Menlo Park is a small Bay Area bedroom community situated on the Peninsula midway between San Francisco and San Jose, and bordered by Atherton, Stanford University, Woodside and Palo Alto.  Residents, local businesses and visitors are attracted by Menlo Park’s unique combination of residents, community assets and nearby resources. Most residents commute to workplaces outside Menlo Park.

• Well-educated, affluent community with a strong public service orientation
• Quiet tree-lined residential neighborhoods
• Mild Mediterranean-type climate
• Vibrant technology-based regional economy
• Top-notch local public and private schools.
• Prized residential real estate
• Excellent parks and community services
• Beautiful hiking trails in nearby San Cruz Mountains
• Excellent nearby road and off-road biking locations
• Plentiful nearby entertainment in neighboring cities, e.g.,  Palo Alto, Redwood City
• Adjacent to Stanford University and Stanford Hospital
• Adjacent to the Stanford Shopping Center
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The city has three retail districts which include a wide variety of shops, restaurants, markets, salons, and hotels.

• A small Downtown (x miles) district  is centered on Santa Cruz Avenue.
• A long (1.4 mile) district on El Camino Real stretches between Atherton and Palo Alto.
• A tiny district adjacent to a commuter train station is on Santa Cruz Avenue east of El Camino Real.