Welcome to San Mateo
San Mateo is a small city with a variety of neighborhoods and a vibrant downtown, conveniently located midway between San Francisco and Silicon Valley.
Located just 20 miles south of San Francisco, San Mateo is an inviting city comprised of just over 100,000 people. San Mateo borders the San Francisco Bay and Foster City to the east, Burlingame and Hillsborough to the north and northwest, and Belmont to the south. The adjacent Santa Cruz Mountains shield San Mateo from Pacific Ocean mist, giving the area a comfortable Mediterranean climate. Temperatures average in the 70s for much of the year.
This friendly city is popular for its close-knit family neighborhoods and relative affordability compared to other Bay Area communities. San Mateo real estate includes luxuriously large homes with old-world elegance and grandeur, Spanish-inspired and Tudor Revival properties, and a variety of spacious single-family homes. Home sales in 2018 were between $750,000 and $6,800,000, with a median sales price of $1,600,000.
Neighborhoods within San Mateo include:
- Baywood Park
- Baywood-Aragon
- Beresford
- Downtown
- East San Mateo
- Haywood Park
- Hillsdale
- Marina Lagoon
- North Central
- San Mateo Park
- Shoreview
- Sugarloaf
- Western Hills
San Mateo’s proximity to San Francisco and Silicon Valley make it convenient for commuters. Residents also enjoy a laid-back small-town atmosphere with a walkable downtown. Warm in both climate and attitude, San Mateo is a place residents lay down roots and never want to leave.
Great restaurants are abundant in the downtown area. Michelin-starred
Wakuriya and
Sushi Yoshizumi are Japanese restaurants in high-demand, showcasing the masterful skills of a single chef. Another Japanese eatery praised in the Michelin Guide is
Ramen Dojo. Michelin also directs diners to the delectable Chinese dishes at
Sichuan Chon Qing and
Spicy Heaven, authentic and affordable Italian restaurant
Pausa, and
All Spice’s enticing menu of new American exotic meals. Chic new restaurants are constantly introducing new flavors to San Mateo’s dining scene.
San Mateo’s retail options are similarly wide-ranging. The
Hillsdale Shopping Center hosts over 130 stores and restaurants, with a Macy’s and California’s first Nordstrom as its anchors. As for groceries, the city has both a Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.
There are two great outdoor recreation spaces at opposite corners of the city. Jutting out into the San Francisco Bay in San Mateo’s northeast, 670-acre
Coyote Point Park features eucalyptus groves, the kid-friendly
CuriOdyssey science museum and zoo, and the 18-hole
Poplar Creek golf course. At the city’s southwest, the 225-acre
Laurelwood Park has scenic picnic spots and trails rising to Sugarloaf Mountain. Another popular outdoor recreation spot is the six-mile
Sawyer Camp Trail, which follows the banks of the Crystal Springs reservoir.
The Peninsula Golf & Country Club has a wonderful 18-hole Donald Ross-designed golf course.
Local schools include College Park Elementary, ranked in California’s top 1%, and Aragon High.
With a bustling downtown that contains many retail and restaurant options, San Mateo is a lively and affordable paradise.
