San Mateo Park

It’s all about the stately old houses in San Mateo Park. It reminds me a bit of Old Palo Alto. San Mateo Park, a small neighborhood on the northwestern edge of San Mateo, is filled with well-maintained century old homes. Styles here vary, so you might get a 1906 Pennsylvania Dutch style “farmhouse,” whose 2500 sq. ft. go for $1.2 million on the northern end of the neighborhood, while a Jazz Era California Spanish style homes (with beautiful Spanish tiles and cherry trees) rests on the southwestern end, whose comparable 2500 sq. ft. go for $2.15 million. (Most homes here are priced at around $2.1.)

The charm is added to by the quiet leafy streets that make up this neighborhood. A lot of the intersections in this neighborhood have grassy wedges inserted to soften transitions from street to street. (Feels very European to me.)

Most of the local schools in San Mateo are pretty strong, but for some reason Park Elementary, which is supposedly a magnet school gets an abysmally low API of 3 (out of a possible 10). I am not sure if this is some kind of an error or if there is something else going on here. The middle school and high school fair much better, btw.

And as you would expect in a neighborhood like this, crime is virtually non-existent (only a couple of vehicle break ins in the last 6 months according to the San Mateo Police department).

Of course, there is also not much by way of nightlife or entertainment IN the San Mateo Park, but you are so close to the downtown area and its enjoyments that this should hardly matter. You can practically walk to these destinations. In San
Mateo Park, however, even El Camino Real is just a wide residential street where you can find apartments and a church, but not much else.

Overall, this is a wonderful little neighborhood which is way outside of our price range but which is kind of enjoyable to walk through (or jog through if you live nearby).

One of the wealthiest communities in all of San Mateo, San Mateo Park is a ritzy country club neighborhood along the San Francisco peninsula. It is completely residential, somewhat reclusive and evenly distributed among its 0.6 square miles. Demographically speaking the district is buoyed by an upper-class population totaling 3,000, most of whom are of white decent (80%). The area also shares a close connection with the Burlingame Country Club and hosts a collection of beautiful, lofty homes.

San Mateo Park’s neighborhood quarters is the picture of luxury living encompassing about a dozen blocks. For perspective residents, there are a wide range of eclectic homes, most of which are grand and hidden beneath the wooded landscape (trees and shrubbery abound). If you’re driving around the neighborhood, you’ll notice the polished suburban quarters and enormous properties. It’s a perfect family-friendly environment if you can afford the lofty price tag. According to the 2010 US Census, the median house values approximate 1.4 million while median incomes are priced around $140,000/year (way above the city average).

For recreation, the San Mateo community is within close proximity to the Burlingame Country Club. The private club, actually a part of Burlingame, is expensive but offers a fantastic 18-hole course, tennis courts, a driving range and a rather nice clubhouse to hang your hat after a long day out in the sun.