Euclid Ave, The Willows

Given that O'Connor Street borders the one and only shopping complex in East Palo Alto, it is safe to say that it is consistently crowded and filled with traffic. That said, it is also one of the safest places to live in this already dirt-cheap town. But is it worth it?

The shopping complex actually encompasses some pretty standard and good places, including a Best Buy, a Home Depot, a Nordstrom Rack, a Baskin-Robbins, a Starbucks and a chain-like brewery (and let's not forget IKEA across the street!) However, the one grocery store here is a Mi Puebla, a Mexican grocery store that has some staples, but not necessarily everything that one would need, a reminder of the town that the complex is located in.

Most of the shoppers here (aside from IKEA) are locals, but the area feels inherently safe. This always begs the question of whether it is better to live in a condo next to a noisy, overcrowded shopping complex because it is the safest area in this cheap town, or whether it's better to live in a less nice but less noisy area in the same town. You decide.