Bay Meadows

Residents have just begun moving into The Russell – the splashy, amenity-rich apartments near Bay Meadows’ Town Square. In between unpacking boxes, new Russell resident Jennifer shared her perspectives on the new community.

Spoiler alert: Jennifer will be the envy of all who read this mini-portrait of her. Not necessarily because she snagged a luxury residence in the hottest new apartments on the Peninsula – though that’s part of it. And it’s not for her cuddly, furry roommate, the adorable Pekingese Taro (pictured below). But how can you not love that face?

You’re going to envy Jennifer because she has a 5-minute commute to work! A 5 minute walk across the Town Square. Maybe she’ll even pick up a Blue Bottle Coffee en route, when the cafe opens this summer.

Jennifer is an engineer at SurveyMonkey, which is located directly across from The Russell. She learned about Bay Meadows when the company announced its new headquarters last year. After subscribing to the Bay Meadows newsletter, Jennifer learned there were new apartments opening in the community. Upon seeing The Russell’s model homes, Jennifer and her boyfriend Ivan couldn’t resist.

The location, of course, was a huge attraction. Both for her and for Ivan, who works in San Francisco. Previously, he lived in Emeryville and is thrilled to not have to cross the Bay Bridge everyday.

In addition to the location, Jennifer loves how dog-friendly Bay Meadows is. “I purposely chose an apartment on the ground floor because I knew I’d be going outside a lot on walks with Taro.”

Jennifer lights up particularly when she’s discussing her job at SurveyMonkey. Not only does she live a walk away, but her job includes fun projects, such as R&D for new software products. She even created a quiz on Bay Meadows’ history using the SurveyMonkey quiz template.

Try your hand at this brief and informative quiz >

QUICK ROUND

Favorite amenities at The Russell?
The pool is beautiful. We’ve already told our friends that when the pool opens, we’ll be having barbecues and parties. Can’t wait to do that.

There’s a Petanque Court at The Russell. Do you play?
If it’s at all like bocce, I can’t wait to get out there!

Favorite places to eat in San Mateo?
Pokeatery, Ramen Dojo

What do you do to blow off steam?
I enjoy going for runs around the neighborhood. I really like running around Bay Meadows Park. And Taro absolutely loves it.

What are you most looking forward to in the retail?
Definitely Blue Bottle. Not just for their coffee, but their liege waffles are amazing! [discover the recipe for Blue Bottle’s amazing waffles here > ]

Walkscore.com rates Bay Meadows high on the list for walkable locations to live on the San Francisco Peninsula and for good reason! Why? Because we are steps from shopping (Hillsdale Center), groceries (Whole Foods), parks, a farmer’s market and an easy bike-ride from downtown San Mateo with its burgeoning restaurant scene. San Mateo’s shared Bay Bikes are on-site, so no need to own your own. And Caltrain is a quick stroll from anywhere in the neighborhood. Learn all about connecting the dots for your many transportation options with Connect San Mateo.