Palo Alto is located at the north end of Santa Clara County, just a short drive from San Francisco International Airport.
“The Birthplace of Silicon Valley”
One of Santa Clara County’s most prestigious addresses, Palo Alto is home to some of the Stanford campus. This midpeninsula city is sometimes called “the birthplace of Silicon Valley” as companies like HP were founded and developed roots there and it remains the headquarter location of various high tech firms.
This charming city has tree-lined streets, architectural variety, and a low crime rate. The schools score very high on standardized testing with many students taking advanced classes. Palo Alto High School won an Excellence in Education Award and was honored at the White House.
Because of its location, residents generally have a very good commute to work. With companies such as Hewlett-Packard, VMware and Varian located within the city, many people work right in town. For those who commute, CalTrain, 101, and scenic 280 will take you north to San Francisco and south to the rest of Silicon Valley, or cross the Dumbarton Bridge to get to the east bay. For frequent fliers, San Francisco International Airport is a short drive away.
After work, recreational opportunities abound. There are over 30 parks in Palo Alto, including the 1,400-acre Foothills Nature Preserve in the Santa Cruz Mountains which branches out across miles of trails and connects to other open space preserves.
The Stanford Shopping Center and Downtown Palo Alto are always bustling with activity and are home to many popular shopping opportunities. There are a number of excellent restaurants and upscale coffee shops as well as many youth activities and enrichment opportunities. Neighborhood festivals happen throughout the city, as well as events like the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts held every August. Many cultural events are held at neighboring Stanford University as well as major college football and basketball.
The Palo Alto Housing Market
Palo Alto neighborhoods come in a variety of styles, from charming historic residences to curving blocks of MCM homes from popular builders including Eichler and Mackay, and newer luxury homes and townhomes.
For anyone moving to the area, East Palo Alto is a separate city of it’s own. These neighbors usually have quite different markets and considerations. Stanford, CA is also a separate, unincorporated community, home to the University and many of it’s parks and homes. Homes in this Palo Alto neighbor are restricted for sale to select employees of Stanford, so exist in a unique market of their own.
Below please find a live Altos Research chart, showing the real-time market profile of homes for sale (updated about once per week) – this will give you an idea of what a house might cost in this sought-after community.
Homes currently for sale in Palo Alto:
How’s the real estate market in Palo Alto? Keep up to date and check the monthly analysis in my ReReport.
