Burlingame Bay Area guide

At a glance

Where it is: central San Mateo County, on the bay side of Interstate 280.
Known for: the Burlingame Avenue shopping district, mature street trees, and early-20th-century architecture.
The environment: low-rise and residential, with two distinct commercial streets.
What sets it apart: two Caltrain stations in one small city, and one of the more intact period housing stocks on the Peninsula.

Single-family homes with a large share built between the 1910s and 1940s, including Spanish, Tudor, and Craftsman styles.
Condominiums and apartments concentrated along El Camino Real and near the downtown.
Larger homes and lots in the western neighborhoods approaching the Hillsborough line.

Easton Addition: Established neighborhood west of El Camino with many period homes.
Ray Park: Post-war neighborhood on the western side with regular lots.
Burlingame Hills: Unincorporated hillside area west of the city with larger parcels.
Mills Estate: Northern neighborhood near the Millbrae boundary.
Lyon-Hoag: Flatter neighborhood east of El Camino near the rail corridor.

Burlingame Avenue with restaurants, shops, and a weekly farmers market.
The Broadway district, a second commercial street with its own character.
Washington Park and the Burlingame Recreation Center.
The Bay Trail and shoreline path east of US-101, with San Francisco skyline views.

Older housing stock brings renovation, permitting, and inspection considerations — many homes predate modern electrical and foundation standards.
Flight paths affect parts of the city.
Some eastern neighborhoods sit close to US-101 or the rail corridor where noise is a factor.
Burlingame Hills is unincorporated county area — confirm jurisdiction, since services and permitting differ.
Verify current transportation service, school assignment, permit requirements, hazard information, and total housing costs for the specific address.