Menlo Park has three connected, central retail districts.

• A six-block long Downtown district is on Santa Cruz Avenue between El Camino and Fremont Park. This is the oldest retail district and includes small shops, fine and casual restaurants, grocery stores, dozens of salons and almost 150 single professional offices. Downtown This walkable district has free parking near all businesses.
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• A tiny Station district area is on the opposite side of El Camino Real. It has experienced a modest amount of revitalization during the past five year and includes a very small number of restaurants, coffee shops, apartments and small offices. Public parking is very limited.
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• The El Camino Real district stretches for about a mile and a half between Atherton and Palo Alto. This district has experienced a major transformation during the past decade as two long-abandoned auto dealerships were replaced by large multi-use developments with hundreds of new apartments and offices, and new restaurants Most of this new redevelopment occurred on the northeast side of El Camino.

Key Downtown Characteristics

• There are more than 100 retail businesses primarily on Santa Cruz and Chestnut Avenues. Most provide specialty services, e.g., personal care salons, interior designers, and financial services. Those that sell products are largely home furnishings stores, coffeehouses and cafes.
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• Lease rates on Santa Cruz are expensive, e.g., $4.50 per square foot per month. There are a dozen vacant business locations on Santa Cruz Avenue and many have remained vacant since 2020.
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• There are currently six fine dining restaurants, two new ones opening in 2025 and a third one planned for 2026.
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• Outdoor dining is the sole major attraction in Downtown. There are no traditional entertainment venues, e.g., music halls, theaters (movies or plays), public auditoriums, art museums,
  
• Buildings are generally old with plain storefronts. None have interesting architecture, and there are no historical ones.
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• Santa Cruz Avenue is nicely tree-lined but the landscaping lacks interest and is not well-maintained.
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• The pavement and crosswalks on Santa Cruz Avenue are in “fair to good” condition, and the painted street markings are faded. This creates the immediate impression that Downtown is tired and lacking City care.
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• The parking lot asphalt is in very poor condition, i.e., discolored, pot-holed, rough, cracked, and the painted parking space lines are faded. This creates the immediate impression that Downtown is tired and lacking City care.
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• A small public area on the 600 block was created when a street lane was closed. It lacks a good design, is poorly furnished, and marred by ugly street barriers,. The asphalt surface is badly stained. (Note: Fremont Park is not a popular gathering place because of its non-central location and poor access to convenient parking)
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• The City rarely conducts community events in Downtown. An improved public space on the 600 block would be an ideal location for small events.

The majority of Menlo Park and Atherton residents live within a 10 to 15 minute drive of Downtown. However, Downtown businesses face tough competition from nearby businesses in Redwood City, Palo Alto and the Stanford Shopping Center.