What's it like to live in Burlingame?

Burlingame is a beautiful, small California city situated on the San Francisco Peninsula. As part of San Mateo County, Burlingame experiences warm, year-round weather and cool ocean breezes that blow from its extensive shoreline on San Francisco Bay. As a suburb of San Francisco, located just 16.3 miles to the north, Burlingame has a diverse culture made up of young professionals and families of different ages. Residents can enjoy an easy, daily commute to work, shop, dine, and play in San Francisco. With a population of close to 30,000, Burlingame provides a small-town lifestyle. It's a great place for families looking for excellent schools, community activities, and outdoor recreation. Situated right on the San Francisco Bay, Burlingame offers year-round recreation with swimming, kayaking, surfing, paddle boarding, and fishing. The warm, subtropical climate permits family picnics, camping, hiking, and biking, even in the winter months.  

What types of homes are in Burlingame?

Condos and single-family homes make up the real estate market in Burlingame. Most single-family homes have two to four bedrooms, two to three full bathrooms, and large kitchens. You'll find a variety of architectural-style homes in Burlingame with open floor plans and large family rooms. Many homes built close to the shoreline have spectacular views of the Bay. Since Burlingame is an older city, incorporated in 1904, with roots from a Mexican land grant, you'll find many older homes with a Spanish character scattered throughout the city. Burlingame homes and neighborhoods are well-maintained with beautiful landscaping, private yards, patios, and decks, and many have swimming pools to take advantage of the wonderful climate.   

What's unique about Burlingame?

Known as “the city of trees”, Burlingame has over 18,000 trees within the city limits. In 1908, an ordinance was passed by the city's board of trustees that prohibited cutting, injuring, or destroying any trees in the city. Still today in 2014, trees within the city, even on residential properties, are protected by the city ordinance. You'll see many parks and Eucalyptus groves around the city with beautiful, old, statuesque trees that remain protected. Burlingame is also home to many candy and chocolate companies, a fact your kids will love. You can enjoy the Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia, the See's Candies lollipop factory, the Guittard Chocolate Company, Powell's, and Nuts for Candy, family-owned candy stores.  

Where are the good schools in Burlingame?

The Burlingame School District ranks among the best in California, 4 out of their 5 public elementary schools are rated 9 out of 10 in academics.

• Roosevelt Elementary School | Grades K-5 | 1151 Vancouver Avenue

• Burlingame Intermediate School | Grades 6-8 | 1715 Quesada Way

• Burlingame High School | Grades 9-12 | 1 Mangini Way

The College of San Mateo and San Francisco State University are both located less than 20 miles from Burlingame.  

What are the best things to do in Burlingame?

You'll find a lot of fun things to do in Burlingame. The kids will love to visit the Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia where you can see all kinds of Pez candies and dispensers since the candy company started. They will also enjoy a trip to GoKart Racer, a high-caliber race track with state-of-the-art racers and European-designed road courses. If you love the outdoors, you'll love Burlingame with its beautiful parks that have family-friendly playgrounds, picnic areas, and recreational facilities. Bay Park offers five acres of park grounds with playgrounds, picnic areas, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a softball field. Pershing Park is a smaller park with a picnic area, playground, and beautiful nature walk areas. The entire family will enjoy the Burlingame Aquatic Center that offers recreational swimming, swim lessons, and water polo for ages 6-18. Burlingame's downtown district is a lively pedestrian-friendly area with hundreds of shops and restaurants. At the downtown Farmer's Market, you can enjoy fresh local foods, dance classes, belly dancing, martial arts, children's face painting with LEGO booths and sports contests throughout the day. The downtown area has beautiful tree-lined streets with outdoor cafes, specialty shops, and lots of flowers that reflect picture postcard beauty. It's a lovely, relaxing place to spend the day.  

Is Burlingame right for me?

Burlingame is a family-friendly city with charming appeal and beautiful coastal weather. You'll find beautiful homes in quiet, well-maintained neighborhoods that offer great schools and activities for the kids. The community provides year-round special events like the Family Campout, Movies in the Park, and the Burlingame Pet Parade that promote family time and family values. Burlingame provides a small-town, relaxing lifestyle on the San Francisco Bay with beautiful subtropical weather. San Francisco is just a short drive away where you can enjoy all the metropolitan amenities of a large city. If you want family atmosphere and quiet living in a supportive community, Burlingame is a great place to call home.