Islands

Unlike the other neighborhoods in Foster City, many of whom actually are or have land masses that could be called islands, here there is only one section like that.

So why the name the neighborhood “Islands”? Well if you know Foster City then you know that most neighborhoods have a kind of theme. In this case, it is islands, so streets have names such as: Bahama, Cayman and Baffin.

So what is it like living here?

Also like in a lot of the neighborhoods in Foster City, Islands is largely made up of contemporary style homes and smallish condominiums. There are no homes currently for sale in this neighborhood, but my understanding is that homes hover around $1 million here regularly.

There are a couple of extra nice things about this neighborhood. First, there is the trail that runs along the slough on the southern end of the neighborhood. If you are a runner or want a good place to walk the dog, this is the perfect place spot for those kinds of activities.

Second, there is Sea Cloud Park which has 4 baseball diamonds and 2 or 3 soccer fields. This is definitely a spotlight of weekend families.

Overall, it is a nice little neighborhood. Nothing spectacular, but very solid.

Squeezed between the winding sloughs (canals) that run off of Central Lake, Islands is a cheap, but somewhat progressive neighborhood. In recent years, new fenced in housing developments and condominiums have been grouped together, as if building communities with communities. Within these smaller communities polished, mostly upper middle-class residences with the same outer aesthetic. It’s biggest draw is that the neighborhood is situated along the San Francisco peninsula and within minutes of the vast San Francisco bay. To which case, makes for a great bedroom community for parts of Hayward, Union City, San Francisco and San Jose.

Islands’ residential quarters is a very safe and family friendly neighborhood. It is known for its reclusively communal housing areas, safe neighborhood streets and trendy suburban aesthetics. Homes are mixed between one and two stories, but usually share the same house style or architecture for each little community. These include large bungalows, colonials and English tudors. Most of these residences are usually outfitted with a two-car garage and provides plenty of space to park in the driveway or along the street. They also afford small, but tidy yards with little primped bushes popping up in front. If you’re looking for condo living, head towards Bafflin Street. This area provides a groupings of modern looking condos (some of which share adjoining walls) slightly hidden by brushy trees. If you head around back, a small body of water presents residents with a great aesthetic.

For outdoor exercisers, a jogging trail follows the eastern slough that runs north and south. While at the northern edge of the neighborhood sits Sea Cloud Park. The grassland is home to a number of youth sports which include a couple baseball fields and can turn into a handful of soccer fields during the winter. For commuters, there isn’t a wink of public transportation, but the San Mateo Bridge affords residents a quick trip into the East Bay.