Belmont

Located in the heights of San Mateo County, Belmont Woods offers stunning vistas from everywhere. “You’re high on a ridge, so you either have a beautiful mountain view or, on the other side, a beautiful view of the Bay Area,” says local Realtor Michael Verdone of Economic Concepts, who has 50 years of home selling experience. In addition to stunning views, the neighborhood includes well-kept homes, plentiful parks, a surplus of shopping and top-rated schools.<br><br>Homes in Belmont Woods are designed with Craftsman and ranch-style elements in mind. Home plots are arranged in compact rows full of green lawns, pebbled and ornamental front yards and plenty of shrubbery. “Every house is different," says Ruba Kaileh, a Real Estate Advisor with Sotheby's International Realty. Kaileh grew up in Belmont and frequently sells homes in the area. "You won't find any tract housing or developments with five-or six-floor plans or cookie-cutter homes. Your neighbor is gonna be different from you. One side could be upslope and the other is downslope," she says. She also adds that homes with usable yards can be a challenge to find in Belmont because of the elevated topography. Prices range between $1 million and $3.9 million. Condos are also available and can fetch between $500,000 for a one-bedroom unit and $1.3 million for a three-bedroom. The neighborhood also includes a postwar subdivision featuring lots of midcentury modern homes and streets that were sarcastically named. Following World War II, local historian Russell Estep belittled the developer of the then-new subdivision, saying he might as well be building houses on Mount Lassen with how the neighborhood was so far from the city center. As a result, several streets (Lassen, Yosemite and Tahoe) are named after locations much further out from Belmont. <br><br>Students can attend Fox Elementary School, which earned an A-rating from Niche, and Ralston Middle School, which holds an A-minus. In addition to being rated A-plus and among the top five public schools in San Mateo County, Carlmont High School offers a Media Studies program in fields like journalism and communication.<br><br>Full of parks and trails, there is always a place to go for a hike or to take in the tranquility of nature. Trails include the John Brooks Trailhead and Upper Creek Trailhead. Waterdog Lake – contrary to the canine-sounding moniker, it’s named after a species of salamander – is not open to swimmers but fishing is allowed. The Waterdog Open Space is a go-to for more hiking and observing nature – deer, raccoons and coyotes can be spotted anytime. Hidden Canyon Park’s varied elevation offers a moderately difficult hike with lots of tree shade. The tennis courts at Hallmark Park double as pickleball courts and at Belameda Park, runners can use the jogging track and families can relax by the playground. Crystal Springs Cross Country Course has plenty of open trails and running circuits. Plus, the San Francisco Bay, with sandy beaches on the shoreline, is just 8 miles east.<br><br>Casual restaurant Café Bliss offers breakfast and brunch options to be enjoyed in either its intimate dining room or outdoor seating. Burritos, tacos and enchiladas are all on the menu at Coyote’s Mexican Café while Sushi Kuu uses fresh ingredients to create authentic Japanese cuisine. Local shop Doc's Bagels bakes their bagels, creating a unique crispy texture. The shop is also walkable to nearby schools, making it a favorite with the local students. Groceries can be bought at Safeway, and Carlmont Village Shopping Center features over 45 shops and restaurants for all dining and retail needs.<br><br>Significant roads in the neighborhood are Junipero Serra Freeway, Ralston Avenue and Alameda de las Pulgas. Traveling westward via Ralston Avenue, drivers can use California State Route 92, a major east-west corridor in the San Francisco Bay Area. Belmont Woods also has a connection to Interstate 280, a significant auxiliary highway that ends at San Francisco on the north end and San Jose on the south end. The neighborhood is served by SanTrams buses, stopping at points around Alameda de las Pulgas, Ralston Avenue and Carlmont Drive. The San Francisco International Airport is roughly a twelve-mile drive northbound.<br><br>In the summertime, Twin Pines Meadow Picnic Area, less than three miles away, hosts a Summer Concert Series every Sunday from June to July as well as Movie Nights. Every October, the Belmont Water Dog Run hosts a charity 5K, 10K and one-mile run for both kids and pups. After the marathon, registrants and volunteers are treated to a pancake breakfast. All year round, residents can check out materials and attend conversation clubs or art workshops at the Belmont Branch of the San Mateo County Public Library.

A sophisticated sidewalk system and easily accessible shopping centers make Carlmont one of the most walkable neighborhoods in the city of Belmont. Its hilly terrain also allows for some San Francisco Bay views, making walks around this downtown neighborhood a scenic experience. The major employment hubs of San Francisco and Silicon Valley sit about 20 miles in each direction, situating Carlmont as a popular commuter location. It also offers homebuyers larger lots, attracting those looking for more space while staying close to major cities. It's thriving park system and highly-rated schools are also a major draw to the area. Popular styles include Tudor Revival, Mediterranean, contemporary, traditional and ranch-style homes. There is also a mix of new construction and homes built between the 1920s and 1960s. Smaller two- to three-bedroom homes can sell for $1.8 million to $2.5 million, while larger three- to four-bedroom dwellings can sell for more than $3 million. Kids may attend schools in the Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary School District. They can go to Central Elementary School and Ralston Middle School, graded an A-minus or better on Niche. Many move up to Carlmont High School in the Sequoia Union High School District. Niche ranked it the No. 3 best public high school in San Mateo County and gave it an A-plus grade. Carlmont is also home to the Charles Armstrong School, an independent school that offers specialized programs for kids with dyslexia. Notre Dame de Namur University is also less than 1 mile away. The 10-acre Twin Pines Park offers shaded pavilions, a playground and picnic areas. The Belmont Historical Society is in the Belmont Manor House on the ground. It serves as an art gallery and events venue. McDougal Park is another popular recreation ground. It is located just outside the neighborhood and has a ballfield, basketball court, playground and picnic area. Waterdog Lake and Open Space Park is less than a mile from the Carlmont Village Shopping Center. This nature park is a favorite among the biking community. "People really care about the Waterdog Park. They want to be outdoors as much as possible," says John Kinninger, the lead mechanic at the local Belmont Bikes. He's been working in the area since 2019. Waterdog Park features a lake, open space and a trail system. The Carlmont Village Shopping Center sits at the corner of Ralston Avenue and Alameda de las Pulgas. There, residents can find Lunardi's Market and Hassett ACE Hardware. There are also several popular eateries, including Jim Burg's, formerly Waterdog Tavern. This indoor-outdoor restaurant serves New American cuisine. A large Safeway grocery store and the Belmont Village Shopping Center are on the neighborhood's east end. The center is full of shops and eateries, including, Iron Gate, one of the oldest fine dining stops on the peninsula. It is a high-end French-American restaurant known for its steak Diane and French onion soup. The Hollywood movie-themed Godfather's Burger Lounge is just a short walk away. It is known for its large organic burgers and American cuisine. The Annual Celebrate the Music Festival is the largest community event of the year. It serves as a fundraiser for area schools' music programs and works to highlight local musicians. It is held every April. Twin Pines hosts several other seasonal events, including Christmas ornament and cookie decorating, an Easter egg hunt and a sweetheart dance. California State Route 82 runs through the east end of the neighborhood, making travel to San Mateo, nearly 6 miles away, easy. San Francisco is about 23 miles away and can be reached by traveling north on nearby U.S. Route 101. Air travel is also easily accessible. San Carlos Airport is just over 2 miles away in neighboring San Carlos. For international travel, San Francisco International Airport is 10 miles north. Carlmont is served by the Bay Area Rapid Transit system. Public bus stops are along Alameda de las Puglas, Chula Vista Drive, El Camino Real and Ralston Avenue. The city has also been investing in bike lane upgrades. "They just did a bunch of work on a section of bike lanes," Kinninger says. "They made them more robust."

While residents might not have the stunning views of Belmont Heights to the southwest, what Homeview does offer is convenience, walkability and comparative affordability. The first neighborhood to be built in Belmont, the many ranch-style houses in Homeview follow an orderly grid layout and are close to the shops and stores of Belmont, along with being close to highways and a Caltrain stop that takes residents up and around Silicon Valley. “Homeview is super convenient,” says Joe Polyak, a Bay Area native and lead Realtor at RISE Homes who has been selling homes in the San Francisco region for over a decade. “You’re right off the freeway, you’re within walking distance to Whole Foods and it’s super convenient for getting to work.” Further, with home prices being several hundred thousand dollars below the Belmont area’s average, buyers might find Homeview is a preferable option. Sidewalks and well-manicured gardens lie outside of the neighborhood’s neatly organized ranch-style homes. Most of these houses here were built in the late 1940s, early ‘50s, though many have received recent updates from owners, and there are some builds from the ‘90s and beyond in some northern and eastern pockets of Homeview. Reflective of the desirability of Silicon Valley, houses sell for between $1.5 million and $1.7 million. This is relatively inexpensive for the greater Belmont area, where the average home value is above $2 million. Buyers may not have the scenic views and spaciousness of residents in neighborhoods like Belmont Heights, but this is exactly what keeps home costs down.