Living in San Mateo

You’d be hard-pressed to find a Peninsula resident that wouldn’t name San Mateo the most vibrant city in the area. Positioned just 20 minutes from San Francisco, the 100,000-people city of San Mateo is a bustling hub of culture and business that perfectly strikes the balance between urban and suburban. San Mateo is truly a multicultural city, in both demographics and in dining. From taquerias to tonkatsu, the cuisines of the world are represented on the streets of San Mateo. The retail is unbeatable, too; longtime fixtures like Talbot’s Toyland and the HIllsdale Mall serve as the backbone to an ever-changing shopping scene.

Quiet residential areas and beautiful hills complement San Mateo’s busy downtown to the west, while waterfront homes and the up-and-coming Bay Meadows neighborhood stretch eastward. San Mateo is one of the greenest cities on the Peninsula, both on the streets and in its parks. The 225-acre Laurelwood Park offers open space access, while downtown’s Central Park hosts tennis courts, picnic areas, playground, a baseball field, a recreation center, a miniature train, and a Japanese Tea Garden. The numerous open space preserves in Belmont and Redwood City are just a short jog away. Also featuring access to elite public and private educational institutions such as Burlingame High, San Mateo High, Crystal Springs, Junipero Serra, Nueva, and many others.

When you take all this into consideration, it’s no surprise that San Mateo also hosts a number of community events and festivals every year. From Summerfest and farmers’ markets to the County Fair and the Downtown Wine Walk, there’s something for everyone. This diverse array of offerings has played a large role in San Mateo’s recent growth into one of the hottest new markets in the Bay Area.