Judy Citron has lived in Menlo Park for over 30 years where she raised her family and is intimately knowledgeable of the schools here. An often overlooked gem, Menlo Park is nestled between Palo Alto and Atherton with inviting, tree-lined neighborhoods, a vibrant economy and an attractive downtown area.
Centrally located between two international airports on the San Francisco Peninsula, Menlo Park is home to innovators, investors, entrepreneurs and tech giants. It’s perhaps most well-known for Sand Hill Road, a mecca for venture capital firms. It’s also the site of Facebook headquarters and within close proximity to the other big names in high tech like Apple, Google and Hewlett-Packard.
But beyond its reputation as a powerful business force, Menlo Park is a charming place to call home. Designated a Tree City USA, residents take pride in their tree-canopied streets and numerous parks and picnic areas.
Locals and visitors flock to the downtown area, lined with upscale boutiques, gourmet grocer Draeger’s and even a weekly food truck market. A diverse range of notable restaurant include French cuisine at Left Bank and authentic Japan ...ese at Koma Sushi.
Sitting at the foot of downtown, iconic Cafe Borrone and famed Kepler Books create an idyllic meeting place to grab coffee with friends or meet your favorite author. The Menlo Park community calendar is always bustling with events, including a summer concert series and annual holiday tree lighting.
Just outside city limits you’ll find Stanford Shopping Center, an upscale, open-air mall with over 140 world-class stores. Directly adjacent is Stanford University, one of the world’s top universities with scenic grounds and an extensive selection of cultural and sporting events.
Menlo Park is in San Mateo County, stretching from the San Francisco Bay to scenic Highway 280. It has a population of 35,941 according to a 2020 U.S. Census estimate.