Bohannon incorporated economies of scale to keep his prices low. Lumbar was milled on-site at Burleigh Murray’s old bar, at Hacienda Avenue and Hillsdale Boulevard. Work on the 100-home Hillsdale #2 tract was begun shortly after Hillsdale #1 opened to the public.

Homes are modest in size, with two and three bedrooms and between 1,100 and 1,500 square feet of living space. Some homes have been expanded over time and others have been razed, then replaced with much larger, more ornate structures. Original homes are simple in style, with clean, boxy lines and a variety of exterior finishes. Homes in the Hillsdale neighborhood fall into the middle of the San Mateo pricing spectrum, with “original” ranch homes selling for between $1.5 and $1.8 million, and expanded homes fetching more than $2 million on the open market.

The Park Western Subdivision was laid out in a manner typical of its era. Cul-de-sacs dominate the street layout, and the small district includes two parks within its borders. In 1941, shortly after completing the subdivision, the 15,000 square-foot Andrew Williams department store opened on land adjacent to the Park Western Subdivision – the future site of the Hillsdale Shopping Center, which debuted as an open-air “Fashion Park” in 1954.

To view a detailed google map of the Hillsdale neighborhood, click here. The MLS area is 426.

San Mateo has it all: a diversity of neighborhoods, great parks, easy access, a plethora of shopping, and home to many businesses and an anchor for employment on the peninsula. With a rich heritage, dating back to the turn of the century with its most famous resident being A.P. Giannini, the founder of the Bank of Italy and later Bank of America, San Mateo offers a delightful spread of activity for all. The downtown area is studded with delicious restaurants and a variety of retail stores, and also boasts a 12 screen movie theatre and one of the largest wine cellars in the country, at Draeger’s Grocery Store. Shopping abounds at Hillsdale and Bridgepointe as well as the many neighborhood shopping centers.

Perhaps the most well known natural area is Coyote Point, a rock outcropped peninsula that juts into San Francisco Bay and home to a natural history museum, the Peninsula Humane Society, windsurfing, a private marina, and large picnic areas with uplifting vistas. Within walking distance of downtown, Central Park has something for everyone: ride the toy train, pick up a game of tennis, take a serene walk through the Japanese Garden, have a picnic while listening to Thursday evening’s Jazz in the Park, or enjoy the playgrounds.

San Mateo attracts a variety of homeowners, from those seeking their first home in the upcoming neighborhoods of the Village, Parkside, or Shoreview, to those looking for more a little more space in Hillsdale or the Meadows, to larger families seeking the spaciousness offered by San Mateo Park, Baywood, and Aragon.