Bay Meadows

A trusted advocate of both open spaces and thriving communities, Greenbelt Alliance voices support for projects that advance the right kind of development in the right places. Chronicling a lifestyle story of some of Bay Meadow’s earliest residents who relocated from Pleasanton to our San Mateo Mid-urban Village, Greenbelt Alliance illustrates the notable highlights of what Bay Meadows has brought to the area.

Some of the many public benefits include:

-3 new public parks comprising a total of 15 acres

-4 contributions of public art by local and world-renowned artists

-1-acre dedicated to San Mateo for 68 affordable apartments plus 10% inclusionary affordable housing across Bay Meadows

Meeting all 7 benchmarks: efficient use of land, affordability, walkability, transportation options, environmental design, community and economic benefits and community engagement, Greenbelt Alliance calls Bay Meadows, “…an excellent example of smart infill development”, giving our development their endorsement. Read the full feature here.

The Lees, along with their children Juliette, Noah, and Calvin, traded their house in Pleasanton for a Bay Meadows Townhome shortly after Henry started working at Stanford Medical School. He tried commuting for a bit, but decided “It was gonna be a little bit long to do long-term, so we looked for a place closer to my work.

New Housing Options. New Construction.

Leaving their backyard full of fruit trees for a walkable urban area was daunting at first, but the experience has been incredible so far. Buying into new construction let them avoid the pressure-filled bidding wars that are so common on the Peninsula, and gave them confidence in the long-term quality of their new home.

Lock-up and Go Lifestyle.

Having the yard work taken off their hands didn’t hurt either, as Henry points out, “As much as we did enjoy our house in Pleasanton, I think neither Lauren nor I are very good DIY repair and maintenance people. Sometimes we enjoyed that aspect of things, but other times, we thought ‘oh, it would be nice to have a place that didn’t require so much upkeep, both the home and the yard.’” And with their children becoming involved in more and more extracurriculars, the low-maintenance simplicity of the townhouse simply fit better with their lifestyle.

Open Space. Parks. Play Areas. Community Gardens. Community Connections. 

The kids, as one might expect, had reservations. Calvin, who was 9 when they moved, missed the backyard and the basketball hoop in the driveway. But he quickly adjusted, and soon he and his brother were walking to the nearby courts almost every day. Even losing the fruit trees didn’t sting for long; Lauren took to the community garden soon after moving in and discovered that growing tomatoes was a lot more fun when you’ve got friends and neighbors to talk to while you work. As she said, “I feel like even though we had a garden in Pleasanton, you go out to the backyard and you’re just doing it by yourself… There’s something about being able to go and meet other people, and the atmosphere.”

Add in…

Retail. Office. Walkability. Bikeability. More Time at Home. Less Time on the Road. Direct Transit Access. 

And you have an example of a well-planned infill community.

Featuring best-in-class retailers such as LIFT Exercise San Mateo, Tin Pot Creamery, Blue Bottle Coffee, Bamboo Asia and ROAM Artisan Burgers, Bay Meadows’ Town Square is the ideal gathering place with more ground-floor retail, outdoor dining and pop-ups to come. Home to a stunning sculpture from internationally-renowned artist Jeppe Hein, the Town Square is the dynamic core of our Midurban village. The Town Square is the perfect place to relax outside for a beer or wine at Fieldwork Brewing Company’s Beer Garden after a day of shopping and entertainment at Hillsdale Center. Take a turn on the porch swings or challenge a friend to table-tennis in the outdoor ping-pong court. Join the Bay Meadows email list to stay on top of the latest.