Neighborhoods -- Menlo Park

In its earliest years of the latter 19th century, Menlo Park was awash with bucolic charm. Because of that, a temperate climate and a newly minted train station, many San Francisco businessmen chose to reside there. Leafy, secluded neighborhoods are still a hallmark, and with a small population plus a convenient Peninsula location, it remains an attractive place to live. The downtown's main artery, Santa Cruz Avenue, bustles with boutiques, shops and excellent restaurants, in addition to markets at either end: upscale Draeger's on one side and casual Trader Joe's on the other.

A favorite gathering spot is Café Borrone, across the street from downtown on El Camino Real. There's plenty of seating indoors and out, perfect for perusing material purchased at adjacent Kepler's, an independent bookstore that has been around more than 50 years.

The crown jewel of Menlo Park's architectural treasures is the Allied Arts Guild, a collection of shops, gardens and artists' studios. For golf enthusiasts, there is the highly regarded members-only 18-hole course at the Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club. Sunset magazine has its headquarters in Menlo Park, where every spring the facility hosts Celebration Weekend, a festival of activities featuring Sunset experts.

Of course, many residents just might cite Menlo Park's prime location as its No. 1 asset. It offers quick access to Interstate 280 and Highway 101, and is next door to Stanford University and Stanford Shopping Center. The city seems to straddle the bustle of the South Bay and the acres of lush woods and sprawling grasslands that form nearby open space. Quiet life in Menlo Park is deliberately reserved and protected.

Population: 30,785
Average household income: $89,100
Average household size: 2.4
Median age: 37.4
College graduates: 61.7 percent
Parks: 9

Source: San Jose Mercury Online

Borrone's is the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Menlo Park

Our beloved Cafe' Borrone now has it's very own Facebook page

Go to Facebook and Search for Borrone's and click on the tab to join.

Check it out at http://www.cafeborrone.com/

Call me at (650) 888-6628 if you would like to meet there for a coffee in the heart of Menlo Park!

First things first, then on with the day...

The Most Expensive Suburbs to Live In

ATHERTON selected as the most expensive suburb to live in...

Source: Business Week

Suburban Excess

To many, the suburbs represent a chance to escape expensive city living. But that all depends on which suburb you choose. While you might not spend as much on taxis or parking, many suburbs can be just as expensive as the city you left, if not more expensive — especially if you want Wisteria Lane-like homes, strong schools, excellent parks and recreation departments and carefully mowed lawns. The recession has only made things harder as residents struggle to pay mortgages in the face of job losses and shrinking stock portfolios.

BusinessWeek worked with data analytics firm OnBoard to identify the suburbs in each state where expenses such as mortgage and utility payments, clothing, food and beverages, property taxes, health care and home prices were the highest. Here are the suburbs that made the list in the 10 most populous states.

A Beautiful Day to Enjoy a Latte

Everyone's favorite spot for coffee is Cafe Borrone in Menlo Park. The Borrone Family are warm and wonderful, as are the treats.They are ideally located next to Kepler's Book Store, a 53 year-old Independent Bookseller.