Hillsdale, San Mateo

Hillsdale is a flat, boring and flavorless San Mateo neighborhood brimming of lower middle-class monotony. It is, however, nestled at the corner of US Route 101 and US Route 92 and within close proximity to downtown San Mateo. The neighborhood is also rather large, spanning 2.2 square miles and is buoyed by a total population of above 12,000 (making it the most populated district in San Mateo). The district is also a bit of a melting pot of ethnic residents, most of which are white while the minority is split between hispanic and asian inhabitants.

Hillsdale’s residential quarters are lackluster at best. Most homes are small, blocky one-story in size and bounded by their skinny properties. They share the same boring house fronts, small yards and one-car garages that make up most of the neighborhood. But if you head towards the southern most edge of the community, you’ll hit a couple blocks of nicer, larger homes situated on more appealing properties. They are mostly two-stories in size with more room for the whole family to run around. According to the 2010 US Census, house prices are within the range of $600,000 to $800,000, and if you’re looking to rent, you’ll likely shell out around $1,400/month. Moreover, the median household income is around $80,000/year, right on board with the average San Mateo community

For your commercial needs, the Hillsdale Shopping Center lies directly west of the neighborhood. The area provides a couple shopping options including a Nordstrom, a Macy’s, Trader Joe’s, a Barnes & Noble, American Eagle, a food court, and handful of restaurants (with abundant parking). Elsewhere, the Hayward Park Caltrain skirts the northern edge of the community, while Hillsdale Caltrain is located along South El Camino Real. Both transit options connect residents to San Francisco and San Jose. It’s most notable destination is the San Mateo Fairgrounds. Located along Saratoga Drive, the venue hosts everything from county fairs to art shows to business expos.

Hillsdale is the neighborhood that has it all. Great houses, top retail stores, great restaurants, safe and excellent schools, friendly people and so much more. Hillsdale is probably one of the strongest neighborhood districts in the San Mateo area. There is plenty of culture and activities that reach out to all age groups from senior activities to skate boarding. One of the most familiar names in HIllsdale is probable the Hillsdale Shopping Center which is a big mega mall that has some of my favorite stores from American Eagle to Nordstrom. I wish that I could afford to live in the Hillsdale area. The houses are all so perfect. Big, spacious and full of California charm. For the most part the people come off as friendly and very much involved with their community. Traffic is always a problem because there are four major raods that boarder the Hillsdale area which include the Bayshore Freeway and S El Camino Real.