The Willows
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Great for
- Clean & Green
- Parking
- Neighborly Spirit
- Shopping Options
- Safe & Sound
Not great for
- Lack of Traffic
- Public Transport
- Nightlife
- Cost of Living
- Resale or Rental Value
Who lives here?
- Professionals
- Singles
- Students
- Families with kids
- Retirees
Got a burning question? Why not ask the locals! Simply ask your question below
Reviews
The Willows
rating details
2yrs+
- Neighborly Spirit
- Safe & Sound
- Clean & Green
- Pest Free
- Peace & Quiet
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
- Parks & Recreation
- Shopping Options
- Gym & Fitness
- Internet Access
- Lack of Traffic
- Parking
- Cost of Living
- Resale or Rental Value
- Public Transport
- Medical Facilities
- Schools
- Childcare
"The Willows: Green area, great neighborhood and great schools"
The negative comments here are quite old and either outdated or not accurate. For example: Willow Oak school is not part of the Menlo Park school district. The Willows are part of the Menlo Park School district with Laurel/Upper Laurel school being some of the best elementary schools in the area. If you want a private school, there is Alto school. There is also a preschool available. Neighbors are friendly. We have block parties, neighbors talk to each other and help out. We are in walking distance to downtown Palo Alto. There are school buses for Encinal and Hillview middle school. The DB Express bus is also driving along Willow Road. There is shopping (Willows Market, 2 Mexican stores) a coffee place (Zoes) and a hair-dresser. It is a very green area. Highly thought after by young families with children.
Pros
- Great Schools
- Close to Palo Alto Downtown
- Some Lower Rents
Recommended for
- Professionals
- Singles
- Families with kids
- LGBT+
The Willows
rating details
2yrs+
- Neighborly Spirit
- Clean & Green
- Peace & Quiet
- Parks & Recreation
- Shopping Options
- Schools
"Unremarkable, underwhelming community"
There is nothing too glamorous about The Willows. To put it lightly, the neighborhood is a model of transparency. It is densely populated, almost exclusively residential and saturated with unremarkable homes and a mixed bag of residential aesthetics. According to the 2010 US Census, the total population exceeds 7,000 and is mixed between a white and hispanic community. They live in a community spanning about 0.9 square miles of residential terrain, big for Menlo Park.
The Willows’ residential terrain is firmly gripped in middle-class suburban anonymity. The area has a high concentration of garden-variety homes, mildly aesthetic properties and extremely leafy/bushy communal quarters. For the perspective resident, there is a very divergent style of homes plotted throughout the district for your liking. You also have your selection of mostly single story homes (although there are a few two-story homes peppering the neighborhood). For numbers sake, the bulk of homes are priced between $500,000 to $750,000, a reasonable value considering the usual lofty prices you find in Menlo Park. Those who can afford it usually rake in a typical $95,000/year (as a household).
Many of its down qualities are closely tied to its proximity to sketchy East Palo Alto. The area lies just adjacent to the city and is a hotbed for crime and dangerous activity. However, The Willows is convenient for commuters who have to travel up and down US Route 101 or work for Stanford University. And its most intriguing characteristic is that its only a 5-10 minute drive from the vast San Francisco Bay.
The Willows’ residential terrain is firmly gripped in middle-class suburban anonymity. The area has a high concentration of garden-variety homes, mildly aesthetic properties and extremely leafy/bushy communal quarters. For the perspective resident, there is a very divergent style of homes plotted throughout the district for your liking. You also have your selection of mostly single story homes (although there are a few two-story homes peppering the neighborhood). For numbers sake, the bulk of homes are priced between $500,000 to $750,000, a reasonable value considering the usual lofty prices you find in Menlo Park. Those who can afford it usually rake in a typical $95,000/year (as a household).
Many of its down qualities are closely tied to its proximity to sketchy East Palo Alto. The area lies just adjacent to the city and is a hotbed for crime and dangerous activity. However, The Willows is convenient for commuters who have to travel up and down US Route 101 or work for Stanford University. And its most intriguing characteristic is that its only a 5-10 minute drive from the vast San Francisco Bay.
Pros
- Close to Palo Alto Downtown
- Some Lower Rents
Cons
- Too Close to East Palo Alto
Recommended for
- Professionals
- Retirees
The Willows
rating details
2yrs+
- Neighborly Spirit
- Safe & Sound
- Clean & Green
- Pest Free
- Peace & Quiet
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
- Parks & Recreation
- Shopping Options
- Gym & Fitness
- Internet Access
- Lack of Traffic
- Parking
- Cost of Living
- Resale or Rental Value
- Public Transport
- Medical Facilities
- Schools
- Childcare
"Bad School, Old Houses"
A lot of people don’t really like the eastern portion of Menlo Park because it borders East Palo Alto, which most people basically consider “gangland.” There are gangs in EPA, but I’m not sure that is enough reason to throw out all of the eastern neighborhoods in Menlo Park.
Unfortunately, in this case, the fears do seem somewhat justified. One sign of this is that the local elementary school, Willow
Oaks is one of the worst in all of the Peninsula. It is basically a failing school by any objective standard.
To a certain extent these negatives do get reflected by lower rent prices. You can, for example, find a 2-bedroom here for $1500/month. That said, this is not completely consistent throughout the neighborhood, with some rents going as high as $4000
for a 2-bedroom.
There are also a lot of boxy 1970’s style apartments here.
That said, I would not really recommend this neighborhood unless you are trying to save on rent. The proximity of Highway 101 and the unimpressive houses don’t really do much for me.
Unfortunately, in this case, the fears do seem somewhat justified. One sign of this is that the local elementary school, Willow
Oaks is one of the worst in all of the Peninsula. It is basically a failing school by any objective standard.
To a certain extent these negatives do get reflected by lower rent prices. You can, for example, find a 2-bedroom here for $1500/month. That said, this is not completely consistent throughout the neighborhood, with some rents going as high as $4000
for a 2-bedroom.
There are also a lot of boxy 1970’s style apartments here.
That said, I would not really recommend this neighborhood unless you are trying to save on rent. The proximity of Highway 101 and the unimpressive houses don’t really do much for me.
Pros
- Some Lower Rents
- Big Houses
- Close to Palo Alto Downtown
Cons
- Lots of Apartments
- Too Close to East Palo Alto
- Terrible Elementary School
Recommended for
- Professionals
- Students
