5 Reasons to Move to San Mateo

The suburbs of Silicon Valley have garnered an almost legendary reputation. 

Even the so-called bedroom communities such as Atherton, which reigns as one of the most expensive zip codes in the country, aren’t your typical slices of suburbia. The cities that dot the San Francisco Bay Area are not defined solely by their quiet expanses but by their seemingly-perfect blend of city convenience and natural Californian beauty. 

San Mateo, which rests right on the San Francisco Peninsula, is technically a suburb. But the booming downtown scene and its seamless fusion with nature paint the picture of what makes the San Francisco Bay Area such a coveted real estate destination.

Choosing among the multiple suburbs is a handful. There are commutes to consider, amenities to explore, and houses to hunt. To possibly help narrow the search, the Prevu team has put together the top five reasons to move to San Mateo.

One of the best climates in the Bay Area

Anyone looking to move to California probably fantasized about the near-perfect weather throughout the state. 

While all of the San Francisco Bay Area cities enjoy balmy temperatures throughout most of the year, living in San Mateo stands out with one of the most moderate climates in the area. As a result, temperatures tend to be a bit cooler during the hotter months than in nearby San Francisco and San Jose while maintaining warmth during the colder months.

San Mateo will provide the ideal temperatures to avoid t-shirts sticking to your back for anyone wanting to escape scorching summers. 

Rarely do the hottest summer months push the temperatures over 75 degrees. Conversely, the coldest temperatures are usually around 60 degrees from December to March, creating a year-round opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors.

Convenient location makes the Bay more accessible

Part of what makes certain suburbs in the Bay Area so expensive is their location. 

The closer you are to tech headquarters and nearby commercial districts, the more expensive the area. San Mateo ups the ante even further because it sits at the center of the San Francisco Bay Area. This location makes traveling to both San Francisco and San Jose, two of the biggest cities in the Bay Area, a half-hour trip in either direction if traffic is favorable.

But even if big-city vibes are not your cup of tea, San Mateo is a short drive away from Palo Alto and Menlo Park. The Stamford University campus can be a regular weekend getaway, while the restaurants and bars in Menlo Park are some of the best in the Bay Area.

A booming downtown scene with plenty to offer

Living in the suburbs usually means trekking along the highway to enjoy a restaurant or a movie. Many of the San Francisco Bay Area suburbs rely on neighboring commercial hubs for their source of entertainment.

San Mateo is one of the few that is entirely self-sufficient. The downtown area of San Mateo is nestled right in the heart of the city. Apart from an eclectic mix of authentic restaurants, ranging from Japanese to Cuban, the area is dotted with a massive selection of shopping outlets and boutique stores.

But one of the most attractive calling cards of San Mateo’s downtown isn’t just the commercial playground. It is also home to the city’s Central Park. Though not the same size as its counterpart in New York City, it is an idyllic respite with pockets of natural beauty that offer a lazy afternoon surrounded by color and greenery. 

And for aspiring residents wondering if they will only enjoy their fitness routine in the outdoors, San Mateo offers an impressive amount of fitness studios, ranging from elite gyms to yoga.

Some of the best outdoor recreation in California

A stand-out quality of California is how accessible nature is. You can be in the middle of Los Angeles’s best restaurants but make a turn onto a highway and drive for half an hour, and you’ll be in the middle of some of the best recreational areas around.

The San Francisco Bay Area is no different. With the peninsula within reach, many of the best hiking trails that the Golden State offers are located in San Mateo. The 6-mile Sawyer Camp Trail is one of the most popular and stretches along San Andreas Lake. 

The other trails in the area, the San Andreas Trail and the San Bruno Trailhead, all travel along the lake and offer some of the most unforgettable views in the San Francisco Bay Area.

But just as San Mateo’s convenient access to city-like actions make it stand out among the other Bay Area suburbs, so does its access to local nature. Central Park, located downtown, is also the location of the famed Japanese Garden. Residents who feel like leaving the car in the garage for an outdoor outing can head here instead to enjoy the mini-oasis.

Highway options and the Caltrain make commuting easy

San Mateo’s central location in the San Francisco Bay Area already sets it apart as one of the most convenient suburbs to move to. 

San Francisco and San Jose are the most notable destinations that are easy to reach by car, but San Mateo also features three Caltrain stations that make the rest of the Bay Area and Silicon Valley accessible via public transportation. 

The primary station is in Downtown San Mateo, but there is also the Hillsdale stop, the center of San Mateo’s shopping, and the Hayward Park stop. 

The primary highway is the 101, but it is also prone to traffic congestion. So instead, residents can take the 82, which runs parallel to the 101, and the 92, which stretches across the Bay and accesses the rest of the San Francisco Peninsula.

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Prevu Real Estate, Inc. is a licensed real estate broker in California, license number 02134758.