San Mateo
With a population of more than 100,000, San Mateo is the county namesake and one of the Peninsula’s largest cities. There’s a little bit of everything here—from starter cottage in the flats to a 5-bedroom home in the hills to luxury apartments in a brand new development.
One of the main attractions is Hillsdale Shopping Center, the mall of choice for surrounding cities. It recently underwent a major revamp, upgrading the food court and adding entertainment like Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas and bowling and bocce at Pinstripes. There’s plenty of other retail options throughout the city with smaller neighborhood shopping centers and businesses lining El Camino. Downtown San Mateo is in the northern section off 3rd Avenue and has been an established destination for a long time. It hasn’t undergone as much of a renaissance in recent years as other nearby downtown districts but there is plenty to do and eat here. You’ll find restaurants with a long history in the area like Jeffrey’s Hamburgers and North Beach Pizza, as well as modern offerings like Joe and the Juice and German beer hall, Wursthall, plus a ton of Japanese restaurants.
San Mateo is commute-friendly, just 20 miles south of San Francisco, with 3 Caltrain stops and not far from BART. Plus, there are big companies and office buildings right within the city—Sony, Snowflake, Franklin Templeton, Survey Monkey—all have a presence.
Bay Meadows, near Hillsdale mall, was once a racetrack and has undergone a complete redevelopment in recent years. This mixed-use development appeals to young professionals with brand new residential units, parks, a Blue Bottle, a barre and spin fitness center and Fieldwork, a popular outdoor beer garden.
San Mateo also has a lot of outdoor offerings. One of the most notable is family-friendly Coyote Point, a recreation area on the bay with windsurfing, fishing, a marina, a yacht club, a unique castle-themed playground, the Bay Trail and CuriOdyssey, a science museum and zoo. There are parks throughout the city but a highlight is Central Park, where many community events are hosted like summer concerts and a pop-up holiday ice rink. It also has a Japanese Tea Garden that was designed by a landscape architect of the Imperial Palace of Tokyo. Laurelwood Park is the city’s largest at 225 acres with a playground and network of trails that features some great Bay Area views at top.
Public schools here are going to vary depending where you live, with some ranking low, some high and some in the middle. The three public high schools are in good standing Serra is a well-known, all-male Catholic high school with some notable athlete alum including Barry Bonds and Tom Brady. College of San Mateo (CSM) is a community college in the hills of Highway 92.
There are over 20 communities that make up San Mateo. You’re going to get a very different housing inventory to the east of El Camino than you will in the hills that border Hillsborough or Burlingame. Though each community has a distinct identity, there are also some similarities that tie them together. I’ve grouped them to give you a general overview of what you can expect as you travel across the different regions of San Mateo.
Lauriedale, The Village, Bay Meadows, Fiesta Gardens, Hayward Park, Sunnybrae:
This covers the many neighborhoods between El Camino and 101, running from the border of Belmont all the way to Downtown San Mateo. Homes here are generally more affordable. You’ll find a lot of first-time homeowners buying up smaller homes with plans to remodel and add an addition. It’s a flat, walkable area with a Trader Joe’s near Sunnybrae and a Whole Foods near Bay Meadows. Bay Meadows is the exception to this group of communities. It is entirely new construction with luxury apartment buildings and townhouses radiating out from the Hillsdale Caltrain station. You’ll find additional multi-family housing in older buildings sprinkled throughout the other neighborhoods in this grouping, as well as pockets of retail and office buildings.
Westwood Knolls, San Mateo Knolls, Hillsdale, San Mateo Terrace, Beresford:
You’ll find these neighborhoods to the west of El Camino from Belmont to Highway 92. Alameda de las Pulgas runs right through the middle with Hillsdale High School and Beresford Park, a city hub with skatepark, community garden and recreation center. These communities have a mix of flat and hilly streets, and consist mostly of post-war construction. In general, homes and lots here are modest in size—you’ll find the larger homes as you push north towards Hillsborough and west towards the hills. It’s almost entirely residential with the exception of Hillsdale Shopping Center and other businesses clustered near El Camino. You can also find Peninsula Golf & Country Club at the corner of Alameda and 92.
Western Hills / Sugarloaf-Laurelwood, San Mateo Woods, Baywood Park, Highlands:
These communities make up the hilly, western section of San Mateo that backs up to Interstate 280 and Crystal Springs Reservoir. You’re going to find a mixture of property types across these neighborhoods. Most notably, in the Highlands you’ll find a large cluster of Eichler homes. One super unique Eicher is the ‘Life’ House, built against a hillside across four levels. San Mateo Woods is mostly known for its condos and townhouses but also has a small selection of one-story, single-family homes. Homes get larger and newer (with many built in the 70s and 80s) as you travel into Baywood Park and Sugarloaf-Laurelwood. You’ll also find San Mateo’s largest park in Laurelwood with a hike up Sugarloaf Hill that offers some great views.
College of San Mateo sits on the northern side of Highway 92 and hosts a popular year-round Saturday farmers’ market. Though it’s mostly residential, Crystal Springs Shopping Center serves the Highlands area with a Safeway, CVS, Bar Method, various medical offices and a delicious Italian bakery called Dianda’s. Laurelwood Shopping Center is near CSM with Piazza’s Fine Foods, Rite Aid, restaurants, fitness centers, nail salon, dry cleaners and other essentials. Residents in the Western Hills can hop on 92 and be to the beaches of Half Moon Bay in 20 minutes.
Marina Lagoon / Mariner’s Isle, Edgewater Isle, Los Prados, Lakeshore:
This is the part of San Mateo that’s to the east of Highway 101 and blends into the planned community of Foster City. Like Foster City, you’ll find a mix of condos, townhouses and smaller single-family homes all with the potential for waterfront property. Seal Slough runs through this area with access points like Parkside Aquatic Beach with a roped-off swim area and boat launch ramp. You’ll find Sony and other office buildings here plus big box retail close by in Foster City with a Costco and Target, Home Depot and more at Bridgepointe Shopping Center. The east bay is a short drive away over the San Mateo Bridge.
North Shoreview, South Shoreview, Parkside:
These single-family, residential neighborhoods are to the north of Seal Slough, running between Highway 101 and the bay. You’ll find a lot of small, cottage-style homes with 2 or 3 bedrooms in Shoreview. The neighborhood is a mix of long-time residents and first-time homebuyers moving in and upgrading their purchase. Homes get slightly bigger and more expensive in Parkside with some waterfront properties along Seal Slough. A lot of recreation options are just a walk away including the Bay Trail, Seal Point Park (with a 3-acre dog park), Poplar Creek Golf Course and Coyote Point. Shoreview Shopping Center has a Chavez Supermarket and a handful of restaurants. Downtown San Mateo is conveniently located on the other side of 101.