Woodside Plaza

Just to the west of the Palm neighborhood, Woodside Plaza is largely made up of older Ranch homes. It is actually a pretty nice looking neighborhood in sort of a Leave it to Beaver sort of a way (though not quite as affluent as the Cleaver’s neighborhood seemed to be). This neighborhood is a little bit more middle class looking, though it does have the wide open streets that sometimes makes these kinds of neighborhoods look nicer than you might expect.

Three quarters of the homes in this neighborhood are on the market due to foreclosure. The prices cover a huge amount of ground going from roughly $250K to close to a million dollars. These are mostly all Ranch style homes, with some of the nicer, larger ones (close to 2000 sq. ft.) drawing the prices in the upper ranges.

That said, the neighborhood still seems a little overpriced to me, not significantly upscale enough to draw these kind of prices.

One definite improvement this neighborhood has over its neighbors to the east, is the better schools which here are at least average.

Woodside Plaza, the actual plaza, has the usual set of suburban amenities you expect to find in the suburbs: a Lucky’s, a Rite Aid and stores like Michael’s. Boring yes, but useful if you live in the ‘burbs.

Overall, I would say that Woodside Plaza is a pretty nice place to live, though it is fairly overpriced. For these kinds of prices you could probably move a bit closer to the action in Menlo Park or even, perhaps some parts of Palo Alto.

Nestled deep into the rich suburban landscape of Redwood City, Woodside Plaza is a somewhat mundane and all-too-ordinary residential community. Its, in fact, completely residential, with the stank of middle-class anonymity written all over the area. The district as a whole is a little too dense, with a total population of 6,000 living within 1 square mile. Its only nice accommodation is Stulsaft Park, which skirts the western edge of the district and provides enjoyable walking trails and a sizable kids playground.

There is nothing too appealing about Woodside Plaza’s residential quarters. Its flat terrain is mixed between somewhat blemished suburban quarters and clean-cut properties. Homes are typically small, blocky, old and one-story in size with skinny driveways sitting on shallow properties. They are usually congested along neighborhood blocks, leaving very little room from loud neighbors. For those with deeper pockets, the district’s wealthier quarters are situated towards the western edge. Some of these residences have pedicured lawns, quaint house fronts and make way for orderly streets that curve around the neighborhood. For the perspective resident, the average estimated house value is around $815,000, while rents approach $1,500/month. Moreover, the typical resident is white and rakes in around $76,000/year.

Woodside Plaza has many characteristics you would associate with a school zone community. In fact, the district encompasses both John F. Kennedy Middle School and Henry Ford Elementary School. However, there isn’t much to say that hasn’t already been said about the community. For your shopping needs, a small commercial plaza sits at the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Woodside Road. The area offers your basic neighborhood essentials which include a Lucky’s Supermarket, Rite Aid, Ross and a Round Table Pizza.