There are lots of fun things to see and do in San Mateo. Coyote Point is near the furthest northeast portion of the city. You can see the boats parked along the docks. have a picnic, play some golf, hike the trails, play on the beach, visit the museum, etc. Bring a jacket though, it s very windy. At the southeastern most portion you have the San Mateo Bridge and Bridgepoint Shopping Center. One of the advantages of living in San Mateo is it s accessibility to other cities in the Bay Area: 30 mins to San Jose, San Fran, Alameda, Half Moon Bay (the ocean), Mountain View/Sunnyvale (Silicon Valley).At the northwestern point you have an exclusive residential area with expensive housing located on a hillside. At the southwestern point you have an area close to Hwy 92 which is close to one of the most popular hiking destinations in the Bay Area: the Sawyer Camp Trail. Sawyer Camp Trail is a beautiful 6 mile stretch well maintained but still wild. On any given day you can see deer, raccoons, bunny rabbits, and the once in a while cougar, although they are really rare. The trail has restroom stops at the beginning, middle, and end, and features picnic tables and benches to rest at. It is accessible by walking, biking, or rollerblading. Crime is pretty low in San Mateo although there are some rough spots here and there. As far as schools go: They have College of San Mateo, Hillsdale High School, Aragon High Schoool, Parkside School (elementary school) and others that I cannot remember at this time.My favorite places to shop and eat in San Mateo? Piazza s by Hillsdale Blvd exit from Hwy 92. Their Portobello mushroom sandwich is just outstanding as is their other vegetarian sandwiches, expensive though. Heidi Pies on El Camino near Hwy 92 is also very popular, they make pies and sandwiches.They have one major shopping center: Hillsdale Shopping Center at El Camino and Hillsdale Blvd. Generally speaking, neighborhoods closer to the Bay get seedier the closer you get to the water. The higher uphill you get (towards the west) the nicer the homes and neighborhoods get. You want to be on the west side of El Camino, not the east.Downtown San Mateo near El Camino and 3rd Ave is once again a great place to hang out and catch a movie, grab some food, or shop.
I could list all of the many, many advantages of living in San Mateo. I could list all of the wonderful places to go within a short drive of San Mateo. But that would be too long an answer. Explore and discover them on your own. As far as anything to warn you about, I can t think of a single thing, except that housing is rather expensive there. But you get what you pay for. The only thing I would want to tell you is how lucky you are, and how jealous I am of you, you lucky guy! I use to live in San Mateo and loved it. Now I live in Illinois, and hate it. Enjoy yourself. Don t take a single day for granted.
Its a little cooler as far as the weather goes than living, say in Oakland or Hayward area. Not a Cosmopolitan area just a nice quiet bedroom community with a great police force.
You must own a car - it s easier than taking all day to go to one doctor s appointment, etc. via public transportation.
Its boring!
Where are you moving from?