Los Altos Hills
Los Altos Hills is an incorporated town of Santa Clara County and completely separate from the city of Los Altos. It’s often near the top of many lists as one of the richest or most expensive zip codes in the United States. You’ll find a mix of newly built mansions and country homes more original to the area.
This is a strictly residential town with two exceptions—the bookstore at Foothill Community College and the gift shop at Immaculate Heart Monastery. There is not even a post office or library. Zoning doesn’t allow for multi-family housing and there is a minimum lot size of one acre, though many are much larger. You’re up in the hills, surrounded by nature so you get a rural feel. You may see deer wandering the streets or notice neighbors with horse stables and chicken coops. Some homes are very close to Interstate 280 or Foothill Expressway, and you may hear freeway noise—not always so common for such pricey real estate.
Los Altos Entrance Sign / Photo by: Coolcaesar / CC BY-SA
The most expensive purchase in Los Altos Hills was to Russian investor, Yuri Milner for $100 million. The house has 14 bathrooms and a guest house that is bigger than most people’s homes at 4,600 square feet. Many notable names in tech live or have lived here, including Google co-founder, Sergey Brin, and late Hewlett-Packard co-founder, David Packard. After he died in 1996, his home was turned over to the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and renovated into a meeting facility for the foundation.
Being up in the hills near 280, there is a lot of open space and outdoor recreation close by. Highlights include Rancho San Antonio Preserve, Pearson-Arastradero Preserve and Redwood Grove Nature Preserve. You’ll find a ton of trails ranging from easy to more challenging hikes, like the 10-mile Black Mountain Trail. Foothills Park is right at the border of Los Altos Hills but is actually only open to Palo Alto residents and their guests.
Foothills Park / Leijurv / CC BY-SA
Rancho San Antonio Preserve / Photo by: Runner1928 / CC BY-SA
Residents are close to the small offering of shops and restaurants on Alpine Road in Portola Valley, which includes Bianchini's Market for groceries and Alpine Inn, a recently remodeled beer garden with burgers and wood-fired pizzas. There has been a tavern at this site since 1852. Downtown Los Altos is also just minutes away with a Safeway, Draeger’s Market and curated selection of coffee shops, boutiques and restaurants.
Depending on the address, kids will either funnel into the Los Altos School District or Palo Alto Unified School District—both rank incredibly well. For high school, it’s Palo Alto’s Gunn or into the Mountain View-Los Altos High School District.
Terman Middle School / Photo by: Tallyman / CC BY-SA
This is a small area, and so it doesn’t have as much distinction between neighborhoods as other Peninsula towns but you could break it into these three areas:
Lakeside:
This is the southern tip of Los Altos Hills. It’s bordered by Rancho San Antonio Preserve on the west and Los Altos on the east, with the Los Altos Golf and Country Club just on the other side of 280. This was the site of Neary Quarry, which supplied the stone and gravel that actually builty 280 and 101. It closed in the 60s and was eventually turned into a lake, giving the neighborhood its name and homes within the luxury Quarry Hills development, a view.
Near Quarry Pano / Photo by: Dicklyon / CC BY-SA
Foothills:
Staying on the west side of 280, the Foothills run from the Lakeside neighborhood all the way to the border of Palo Alto. Residents to the north will be right next to Palo Alto Golf & Country Club. Fittingly, Foothill Community College is here and Foothills Park and Preserve is on the border. The hilly nature of this neighborhood means a lot of homes benefit from stunning views.
Redwoods:
On the east side of 280, the Redwoods shares a border with both Los Altos and Palo Alto. This neighborhood is the closest to the businesses and restaurants in downtown Los Altos. You’ll also find Town Hall and public K-6 Gardner Bullis School.