Emerald Lake Hills

Emerald Lake Hills is a super-wealthy hillside community just to the southwest of Redwood City. Like many of the hillside communities near Silicon Valley it is coveted by all those who want to avoid the terrible traffic that turns the freeways at rush hour into a parking lot.

The homes here are large and beautiful, the narrow lanes that snake over the hills make you feel sheltered from the hustle and bustle of the city below. The homes of Emerald Lake Hills are constructed in wide variety of architectural styles from modified Ranch style homes to the red tiled roves characterizing the Mediterranean style. They are consistent in that they are uniformly well kept and almost invariable have the latest model luxury cars parked in their driveways.

The one non-residential facility in Emerald Lake Hills—as far as I can tell—is Canada College, a very small community college that rests on the southern end of the city. The area also has quite a few parks—a couple of lakes—and an eponymous golf course.

The area is best known as having been the location of Joe Montana’s home in the late 80s, which is also when there was a big housing boom rung in by the addition of a sewage system. (Septic tanks had been the order of the day before this.)

One drawback of the area is that the public schools are just slightly above average (low considering how strong many of the nearby schools are). This is a bit of drawback that can be addressed by local private schools of course.

As far as nightlife and entertainment—you will have to drop down into Redwood City for that that sort of thing.

Overall, a fantastic location for those who work in Silicon Valley and want to have an abbreviated commute.

Situated along the San Francisco peninsula, Emerald Lake Hills is one of the wealthiest cities in California. In fact, according to Forbes Magazine, the town ranks as high as 22nd as the most affluent cities in the state (and 82nd place in all of America). Demographically speaking, the city is made up of 5,000 residents, with a rather large white population. It also spans about 2 square miles, half of which is woodsy terrain while the other half is made up of water. It's perfect for those rich enough to escape the busy hustle and tussle and enjoy the quiet living.

Emerald Lake Hills is situated roughly between other affluent areas of San Meteo County, including Redwood City, San Carlos and Woodside. As for its residential quarters, the city offers a wide range of upper class residences. Its homes are rather large in size and hidden amongst the heavy redwood landscape. Many of them boast elegant upper class homes that sit on long properties. It also doesn’t get any more secluded than this. With its woodsy terrain, homes are largely separated, making for friendly neighbors. To get there, you’ll have to drive up the steep, narrow roads that curve through the residential foothills. For perspective home buyers, you’ll be interested to know that house values range anywhere from $500,000 to over $2 million, while the gross median rent here is $2,000/month. As for the average resident, median household incomes are calculated at $140,000/year.

Although there is no commercial activity within the city’s borders, Emerald Lake Hills’ residents have a few employment options. In fact, Interstate 280 runs along the city’s western edge and connects commuters to parts of San Francisco and San Jose. Emerald Lake Country Club is the city’s only recreational club. The attraction, which is conveniently situated in the center of the city, boasts a rather sizable lake. Members have the luxury to swim, boat and host numerous social events in the various parkland areas. During the summer, locals flock to these popular spots and indulge themselves in the summer heat with the variety of outdoor activities. If you’re not a member, Edgewood County Park and Natural Preserve and Emerald Lakes are two of the most spectacular natural escapes in the city. Both offer miles of hiking trails, acres of wooden foothills and ridges with beautiful picturesque views.

In the past couple years, there has been an influx of young families. This is partly due to the city’s accomplished school district. Students are typically zoned to Redwood City School District, which oversees both Sequoia High School and Woodside High School. For younger students, the city is split between north and south. Northern residents usually attend Clifford School, while Roy Cloud School hosts many of the city’s southern inhabitants.