WorldPeace87

The surrounding streets and Locust street crack me up. The people that inhabit most of the houses think they are something else. Talk about snobbery at it's finest. The only dogs that you ever see walking up and down the street are really little ones. The people spend more on their dogs than they do on their front yards. This area has a rule of no public transportation because apparently it is said to bring down a value of a community. Locust Street is nice enough but the people that live there are just downright annoying. The traffic coming overhead from J Arthur Younger Freeway can be pretty loud at times to.

Close to the marina, boat docks and water view spectacular houses makes Shoal Drive one of the best residential streets in San Mateo. The feeling on this street is very reminiscent of living on the coast because of the whole way of living. People jet ski and ride their boats up and down the waterway that lines Shoal Drive and in the summer the street is flourishes with pedestrians enjoying themselves. Most people probably can't afford a house in this area because they are pretty pricey but you can enjoy a drive and if you have a boat just park at the Marina Island Park and enjoy the waterway.

East Poplar Avenue is quite a popular school area. The San Mateo high school and adult ed school are both around this area. School buses and school kids cover this area during the week from regular school hours. Traffic can get pretty heavy and slow at times. There are cops that patrol the area after 2:30 to catch speeders and individuals that pass the school buses when they are at a stop and put their red stop sign out. There are quite a few residential side streets that connect to E Poplar. It is a somewhat respectable middle class neighborhood.

Airport Blvd was recently closed for a couple of days in early June because of road work. The road has actually been slated to close again in the middle of July for a couple of weeks because the underground part of the road needs to be patched up. This might be an area to avoid at least until August because there will be no traffic whatsoever allowed through. Airport Blvd is a familiar street with animal lovers because it is just North of the Peninsula Humane Society and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals which is in the news quite a bit. Driving on Airport Blvd is nothing exciting but once you get up near the Sanchez Creek Lagoon area it becomes quite scenic. There are plenty of small side shops and rest areas to get out and enjoy the views and the fresh air.

For the most part Cypress Avenue is a quiet street.The street is primarily residential and very narrow. It is barely big enough to be called a two way street. I am familiar with the street because I work at the Orlando painting store right on the end of the street, which is one of the only actual businesses on the street. The neighborhood is pretty active with people walking their dogs, washing their cars and bike riders. For the past two summers I have noticed that Cypress Avenue seems to have some sort of big block garage sale with bbq's. All in all it is a nice quiet middle class street.

East 5th Avenue is a stretch of businesses which are mainly government related, a couple of factories and a few railroad stops. There are not any residential areas until the street turns into West 5th East. There is a popular park though named Central Park which faces Camino Real and is very popular on the weekends and in the summer. Soccer matches, family get togethers and other events usually make the park pretty popular. There are plenty of small parking lots on the street but most of them are private and side street parking is always over crowded. So you might want to park over on the next block.

The Bayshore Fwy is a buxy expressway that is connected to all the other major expressways in the San Fran area, it also cuts right through the heart of San Mateo. Both sides of the freeway are flanked with walls sometimes covered by bushes and other times by graffiti. Traffic during rush hour can be pretty intense. Sometimes backups can be between 45-90 minutes, depending on your location on the freeway.There are quite a few cracks in the street. It is definitely in need of some repair.

North Claremont Street is a lower middle class street with way too many kids. I share a house with two other guys at the corner of State Street. There is so much that is working against this street. Lots of stray cats, dogs that never quit barking and kids that are way too loud! The rent is pretty cheap though considering all things. Traffic can be heavy at night from random people that are coming and going..more so than in the day at least. There is a lot of green though which can take your eyes away from the architectural eyesores.

The palm trees will make you think of Florida. Peninsula Avenue is a mixture of residential and business. Together houses and companies make up the majority of the buildings on Peninsula Avenue. The architecture is mostly done in South Western Arizona style, those are mostly the companies though. The houses are rather drab. There are way to many stop lights on this street which make it traffic annoying at times.

Coyote Point Drive will take you right out into the San Francisco Bay. When I was a kid my parents used to take me to Coyote Park Magic Mountain Playground which is a great place to have picnics and take nature walks. The drive is relaxing and calming. It is away from the hustle and bustle of the city and just keep following Coyote Point Drive until you end up at the marina. Pretend that you own one of those boats. This street is more of a scenic street than a residential or business street.