Stanford-Palo Alto, CA
best things to do & see around
Stanford campus
Palo Alto, CA, is the home of Stanford University and Stanford Industrial Park. Basically Palo Alto is a very pleasant residential suburb for those who can afford the expensive (for what you get) housing. Many Stanford graduates end up sticking around for the great weather and Silicon Valley business opportunities.
The Stanford-Palo Alto area does make for a nice day trip if you know where to go. Otherwise you can waste a lot of time just driving around suburbs without seeing much. Review our Stanford-Palo Alto map for exact locations of and more details about the places highlighted in bold below.
Stanford University
One of the best ways to see the Stanford area and beyond is by bicycle. The campus is spread out and flat making for pleasant riding and the weather is often fantastic. It's so nice that even billionaires participate; once, while in the College Terrace residential neighborhood between Stanford and Stanford Industrial Park, we came across Steve Jobs biking along with one of his kids.
As you ride around, visit the University Bookstore & Tressider Student Union, Stanford Memorial Church in the Quad, the Rodin Sculpture Garden outside the Cantor Arts Center, and the athletic fields including Stanford Stadium east of Campus Dr.
One hidden Stanford campus gem is the Cantor Arts Center with its interesting & diverse art collection including the largest grouping of Rodin bronzes outside of Paris. Another, for walkers without dogs only, is the Stanford Dish hiking trail, west of Junipero Serra Blvd/Stanford Ave behind campus. Ike's Place Sandwiches, on the first floor of Huang Engineering Center, is yet another hidden gem.
Though we haven't been back for decades, some of the old favorite greasy hamburger & beer hangouts for Stanford grad students still remain:
- The Oasis Beer Garden, 241 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. Lots of peanut shells on the floor.
- The Dutch Goose, 3567 Alameda De Las Pulgas , Menlo Park. The old Dutch Goose has been completely torn down and replaced by a new building. We tried to get a burger there last weekend but the patio, where our dog was allowed, was too crowded.
- Alpine Beer Garden aka Zotts aka Rosottis, 3915 Alpine Rd, Portola Valley, is a favorite place to drink beer at the picnic tables in back. A Roadhouse with Teslas parked next to Harleys parked next to horses is one way it has been described. Food isn't outstanding but the atmosphere is ... on a hot summer day. If you prefer something classier check out nearby Mike's Cafe at Ladera Shopping center.
- Antonios Nuthouse, 321 S California Ave, is a newer dive bar that has become a student favorite. It even has a tacqueria restaurant inside where you can get tacos, enchiladas, & chips.
- Back A Yard Caribbean American Grill, 1189 Willow Rd, Menlo Park, just one block east of Hwy 101, is a "back home" place which the students don't seem to have found yet; perhaps it is because beer is not served. :) Ambience is questionable but they have very, very tasty grilled Caribbean food at reasonable prices. The jerk pork, oxtails, and fried bread (called corn festivals) are great examples. Spicing is excellent and not too strong.
University Ave
This 7-block long strip, between Alma St and Webster St, is one of the better shopping & restaurant streets on the Peninsula. It's pleasant just to walk up and down on one of the many sunny days. There are several nice higher-end coffee shops here but a local student favorite is Coupa Cafe at 538 Ramona St, Palo Alto. The Borders Bookstore (note: closed 7/22/11) at University & Kipling St is a good one. Just across the street from Borders is one of the first Apple stores and still one of the busiest . At the Hwy 101 end of University Ave is Ikea, the famous giant Swedish Furniture store, which also worth seeing if you've never been there.
For a flavor for how the local yuppies live visit Whole Food Market, at 774 Emerson St/Homer Ave, and Peet's Coffee Shop next door. You can buy baked goods food to go there and eat at tables inside the store. Nearby, at the Northwest corner of Forest St/Alma St, is a new Philz Coffee shop which is a newer chain known for the variety and taste of their gourmet handmade coffee.
Stanford Shopping Center
Stanford Shopping Mall is the highest-end shopping center in the SF Bay Area (Santana Row is also a higher end center but with less wealthy clientele). It is outdoors, nice, and quite pleasant. If you like shopping then this is an excellent place to hang out ... the center has many major stores and many status stores.
Palo Alto Creamery, an old-time favorite still located at 566 Emerson/Hamilton, Palo Alto, now has a second location at the east end of Stanford mall. For a higher end dining (& happy hour) experience try Flemings Prime Rib Steak House also located at the east end of the mall.
California Ave
This area is coming back to life. They now have a good Farmers Market every Sunday 10am-4 pm. We really like the La Bodeguita Del Medio Cuban restaurant, 463 S California Ave, which features Ernest Hemingway's favorite drinks plus a patio for cigar smokers in the back. Antonios Nuthouse, down the street at Birch St, is a popular dive bar (& tacqueria) with the college crowd.
The ZombieRunner Gourmet Coffee stand, operated by two ultra-marathoners, is located inside a store with "stuff for people who run" at 429 S California Ave. I jokingly asked the barista if his latte is as fine as San Francisco's famous Blue Bottle Coffee's? ... he said "Yes" and then added "because we care more." Good answer and good coffee.
Towns near Palo Alto
Northwest of Palo Alto are the expensive suburban towns of Menlo Park, Atherton, and Woodside.
- Menlo Park is similar to Palo Alto (but without Stanford University, Shopping Center, and Industrial Park). The main shopping street is Santa Cruz Ave which runs southwest of El Camino for about 6 blocks. At the El Camino end of Santa Cruz Ave is an old time favorite, Kepler's Books, 1010 El Camino Real. Another local favorite is Peets Coffee shop at Santa Cruz Ave and University Dr. One block further southwest is Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, a large church which is popular with the wealthy Peninsula crowd.
- Atherton is where the especially wealthy doctors and businessmen live, usually behind walls. So, there is not much to see. Joe Montana used lived in Atherton for about 10 years, as well, before moving to a 600 acre spread in Wine country.
- Woodside is more rural and tends to be inhabited by venture capitalists who office along Sand Hill Circle, Menlo Park (north corner of Sand Hill Road & Hwy 280). Woodside's The Village Pub, 2967 Woodside Road, is quite nice, comfortable, bustling, and expensive. It has excellent food and service as you would expect from a one star Michelin restaurant.
Southwest of Palo Alto are the towns of Los Altos and Mountain View.
- Los Altos is a pleasant suburb with mainly ranch style homes and fantastic weather. Its primary shopping street is Main St, just north of Foothill Expressway. Nothing exciting; just pleasant.
- Mountain View is a less expensive and more ethnic town. It has a fairly active shopping district with several ethnic restaurants and a book store on Castro St, between El Camino & Central Expressway. Google's world headquarters is also in Mountain View, off Rengstorff Ave a couple of blocks north of Hwy 101.
Related Pages:
Stanford-Palo Alto map check this for the precise locations of items in bold above.
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