Lomita Hills

Lomita Hills is one of Millbrae’s northernmost neighborhoods. Its border abuts San Bruno, with Santa Lucia Avenue separating the two cities. Like most of northern Millbrae, Lomita Hills was once unincorporated, largely uninhabited farmlands. Also like most of northern Millbrae, Lomita Hills – the residential neighborhood – came to life after World War II, when an influx of returning veterans produced an explosion of growth in San Mateo County.

Slightly older than some of its northern Millbrae siblings, Lomita Hills began development in the late 1940s. There are still many homes of that vintage in the neighborhood, sturdy and functional single- and two-story houses with three bedrooms and under 1,500 square feet of living space. They were later joined by similar homes from the next decade. Lomita Hills real estate is not – in general – high-end. However, there are a few homes – those added in the ensuing years to take advantage of the district’s surprisingly large collection of view lots – that are.

Thanks to this added diversity, homes in Lomita Hills cover a wide range of price points. Original Lomita Hills homes that have been remodeled and/or expanded can sell for $1.7 million and above. Some of these homes stray from the standard post-war utilitarian design, opting instead for a Mediterranean style. The neighborhood median for 2022 was right around $1.8 million.

Lomita Hills is convenient to two very large parks – the Junipero Serra Open Space and San Bruno City Park – and is close to Capuchino High School. It is also close to El Camino Real and SFO, which means residents must deal with some airport noise. That at least one developer thought enough of Lomita Hills to add a set of high-end homes to the neighborhood shows that this mostly affordable neighborhood is full of potential.