Welcome to Burlingame
Tree-lined neighborhoods and many shops and restaurants
Burlingame has a lively urban feel, while its beautiful tree-lined streets feature a mix of older traditional and modern homes. More than 18,000 trees cover Burlingame, earning it the name The City of Trees. Burlingame Avenue and Broadway have dozens of shops and restaurants, with more places to eat and drink located along the Bayfront. Local public schools are excellent, and Burlingame High has outstanding athletics facilities, including the region’s largest swimming pool.
Burlingame’s picturesque residential neighborhoods are alive with greenery. Tall trees and well-maintained grassy areas cover its sidewalks, and the front yards of its homes feature colorful flower beds and manicured lawns.
What to love
People & Lifestyle
Burlingame’s prime location amid the tech hubs of Silicon Valley has attracted numerous hi-tech companies to the area, with bio-tech firms being particularly common. The city has a community-orientated and self-contained vibe, combining friendly residential neighbors with many parks and a walkable downtown area.
Dining, Entertainment & Shopping
Burlingame has two main commercial corridors centered on streets running north-south between California Avenue and El Camino Real. The primary downtown district covers the blocks surrounding Burlingame Avenue, with hundreds of stores and restaurants. The smaller Broadway commercial district has a classic small-town America feel, with restaurants interspersed among its friendly mom ‘n’ pop stores. Businesses around Burlingame Avenue range from big-brand retailers Apple and Pottery Barn to independent boutiques such as
Les Deux Copines.
Restaurants are equally diverse, ranging from casual breakfast and lunch spots like
Alana’s Café and
Stacks to the Michelin-starred contemporary Indian cuisine at
Rasa. Other standouts are family-run Peruvian restaurant
Limon Rotisserie, sophisticated Northern Italian dining at
Stella Alpina Osteria, and exotic Burmese dishes at
Mingbala.
Nightlife spots along Burlingame Avenue include modern gastropub
Barrelhouse, easygoing Irish pub
Paddy Flynn’s, chic lounge
Vinyl Room, Japanese-style drinks and small plates at
I Prive, and
Flights’ buzzing Pan-Asian restaurant and nightclub. Highlights along Broadway include Zagat-rated sweet treats at family-owned
Preston’s Candy and Ice Cream and wood-fired meats and live jazz at
Broadway Grill.
New England Lobster Market & Eatery on Cowan Road has received a Michelin Guide recommendation for its delicious seafood tacos and sandwiches. It also sells fresh and frozen shellfish to take home.
Continuing northwest to the Bayfront, restaurants such as
Kincaid’s Fish, Chop & Steak House and Japanese-style sushi and steakhouse
Benihana combine great food with wonderful waterfront views. The Marriot on Burlingame’s SF Bay shoreline offers fine dining at
Hangar Steak and fantastic cocktails at the upscale
Flights 101 Lounge.
Things to Do
Burlingame’s historic 1894 Spanish Revival-style train station is on the National Register of Historic Places. As well as being an active Caltrain station connecting Burlingame to other areas, the train station houses
Burlingame Hillsborough History Museum. The Museum frequently adds next items to its collection, the centerpiece of which as a 1908 Fire Department Chemical Wagon.
Peninsula Museum of Art on California Drive features rotating exhibitions from talented Greater Bay Area artists in its five gallery spaces, along with arts classes and 29 studios housing active professional artists.
The City of Trees has many parks and green spaces.
Washington Park has sports fields, a playground, and redwood-shaded picnic areas. Washington Park hosts events such as the
Music in the Park free summer concert series,
Art in the Park in June, and
Family Fun Fair in July. There are also lighted sports fields at
Bayside Park, along with an off-leash dog area and trails taking in magnificent waterfront views. More trails can be found in the natural expanse of
Mills Canyon Park on the Burlingame-Hillsborough border.
Coyote Point Recreation Area on the Bayfront just beyond Burlingame’s northeastern boundary features 670 acres of eucalyptus groves, cultural attractions including the kid-friendly
CuriOdyssey science museum and zoo, and a marina for accessing the Bay’s waters.
Schools
Public schools in Burlingame are operated by the Burlingame Elementary and San Mateo Union High School Districts.
