But Mariner’s Island is no afterthought. With a total area of almost a full square mile, it’s one of San Mateo’s largest neighborhoods, ranging all the way from Seal Slough to San Francisco Bay, though a good part of the area is non-residential and includes the Bridgepointe Shopping Center, Tidelands Park, the entrance to Mariners Point Golf Center, hotels, office parks and approximately 3,000 residents.

Like its southern neighbor, Edgewater Isle (which, on some maps, is actually considered part of Mariner’s Island), Mariner’s Island offers waterfront living in homes of a recent vintage. Mariner’s Island real estate is more diverse than Edgewater’s, offering both single-family, condo and townhouse options. Single-family homes with views along Fathom Drive are large (with more than 2,000 square feet of living space and three or four bedrooms) can be purchased as high as $1.9 million. They rarely come on the market, and typically sell fast, due to their unique feel as “beachfront” property. These houses, built in the 1960s and 70s, are of the same vintage as water view condos on Port Drive, at the neighborhood's eastern edge, which can cost buyers as much as $1.4 million.

Newer properties line the water side of Shoal Drive, townhouses and single-family homes of similar size to those found on Fathom Drive. Condominiums and apartments line four-lane Mariner’s Island Boulevard, sharing space with gleaming low- and mid-rise office buildings, many of whose glass sheet walls reflect the prevailing design trends of the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

Mariner’s Island also includes Harbortown, a large townhome development built in 1979 around a man-made lake. Many people like its woodsy feel, and the complex features Craftsman style wood siding, and each structure is no more than three stories tall. Most have attached or detached private garages, which is a huge plus, giving Harbortown more of a residential home feel. Harbortown homes for sale range in size from one to three bedrooms and in price from the high $900s to $1.4 million with a recent median of $1.2 million.

To view a detailed google map of the Harbortown neighborhood, click here. The MLS area is 412.

To view a detailed google map of the Mariner’s Isle neighborhood, click here. The MLS area is 410.

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.