Menlo Park NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE

Menlo Park is a small city in Silicon Valley directly north of Palo Alto. It’s a sleepy suburban town without much in the way of excitement, but that’s just fine with residents. It's got a strong community feel and the small downtown has a number of independently owned shops.

This is a thoroughly Valley-esque place, full of highly educated, well-paid tech employees (in fact, it's population is one of the most educated in the United States). Facebook is the top employer here so you'll see plenty of people sporting company gear as they run errands. It's also full of lawyers and doctors and other professionals.

Although you won’t find a whole lot in the way of bars, pubs, and clubs, there are still a variety of great restaurants to choose from that will keep you busy. And if you’re looking for some nightlife options, San Francisco and San Jose are both around 30 minutes away by car.

What it lacks in a buzzy scene, however, it more than makes up for with other amenities. There are over a dozen parks throughout Menlo Park offering picnic areas, off-leash areas for dogs, walking paths, playgrounds, tennis courts, skateboard zones, and more. There are also a number of top rated public schools here.

Menlo Park has an irregular boundary that twists and turns around neighboring San Mateo County cities. Due to its odd shape, the residential areas of Menlo Park are broken up into several neighborhoods. However, the feeling from neighborhood to neighborhood is quite similar.

Housing-wise, there are some apartment complexes and plenty of single family homes and duplexes. Housing is in high here, which means homes are similarly expensive to neighboring Palo Alto.

Menlo Park is a great jumping off point for commuting to the rest of Silicon Valley and San Francisco. There’s a Cal Train station that allows easy access to most of the Bay Area and a shuttle service that connects neighborhoods to both downtown Menlo Park and downtown Palo Alto. You’ll still want an automobile to get around and explore freely, but the public transportation services are an added bonus.

If you’re looking for a suburban city that captures the essence of Silicon Valley culture, meshed with an upscale vibe, Menlo Park is definitely the place to be. 

Menlo Park is bordered on the north by the Bay, on the east by East Palo Alto and Palo Alto, on the south by Portola Valley, and on the west by Atherton.