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Downtown Menlo Park
Stephane Mouradian and his wife only own one car. How can that be in today's day and age?
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They live in downtown Menlo Park.
Mr. Mouradian takes the nearby train to work, and both walk or ride their bikes to almost anywhere they need to go.
"We walk to get groceries, and to the downtown shops and restaurants," he says.
| Downtown Menlo Park facts:
CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOLS: Menlo-Atherton Cooperative Nursery School, 802 Middle Ave., Menlo Park
FIRE STATION: 700 Oak Grove Ave., Menlo Park
PARKS: Fremont Park, Santa Cruz and University Drive; Nealon Park, 800 Middle Ave., Menlo Park
SHOPPING: Downtown Menlo Park
PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Menlo Park City Elementary School District -- Oak Knoll School, 1895 Oak Knoll Lane, Menlo Park; Hillview Middle School, 1100 Elder Ave., Menlo Park Sequoia union High School District -- Menlo-Atherton High School, 555 Middlefield Road, Atherton
MEDIAN HOME PRICE: $1,338,000 ($860,000-1,690,000)
NO. OF HOMES SOLD:13
MEDIAN CONDOMINIUM PRICE: $983,000 ($735,000-$1,451,000)
NO. OF CONDOMINIUMS SOLD: 10
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Young people such as the Mouradians want to be close to the activity of downtown; other elderly neighbors like being close to the services downtown offers.
Downtown Menlo Park is a vibrant place to live -- and work -- and local merchants are an integral part of the neighborhood. Santa Cruz Avenue, the main artery of downtown Menlo Park, is an attractive street lined with a canopy of trees. A wide variety of shops meet local needs and draw visitors from other parts of the Peninsula. Several restaurants offer sidewalk seating, and wooden benches scattered throughout the shopping district invite patrons to linger over an ice cream or cup of coffee.
The variety of downtown shops mirror the eclectic nature of the neighborhood's small older cottages and apartments to large, multi-story remodels. Stores range from upscale clothing, rugs, furniture and restaurants to longtime standards such as the Hoot N Toot cleaners and second-hand shops.
Anna and Dexter Chow, owners of Cheeky Monkey, a colorful toy store at 714 Santa Cruz Ave., find the community very supportive of local business and appreciate the fact that most of their loyal customers are local Menlo Park residents. Though the availability of parking does not seem to be a problem for patrons, the two-hour limit on parking "doesn't encourage people to stay and enjoy all the downtown has to offer," Ms. Chow says.
Both residents and business owners such as the Chows are delighted to have a hardware store back in town again after a short absence. Ms. Chow has been there several times to purchase things when setting up a new display, a real convenience for a busy shop owner, she says.
Living downtown puts residents in the heart of the action. They have the pick of the crop at the Sunday farmers' market, in operation year-round. And they don't have far to go to enjoy the city-sponsored summer concert series in Fremont Park where young and old spread out their picnic blankets to enjoy the sounds and sights.
-- Monique Johnson |
