Tucked into a corner north of Hillsdale Boulevard and west of Alameda de las Pulgas, San Mateo Terrace is quiet, residential neighborhood whose bookends are Hillsdale High School and the Peninsula (nee Beresford) Country Club. Between these two landmarks live some 1,700 people, primarily families in single-family homes, who’ve been fortunate enough to buy homes in San Mateo’s desirable west side – without breaking the bank.
San Mateo Terrace real estate shares characteristics with many of its neighbors, which should come as no surprise to students of San Mateo’s post-war expansion. San Mateo Terrace was the fourth phase of builder David Bohannon’s comprehensive San Mateo suburban dream.
By the time he reached San Mateo, Bohannon had already completed a large subdivision of 1,305 homes, called Belle Haven, in what is now East Palo Alto. His plans for San Mateo were far grander. In 1937, he purchased 800-plus acres of the former Beresford Estate with plans to build some 5,000 modestly-priced single-family homes. Work on 150-acre San Mateo Terrace began in 1947. Two-, three- and four-bedroom homes were priced between $12,000 and $20,000. Hillsdale High School was completed in San Mateo Terrace in 1955 to serve the rapidly growing population of San Mateo’s south end.
Though the asking prices for San Mateo Terrace homes for sale have changed (to put it mildly) since 1947, the neighborhood profile is similar. Bohannon’s goal was to provide single-family homes priced within the reach of “average” workers. San Mateo Terrace’s west side location adds a premium to its property values, but its smallish (most homes built during Bohannon’s development range in size between 1,000 and 1,500 square feet) houses can still be had for well under $1 million, though many larger view homes can sell for $1.2 to $1.3 million.
San Mateo Terrace was not David Bohannon’s swan song. He would continue to build, his homes climbing into the city’s western hills. The neatly-manicured streets of “Hillsdale #4,” as San Mateo Terrace was originally known, are classic Bohannon – and classic post-war San Mateo.
© Raziel Ungar, San Mateo Realtor
San Mateo Terrace homes for sale:
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See more San Mateo Terrace Etc. (San Mateo) homes.
(all data current as of
5/19/2012)
- $895,000 : 3129 Monterey St, San Mateo3 beds, 1 full, 1 part baths
- $848,000 : 626 Pico Av, San Mateo3 beds, 2 full baths
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