Burlingame Downtown

Though not as large as San Mateo’s Downtown, Downtown Burlingame has quite a bit to offer its upper middleclass residents.

You will find a number of restaurants worth visiting here. Here are my favorites:

--Ecco: Great Classy American Joint. Try the Salmon with a good California Wine.
--Stella Alpina Osteria: Pricey Italian place, but well worth it.
--Straits: An Asian Fusion restaurant. Rendang Beef and the Butter Chicken.
And here are a few less pricey choices:

--Kabul Afghanistan: Great for a change of pace and exploring new things.
--Trapeze European Cuisine: Try the linguine and clams and a good wine.
--Coconut Bay Caribbean: Yeah, man!
--Barracuda Sushi: Good sushi with no frills.

So those are some of the restaurants. For nightspots, try these:

--Barrelhouse
--the Alibi
--Vinyl Room

Most of these have dancing. Vinyl Room is my favorite.

There are also the usual assortment of boutiques, etc.

For women there are the usual Therapy and Anthropologie; and there are also Francesca’s, Les Deux Compines, and Picasso’s Closet. And all the usual chain stores and similar places.

Put simply, you don’t have to leave Burlingame to fulfill your consumerist urges.

This is also, by the way, an amazingly safe downtown with very little crime of any kind.

Burlingame Downtown is a mix between charming small-town commercial hub situated at the heart of the city and a wide selection of apartment buildings. It is rather petite in size bounded by California Drive to the north, Oak Grove Avenue to the west, El Camino Real to the south and Peninsula Avenue to the east. For your living arrangements, the area boasts a a wide selection of apartments buildings, condos and small, boxy homes, none of which share a common architectural theme.

Located along the San Francisco peninsula, the district provides small downtown commercial accommodations. Driving through the community, you’ll come across anything from a small office park with large, attached parking lots. to a couple unnamed commercial buildings. For window shoppers, there are a host of small shops, chain stores, boutiques and restaurants that line Burlingame Avenue. However, parking can be of a bit of a hassle, especially during peak hours. Elsewhere, a Safeway is plotted on the southern edge of the community while also providing convenient store shopping.

Downtown Burlingame’s residential quarters are firmly gripped in dense, lower middle-class suburbia. For the most part, there are more renters than homeowners within the community. In fact, there are a wide range of plain, mid-rise (or two-story) apartment buildings to small, blocky residences sprinkled between them. If you hit Park Drive, you’ll likely find a higher class of living quarters (nicer condos and apartments).

For commuters, US Route 101 is located a couple blocks north of the neighborhood and connects residents to the San Francisco area. The neighborhood is also within minutes of the San Francisco International Airport. For recreation, the Burlingame Country Club is located just down the road. It provides an 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, a restaurant and accommodates special events (weddings, business meetings, etc.). Within the community, Washington Park is located just past California Drive and offers locals outdoor picnic areas and youth sports events.