth. There are no homes currently for sale here, but if nearby homes are any indication, this is a very expensive neighborhood. (Just outside of the neighborhood is a home that is selling for $5 million.)

Now there is not much else to this neighborhood other than having really beautiful homes in it. You are in Palo Alto, so you are of course close to Silicon Valley and to Stanford and the schools are great, but really, that’s about it.

If you are filthy rich however, that might be enough.

Leland Manor is definitely one of Palo Alto's finest - although there are many neighborhoods in Palo Alto that could classify under this category, depending on what you are looking for. It's not the closest neighborhood to downtown, but it's close enough that one can still walk and flat enough that one can bike. Proximity to Embarcadero and Oregon Expressway make it easy to get to, without having to contend with the nightmare that is University Avenue traffic.

The houses are beautiful and well-manicured, although a bit close together (standard for this town). The neighborhood is more family-oriented and working adults, rather than young professional or student-driven, as is indicated by the nearby middle school.

Be prepared to pay Palo Alto prices to live here, but if you can afford it, this is a great place to raise a family.