Good areas to rent on pennisula? (San Mateo, Redwood City: renter, houses, neighborhood)

[twins4lynn]

Originally Posted by sonarrat

As someone with local and first-hand knowledge, Burlingame is more convenient to the Millbrae station than Millbrae itself if you're going on public transit. Millbrae is almost all single-family houses, and much of it is hilly. The one long block of multi-family along Richmond Drive is not convenient to the rail lines or any public transit for that matter. In Burlingame, pretty much all of El Camino Real is lined by apartments and it's just steps to the nearest bus that takes you to Millbrae station.

Richmond Drive isn't the only rental area in Millbrae. Millbrae has full blocks of rentals on Magnolia between Millbrae Avenue & Murchison, and South Broadway is completely rentals. There is mixed housing (apartments plus residential homes) on Magnolia just north of Millbrae Avenue (and on Magnolia leading towards Richmond Drive). There are also many duplexes throughout the area within walking distance to BART. Plus there is a large condo complex with rentals on Murchison. All of these streets are on the flatlands and within walking distance to BART.

[HockeyMac18]

Originally Posted by sonarrat

As someone with local and first-hand knowledge, Burlingame is more convenient to the Millbrae station than Millbrae itself if you're going on public transit. Millbrae is almost all single-family houses, and much of it is hilly. The one long block of multi-family along Richmond Drive is not convenient to the rail lines or any public transit for that matter. In Burlingame, pretty much all of El Camino Real is lined by apartments and it's just steps to the nearest bus that takes you to Millbrae station.

I live on El Camino Real in downtown San Mateo and am on the same bus line that takes you to the Milbrae station (~10-15 minutes to Milbrae BART/Caltrain station). It is less than a mile to downtown Burlingame (I know because I walk there frequently). I do not think it is worth it to pay 100-300 more dollars a month (which is what I found to be the general difference between apartments in downtown San Mateo and downtown Burlingame) for essentially the same experience. As well, I found most of the better Burlingame apartments to be off of El Camino, a few blocks away (such as on Floribunda), which adds to any walk you do to either the downtown area or the bus line to take you to Milbrae BART.

San Mateo gets more Caltrain trains per hour, so there is also the added option of Caltrain -> BART in San Mateo that you really don't have in Burlingame (since they only get one train per hour all day that goes to Milbrae). Although, the bus option is probably better for either since this is a small difference.

The only reason I've seen why one would pick Burlingame over San Mateo is because of schools.

[HockeyMac18]

Originally Posted by thecooler

Millbrae has a nice little downtown. Its smaller then Burlingame's and San Mateo's but it has the basics-restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, drug store, and some tiny retailers. For labor day weekend it has an annual art and wine street festival. I lived in Millbrae for 3 years and loved it. Very convenient place to live to get transportation - Bart, Caltrain, Samtrans and the airport.

I like Milbrae and its downtown. I don't know if I would recommend it over San Mateo (assuming all else is equal), but if you find a great apt in Milbrae, you can't go wrong.

[HockeyMac18]

Originally Posted by twins4lynn

Millbrae and Burlingame both have very good schools. Millbrae's Mills High has rated higher than Burlingame consistently in the past, and in 2012 they had the exact same API score. Mills' Taylor middle school has a higher API than Burlingame Intermediate. Elementary - Burlingame has more elementaries in the 900 range while Mills has one. The rest of the elementaries for both schools are in the high 800's.

I wouldn't say Burlingame is more expensive because of the schools, academically they're just too similar. But the schools, as well as the cities, have a very different culture.

I've never really understood why Burlingame was more expensive than San Mateo (given I find a lot of the areas in each town be VERY similar). And the only reason I've ever heard is because of its schools.

I wasn't aware that Milbrae's schools were as good as Burlingame's (I knew they were good, though). I can see Burlingame's "culture"/allure of its downtown making it more expensive than Milbrae, though.

But I still don't get why (other than schools) Burlingame is more expensive than comparable areas in San Mateo.

I guess my point is: If you don't have kids, I don't see why you'd pick Burlingame over surrounding comparable areas. It's a really nice town, but I just don't get why you'd pay that extra money to live there when you can save some money for essentially the same experience elsewhere.

[sonarrat]

Originally Posted by HockeyMac18

I've never really understood why Burlingame was more expensive than San Mateo (given I find a lot of the areas in each town be VERY similar). And the only reason I've ever heard is because of its schools.

I wasn't aware that Milbrae's schools were as good as Burlingame's (I knew they were good, though). I can see Burlingame's "culture"/allure of its downtown making it more expensive than Milbrae, though.

But I still don't get why (other than schools) Burlingame is more expensive than comparable areas in San Mateo.

I guess my point is: If you don't have kids, I don't see why you'd pick Burlingame over surrounding comparable areas. It's a really nice town, but I just don't get why you'd pay that extra money to live there when you can save some money for essentially the same experience elsewhere.

The only area of San Mateo that's really comparable to Burlingame is San Mateo Park, and the real estate prices in that area are just as high if not higher.

[Choco23]

Thank you everyone for all your suggestions. I did make a few trips to check out the available for rent apartments in area, but unfortunately, I haven't found anything close to el camino/san mateo/ milbrae caltrain stations within my price range, but will continue to look.

How fast do apartments get rented out once they are posted on craigslist? Several landlords mentioned they go within a week of posting.

If anyone knows of any apartment complexes near milbrae Bart/Caltrain or san mateo caltrain that they would recommend for a one bedroom between 1600-1800, please let me know. Thanks!

[twins4lynn]

Aside from the locations in Millbrae previously listed, there are dozens lots of apartments in Burlingame near the Millbrae/Burlingame city lines and are walkable to BART. They are located basically across the streets/within 1-2 blocks of Mills High School and are located on Murchison, Sequoia, Garden, Trousdale, and Ogden Drive (all in Burlingame). They occasionally post on craigslist, but mostly have signs on their lawns/property indicating they have rentals. The walk from this area is slightly farther to BART than the apartments around Murchison/Magnolia (i.e. two blocks further to walk).

(PS - the north side of Murchison Drive is in Millbrae, the south side is in Burlingame. The west side of Sequoia is in Millbrae, the east side is in Burlingame).

Here is one apartment in that area - Spacious! Painted, clean! Views. Walk to shops.

[HockeyMac18]

Originally Posted by sonarrat

The only area of San Mateo that's really comparable to Burlingame is San Mateo Park, and the real estate prices in that area are just as high if not higher.

What is "San Mateo Park"?

The area I live in in downtown San Mateo is just as nice as Burlingame. I looked at dozens of properties in Burlingame when I was moving to the area, and none of them were very impressive/better than apartments surrounding downtown San Mateo. I moved into an apt in 2010 in San Mateo for 1400. Nothing in Burlingame that was similar in quality was less than 1600/1700 at the time. The houses surrounding my apartment (which is just off of El Camino Real) look exactly like the houses just off of El Camino Real in Burlingame. If there were no signs to tell you that you were entering San Mateo/Burlingame on El Camino, I certainly would have a hard time telling a difference.

The experience in this area of San Mateo is essentially the same experience in Burlingame. Except housing is not as much.

I'm not trying to tell you that you know nothing about these two areas...but I spent A LOT of time looking at the differences between the two. There is a reason I picked San Mateo over Burlingame.


I think the hardest thing for the OP is going to be finding apartments in either. I'm not seeing much on Craigslist...then again, my apartment building does not list rentals ever on craigslist. They basically just use word of mouth (and many other buildings in both towns do that or opt for "for rent" signs).

My recommendation is the same as before: look at all of these places (Milbrae, Burlingame, San Mateo). If you find something that's great in any of these towns in your price range, you really can't go wrong.

[HockeyMac18]

Originally Posted by Choco23

Thank you everyone for all your suggestions. I did make a few trips to check out the available for rent apartments in area, but unfortunately, I haven't found anything close to el camino/san mateo/ milbrae caltrain stations within my price range, but will continue to look.

How fast do apartments get rented out once they are posted on craigslist? Several landlords mentioned they go within a week of posting.

If anyone knows of any apartment complexes near milbrae Bart/Caltrain or san mateo caltrain that they would recommend for a one bedroom between 1600-1800, please let me know. Thanks!

I'll PM you some info.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

I don't know the San Mateo area, but when I list an apartment for rent in Santa Clara, I can easily get them rented in a week right now. I'm guessing it would be the same situation where you're looking, so I think they're telling you the truth.

I also try to get my apts rented without having to list on Craigslist, because of the Craigslist zoo factor. So, you may want to call apt complexes you'd like to move into, to see if they have any openings coming up. You could even post an apartment wanted ad on Craigslist. I actually do peruse those when I have a vacancy.