Palo Verde

Palo Verde is a pretty drab, plain-looking middle-class community nestled at the eastern edge of the Palo Alto suburbs. In fact, it is bounded by US Route 101, Loma Verde Avenue, Middlefield Road and East Meadow Road, which pits it within walking distance of the vast San Francisco Bay. The neighborhood itself stretches about 0.6 square miles of tree-shaded streets, single-story homes and not much of anything else. Demographically speaking, the neighborhood has a large white population (70%) and a small asian minority (25%) out of the 2,500 residents who call Palo Verde home.

For those committed to living within Palo Alto, Palo Verde doesn’t scream up-and-coming. In fact, its quite the opposite. Most homes are of the one-story Eichler design, which dates back to the post-World War II era. They afford three to four bedrooms, neat properties and modest-sized lawns. Though there are a couple larger, two-story homes sprinkled throughout the area, not much has changed here since the 1950’s. For numbers sake, median house prices are estimated at around $1.2 million, just under the city’s average. But if it wasn’t clear, you don’t get too much bang for your buck. Those that live here, make about $130,000/year, a number far greater than I would have expected.

As a resident, there are a number of perks to be happy about. One if the district’s biggest luxuries is its esteemed Palo Alto Unified School District. Students within the area usually attend Palo Verde Elementary (within the neighborhood), J.L. Stanford Middle School (just down the block) and Gunn High School, all of which continuously pump students into the UC school system. The district also provides a safe and family-friendly atmosphere. The number of cul-de-sacs (which cut off through traffic) and elementary school stop/slow signs makes for a relatively sheltered community.