6.3 out of 10

Palo Verde

37.4301624860948 -122.113471847324
Great for
  • Clean & Green
  • Schools
  • Neighborly Spirit
  • Safe & Sound
  • Parks & Recreation
Not great for
  • Childcare
  • Gym & Fitness
  • Public Transport
  • Cost of Living
  • Parking
Who lives here?
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • LGBT+
  • Students

Reviews

3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Schools 4/5
2yrs+

"Plain, flat and uninteresting"

Palo Verde is a pretty drab, plain-looking middle-class community nestled at the eastern edge of the Palo Alto suburbs. In fact, it is bounded by US Route 101, Loma Verde Avenue, Middlefield Road and East Meadow Road, which pits it within walking distance of the vast San Francisco Bay. The neighborhood itself stretches about 0.6 square miles of tree-shaded streets, single-story homes and not much of anything else. Demographically speaking, the neighborhood has a large white population (70%) and a small asian minority (25%) out of the 2,500 residents who call Palo Verde home.

For those committed to living within Palo Alto, Palo Verde doesn’t scream up-and-coming. In fact, its quite the opposite. Most homes are of the one-story Eichler design, which dates back to the post-World War II era. They afford three to four bedrooms, neat properties and modest-sized lawns. Though there are a couple larger, two-story homes sprinkled throughout the area, not much has changed here since the 1950’s. For numbers sake, median house prices are estimated at around $1.2 million, just under the city’s average. But if it wasn’t clear, you don’t get too much bang for your buck. Those that live here, make about $130,000/year, a number far greater than I would have expected.

As a resident, there are a number of perks to be happy about. One if the district’s biggest luxuries is its esteemed Palo Alto Unified School District. Students within the area usually attend Palo Verde Elementary (within the neighborhood), J.L. Stanford Middle School (just down the block) and Gunn High School, all of which continuously pump students into the UC school system. The district also provides a safe and family-friendly atmosphere. The number of cul-de-sacs (which cut off through traffic) and elementary school stop/slow signs makes for a relatively sheltered community.
Pros
  • Close to Stanford and SV
  • Great Schools
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Students
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 5/5
  • Safe & Sound 5/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Pest Free 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 5/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Internet Access 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 1/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 5/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
  • Medical Facilities 5/5
  • Schools 5/5
  • Childcare 2/5
2yrs+

"Eichler Houses Galore"

Not to be confused with similarly spelled city in Southern California, Palo Verde is actually one of the Palo Alto neighborhood on the eastern end of town.

One of the big draws of this neighborhood are the number of Eichler houses and variations there on that you will find here. I think the traditional Eichler house has a flat roof with a peaking triangle in the center of the home. Most of the homes here just have flat roofs with exposed beams.

In fact, the architect Eichler is so famous in this neighborhood that the Swim and Tennis Club is named after him. You can actually see that the architecture of the swim club is in the Eichler style as well.

You will also find some newer homes on the western end of the neighborhood—they are very nice and clean.

On the eastern end of this neighborhood is an office park that is home to half a dozen or so tech and pharmaceutical firms with Scalent (an infrastructure virtualization company—whatever that means) being an example of the first and Anacor (which develops “small molecule therapeutics”—whatever that means), the later.

You will also find a number of condos right by this office park. They are of that ugly modern kind that have become so popular.
That kind that looked like three story stacked apartments to me.

And by the way, in case you are a parent and are curious Palo Verde Elementary is just as strong as all the other schools in Palo Alto. Just outstanding!
Pros
  • Nice Eichler Style Homes
  • Close to Stanford and SV
  • Great Schools
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Ugly Condos
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • LGBT+

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Unranked Streets in Palo Verde

"Standard Palo Alto Suburban Neighborhood"
37.4259583677891 -122.117500298128

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