Hillsborough - Brewer Subdivision
“Brewer Subdivision is one of the most secluded and convenient neighborhoods in Hillsborough”
A small neighborhood framed by El Cerrito Avenue and Crystal Springs Road to the north and south, and Bowhill and Ranelagh Roads to the east and west, Brewer Subdivision is the Hillsborough district closest to downtown San Mateo. Once populated by mid-century California ranch-style homes, in recent years Brewer real estate has slowly turned over as new owners replace existing homes with larger, new residences. 1950s-era homes now range in price from the mid-$2 millions to just north of $3 million. Newer homes can range in price all the way up to $10 million and above. Enough of them are in the mix to push the neighborhood’s median home price to approximately $4 million, toward the middle-high end of Hillsborough real estate. It is rare to find Brewer Subdivision homes for sale for less than $2 million.
Brewer Subdivision is unique among Hillsborough neighborhoods because its residents are less than a mile from restaurants and shops and a half-mile from El Camino Real. This may surprise some, as Brewer is as leafy and private as anywhere in town. To many homebuyers, its attraction is its marriage of seclusion and convenience, something not available in other parts of town.
To view a detailed google map of the Brewer Subdivision neighborhood, click here. The MLS area is 441
The neighborhood is surrounded by Hillsborough Heights neighborhood, Hillsborough Park neighborhood and bordered on one side by San Mateo Baywood neighborhood.
Favorable
- One of the most prestigious and conveniently located neighborhoods in Hillsborough, compared to other parts of Hillsborough
- Middle-to-high end of Hillsborough real estate with a great deal of larger and newer homes
- Less than a mile from restaurants and shops and half of mile from El Camino Real
- Closest Hillsborough neighborhood to downtown San Mateo
Adverse
- Homes are more expensive than in some of the other parts of Hillsborough
Schools in the Neighborhood
Brewer Subdivision is home to South Hillsborough Elementary School, one of Hillsborough’s three acclaimed public elementary schools, located on El Cerrito Avenue.
There is one public middle school in Hillsborough, Crocker Middle School, which is located in the Country Club Manor neighborhood on Ralston Avenue. It’s about a 14-16 minute drive from Brewer Subdivision.
Hillsborough does not have its own public high school. Most residents attend San Mateo High School, located in San Mateo on North Delaware Street. To search a high school by a specific address using a School Locator, click here.
Brewer Subdivision is also home to Crystal Springs Uplands School, a college preparatory middle and high school, located on Uplands Drive.
History
Like so many Hillsborough neighborhoods, Brewer Subdivision arose from what was once a private estate. In 1917, Templeton Crocker, son of railroad baron Charles F. Crocker, completed Upland, his 39-room mansion, at the southeastern edge of newly-incorporated Hillsborough. In 1956, the Crocker family sold the Willis Polk-designed mansion and 10 acres of land to the Crystal Springs School, subdividing the rest of the estate. The building still stands as the centerpiece of the exclusive Crystal Springs Upland School. Also a part of the neighborhood is South Elementary School, one of Hillsborough’s three acclaimed public elementary schools.
Also part of Brewer’s history is the famed San Mateo Polo Club, whose elaborate clubhouse once stood at the neighborhood’s southern edge, along El Cerrito Drive.