'''Redwood City''' is on the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.
Get in
By train: CalTrain stops at the Sequoia Station in Redwood City; as this is a fare zone boundary, many of the newer (2005) "bullet trains" with limited stops either north or south, stop here.
By car: Nestled between transbay bridges Hwy 92 and Hwy 84, there are several exits off the bay front Hwy. 101 that lead into Redwood City, from North to South they are: Brittan Ave., Whipple Ave. that leads towards the little historical downtown area, Woodside which is Westbound Hwy 84, and Marsh Road, that leads toward Eastbound Hwy. 84 over the Dunbarton Bridge. Exits off of the more scenic Hwy 280 include Edgewood Road, Farm Hill Road, Woodside (Hwy. 84), and Sand Hill Road that leads off towards nearby Stanford and Palo Alto.
By bus: samTrans buses of the San Mateo County Transit District serve Redwood City and link to Caltrain, as well as having express bus service to downtown SF and to San Jose, and Peninsular points between.
By plane: Equally convenient to SFO and to San Jose Intl. Airports, Redwood City is also served by the little San Carlos airport, which hosts an air museum worth going out of your way to see.
By boat: Redwood City has a deep seaport, even though the logging trade is not noticeable any more. Small craft and fishing boats head out of the port, sailing classes are available, and there's at least one cruise ship that makes port here. The nearby marshes and salt-evaporating ponds make for nice quiet noodling about in a kayak.
Get around
See
<b>Historical courthouse</b>, 2200 Broadway St, 650-299-0104, [http://www.historysmc.org/]. Home to the San Mateo County Historical Museum, this 1910 county courthouse has been restored and now serves as the town square. With a beautiful plaza, water fountains, a grand staircase, and a stained glass dome, it was designed to rival San Francisco's City Hall.
<b>Lathrop House</b>, 627 Hamilton St, 650-365-5564, [http://www.lathrophouse.org/]. One of the peninsula's oldest mansions, built in 1863. Located behind the old Courthouse.
Do
<b>Century Redwood City 20</b>, 825 Middlefield Rd, 650-369-3456. This 20-screen theater is part of a major retail complex, with shops, art galleries, restaurants, and a 2-level underground parking structure.
<b>Fox theater</b>, 2215 Broadway, 650-369-4119, [http://www.foxdream.com/]. This newly refurbished Art Deco style venue has seating for 1400 people, and features live performances by artists such as Neil Young, Melissa Etheridge, and Bill Cosby.
Buy
<b>Michael Rosenthal Contemporary Art</b>, 2317 Broadway St, 650-369-1948, [http://www.michaelrosenthal.org/]. Features emerging and mid-career contemporary artists. MRCA is the first gallery on the peninsula to introduce original, high-quality artwork at a range of prices that makes art affordable to everyone. Openings every 6 weeks on Saturday evenings from 7 to 9pm. Located one block from the Fox Theater.
Eat
Restaurants
Bangkok Bay Thai Cuisine, 825 El Camino Real at Broadway, Redwood City, CA (650) 365-5369. Worth going out of your way for these folks and the wonderful food they make. Nice place for a working lunch or dinner, or to take your favorite date.
New Kapadokia Restaurant, 2399 Broadway Street, Redwood City, CA (650) 368-5500. Fabulous Turkish food.
La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant, 314 Arguello Street, Redwood City, CA (650) 780-0801
Amelia's, 2042 Broadway, Redwood City, CA (650) 368-1390. Salvadorean food. Good pupusas. There is seating outside.
Yokoyama Japanese Restaurant, 1784 Broadway Street, Redwood City, CA (650) 369-2299. A little east of the core of RWC's downtown, this nondescript looking restaurant serves up fresh and fabulous sushi for not too much out of pocket. One might wish We Be Sushi in San Francisco had as much room as this sleeper!
Bluefyn Party Sushi, 2327 Broadway Street, Redwood City, CA (650) 361-1160. Mainly a catering and take-away hole in the wall cafe (especially while construction downtown drags on), this is a great little cafe around the corner from the CalTrain station. Fresh sushi to go, pre-packed or made to order.
Sichuan Delight, 2525 El Camino Real near the Target Center, Redwood City, CA (650) 701-0814. Good Sichuan cooking with no MSG and lots of choices for the vegan and vegetarians in the crowd. Free delivery in the Redwood City area.
Harry's Hofbrau, 1909 El Camino Real, just N of Hwy. 84, Redwood City, CA (650) 366-3733. A carvery and brewery in the old German biergarten style, only thankfully without the oompah band.
Tacos El Grullense, 2401 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA 94063 (650) 369-9013. Authentic street food from a Mexican village tradition! Trade ambiance for flavor. There are several El Grullense locations in Redwood City. Cash only.
Young's Ice Cream, Broadway. Ice cream parlor with old-fashioned bins of candy.
Ingredients
Farmer's Market - Downtown Redwood City near the CalTrain station, Saturdays 8am - 12pm April through November. Good fresh produce, breads, sopapillas, and some interesting crafts. Run by the local Kiwanis.
Sigona's Farmers Market, 2345 Middlefield Road (650) 368-6993 - a longstanding grocer in the region, named because they sell local produce as well as commercial produce from all over. Splendid house brands of dried fruits, nuts and other specialties. A splendid cheese selection and organic meats.
Kaiser Farmer's Market, 1150 Veteran's Blvd at Maple in the parking lot, Redwood City, CA Wednesdays 10am - 2pm year round.
Whole Foods Market, 1250 Jefferson Ave,, Redwood City, CA 94062 (650) 367-1400. From good, earthy groceries and staples to a picnic on the go. Across El Camino Real from the Sequoia Center and CalTrain station / bus turnaround.
Drink
'''City Pub''', 2620 Broadway St., ''+1 650'' 363-2620, [http://www.city-pub.com/]. Great selection of micro-brews and good food.
Sleep
America's Best Inns & Suites. 090 El Camino Real. 1 650 369-1731. 1 650 299-9428. ttp://www.bestinnredwoodcity.com.
Best Western Executive Suites. 5 5th Avenue. 1 650 366-5794. 1 800 386-7377. 1 650 365-1429. ttp://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do?propertyCode=05492.
Best Western Inn. 16 El Camino Real. 1 650 366-3808. 1 650 364-9380. ttp://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do?propertyCode=05093.
Holiday Inn Express. 834 El Camino Real. 1 650 366-2000. ttp://www.hiexstanford.com/.
TownePlace Suites Redwood City Redwood Shores. 000 Twin Dolphin Drive. 1 650 593-4100. 1 800 257-3000. 1 650 593-8600. ttp://marriott.com/property/propertypage/SFORW.
Stay safe
Be careful to check for ticks after hiking in fields in the bay area. There is a high rate of lyme disease transmission in the Bay Area. If a bulls' eye rash develops at the tick bite site, immediately seek medical help and treatment with antibiotics.
Get out