San Mateo County technology hub stretching from San Francisco Bay to the Stanford Hills
Called the ‘Capital of Venture Capital,’ Menlo Park is more than just a global hub for finance, investment and high-tech companies. “Menlo Park is very community-oriented. The city has lots of events like holiday parades for the kids and a weekly summer concert series. Things that the community can enjoy together,” says Lyn Cobb, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Realty with over 20 years of experience. “You can see all the middle schoolers coming downtown after school for snacks and bagels. It’s a wonderful downtown, with restaurants, bookshops and art studios.”
According to 2020 Census Data, the city has almost 34,000 residents, a far cry from the few thousand people who lived here when it was permanently incorporated in 1927. Today, professionals from Silicon Valley and Stanford Health often choose the affluent area for its downtown shopping district, lush green spaces and proximity to San Jose and San Francisco. Stanford University is also adjacent to the city.
Enjoy the delightful outdoor eating areas scattered around Downtown Menlo Park.
Admire the welcoming Menlo Park mural at the Trader Joe's entrance.
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Pedestrian-friendly downtown, local institutions and the Stanford Shopping Center
Downtown Menlo Park is a vibrant commercial area centrally located in the city. It was designed to be easily accessible, with a well-maintained network of sidewalks. The shopping district features a variety of retailers, like Kepler’s Books, a Menlo Park institution. It attracts thousands of bibliophiles from across the country each year. Many of the city’s restaurants are clustered downtown at the junction of Santa Cruz Avenue and El Camino Real. Dozens of international cuisines are represented, and the community focuses on locally owned businesses. However, this is not the place for vibrant nightlife, as most restaurants don’t have late-night menus, and there are few clubs. In adjacent Palo Alto, the Stanford Shopping Center offers big-box retailers alongside regional eateries.
Discover the vibrant charm of Downtown Menlo Park, featuring an array of local restaurants.
Kids joyfully ride their bicycles through Downtown Menlo Park's streets.
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Bayfront trails, summer concerts
There’s a focus on outdoor recreation in the city, and residents can access waterfront, urban and hillside parks. Bedwell Bayfront Park covers 160 acres along the border of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Cyclists and hikers using the trails snaking along the coastline are rewarded with incredible views. Adjacent to the downtown Civic Center, Burgess Park is one of the city’s oldest green spaces. It has a variety of athletic courts and fields, a playground, a skate park and a swimming pool. Stanford Hills Park has a lush, wooded area, walking paths and a playground. Several community events, like the Music in the Park concert series, take place in the parks during the year’s warmer months.
Man and dog share a bond in Bedwell Bayshore park's embrace.
Joyful moments as a man plays with his dog at Burgess Park.
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Technology, healthcare and Stanford University
Menlo Park's most prominent industries are high technology companies, venture capital enterprises, education and healthcare. Meta’s headquarters, Pacific Biosciences, SRI International, Stanford University and its healthcare network are the area’s largest employers. In fact, Stanford University Medical Center is one of the country’s leading teaching hospitals and a primary medical provider for the city.
Stanford University Medical Center is one of the country’s leading teaching hospitals.
Meta's corporate hub nestled in Belle Haven's vibrant community.
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Rising prices in a competitive Silicon Valley housing market
Over 55% of the city’s housing was built between 1940 and 1969, although another 36% was constructed between 1970 and today. Single-family houses, townhomes and apartment complexes fill the residential areas, which often have tree-lined streets thanks to being a Tree City USA community. In 1928, the first lots subdivided for housing appeared in what would become the Belle Haven neighborhood. Since then, areas like Downtown Menlo Park have become popular for being close to shopping and restaurants, and the secluded Sharon Heights and Stanford Hills neighborhoods have access to a country club and golf course. Menlo Park has one of the most expensive housing markets in the nation, and the prices are still rising. Homes in the city sold for nearly 10% more in 2024 than in 2023, partially thanks to the very competitive market. Homes sell for a median price of $2.6 million, higher than national and California medians.
Mid-century homes in Belle Haven testify to the neighborhood's 1950s construction boom.
A contemporary home graces Downtown Menlo Park.
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Respected school districts next door to Stanford University
Menlo Park City School District is made up of five facilities serving children from transitional kindergarten through eighth grade. It earned an A-ranking from Niche and enrolls almost 2,700 students. In 2023, three of its schools, Encinal, Laurel and Oak Knoll, received the California Distinguished School Award. Menlo-Atherton High School is part of the A-plus-rated Sequoia Union High School District, which serves nearly 9,000 students from ninth through 12th grades. It offers courses for English learners, a career technical program, dual enrollment with Canada College and International Baccalaureate options. Stanford University has been a leading research institution since its inception in 1885 and is adjacent to Menlo Park.
Encinal Elementary School serves a number of area neighborhoods.
Menlo-Atherton High has a large athletic complex.
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Highways, Caltrain, SamTrans and bike lanes
When the railroad arrived in 1863, Menlo Park took its first steps toward becoming a regional transportation hub. Today, it features multiple highways, public transportation options and an extensive cycling trail network. Highway 101, Highway 82 and Interstate 280 take people from the city into San Jose, San Bruno and San Francisco. Those taking Highway 84 over the Dumbarton Bridge only have to travel around 15 miles into Fremont or Coyote Hills Regional Park. The highways and 280 can be noisy during heavy travel.
Caltrain tracks bisect the city, and the Menlo Park Station’s line has routes to San Francisco and Gilroy. SamTrans operates buses through the city and San Mateo County. A network of bike lanes helps over 8% of Menlo Park’s residents reach work each day, according to the Census Bureau’s 2022 estimate. Whatever way commuters travel daily, they have around a half-hour one-way journey to cities like Palo Alto, Stanford and San Jose. Further, the San Francisco and San Jose International Airports are within 22 miles of Menlo Park.
Wildfire risks, varying air quality and FBI Crime Data
Menlo Park has a moderately warm climate, with rainy winters and dry summers. Sharon Heights has the highest risk of wildfires during these dry periods due to the abundant vegetation in the Stanford Hills. The city experiences 15 or more days of air pollution severe enough to cause breathing problems. According to FBI Crime Data from 2022, Menlo Park’s violent crime rate was 22% lower than the national average, while property crimes were 10% below average. The FBI Data Discovery Tool shows that violent and property crimes have slowly decreased over the past few years.
On average, homes in Menlo Park, CA sell after 22 days on the market compared to the national average of 48 days. The median sale price for homes in Menlo Park, CA over the last 12 months is $2,632,280, up 5% from the average home sale price over the previous 12 months.
“Lyn is an excellent realtor. But even saying that does not quite capture the top-notch level of service that she and her team provide. While Lyn does do everything you'd expect a realtor to do, she is also a project manager, a team leader and a great listener.”
“Lyn recently sold a home for my wife and I and we could not have been more pleased with the experience. She understood our goals in the sale of our home and helped us to achieve them. Lyn helped us assess the value of our home, recommended upgrades designed to assist in the sale, coordinated the upgrades we chose to do, and suggested contractors in a variety of different fields to get the job done right. She even provided a personal organizer to help us with our packing!”
“Her marketing materials and internet presentation of our home were excellent and beautifully done, and Lyn had an in-depth understanding of the Peninsula market in which our house was situated. We were moving out of state in addition to selling our home and we needed a realtor who could assist with the sale and upkeep of our home while we were away.”
“I cannot emphasize enough how much we enjoyed working with Lyn and each member of her team. Everybody that works with her is great....from her administrative assistants and assistant realtors to the contractors that she recommend. We highly recommend Lyn and her Dream Team.”
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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.
