7 Reasons to Move to Palo Alto
By Alex Mikoulianitch on March 07, 2025
Anyone seeking the peak of California luxury usually ends their search in the San Francisco Bay Area. Home to Silicon Valley, and some of the wealthiest cities and suburbs in the nation, the Bay Area offers an unparalleled lifestyle for those who can afford it.
There is a long list of the top cities in the Bay Area, and each is as worthwhile a place to call home as the other. But few stand out as much as Palo Alto. The charter city is home to Stanford University and some of the most expensive homes in the nation, with over 4500 acres of parks and natural reserves to boot.
The downtown area has all the restaurants and cafes you will ever need and a produce-filled Farmer’s Market, yet it rarely feels overwhelming and enjoys a signature laid-back vibe.
Homebuyers looking for a chance to call Palo Alto home will find endless reasons to move here, but our team at Prevu has put together the top seven you should consider before purchasing a home in the birthplace of Silicon Valley.
Great weather for most of the year
It is no surprise that some of the wealthiest areas are in California, and the weather plays no small part. Perpetual sunshine and warm temperatures allow frequent outdoor activity and a comfortable lifestyle. Palo Alto is no different and gets the most out of its Mediterranean climate.
Some of the Bay Area’s best parks and hiking trails are in Palo Alto, and the opportunity to explore them is almost year-round. Only the winter months of January and February see the temperatures dip below 40 degrees. But even then, the few cold weeks pass by quickly.
Because of Palo Alto’s proximity to the Pacific, the summer months bring thick fogs characteristic of the area. The fog banks help keep the sun from overheating the city, but they also help trap some of the heat during the day, allowing residents to enjoy the warmth even in the evenings, which usually tend to be cooler.
Unparalleled access to the outdoors
California’s uncanny ability to blend nature with city life is displayed in Palo Alto. Almost everything about Palo Alto, from its name to its history to its activism, is tied with nature.
Palo Alto gets its name from a 110-foot-tall California redwood tree discovered by the Portola expedition in 1769. The name translates from Spanish to "tall stick" or, in this case, "tall tree." Palo Alto residents in the 1890s planted the first of many waves of oak trees that eventually grew to create the city’s first tree canopy. These early efforts established Palo Alto’s signature tree-lined streets.
Greenery and wildlife are a huge part of what makes Palo Alto feel so down to earth, even as it brims with some of the wealthiest figures in tech. There are over 30 parks to take advantage of, such as Foothills Park and Wunderlich Park, and countless trails with stunning city views. A local favorite is a hike to the Stanford Dish, which isn’t a hiking terrain as much as a paved walkway where tech workers will often hold a "walk meeting."
Stanford University is a cultural hub
One of the most recognizable universities in the world doesn’t only churn out some of the highest-educated talents to enter the tech industry in Silicon Valley. It also offers residents some of the area’s top cultural attractions.
The campus alone occupies over 8,000 acres and is one of the largest in the United States. The entrance to the main quad is lined with palm trees on either side, and the Spanish-revival-esque style of architecture gives off the impression that you are entering a world-class luxury resort.
Stanford enrolls over 17,000 students and serves as a significant employer in Palo Alto. But it is also one of the top tourist destinations in the city. From visiting the Stanford Memorial Church to exploring Cantor Arts Center, there is a long list of activities to keep the weekend busy, and it is all near one of the best universities in the world.
The Hoover Tower is at the heart of Stanford’s attractions, with an average of 200 visitors per day. It offers panoramic views of Palo Alto and houses one of the nation’s most extensive libraries and book collections.
You will be in the heart of Silicon Valley
Palo Alto’s exorbitant home prices may be one of its defining features, but the city’s call to fame is being at the front and center of Silicon Valley and its tech companies.
Hewlett-Packard, better known as HP, Tesla, Facebook, and Google, started in Palo Alto. Their influence on the nation’s economy and the town itself has made Palo Alto into what it is today. The city still draws waves of top talent to study at Stanford University or pitch their latest start-up ideas and begin development in Silicon Valley.
Although many of the original tech giants that originated here have moved to different locations, Palo Alto and its neighboring cities will continue to be springboards for future tech innovation and startups that will define the tech scene as a whole. This means ample work opportunities for tech professionals and a city that will do it all to maintain the standard of living these workers have come to expect in the birthplace of Silicon Valley.
A hip downtown to complement the laid-back lifestyle
Although Palo Alto has two areas considered ‘downtown,’ they are not the overwhelming city centers that resemble ant farms in most major metropolitan areas throughout the world.
An array of cafes and restaurants quaintly line the streets, and nightlife essentials like bars and movie theaters all have a local vibe. The main downtown area is located just northwest of Stanford’s sprawling campus. Residents will find the Downtown Palo Alto Farmer’s Market here, outdoor coffee shops like Coupa Cafe - Ramona and Verve Coffee Roasters, and the local favorite Palo Alto Creamery.
All the bare essentials are a short distance away from each other, but it never feels too cluttered or busy, and a lot of the shops are mom-and-pop owned.
Palo Alto invests in accessibility
In a state where folks rely heavily on four wheels, Palo Alto’s commuting options and accessibility will come as a breath of fresh air.
Biking has become one of the top ways for Palo Altans to get around. As a result, the city’s government has invested heavily in infrastructure to make biking more accessible. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan operated on a budget of approximately $25 million, which resulted in the construction of "Bike Boulevards," a reduction in local speed limits, and expanding bike lane availability on more than just major streets.
These initiatives have made biking one of the top commuting choices for many residents. Since everything is so tightly knit, biking can get residents from one side of town to the other without needing a car.
For trips outside of town, the CalTrain serves as the local rail system providing access to the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area.
High-priced real estate is also the greenest
Many will scoff at the idea that the average price for a home in Palo Alto is around $2.5 million. Many factors fuel the steep cost of living in Palo Alto, and it should come as no surprise that the home to some of the wealthiest tech industries in the nation would have such expensive price tags on homes.
But the city that has repeatedly ranks as one of the best places to live in the San Francisco Bay Area focuses heavily on making its expensive homes agree with the environment.
For one, Palo Alto has its own electrical utility, which gives it more control over its energy usage and helps generate revenue. Secondly, the city mandated that all new construction homes have a car-charging port. Tesla, who began operations from here, influenced the electric car wave that has slowly taken over the city and is one of the many aspects of making Palo Alto one of the most environmentally-friendly cities in the state.
Homes for sale in Palo Alto, CA
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Prevu Real Estate, Inc. is a licensed real estate broker in California, license number 02134758.
