Forest Ave, Crescent Park

Forest Avenue offers the best of both worlds - trendy, luxurious, desirable apartment buildings within walking distance of many great shops and restaurants, and residential suburban living in one of the nicest towns in Silicon Valley. Then again, not many towns are Palo Alto - home to Stanford University, Facebook headquarters, and many of the technology industry's best and brightest.

Forest Avenue is the unofficial southern boundary of downtown Palo Alto. Things get really boring, REALLY fast once you head south of here, but this particular street is home to many small apartment and condominium complexes, each one more high-end than the last. There is not as much shopping in the area, although there are several office suites, a nail salon, and the library all within a few blocks of one another.

This area may not be the best spot to raise a kid (despite Palo Alto's excellent school system), but it is a great spot to start a career in this high-tech neighborhood.