'''San Mateo''' [http://www.sanmateocountycvb.com/] is located on the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.

Get in

By air, San Mateo is conveniently located near San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Oakland (OAK) and San Jose (SJC) are alternative airports, though not preferable.

By rail, use '''CalTrain''' (there are 3 CalTrain stations in San Mateo named San Mateo [downtown], Hayward Park, and Hillsdale) or '''BART''' from Millbrae.

By car, US-101 and I-280 run through the city. It is also connected to the East Bay via the San Mateo-Hayward Bay Bridge.

Get around

The most convenient way is by car. If you're using public transit, check out the trip planner on http://www.511.org.

It is also easy to get around by bike or by walking. Lots of good destinations. There are two downtown shopping areas: the primary downtown is between 2nd and 5th streets, bordered by El Camino Real and the train tracks. The big, new San Mateo Public Library is also downtown. The "other" downtown is south about 15 blocks, at 25th ave on the West side of El Camino Real. Continuing south on El Camino Real is the Hillsdale Mall.

See

Central Park is located off of El Camino Real between 5th Ave and 9th Ave. Inside the park is a beautiful Japanese Tea Garden.

Bay Meadows is the only horse racing track on the San Francisco Peninsula. Take the Delaware Street exit off of Highway 92 and head south. The parking lot entrance is at the end of Delaware Street at East 25th Avenue. (Bay Meadows is currently being torn down.)

Coyote Point is a park located in the North-East corner of San Mateo off of Highway 101 at Peninsula Avenue. A small boat harbor is there as well as a natural history museum. Poplar Creek golf course, a municipal course, is located there as well. A hiking trail allows easy access to San Francisco Bay.

Crystal Springs Reservoir is located in the watershed area off of Highway 280 on the western edge of San Mateo. Crystal Springs dam is located just south of Crystal Springs off of Skyline Boulevard.

Do

Buy

  • '''M is for Mystery''', 86 East Third Avenue, (650) 401-8077 An excellent mystery bookstore, with knowledgable staff. Holds many readings.
  • '''Hillsdale Mall'''. A large enclosed mall with mid- to high-end shops. Features Macy's, Nordstrom, Sears, and Mervyn's.
  • Eat

  • '''Thai Satay''', 173 E 4th Avenue, (650) 342-3617 Decently priced, with an extensive menu, this Thai restaurant serves authentic dishes that could fulfill any kind of mood you're in. They also allow you to choose your level of spiciness!
  • '''Sinbad''', 150 East 4th Avenue, (650) 347-6060. Your first impression of the place will be: It's a Turkish grocery store. Your second impression will be: It's a Turkish grocery store with some pre-cooked food available. Your final impression should be: It's a Turkish grocery store with impressively good, inexpensive Turkish food. Although their kebab plates are good, get the stew of the day -- whatever it is, it will be tasty.
  • '''Taqueria Pancho Villa''', 365 South B Street, (650) 343-4123. The line out the door should give a clue to the quality inside. Well-roasted meats, tacos and real Mexican food made to order, and inexpensive. Their horchata is good, but their smoothies are better (and made with fresh fruit.)
  • '''Shanghai East''', 105 W. 25th Ave, (650) 522-9098. Tasty Chinese food at very affordable prices. Great dumplings and noodles, and the best Mongolian Beef around.
  • '''Yumi Yogurt''', 3955 S El Camino Real (650) 341-0939. Amazing flavors of soft serve frozen yogurt and a huge topping bar. Also serve hand scooped ice cream.
  • Drink

    Sleep

  • '''Best Western San Mateo''', 2940 S Norfolk Street, (650) 341-3300, Fax: (650) 341-9999, [http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do?propertyCode=05503].
  • '''Holiday Inn''', 330 Bayshore Boulevard, (650) 344-3219, [http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/6c/1/en/hd/sfosm].
  • '''Residence Inn San Francisco Airport/San Mateo''', 2000 Winward Way, (650) 574-4700, Fax: (650) 572-9084, [http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/SFOSM].
  • '''San Mateo Marriott San Francisco Airport''', 1770 South Amphlett Blvd, (650) 653-6000, Fax: (650) 573-0533, [http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/SFOSA]. Located at the corner of two major freeways, great if you're staying in San Mateo to get somewhere else. Nice lobby for hanging out and a 7-11 convenience store just 1 block away for those late night alcohol runs. Interesting pool and exercise room setup as well. Abundant parking, but you have to pay for it (and it's controlled with gates).
  • Get out

  • If you're trying to go north to San Francisco, head to the Millbrae BART station nearby.
  • If you've already visited San Francisco, you can drive east to the East Bay via the San Mateo-Hayward Bay Bridge or further south down US-101 to Silicon Valley.