| Belle Haven, Menlo Park
In the nearly 70 years since the David D. Bohannon organization envisioned Belle Haven City as "a home builder's paradise where wildflowers bloom year 'round," the neighborhood has gone through enormous changes.
Located in a triangular area bounded by Highway 101, Willow Road, Hamilton Avenue and Terminal Avenue, Belle Haven today is one of the more "affordable" and diverse areas in town. It also boasts a bevy of social services, from parks and schools to community centers.
Click the map to view a larger image |
Since a redevelopment agency was expanded in 1991, a small shopping center has opened at the corner of Willow Road and Hamilton Avenue. An eclectic mix of eateries -- from Dashi Japanese Restaurant to Starbucks -- joins a financial office and nail salon, serving both neighborhood needs and those of employees at nearby offices, including Sun Microsystems.
Services are offered for young and old, with a senior center, recently rebuilt Boys & Girls Club, Belle Haven Clinic and Belle Haven Child Development Center. The neighborhood includes a fire station and a local police substation.
Belle Haven facts:
CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOLS: Belle Haven Child Development Center, 410 Ivy Drive, Menlo Park; Belle Haven Afterschool Program, 415 Ivy Drive, Menlo Park; Family Connections, 415 Ivy Drive, #14, Menlo Park FIRE STATION: 1467 Chilco St., Menlo Park PARKS: Kelly Park, Terminal Avenue near Del Norte Avenue, Menlo Park; Market Place Park, Ivy Drive and Market Place, Menlo Park PRIVATE SCHOOLS: Beechwood School, 50 Terminal Ave., Menlo Park; Young Fives, 50 Terminal Ave., Menlo Park
PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Ravenswood City School District -- Belle Haven Elementary School, 415 Ivy Drive, Menlo Park Sequoia Union High School District -- Menlo-Atherton, Carlmont or Woodside high schools
SHOPPING: corner of Willow Road and Hamilton Avenue
MEDIAN HOME PRICE: $667,000 ($569,000-$790,000)
NO. OF HOMES SOLD: 24 |
Ethnic diversity distinguishes Belle Haven, which began as the only subdivision for people of low to moderate income during the depth of the Depression. A white development in the '30s, Belle Haven was subject to white flight by the '50s, when the area was built out. Belle Haven was mostly an African-American enclave by the '60s, and in the past decade it has taken a more multi-cultural hue with a large Latino and Pacific Islander population.
"There are a lot of young families of all kinds," Geraldine Campbell, a 44-year Menlo Park resident says. One shift has been away from renting, and more toward buying homes. "The neighborhood has changed for the better."
Code enforcement, a past issue, has improved, with many old residences torn down, and new residences have been built, she says.
Cube Dyer, a 50-year resident, has also seen these changes in Belle Haven. "Young families with children make the neighborhood livelier," he says. More emphasis is being placed on improving schools, and stop signs now slow traffic, making it safer for young families.
-- Carol Blitzer and Sue Dremann |
