Welcome to San Mateo
Diverse city with bustling downtown and great parks
San Mateo offers a mix of a working and residential city with relative affordability compared to nearby communities. The bustling downtown area has lots of shops and restaurants and there are many parks dotted throughout the community.
San Mateo’s diverse neighborhoods offer an eclectic assortment of housing options. Some of the most sought-after properties include character-filled homes in sought-after Baywood, contemporary condominiums in the Bay Meadows development, and the lavish mansions of San Mateo Park.
What to love
People & Lifestyle
San Mateo is a thriving community with a welcoming feel and residents from across the world. Hi-tech companies including Sony Interactive Entertainment, GoPro, and Roblox are based in San Mateo, along with investment and finance firms. The city is connected via road and CalTrain to San Francisco and other areas in Silicon Valley.
Dining, Entertainment & Shopping
San Mateo’s bustling downtown district sprawls across multiple blocks on the streets north of El Camino Real. The hundreds of business in this area provide an abundance of diverse shopping and dining options. Restaurants offer authentic cuisine from across the globe and there are two Michelin-starred Japanese restaurants.
Wakuriya combines Californian creative flair with traditional Japanese techniques, while
Sushi Yoshizumi’s omakase course showcases perfectly executed nigiri utilizing wild seafood. Other Michelin Guide featured dining experiences include New American cuisine incorporating varied international influences at
All Spice, delectable pasta and pizza at
Pausa, authentic Japanese noodle house
Ramen Dojo, and superior Chinese cooking at
Sichuan Chon Qing and
Spicy Heaven.
There are many more restaurants ranging from casual quick bites to fine dining, along with grocery stores, ethnic markets, gyms and fitness studios, fashion boutiques, specialty retailers, coffee shops, cocktail lounges, Irish pubs, and the
Century 12 movie theater. Even more retail and dining options can be found at
Hillsdale Shopping Center. Anchored by Macy’s and Nordstrom department stores, Hillsdale has more than 130 stores and restaurants.
Things To Do
Coyote Point Recreation Area on San Mateo’s San Francisco Bay shoreline is an enormous open space covered in eucalyptus groves with many activities and amenities. The hands-on science exhibitions and zoo at
CuriOdyssey are hugely popular with children. CuriOdyssey has more than 50 interactive science exhibits and 20 areas recreating the natural habitats of more than 100 animals that are incapable of surviving in the wild.
Other Coyote Point amenities include picnic areas, the Magic Mountain children’s playground, and miles of trails winding through its 670-acre area. Coyote Point Marina makes this a popular spot for windsurfing and sailing on the Bay.
San Mateo Central Park is a 16.3-acre green space located right beside the heart of downtown. The park has a recreation center offering daily aerobics classes, lighted tennis courts, a baseball field, a children’s playground, picnic areas, sculptures, a rose garden, and an ice rink during the winter. The crown jewel of Central Park is its beautiful Japanese Tea Garden, designed by Tokyo Imperial Palace architect Nagao Sakurai. The Tea Garden features a Koi pond and a stone pagoda, with cherry blossoms blooming in spring and winter.
Events at Central Park include free live concerts for the
Central Park Music Series between June and August, an
Eggstravaganza Egg Hunt in spring, and a
Bacon & Brew festival with craft beer, food trucks, music, and art vendors in October.
San Mateo’s numerous other green spaces include dog-friendly
Seal Point Park on the Bay.
San Mateo Public Library is a community hub hosting special events such as lectures from Pulitzer Prize winning authors and educational programs for children and adults.
Schools
Public schools in San Mateo are San Mateo-Foster City and San Mateo Union High School Districts.
