5.8 out of 10

Serra Highlands

Ranked 3rd best neighborhood in South San Francisco
37.6577233216984 -122.449337091704
Great for
  • Schools
  • Clean & Green
  • Neighborly Spirit
  • Safe & Sound
  • Peace & Quiet
Not great for
  • Gym & Fitness
  • Cost of Living
  • Resale or Rental Value
  • Lack of Traffic
  • Nightlife
Who lives here?
  • Families with kids
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Singles
  • LGBT+

Reviews

3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Internet Access 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 5/5
  • Medical Facilities 4/5
  • Schools 4/5
  • Childcare 4/5
2yrs+

"Some Nice Newer Homes"

Unlike most neighborhoods in South San Francisco which are packed smaller homes dating to the 50’s and 60’s, Serra Highlands has a newer section on its northern end. Homes here in this northern section date from the late 1990s and have that planned look you often only find in the suburbs of the East Bay or in Contra Costa County. Usually I would say that this makes it rather bland but when placed in contrast to the rest of the neighborhood and the surrounding neighborhoods there is something rather attractive about these newer homes that makes them stand out.

Along with the newer homes come the bigger price tag as well. Homes on this northern end average around $775K versus the $525K of homes just to the south of this section.

All of Serra Highlands, however, has been hard hit by the foreclosure crisis. Virtually every home here is on the market due to foreclosure.

The schools are good here and there are even some nearby bars—such as Molloy’s Tavern--that could make living here sort of fun. (Unfortunately this is not really a renter’s market. There are not really many apartments up for rent in Serra Highlands.)

Schools here are good as well.

Overall, however, this is a pretty typical area. Nothing that special.
Pros
  • Nice Newer Homes
  • Good Public Transportation
  • Good Schools
Cons
  • Lots of Foreclosures
  • Lots of Older Homes
  • Kind of Bland
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • LGBT+
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Schools 3/5
2yrs+

"Nicer than your average residential living"

Serra Highlands is a small, middle-of-the-road South San Francisco neighborhood encompassing about a dozen neighborhood blocks. It spans about .2 square miles of residential terrain with a total population of less than 2,000. Demographically speaking, Serra Highlands is a predominately white neighborhood while hispanic and asian residents make up a large minority. It is also wedged up against Junipero Serra Boulevard, and is somewhat surrounded by cemeteries (Cypress Lawn Memorial and Holy Cross Cemetery to the north, Golden Gate National Cemetery to the south). Elsewhere, Buri Buri Elementary lies on the eastern corner of the neighborhood.

The district’s residential quarters differ from block to block. You’ll typically find somewhat unappealing areas congregated at the core of the neighborhood while nicer, two-story homes are situated along the district’s fringe. San Felipe Avenue bolsters the most attractive residents. Aesthetically speaking, homes are tightly packed into rows with little privacy. They lay ground to small, but charming grassy yards and newly paved suburban streets. For perspective home buyers, housing prices are in the range of $500,000 to 1 million. Moreover, median yearly household incomes are upwards of $75,000.

For your commercial needs, shoppers typically travel to Westborough Square Shopping Center for their errands. Its a typical residential shopping plaza outfitted with a Radio Shack, Subway, an Orchard Supply Hardware store, Walgreens, a small grocery store and a Round Table Pizza (and with plenty of public parking). Others travel up Highway 280 towards the Serramonte Shopping Center for their small boutique shopping to department store shopping center and everything in between. The neighborhood is also within two blocks of the South San Francisco Bart Station. The rail serves the whole city and connects commuters to the greater Bay Area.
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Beach Lovers
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Safe & Sound 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Internet Access 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
  • Medical Facilities 4/5
  • Schools 4/5
  • Childcare 4/5
2yrs+

"An up and coming Neighborhood"

Serra Highlands is a respectable enough abundance of streets that make for a decent community and overall enjoyable neighborhoods in the South San Francisco area. The one good thing about Serra Highlands is that there are plenty of starter homes for decent prices that are available in the ever climbing California real estate market as far as money is concerned. So there are quite a lot of younger families in the Serra Highlands area. One of the biggest attractions in the Serra Highlands neighborhoods is the annual Farmer's Market which draws people from all over the surrounding South San Francisco area for great and fresh produce and other food items. There are summer concerts and even a rally for preventing pollution. Serra Highlands is an up and coming neighborhood that will gain strength in the years to come. Traffic delays are common on the weekends though as in most places in California.
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids

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Unranked Streets in Serra Highlands

King Dr

3.5/5
"Good connecting street near major boulevard and stores!"
37.6538281619894 -122.448498135118

April Ave

4/5
"Quiet, family oriented street in school area"
37.6561304108443 -122.447565266927

Arbor Dr

3.5/5
"Nice neighborhood with very nice houses"
37.6536777442823 -122.451780496223
"A nice family street that easily connects to main avenue and schools"
37.6593766607552 -122.448995086871
"Great street in a great neighborhood"
37.6541540357602 -122.448632281976

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