Menlo Park

Sunny and 72 degrees: that’s often the weather forecast in Tucson. It’s also Re/MAX Select Realtor Tony Ray Baker’s outlook for the Menlo Park neighborhood. He’s the first agent to renovate and sell a bungalow here in 2009, maintains a Menlo Park home still, and continues to show clients all the area has to offer.

Known as the birthplace of Tucson, Menlo Park is on one of the oldest known pieces of land in the country that’s been continuously inhabited by humans (artifacts discovered there date back 4,000 years!). In the shadow of Sentinel Peak—part of the Tucson Mountains and landmark where the man-made letter “A” looms large—the neighborhood features small bungalows, many of which Baker says have been passed down through the generations. You’ll see Italian, Greek and American architectural influences, evoking the feel of an old European village.

Along with humble family homes are occasional million-dollar new builds and other infill construction. You’ll also find high-rent apartments, like the mixed-use Monier Apartments with retail and office space on the ground floor, as well as housing for fixed-income seniors. Baker says this Menlo Park mix is epitome of what Tucson represents. “We’ve always been about all people enjoying the space,” he says.

One community gathering place that draws visitors from all over is the Mercado San Agustin Public Market. Opened in 2010, this shopping district feels like an Old World market square, with stone facades and sunny courtyards as the backdrop for a variety of retail and dining experiences. Baker says not to miss La Estrella Bakery, revered for their Mexican baked goods both sweet and savory. Family-owned and operated since 1986, the bakery also provides tours of their facilities with talks about Mexican culture and traditions.

The success of this shopping district prompted the opening of the MSA Annex in 2018, just south of the original mercado. Upcycled shipping containers are now home to 13 shops and eateries. Here you’ll find one Menlo Park favorite, Kukai Fresh Japanese Kitchen. Locals know that when the red lantern is hanging out front, chef Michael McCormick has spent the previous 24 hours—something he doesn’t do every day—crafting ramen broth that is now ready. Baker says to get in line and be prepared to wait a few hours if you’re at the tail of it.

Dining experiences like these make Menlo Park and Tucson at large a haven for foodies. In fact, Tucson was named UNESCO’s first City of Gastronomy in the United States in 2015, due in part to its longest-running agricultural history of any city in the country. Menlo Park’s Mission Gardens, a small farm and living museum of sorts, provides ingredients from heirloom crops and heritage fruit trees to some of the area’s top restaurants for authentic farm-to-table experiences.

You’ll always find something to do at the MSA Annex Festival Grounds, host to frequent events— from flea markets and holiday bazaars to musical performances to the country’s second-largest Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Festival, drawing over 150,000 visitors to this weekend-long ceremony of remembrance. Outdoor enthusiasts can also access The Loop in Menlo Park, a system of 131 miles of paved trails around the city. Here too you can hop on the Sun Link, a streetcar system opened in 2014 during city revitalization efforts, which connects Menlo Park to Downtown Tucson and University of Arizona across its 3.9-mile route.

Plenty of school-aged kids call Menlo Park home, says Baker. Part of the Tucson Unified School District, the area is served by a variety of public and charter schools, including Tucson Magnet High School with a focus on the arts. BASIS Tucson North is another charter school option. “We also have a variety of private schools—religious, Catholic—and you can get there by way of the streetcar,” Baker says.

With all Menlo Park has to offer its residents, Baker says it’s the mix of people and all they bring to the area that makes it special. All generations have a place here. “Menlo Park is like this beautiful city that’s happening in the middle of everything,” Baker says.

Photography Contributed By

Kristen Rademacher

Video By

Jacob Cooperman