Hillsdale

A lot of Hillsdale is taken up by the San Mateo Fairgrounds, with much of what is leftover being a residential neighborhood.

But around the edges this neighborhood there are ton of stores and restaurants. My significant other, for example, goes here about once a month to check out the latest comic books at Lee’s Comics. There is also a tattoo place, a violin place, a pool parlor and the Magic Theatre, a “smoke shop”.

There are also a number of restaurants like Sinoire’s Pizza, Mama’s Vietnamese Cuisine, Oceanic (a Chinese place) and few places that when I’m a good girl and don’t make fun of him for his geeky comic book obsession, the bf treats me to Tannarine, a cool little Lebanese place. (There actually used to be a fair number of other cool restaurants right at this spot on El Camino, but some of them seem to not have survived.)

As to living here, there are definitely some other benefits other than the strong restaurant selection. You are, first of all, right by the Hayward Park Caltrain station (up on the northern end of the neighborhood). So this is a really good spot for commuters in either or both directions, as me and the BF would be if we moved here (me to Stanford, him to SF).

So what is like living here?

Well if you are thinking of renting, apartments here run on the order of $3000 to $4000. These are nice apartments, but considering this is about what some people pay in mortgage, I’m not sure this is the best place to rent.

In terms of buying, the median home in the area runs about $600K. The high end, however, is not much higher than this, with only a handful breaking the $800K barrier. Most of the homes for sale are in the residential area to south of the Fairgrounds.

More than half of the homes in this area are on sale due to foreclosure, so there probably are some deals to be had.

The schools are average to strong in this neighborhood as well.

Crime is low but not non-existent. There have been about a dozen home burglaries, a pair of robberies and dozen or so assaults in the last 6 months. That isn’t terrible compared to the big city, but may be a bit of a consideration if you are moving here with family.

Overall, a pretty good spot that is relatively affordable as far as the Peninsula goes.

Hillsdale is a flat, boring and flavorless San Mateo neighborhood brimming of lower middle-class monotony. It is, however, nestled at the corner of US Route 101 and US Route 92 and within close proximity to downtown San Mateo. The neighborhood is also rather large, spanning 2.2 square miles and is buoyed by a total population of above 12,000 (making it the most populated district in San Mateo). The district is also a bit of a melting pot of ethnic residents, most of which are white while the minority is split between hispanic and asian inhabitants.

Hillsdale’s residential quarters are lackluster at best. Most homes are small, blocky one-story in size and bounded by their skinny properties. They share the same boring house fronts, small yards and one-car garages that make up most of the neighborhood. But if you head towards the southern most edge of the community, you’ll hit a couple blocks of nicer, larger homes situated on more appealing properties. They are mostly two-stories in size with more room for the whole family to run around. According to the 2010 US Census, house prices are within the range of $600,000 to $800,000, and if you’re looking to rent, you’ll likely shell out around $1,400/month. Moreover, the median household income is around $80,000/year, right on board with the average San Mateo community

For your commercial needs, the Hillsdale Shopping Center lies directly west of the neighborhood. The area provides a couple shopping options including a Nordstrom, a Macy’s, Trader Joe’s, a Barnes & Noble, American Eagle, a food court, and handful of restaurants (with abundant parking). Elsewhere, the Hayward Park Caltrain skirts the northern edge of the community, while Hillsdale Caltrain is located along South El Camino Real. Both transit options connect residents to San Francisco and San Jose. It’s most notable destination is the San Mateo Fairgrounds. Located along Saratoga Drive, the venue hosts everything from county fairs to art shows to business expos.

Hillsdale is the neighborhood that has it all. Great houses, top retail stores, great restaurants, safe and excellent schools, friendly people and so much more. Hillsdale is probably one of the strongest neighborhood districts in the San Mateo area. There is plenty of culture and activities that reach out to all age groups from senior activities to skate boarding. One of the most familiar names in HIllsdale is probable the Hillsdale Shopping Center which is a big mega mall that has some of my favorite stores from American Eagle to Nordstrom. I wish that I could afford to live in the Hillsdale area. The houses are all so perfect. Big, spacious and full of California charm. For the most part the people come off as friendly and very much involved with their community. Traffic is always a problem because there are four major raods that boarder the Hillsdale area which include the Bayshore Freeway and S El Camino Real.