Welcome to Mountain View
Dynamic tech hub with a vibrant downtown and Bayfront events
Mountain View is the dynamic Silicon Valley home of Google and other iconic tech companies. Nestled between Palo Alto, Los Altos, and Sunnyvale, the community is named for its Santa Cruz Mountains backdrop. Silicon Valley traces its roots to Mountain View, where the Shockley Laboratory produced the areas first silicon semiconductors in the 1950s. The first Apple computers were sold here in the 1970s, and today it contains the headquarters of firms such as Intuit, LinkedIn, and Symantec. Microsoft and Samsung also have large facilities here. This thriving city is brimming with youthful energy, offering a lifestyle mixing quiet residential neighborhoods with vibrant downtown living.
Real estate in Mountain View includes classic mid-century Californian ranches, attractive townhomes, downtown apartments, condominiums and bungelows, as well as spacious contemporary single-family homes.
What to Love
People & Lifestyle
Google’s two million square foot Googleplex on Mountain View’s Bayfront employs close to 25,000 people. A significant portion of Mountain View residents work for its many hi-tech businesses, with other major employers including El Camino Hospital. The vibe is forward-thinking and enthralling, with many events, outdoor recreation space along the San Francisco Bay, and a fantastic walkable downtown area.
Dining, Entertainment & Shopping
Mountain View’s main downtown district is centered on Castro Street, covering seven blocks between Alma Street and El Camino Real. Dining highlights along this lively stretch include craft beers and cocktails and New American cuisine at
Eureka! and sublime meats and drinks at
Quality Bourbons & Barbeque. Michelin-starred
Chez TJ provides an exceptional leisurely dining experience in a historic Victorian property, with sublime French-inspired dishes prepared with vegetables grown at its own on-site garden.
Doppio Zero’s authentic pizzas and pastas prepared in the style of Southern Italy’s Campania region have also earned a Michelin Guide recommendation.
The Indian and Pakistani food at Michelin-featured
Zareen is a favorite lunch and dinner spot for Google employees, located right beside the Googleplex. More great shopping and dining options can be found at the
San Antonio Center and classic Chinese dishes at
Chef Chu’s.
Castro Street also has dozens of specialty retailers such as
Books Inc. and
East West Bookshop, stylish fashion items at
Boutique 4 and
Therapy, and fresh local produce and a deli at
Ava’s Downtown Market. Nightlife spots include several laidback Irish pubs and upscale nightclubs
Monte Carlo and
Opal.
Things to Do
Shoreline At Mountain View is a 750-acre expanse of preserved natural habitats and recreation facilities on the San Francisco Bay. Shoreline’s amenities include a boat house allowing for sailing, kayaking, and other water-based activities on the 50-acre man-made
Shoreline Lake.
Shoreline Golf Links is an 18-hole public golf course with beautiful waterfront views.
Shoreline Amphitheater can accommodate crowds of up to 30,000 for its regular stage productions and performances from big names in music and stand-up comedy. The Shoreline Amphitheater also hosts one of the Bay Area’s largest fireworks displays for the
Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular. More than 70 arts organizations utilize The
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts as their base and the venue regularly stages a wide variety of plays and musicals. Live performances enliven Mountain View’s downtown area during the summer, with the
Thursday Night Live concert series taking place on Castro Street every week between mid-July and mid-August. Live music is also featured at September’s
Art & Wine Festival, along with international food stalls and more than 500 art-and-crafts booths.
Mountain View is full of unique hi-tech landmarks. Along with the Googleplex, Mountain View is home to the world’s largest wind tunnel at NASA’s Ames Research Center, the largest free-standing structure ever built at Hangar One. This impressive tech heritage is explored at Mountain View’s
Computer History Museum, featuring the largest collection of computer-related artefacts in the world.
Schools
Public schools in Mountain View are operated by the Mountain View Whisman, Los Altos Elementary, and Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School Districts.
