Palo Alto Old Palo Alto

pre-World War II homes, usually mid-range to top end

Old Palo Alto

Look here if you want one of the mid-Peninsula's leading neighborhoods, with old-fashioned charm, graceful homes and beautiful tree-lined streets.

Boundaries: Alma, Oregon Expressway, Middlefield (to Embarcadero), Embarcadero (to Alma)

Overview: Another of Palo Alto’s premium neighborhoods, and one of its best known. The “Old” in “Old Palo Alto” is misleading since it isn’t Palo Alto’s oldest neighborhood, but the area does have a strong pre-war ambience. Even the new homes are sympathetic to the architecture of the pre-war era. Perhaps it’s best to think of Old Palo Alto as a continuation of its northern neighbor, Professorville, in spirit if not always in architecture. Another way of characterizing Old Palo Alto is as a transition between the pre-1920 homes of Professorville and the post-World War II tract homes of OPA’s southern neighbor, Midtown—with a heavy dose of classic Crescent Park thrown in.

Housing stock: In this context “Old” is an apt description, although homes can range from turn-of-the-century to ‘50s ranchers. Old Palo Alto can best be analyzed from north to south, and from west to east.

Just south of Embarcadero homes tend to look much like their brethren in Professorville to the north, many dating from the same pre-WWI era. You’ll find the same architectural styles: Shingle, Craftsman and Colonial. But the hallmark of Old Palo Alto is architectural diversity; this is a neighborhood where you can find Shingle, Streamline Moderne and Contemporary on the same street. So you’ll also see 1920s Spanish Revival in a variety of sizes from bungalow to estate, as well as the more traditional styles including Foursquare and Stick Tudor.

As you go south you’ll notice the neighborhood gradually change, with the blocks from Lowell to Seale a sort of transition zone. The Shingle style so characteristic of pre-1920 Palo Alto disappears. The heavy Spanish (or “Early California”) influence also begins to thin out, gradually but never completely giving way to the more traditional styles and large ranchers.

Homes in this part of Old Palo Alto are routinely into the 2000 sq.ft. range or more, often much more. It’s not unusual to find 3000-, 4000- and even 6000-sq.ft. homes. Most were built in the ‘20s, or sometimes the early ‘30s, although there’s also a relatively high percentage of newer construction. But small one-bath homes can still be found even here, in the heart of Old Palo Alto.

From roughly North California to the southern boundary of Old Palo, Oregon Avenue, homes become smaller although they're still handsome and prosperous in appearance. The Tudor predominates, although simple bungalows are common too. These are still beautiful neighborhoods but the noticeably smaller homes and lots give them an almost “compressed” appearance compared to Old Palo Alto neighborhoods to the north, and the effect is almost like a three-quarter scale version of OPA. As a rule this southern section was developed in the mid-1930s, when money was tight and home-buyers' expectations lower.

Another area where smaller homes predominate is in the 100s off Alma, the western fringe of Old Palo Alto. These date mostly from the ‘20s and can be quite small, around 1000 sq.ft. or slightly larger, with only one bath, although there are larger homes here too. These blocks also have a number of small apartment buildings just off Alma, a continuation of that street’s mostly multi-family housing stock. But go east into the 200s and you’re in no-excuses Old Palo Alto, all the way to the 600s, the eastern fringe of Old Palo Alto near Middlefield.

Old Palo Alto has two townhouse developments, on Alma just south of Embarcadero and within walking distance of downtown. Further south on North California and High there’s Old Palo Alto’s sole commercial use (excluding Castilleja School), a small office building across from the park.

Lot sizes: Aside from often being narrow (50 feet or so) and deep, there isn’t a standard lot size in this area. In the northern and central sections of Old Palo Alto 50x150 feet is most common, followed by 50x200. The 200-foot deep lots are in the middle of the block. However, lots can be as small as 5000 sq.ft., often corner lots or the lot next to a corner lot. 20,000 sq.ft. lots are not uncommon, occasionally you’ll find one in the 30,000 sq.ft. range and there’s at least one lot of more than an acre. But at the southern fringe, Washington to Oregon, lots are generally much smaller, often 50x112’ or 45x125’.

Affordability: This is something of a two-tier neighborhood, both expensive. The second tier is comprised of two groups. One is the handful of homes on sub-standard lots. The other is the more numerous homes in the 100 blocks off Alma and 2300 blocks north of Oregon. The homes on these blocks tend to be relatively smaller and more humble, particularly off Alma, and more exposed to traffic and/or train noise. Often the 100 blocks have a mixture of single-family and small apartment buildings. Also in this second tier I’d include homes with just one bath, on small but standard lots. These definitions are fluid. For example, new homes in the 100s command big prices although selling at a discount to new homes further inside Old Palo Alto. In 2002 these second-tier homes sold in the 6^th through 77^th percentiles compared to other Palo Alto homes, with 80% in the 42^nd through 77^th percentiles. Approximately 80% of mid-Peninsula neighborhoods are less expensive than these homes. The affordability factor for the 100s is 8.2, for the 2300s 10.9.

The first tier is the large homes of “classic” Old Palo Alto, or homes that are well-located but relatively small, have at least two baths and a large lot. In 2002 these homes sold in the 75^th through 98^th percentiles compared to other Palo Alto homes. Approximately 90% of mid-Peninsula neighborhoods are less expensive. The affordability factor is 15.1.

Schools: Palo Alto Unified School District, 25 Churchill Ave., Palo Alto CA 94306. Main number (650) 329-3700.

K-5: Walter Hays, 1525 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto 94301. (650) 322-5956. The 2002 Academic Performance Index is 936. 2001 API was also 936 which ranked 10 of 10 statewide and 10 of 10 compared to similar schools. Exception: children living from 100 to 499 Churchill and north attend K-5 Addison, 650 Addison Ave., Palo Alto 94301. (650) 322-5935. 2002 API is 893. 2001 API was 906 which ranked 10 of 10 statewide and 10 of 10 compared to similar schools.

6-8: Jordan, 750 N. California Ave., Palo Alto 94303. (650) 494-8120. 2002 the 2002 API is 893. 2001 API was 897 which ranked 10 of 10 statewide and 10 of 10 compared to similar schools.

9-12: Palo Alto (“Paly”), 50 Embarcadero Rd., Palo Alto. 94301 (650) 329-3710. 2002 API is 872. 2001 API was 861 which ranked 10 of 10 statewide and 10 of 10 compared to similar schools.

This information is taken from PAUSD and other sources but may be obsolete by the time you read it. Boundaries are subject to change and schools are subject to availability. Verify enrollment with the Palo Alto Unified School District. First go to their web site to check the latest school attendance maps and enter the address of the home in which you're interested, and then call the attendance office at (650) 329-3707 to verify availability.

Amenities: Main Library, 1213 Newell Rd. (650) 329-2436. Arts Center, 1313 Newell Rd. (650) 329-2366. Bowden Park, Alma Street at N. California (1.5 acres): children's play area, paths, picnic area. Lawn Bowling Green and Kellogg Park, Embarcadero Rd. at Cowper, (2.1 acres): Palo Alto Lawn Bowls Club clubhouse, greens. Convenient to Rinconada Park, 777 Embarcadero Rd. (20 acres): adult theatre, children's theatre, adult pool, children's pool, children's museum, play area, tennis courts, picnic areas, restrooms. Also includes Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Rd. (650) 463-4900. Children’s Library, 1276 Harriet St. (650) 329-2134.

Shopping: The northern part of Old Palo Alto is convenient to Town & Country Village, El Camino and Embarcadero. The southern part is served by both California Avenue, within walking distance via a pedestrian tunnel under Alma, and Midtown.

Neighborhoods with similar ambience: Crescent Park, parts of Community Center, Redwood City's Edgewood Park, San Mateo Park, Menlo Park's upper Allied Arts and the best pre-war neighborhoods of San Jose's Rose Garden and Willow Glen.

Neighborhoods with similar prices:

100s (5% +/-): In Palo Alto, entry-level Professorville, downtown north of University, Greenmeadow Eichlers, Miranda Green, the original Green Gables tract, and post-war Embarcadero Oaks. In Menlo Park, newer Fair Oaks homes, lower Allied Arts, and better County tracts. To the north, the best part of Redwood City's Farm Hill Estates, south of Farm Hill, and mostly pre-war Edgewood Park; newer homes in Belmont Country Club; and San Mateo's beautiful pre-war Aragon. To the south, entry-level Los Altos, Mountain View east of Grant, upper midrange Cupertino, some great neighborhoods in West San Jose's Willow Glen, and West San Jose's Almaden Valley.

2300s (5% +/-): In Palo Alto, newer homes in Green Acres near Gunn and similar South Palo Alto homes, top-end Barron Park, the Menlo Villas area of Atherton, parts of Community Center, downtown south of Forest, and Southgate. In Menlo Park, lower Sharon Heights, Felton Gables, Central Menlo, upper Ladera, and top-end County. To the north, newer homes in Redwood City's Emerald Hills. To the south, Los Altos including the Highlands and many North Los Altos neighborhoods, and newer homes in the Cupertino foothills.

First tier (10% +/-): In Palo Alto, midrange Crescent Park, Barron Park's Roble Ridge, and Professorville Historic District. In Menlo Park, County's Campobello and Oak Hollow. To the north, Portola Valley Ranch, Woodside Heights, and Hillsborough. To the south, the Van Buren tract in North Los Altos, and older homes in Los Altos Hills.

See an important qualification regarding price comparisons.

Interested in buying in Old Palo Alto or in a similar area? Please contact me at jfyten@cbnorcal.com.