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Central Brisbane

Central Brisbane

$1,289,709 Average Value
$307 Average Price per Sq Ft
4 Homes For Sale

A unique South San Francisco enclave with a booming biotech industry

Located on the scenic lower slopes of San Bruno Mountain, Central Brisbane is a South San Francisco neighborhood with a quaint, character-filled residential community alongside a booming biotech industry. “Brisbane has always been a funky town,” says Ron Davis, a realtor and founder of Voyage Real Estate who has been selling homes in Brisbane since 1987. Called the “City of Stars,” the town gets its nickname from an 85-year-old tradition where residents display large, wooded stars with lights on their homes during the holiday season. Many residents now keep these decorative figures up year-round, and the theme carries out through the town’s welcoming sign and city street posts adorned with tiny little stars. With its distinct identity, scenic housing landscape and walkability to the neighborhood’s Main Street USA-style downtown, Central Brisbane feels like a peaceful refuge from the bustle of neighboring San Francisco. “It’s a small-town atmosphere where people still talk to each other, the weather is good and community is important.”

Downtown local eats waterside food trucks

Central Brisbane offers a variety of shopping and dining options, from Italian and Mexican to Asian cuisines. Visitacion Avenue, a five-block downtown center, is the neighborhood’s main lifestyle hub, lined with local eateries, family-owned stores and coffee shops. Madhouse Coffee has been a community gathering place for over two decades, serving lattes and breakfast sandwiches on a dog-friendly patio. Nearby on Bayshore Boulevard is Ichika Sushi House. It serves colorful trays of fresh sushi, including exotic Asian fish selections, within a Japanese mural-painted interior space. Just down the street, Brisbane Lunch Truck or “BLT” for short, dishes out favorites like fried chicken sandwiches and Bento Boxes. It features a small outdoor patio with picnic-style benches that overlook the water. Visitacion Avenue is also home to Midtown Market for grocery staples, or residents can check out the weekly Brisbane Farmer’s Market on Old County Road for more fresh local produce and other goods.

Madhouse Coffee keeps Central Brisbane residents humming.
Madhouse Coffee keeps Central Brisbane residents humming.
Visitacion Ave. is the social and commercial spine of Central Brisbane.
Visitacion Ave. is the social and commercial spine of Central Brisbane.
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Holiday lighting traditions and summer concerts

Central Brisbane hosts numerous events throughout the year. The annual Festival of Lights takes place each December and features caroling along Visitacion Avenue, followed by a tree-lighting ceremony and a visit from Santa at Brisbane Community Park. Brisbane Community Park is also home to many other annual events, including a summer concert series on Fridays and Sundays in July and August. Brisbane’s Day in the Park and Derby is the most widely attended annual event here. Residents join together to participate in family-friendly derby races while listening to live music, sampling local food and checking out local vendor tents.

Character-filled homes and star displays

Central Brisbane’s narrow and often softly curving streets feature an eclectic mix of housing styles. Larger, two-story postmodern homes sit next to small Great Depression-era cottages, and numerous homes feature light and playful colors. Other common architectural styles include bungalows, split-levels and Spanish designs. While many residences display large balconies with views of the Santa Cruz Mountain Range and San Francisco Bay, no two homes are exactly alike. “What makes the houses unique is they were not all built at the same time, so you have varying styles and sizes, and they are typically unique to each other,” Davis says. “It’s part of the charm.” Typical housing prices range from $1 million and up to $2.6 million for more stately properties with modern, luxury amenities.

San Bruno Mountain rises up behind the homes of Central Brisbane.
San Bruno Mountain rises up behind the homes of Central Brisbane.
Central Brisbane homes come in a variety of styles.
Central Brisbane homes come in a variety of styles.
Hillside homes in Central Brisbane have views to the San Francisco Bay.
Hillside homes in Central Brisbane have views to the San Francisco Bay.
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Lipman Middle School provides students with plenty of activities.
Lipman Middle School provides students with plenty of activities.

Top-rated schools with afterschool programs

Central Brisbane is zoned for highly rated public schools. Students can attend Brisbane Elementary School and Lipman Middle School, which get A-minus scores by Niche. Both Brisbane Elementary and Lipman Middle School offer afterschool programming in partnership with the City of Brisbane. Upper-level students can attend the A-minus-rated Jefferson High School, which offers specialized engineering and culinary arts programs.

Central Brisbane offers a quiet lifestyle next to the San Francisco Bay.
Central Brisbane offers a quiet lifestyle next to the San Francisco Bay.

Mountain hiking trails and fishing marinas

Central Brisbane’s unique location is tucked between the San Bruno Mountain State Park and the waters of the San Francisco Bay. A section of the San Bruno Mountain Ridge Trail runs along the western portion of the neighborhood, offering around four miles of hiking and biking trails plus panoramic views of San Francisco and the Peninsula. On the far east side of the neighborhood is the Brisbane Marina and Fishing Pier. Residents here can cast a line out on the water, walk along paved trails or watch the sunset over the bay as it forms behind the clusters of sailboats. Brisbane Community Park is the main central park within the neighborhood along San Francisco Avenue. It features an open lawn space, playgrounds, barbecue grills and a bandstand for community events. To the west is the Brisbane Community Pool.

Commuter-friendly haven

Major highways, like Route 101, are located directly east of Brisbane, while Interstate 280 is about five miles west of the neighborhood. Both main thoroughfares make it easy for resident commuters to get to San Francisco, Silicon Valley or one of Brisbane’s many growing biotech labs. Locals can also access the free Bayshore/Brisbane Commuter Caltrain shuttle that travels directly to the nearest BART and CalTrain stations. The San Francisco International Airport is about six miles south, and a neighborhood bus route travels between Brisbane and the airport every 30 minutes.

Britni Petersen
Written By
Britni Petersen
Anthony Lindsey
Photography Contributed By
Anthony Lindsey
Tyler Hall
Video By
Tyler Hall

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Schools

Source:
GreatSchools: The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process. View GreatSchools Rating Methodology

Interested in learning more about homes in this area? Reach out to Susan Chong, an experienced agent in this neighborhood.

Parks in this Area

Transit

Airport

San Francisco International

13 min drive

Bus

175 South Hill

Bus

380 Valley

Bus

W. Hill Dr. & W. Hill Pl

Bus

150 West Hill Pl.

Bus

422 Valley

Bus

155 South Hill

Bus

140 Valley

Central Brisbane Demographics and Home Trends

Housing Trends

Median List Price
$719,900
Median Sale Price
$1,165,000
Median Single Family Sale Price
$1,165,000
Median Townhouse Sale Price
$402,000
Median 2 Bedroom Sale Price
$379,000
Median Change From 1st List Price
3%
Last 12 months Home Sales
13
Median Home Sale Price YoY Change
99%
Average Price Per Sq Ft
$307

Neighborhood Facts

Number of Homes in Neighborhood
997
Number of Homes for Sale
4
Median Year Built
1947
Months of Supply
3.70
Average Single Family Home Size Sq Ft
1,478
Significantly below the national average
1,924
Average Townhouse Size Sq Ft
2,634
Average 2 Bedroom Size Sq Ft
976
Average 1 Bedroom Size Sq Ft
806
Median Lot Size Sq Ft
4,356

Distribution of Home Values

Source: Public Records

Homes for Sale

Homes for Rent

Interested in learning more about homes in this area? Reach out to Susan Chong, an experienced agent in this neighborhood.

Average Home Value





Source: Public Records

Property Mix - Square Feet

This Neighborhood Has More Owners

Demographics

Total Population
3,250
Median Age
47
Population Density
3 ppl/acre
Population under 18
18%
Below the national average
23.8%
Population over 65
22.8%
On par with the national average
19.1%

Finances

Median Household Income
$119,407
Significantly above the national average
$71,702
Average Household Income
$149,712

Education and Workforce

High School Graduates
88.4%
College Graduates
44.7%
Above the national average
34.1%
Advanced Degrees
19.1%
Above the national average
13.3%
% Population in Labor Force
69.9%

Weather

Annual Precipitation
20''
Average Winter Low Temperature
44°F
Average Summer High Temperature
73°F
Annual Snowfall
0''

Area Factors

Somewhat Bikeable

Bike Score®

26 / 100

Somewhat Walkable

Walk Score®

67 / 100
Source: Walk Score
Source: Walk Score

Sound Score® measures the noise level of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address.

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Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
NEIGHBORHOOD
Central Brisbane