Hillsborough

With views of the San Francisco Bay in the distance, curving roads and woodsy hillsides, Skyfarm is an opulent suburb with multi-million-dollar homes nestled amid the natural scenery of Hillsborough. Located in the northwestern corner of the city, it borders a major highway, making for an easy commute to San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Named for the country mansion that once occupied the area, which still exists today as the private Nueva School, Skyfarm is a sprawling residential area with luxury homes amid lush greenery and rolling hills. As homebuyers drive up and down the hilly streets of Skyfarm, they’ll notice abundantly lush greenery dividing custom-built mansions. Most properties in the area average more than 5,000 square feet in size. The peaks of these hills allow residents to enjoy panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay. “You’ve got above average square footage, large lots, good privacy and scenic views,” says Realtor Geoffrey Nelson of Coldwell Banker Realty. The neighborhood was built out in the 1970s and 80s with a mix of stately traditional homes and Mediterranean Revival homes. Luxury amenities, backyard swimming pools, dramatic landscaping and grand interior designs are the norm here. Homes typically sell for more than $3 million, although some homes have sold for more than $10 million. Skyfarm is close to several nearby parks and nature preserves. If travelers follow Skyline Boulevard south, they’ll reach the magnificent Crystal Springs Park, a campsite and trail system that borders the Upper Crystal Springs Reservoir, a basin in the Montara Mountain foothills. The park provides easy access to hiking and nature walks that cut across the wooded countryside. Avid golfers will find it’s only a short trek to the Crystal Springs Golf Course, a picturesque gold course at the edge of the water at the base of scenic Sawyer Ridge. Head the opposite direction and find the Burlingame Country Club, which features a Mediterranean-style club house, a pool and an 18-hole golf course that opened more than a century ago. The Nueva School’s Hillsborough campus is situated in the heart of Skyfarm. This highly sought-after, private school for gifted children serves Kindergarten through 8th grade students and earns an A-plus on Niche. “The Nueva School is a magnet for that area,” Nelson says, and it's among the best private schools in California, according to Niche. The school occupies the elegant W.H. Crocker Skyfarm mansion, the neighborhood’s namesake. For public schooling, students can attend nearby North Hillsborough Elementary and West Hillsborough Elementary, both highly ranked schools that were listed as California Distinguished Schools in 2023. After graduating, students can attend Crocker Middle School, which scores an A on Niche. Burlingame High is the public high school that serves Skyfarm residents. The school teaches over 1,500 students and gets an A-plus rating from Niche. There’s no retail or shopping within Skyfarm, but it’s just a few miles from restaurants, shops, grocers and other amenities in downtown Burlingame. There are a variety of fine and casual dining options like Limon, a popular Bay Area tapas restaurant, and Mykonos Meze, which specializes in traditional Greek fare. For coffee and pastries in the a.m., locals enjoy Caffe Central at the corner of Burlingame Avenue and Primrose Road. For groceries, downtown Burlingame has both a Safeway and a Mollie Stone’s Markets, which sells organic and locally grown food. While this secluded suburb is tucked away in the hills, it's bordered by Interstate 280 making for an easy commute north to San Francisco or south to Silicon Valley. It’s about 20 miles from downtown San Francisco, 20 miles from Palo Alto and under 40 miles from San Jose.