San Mateo

 

San Mateo offers residents the perfect blend of upscale amenities with an array of outdoor activities for enjoying Northern California's natural beauty. Spanning the San Francisco Peninsula, this Bay Area community offers an idyllic climate, rarely dipping below 60ºF or going above 75ºF, allowing year-round opportunities to explore the landscape.

 

San Mateo is centrally located, with San Jose and San Francisco just 30-45 minutes in either direction, making it the perfect place for commuting to work. Menlo Park and Palo Alto are also nearby, granting access to some of the finest restaurants and bars in the Bay Area.

 

 

San Mateo is a self-sufficient town, unlike neighboring suburban communities that rely on commercial hubs for entertainment. The walkable downtown area offers an eclectic mix of restaurants and bars, with plenty of boutiques and upscale stores for shopping. Fitness enthusiasts will enjoy the gyms, spas, and yoga classes offered throughout the region, along with endless opportunities for partaking in watersports and outdoor activities. San Mateo embraces its vibrant lifestyle with an active nightlife scene, shopping outlets, fine dining experiences, championship golf courses, and its proximity to San Francisco.

 

The Hillsdale Shopping Center is an indoor mall featuring popular retailers, dining experiences, and entertainment options, including a movie theater, bowling alley, escape room, and more.

 

Downtown San Mateo is only five square blocks, but it offers plenty of shopping and dining experiences, with more than 100 restaurants. Michelin-starred Sushi Yoshizumi offers Edomae-style sushi perfected by Chef Akira Yoshizumi in Japan and New York.

 

San Mateo's Main Street is a colorful neighborhood in the heart of the San Francisco Peninsula that offers award-winning restaurants, stunning historic architecture, and upscale boutiques.

 

Other fine-dining experiences in San Mateo include the upscale Michelin-starred Wakuriya, which serves multicourse kaiseki menus with a perfect blend of Japanese and California ingredients. All Spice offers several elegant dining rooms in a charming converted house, each with unique colorful artwork and chandeliers. The three and five-course tasting menus accentuate the flavors of the season.

 

With plenty of hiking trails in San Mateo, one of the most popular among locals is the six-mile Sawyer Camp Trail that runs along San Andreas Lake. Coyote Point Recreation Area is a treasured gem in San Mateo, offering playgrounds, hiking trails, a yacht club, and a marina for easy accessibility to enjoy boating and other watersport activities.

 

The city's 16-acre Central Park is the heart of San Mateo, providing welcomed green space amidst the bustling city landscape. The family-friendly park offers playgrounds, a mini train ride, and an ice-skating rink. The San Mateo Japanese Garden comes alive in the spring when cherry blossoms bloom. This is a great spot to explore the koi pond, teahouse, and pagoda.

 

San Mateo On Ice Holiday Skating Rink uses an 11,000-square-foot outdoor rink with real ice to let visitors enjoy skating under starlit skies from November through January. It is the largest seasonal outdoor ice rink in California. The San Mateo County Event Center is an expansive facility that holds year-round events and activities for residents and visitors alike.

 

San Mateo has the highest concentration of top-rated public schools in California. The San Mateo-Foster City School District and San Mateo Union High School District oversee the educational facilities for students residing in San Mateo.