This is Burlingame’s first subdivision, created in 1896. Prior to its use for homes, the Howard family maintained a dairy here. The Howards are the original American land grant purchasers of 6,500-acre Rancho San Mateo, and the rancho covered all of modern-day San Mateo north of San Mateo Creek (near Mills Hospital), Hillsborough and all of Burlingame south of Sanchez Creek (near present day Sanchez Avenue). A portion of the Howard property, east of the Burlingame Avenue train station, became the McLellan nursery, which grew flowers in gardens and greenhouses on “Bloomfield” Road south of Burlingame Avenue. Around the turn of the twentieth century, the McClellan nursery was harvesting 200,000 roses per month from Burlingame and shipping 7,000 cut flowers each day to San Francisco! Sales of real estate in this subdivision were slow until the 1906 earthquake sent San Franciscans scrambling south in search of shelter. In 1907, a lot in this area was offered “at $600 and up, with terms of $25 down and $10 per month installment payments.”

The subdivision takes its name from two of the first directors of the Bank of Burlingame, which helped finance the real estate purchases here. The Bank of Burlingame was located in the beautiful building that now houses Straits Restaurant at the northwest corner of Burlingame Avenue and California Drive. The Lyon-Hoag neighborhood is also known for its proximity to Burlingame Avenue, Washington Park, Burlingame High School and the city’s recreation center.

Lyon-Hoag is bordered on the south by Peninsula Avenue to the south, Carolan Avenue to the west, the 101 freeway to the east, and Burlingables just to the north at Burlingame Avenue. The neighborhood is named after the two developers who subdivided the area: Lyon & Hoag.

Almost half of the homes sold in Lyon-Hoag in 2023 closed escrow below $2 million, a somewhat surprising development for a neighborhood that seemed poised to vault into Burlingame’s middle class after robust years in 2020, 2021, and 2022. After gaining 35% in average home values between 2020 and 2021 and mostly treading water in 2022, in 2023 the average sale price was $2.115 million, 24% lower than 2021’s peak. Also down year-over-year were price per square foot (11% to $1,296) and overall sales (down 30% to 14) while average DOM almost doubled, from 23 to 38.

To view a detailed google map of the Lyon Hoag neighborhood, click here

The MLS area is 462.

Favorable

• One of the most affordable neighborhoods in Burlingame

• Well-manicured, with wider streets

• Homes vary in architectural style

• Walking distance to Burlingame Avenue, Washington Park, Washington Elementary School and city’s recreation center