Belmont Community Guide

Belmont is a variation of the French word, beaumont, and means beautiful mountains. The city lives up to its name with windy roads, sweeping views and lots of lush open space.

Belmont is different from a lot of suburbs on the Peninsula because it does not have a traditional downtown street where the majority of restaurants and retail stores sit. Instead, it’s more spread out, with Carlmont Shopping Center being the most well-known shopping plaza. There are still plenty of notable restaurants, from casual pub food at Godfather’s Burger Lounge or Waterdog Tavern to longstanding institutions like Iron Gate and Vivace.

The community calendar is full of family-friendly events, many taking place at 10-acre Twin Pines Park. It’s a true escape into nature, despite being blocks from busy El Camino. There’s picnic areas, a creek and facility rentals for everything from a casual birthday party to a wedding.

The most celebrated early resident was William Ralston, president of the Bank of California, who built a country villa here in the 1860s. This 55,000 square feet mansion is now a designated National Historic Landmark and part of Notre Dame de Namur, a private university and the third oldest college in California.

With a population around 27,000, Belmont is one of the smaller Bay Area suburbs. Home styles and sizes vary with a majority being single-family homes but also a substantial amount of multi-unit properties. There’s a lot of new construction around El Camino and to the east, which is more of an industrial area.

Carlmont

Sharing a border with San Carlos from El Camino all the way to Alameda de las Pulgas, this neighborhood is aptly named Carlmont, a blend of both Belmont and San Carlos. You’ll find a lot of roomy, two-story homes in this neighborhood, many with views. Though Belmont doesn’t have a traditional downtown, you will find a lot of retail and restaurants within this community, including Carlmont Shopping Center, with sit-down and quick-service restaurants plus popular Lunardi’s Market. Down the road is Twin Pines, a gathering place for community events and casual park days.

Belmont Country Club

This neighborhood is opposite Carlmont on the other side of Ralston Avenue, and shares a border with San Mateo. A lot of Belmont’s history is rooted in this neighborhood. It’s where you’ll find Ralston Hall and Notre Dame de Namur University. There are all types of homes here with apartment buildings near El Camino to more extravagant single-family homes on ⅓ acre lots. Barrett Community Center is close to the university and is the main recreation center for youth and teen activities.

Haskin Estates

Heading up Ralston Avenue towards highway 92 and 280, this neighborhood will be to your right. It starts flat at the border of Alameda de Las Pulgas and continues to rise into the hills till you reach the freeway. There’s some really windy roads and incredible views. Some streets feel very woodsy—almost rural—and give you a lot of privacy for a suburban area. Home sizes range from modest two-bedrooms to newly constructed five-bedrooms. The neighborhood shares a border with San Mateo’s Laurelwood Park and just over the hill you can grocery shop or dine at Crystal Springs Village.

Belmont Woods

This neighborhood consists of the most designated open space with Hidden Canyon Park and Water Dog Lake, a very popular hiking area. Like much of Belmont, hilly streets mean great views for many properties. Homes here tend to be more modern and recently built. Hallmark is an extremely desirable neighborhood within the neighborhood that sits at the top of Ralston with spacious homes on large lots. You’ll also find a lot of the town’s multi-family residences throughout Belmont Woods.

Homeview & Sterling Downs

This encompasses everything east of El Camino and is one of the only areas of Belmont that is entirely flat. It’s also where you’re likely to find the most affordable homes. South of Ralston is considered Homeview, and consists mostly of two or three bedroom, single-family homes. North of Ralston Avenue is Sterling Downs, which also has single-family homes but multi-family residences, industrial zones and retail fronts. Though streets can be busy, residents are walking distance to Caltrain and many popular restaurants on El Camino.