Welcome to Menlo Park
Menlo Park is the prototypical modern San Mateo County City. A highly educated citizenry works to preserve the cultural and natural history of the city while focusing on the future and economic development. This had led to a city full of beautiful homes and happy people. It has also led to the creation of a regionally recognized economic center focused on a variety of technological and financial services.
Lay of the Land
Menlo Park sits at the eastern edge of San Mateo County. While technically a part of the San Francisco Bay area, Menlo Park is close enough to the Santa Clara Valley that it can also claim Silicon Valley citizenship. The city is bordered by the Bay on its eastern and northern edges as well as the cities of Palo Alto, Stanford, Atherton, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City. A large portion of the city extends to and encompasses the southern end of the Bay itself. While the estimated household income of $116,223 and average home values of over $1,000,000 are not out of line for the Silicon Valley region, they do make the estimated 32,000 residents a part of one of the more affluent communities in the state.
Transportation
Ground transportation in Menlo Park is available via State Route 101 and Interstate Highway 280. The two roads combine to provide access to a vast majority of the region. Like many of the cities in the technology rich region, Menlo Park provides residents with free local shuttle service between local public transit stations and the city’s economic centers. The major transit stations within the city include Bay Area Rapid Transit stations and CalTrain commuter train stations. The city also has access to several of the Santa Clara public transit services via stations located in Palo Alto and several other nearby cities.
Local Highlights
The city of Menlo Park is synonymous in the region with venture capitalism. Funding provided by the Menlo Park venture capitalist district is responsible for helping numerous regional and national companies expand into the San Francisco Bay and Silicon Valley regions. The vast majority of the economic organizations available in the city have offices located on Sand Hill Road. This has led to the industry being referred to as “Sand Hill” collectively. However, Menlo Park has also benefited from several large companies in the technology industry. Most notably, Facebook has its corporate headquarters within the city, employing over 6,000 people.
Unlike many of the more business centric locations within the region, Menlo Park has also managed to cultivate several thriving commercial centers. While none of these centers are individually large, they are characterized by upscale locations and a higher end ambiance. They include a healthy mix of nationally recognized brands and more locally focused specialty shops. One of the more unique commercial locations within the city is the Allied Arts Guild which combines artistic displays with specialty boutiques. The city is also close enough to take advantage of the Stanford Shopping Center located in Palo Alto.
Additionally, Menlo Park has a selection of dining locations that reflect the ethnic and cultural diversity of the San Francisco Bay area. This includes traditional Spanish and Mexican dishes as well as Asian inspired culinary selections. Dining locations include a wide selection of local diners and bistros as well as high end restaurants.
Finally, Menlo Park is a city dedicated to the arts and culture. The city itself is the home to several art galleries which seek to promote the work of local artists while also showcasing the work of artists from around the region and the state. In addition to local galleries and performance theatres the city also benefits from the artistic and performance options available at the nearby Stanford University.
