6 Reasons to Move to Palo Alto, CA

1. Geography

Palo Alto is a community located in Santa Clara County, and borders San Mateo County. It has an extension of approximately 26 square miles and a population of 66,955 residents. One-third of its land is open space.
The City is situated in the south-eastern section of the San Francisco Peninsula, and its boundaries extend well into the Peninsula hills, from the Skyline Ridge of the coastal mountains (on the west) to the San Francisco Bay (on the east), Menlo Park to the north and Mountain View to the south.
Adobe, San Francisquito and Matadero Creeks run through the city on their way north to San Francisco Bay.
Although the city official elevation is 56 feet above sea level, that number is even higher if we consider the land over the Peninsula hills.

3. Economy

Palo Alto is known as the “Birthplace of the Silicon Valley” and therefore, the central focal point of both, technological and scientific development.
In general terms, the economy of Palo Alto follows the economic trends of Silicon Valley.
More than 7,000 businesses employing more than 98,000 people, are located within the city.
Among the research facilities headquarters and renowned companies in Palo Alto, we find: Amazon.com’s A9.com, Cloudera, Hewlett-Packard, Tesla Motors, Xerox, Vmware, Playdom, CPI International, Varian Medical Systems and IDEO.
Some of the top employers according to the City’s 2015 Comprehensive Financial Annual Report are:
Stanford University, Stanford University Medical Center/Hospital, Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital, Hewlett-Packard, SAP, Space Systems/Loral, Palo Alto Medical Foundation and Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System.
Other celebrated companies in Palo Alto include: Dell, Dailymotion, AOL Inc., Skype, The Wall Street Journal, Nokia Research Center, and Mercedes-Benz Research and Development North America, Headquarters.

5. Education

5.a Public Education

Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) is one of the top districts in the United States and it
serves 12,000 students.
The District consists of twelve K- 5 elementary schools, three middle schools (grades 6- 8) and two high schools (grades 9 -12).
J.L.S., Jordan and Termanare are the three middle schools within the School District.
Most of the students from Palo Alto attend either, Gunn High School or Palo Alto High School.
The District also operates a pre-school, Summer School, a Young Fives program, a self-supporting Adult School, and the Hospital School at Stanford’s Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital.

5.b Private Education

There are plenty of options in terms of private education in Palo Alto. Some of the institutions are faith-based Jewish schools, Catholic schools, Christian schools, as well as other several independent schools that are non-denominational.
The Children’s School of Art and Science, Emerson School, Keys School, St, Elizabeth Seton, Bowman International School, and the Girl’s Middle School are some of the best private institutions in Palo Alto.

5.c Universities

Two renowned universities are located in the City: Stanford University and Palo Alto University.

5.d Libraries

The Palo Alto City Library manages five branches: the Children’s Library, College Terrace Library, Downtown Library, Mitchell Park Library and Rinconada Library.
In total, the library system have 265, 000 items in their collections for use of the entire community.
These libraries also offer a wide array of services for residents and visitors, including persons with disabilities.
A Sign Language Interpreter, help with handling library materials, large print books & magazines, books-on-tape and books-on-CD, Library Home Connection (that provides a visit and delivery of library materials to people who cannot get to the library because of an extended illness or long term disabilities.), and several electronic resources are some of the services specially designed for this sector of the population.

7. Point of Interest

One thing we know for sure, it’s that you will never get bored if you move to Palo Alto. There are dozens of attractions and activities for all ages and interests.

7.a Downtown

In Downtown Palo Alto, you will find outdoor cafes, art galleries, bookstores, tiny coffee shops, mom-and-pop specialty shops, national chains, two movie theaters and a large variety of restaurants. The city is in fact, home to some of the best restaurants in the Bay Area!
In Palo Alto Downtown, Stanford Shopping Center is one of the top shopping facilities in the United States. It is located close to Stanford campus and off El Camino real. The center features more than 140 stores, dozens of cafes and restaurants, an European-style street market, award winning gardens and public art made by renowned artists.
Across the street from Stanford University, the Town and Country Village provides shoppers a relaxing atmosphere, with multiple family-owned unique businesses and plenty of parking.
A Farmer’s Market is scheduled on Saturday mornings between mid-May and mid-December from 8 a.m. to noon, in the parking lot behind the post office at Hamilton Avenue and Gilman Street.
The market on California Avenue is held on Sunday mornings between 9 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

7.b Parks

Palo Alto offers numerous recreational areas and facilities for everybody.
For casual walkers, there are different historical walks around Palo Alto residential neighborhoods that date back to the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Walkers and runners will enjoy the amazing views of the university, Palo Alto and the entire Peninsula, while exercising along the Stanford “Dish” Loop.
The Baylands Natural Preserve is an extensive wildlife refuge that offers miles of flat walking trails.
The Pearson-Arrastradero Preserve features multiple easy trails, ideal for one- to two-hour hikes.
Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course is both, challenging and affordable. Inside of the facility, there is a club house, a driving range, a putting green and a practice bunker.

7.c Other Attractions

Among the plethora of attractions in Palo Alto, we’d like to recommend a visit to the following places:

• Elizabeth Gamble Garden
• Fioli Estate & Gardens
• Museum of American Heritage
• Palo Alto Art Center
• Packard’s Garage
• Palo Alto Varsity Theater
• Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo
• The Computer History Museum
• The Hiller Aviation Museum
• Stanford Theater
• Stanford University Campus (Cantor Art Center, Hoover Tower, Memorial Church, Rodin Sculpture Garden)
• Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish
• Sunset Magazine Gardens