The West Bay Area neighborhood of Hillsdale was promoted as “The Heart of the Peninsula” when its namesake shopping mall opened in the 1950s. But access to shopping isn’t the only thing this San Mateo community offers its residents; it also provides serene suburban living, with many housing options, less than 30 miles from San Francisco.
In the neighborhood’s northern section sits Bay Meadows, a new live-work development built to take advantage of the nearby Caltrain station that shuttles commuters to and from San Francisco and San Jose. The southern section of Hillsdale consists of a grid of residential streets lined with single-family homes. Architectural styles include ranch and Craftsman, with stucco facades and barrel tile roofs. They sit close on narrow lots, with small front lawns landscaped with grass and shrubbery. The streets are dotted with mature trees and are lined with sidewalks, giving residents room to navigate the neighborhood on foot. Prices range from $1.1 million for 1,100 square feet to $3 million for 3,000 square feet. Condos and townhouses are also available, most concentrated in Bay Meadows, ranging from $600,000 for 600 square feet to $2 million for 2,500 square feet.
Hillsdale’s younger residents may start their education at George Hall Elementary School and then continue to Abbott Middle School and Hillsdale High School. George Hall Elementary has a B-plus rating on Niche; Abbot Middle has a B, and Hillsdale High has an A-plus. Hillsdale High serves about 1,600 students and has a student-teacher ratio of 18-to-1. It offers multiple clubs and organizations, including Chess Club, Math Club, and Dance Club. Families considering private schools for their kids can choose from Montessori, faith-based and preparatory academies in the area.
Among the parks in Hillsdale, one of the largest is Bay Meadows Park, a sprawling 12-acre green space offering many amenities. There are two picnic areas, where locals celebrate birthdays and baby showers together or enjoy a meal outside, a pond to relax by and a paved path that circles the park, where residents jog and walk their dogs. Farther south, Laurie Meadows Park and Casanova Park, which sit side-by-side, separated by a pedestrian/bicycle bridge over Laurel Creek, offer open fields and playgrounds where kids can burn off energy after school.
Residents pick up groceries at Whole Foods off Park Place or Trader Joe’s off West Hillsdale Boulevard. Near West Hillsdale Boulevard is Hillsdale Shopping Center, a large indoor mall offering popular retailers like Nordstrom, Macy’s, and Apple. For dining out, residents have many options inside and just outside the neighborhood. They enjoy craft beers and Detroit-style pizza off South Delaware Street at Fieldwork Brewing Company, and a few miles north of the neighborhood, they enjoy authentic Italian dishes at Pausa Bar & Cookery and nigiri at Sushi Yoshizumi.
Major roadways surround Hillsdale: Route 101 to the east, North El Camino to the west and J. Arthur Younger Freeway to the north. These highways provide access to San Francisco, about 25 miles north, and San Jose, about 33 miles south. Those who’d rather travel by train can pick it up at the Caltrain Hillsdale Station off East 28th Avenue.
Julie Tsai Law
Compass
(650) 603-5400
128 Total Sales
1 in Hillsdale
$1,600,000 Price
Susan Chong
Compass
(650) 649-6355
47 Total Sales
1 in Hillsdale
$1,670,000 Price
Carmen Miranda
Compass
(650) 780-3416
87 Total Sales
7 in Hillsdale
$1.8M - $2.5M Price Range
Vincent Martell Smith
Coldwell Banker Realty
(650) 844-0799
4 Total Sales
1 in Hillsdale
$1,645,000 Price
Jason Born
Born Real Estate, Inc.
(650) 539-6978
19 Total Sales
1 in Hillsdale
$1,700,000 Price
Julie Flouty
Compass
(650) 414-5474
191 Total Sales
7 in Hillsdale
$1.3M - $2.4M Price Range
On average, homes in Hillsdale, San Mateo sell after 22 days on the market compared to the national average of 52 days. The median sale price for homes in Hillsdale, San Mateo over the last 12 months is $1,725,000, up 1% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
$2,819 - $4,155 per month
$3,759 - $6,386 per month
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