Brisbane

Brisbane is a tiny little city along the west shore of SF Bay just to the north of South San Francisco and SFO. It has a real port town sort of a feel to it, with hilly views of the water. The whole place really feels like it is stuck in time, kind of like a 70’s movie about people who work in a cannery or something along those lines.

There is an industrial area on the north filled with offices and warehouses and on the eastern shore there is a yacht park.
“Downtown” is quaint, though not in a wholly inviting way with places like Club 23 and Café 23, which look like they are only frequented by locals though this may just be an impression.

Up along the hills on the far north of town, however, there is a fair amount of newer construction with many homes having been built in the last 2 decades. The southern end of town is far older with homes from the 1970’s before, some of the best on along the narrow windy lanes in the hills.

Lippman Middle School in Brisbane is pretty strong as well, so if you have kids this could be an ideal spot close enough for the commute into the City but not so close you have to worry about the usual urban problems.

Now there is not a lot of nightlife in town other than a couple of bars and one or two restaurants, so you pretty much have to head up into the city for entertainment. That shouldn’t be a problem though since you are right at the southern edge of SF proper. There is a little supermarket in town—the Midtown Grocery—but you if you need anything exotic you will need to head out of town as well.

If you like to feel a little secluded from the world, you may have found home.

Eloquently called the “City of Stars,” Brisbane is home to one of the oldest town-wide holiday traditions in all of San Mateo County. Its name comes from residents participating in a citywide event by placing large illuminated stars out in front of their homes and places of business to mark Christmas and Hanukkah. But for other parts of the year, you’ll see Brisbane as mostly a plain, residential area, with hilly geography and family friendly reputation. The city itself sits on the eastern slope of the San Bruno Mountain side and pans about 20 square miles.

Brisbane is a firmly middle-class community complete with hillside bungalows and sweeping views of the oceanside landscape. It’s a small city with even a smaller residential community (a mixed ethnic population of under 5,000 people). With it’s proximity to San Francisco, many locals feel its just the right amount of interdependence from the outside world. If you plan on moving in, houses range from $500,000 to $1 million dollars, but keep in mind your paying more for the location than the quality of your home. As a household, residents make an average of $96,000/year, which pits them as a wealthy class of people. Within its borders is a variety of middle-class homes, bushy streets and winding roads curving through its rolling hills. If you want the best view, head towards the San Bruno mountainside (its a fairly steep incline) with many homes facing the scenic San Francisco Bay.

You won’t find much a commercial area within Brisbane’s city limits. It’s most appealing attraction is Candlestick Park, home of the San Francisco 49ers. The stadium sits just a couple miles up Highway 101 (which also courses up to downtown San Francisco). Other options of travel include the city’s Bart station and Muni Metro lines. Moreover, the San Francisco International Airport is the city’s next door neighbor. This option makes it great for locals who periodically travel outside the state. On Valley Drive, you can find a small group of commercial real estate. The area acts as the city’s own shopping hub and includes a home furnishings store, a gallery and a woman’s clothing store. Elsewhere, San Bruno Mountain State Park lies just west of Brisbane. The park provides Bay Area visitors with miles of hiking trails, sightseeing (beautiful waterside views), picnicking and other recreational activities.