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 neighborhood 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-$3 millions to just north of $4 million. Newer homes can range in price all the way up to prices well above $10 million (a recent listing of a 2011-built French-inspired chateau came in at $13.8 million). Enough of them are in the mix to push the neighborhood’s median home price to the mid $4-millions, toward the middle-high end of Hillsborough real estate. It is rare to find Brewer Subdivision homes for sale for less than $3 million.

Brewer had only three sales in 2024; one of them was the Julia Morgan-designed Western White House, which sold for $23 million two years after it sold for $15 million (and likewise skewed Brewer’s overall data for the year; congratulations to my colleague and listing agent Alex Buljan on the sale). Another was a George Howard-designed historic mansion that sold for $12 million. These two sales combined to give Brewer Hillsborough’s highest sale prices in 2024 — $14.5 million, 145% higher than recorded in 2023 but not something indicative of how the Brewer market operates normally. This is traditionally a middle-range Lower Hillsborough neighborhood, as it was in 2023 when its five sales all came in between $4 and $8 million. 

To view a detailed google map of the Brewer Subdivision neighborhood, click here. The MLS area is 441

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



  • 213

    Homes

  • $7.68M

    Median Sale Price

  • $8.87M

    Average Sale Price

Pricing data based on single-family homes

Brewer Subdivision on the Map

Hillsborough Real Estate Market Review

In my 13th annual review of the Hillsborough residential real estate market, I examine 2024 market trends and relevant sales statistics. You'll learn first-hand what’s happening in your neighborhood.

Schools & History

Schools

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.

team photo.

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