Of all the suburban downtowns along the Caltrain corridor, San Mateo’s is among my favorites. I’ll admit I’m biased as a Foster City native who grew up revering jaunts to Talbot’s Toyland (RIP), taking visits to Central Park and Leon the giraffe statue and picking up pupusas at La Piñata.
But downtown San Mateo still evokes nostalgia for me running into the many familiar sights as it’s also undergoing change. The city has leaned into making it even more of a community gathering place with its pedestrian mall, outdoor dining areas, colorful artwork and newer events like Head West Marketplace and the annual Boba Day.
Perhaps not surprisingly, foot traffic in the neighborhood as of last year is up 120% compared to 2023, and a number of buzzy restaurants have opened in recent years. It’s become a hot spot for Asian cuisine in Silicon Valley, but it’s also home to household names like Backhaus bakery and Italian restaurant Pausa Bar & Cookery.
The neighborhood is a microcosm of my favorite things about the Bay Area — the multiculturalism, outdoor spaces, wide range of delicious dishes and interesting things to do. Edwina Dueñas highlights downtown San Mateo shopping, dining and outdoor destinations in our latest neighborhood guide.
Julia Brown
Six Fifty Editor
editor@thesixfifty.com
Renowned restaurants, historic architecture and a car-free corridor: Here’s what downtown San Mateo has in store
Within its five square blocks, downtown San Mateo packs in award-winning dining, historic architecture, niche shops and a slew of new developments.
Nature can be unpredictable. Here’s what Silicon Valley experts say you should do to have a mishap-free summer outdoors
We asked Silicon Valley outdoor experts and officials to share their advice on how best to prepare for excursions outside this summer so misadventures are less likely to happen.
Meet the Peninsula’s new ‘vegetable garden coach’
Ritu Shrestha started Backyard Nourish with the goal of helping residents grow food at home.
Congrats to John T., who was the first reader to correctly identify where last week’s photo was taken (it’s from Buchser Middle School in Santa Clara!).
The first person to reply to this email with the correct place where the below photo was taken will win a gift card from The Six Fifty and a shoutout in our next newsletter!
Larkin Poe: May 22 Roots-rock sister duo Larkin Poe is at The Guild as part of BottleRock’s “After Dark” programming.
Female Bird Day: May 24 Why should male birds get all the glory? Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District docents lead a guided hike at Windy Hill Preserve in celebration of Female Bird Day, paying special attention to the behaviors and roles of female birds in the avian world.
2026 Memorial Day Ceremony & Pancake Breakfast: May 25 The city of South San Francisco honors Memorial Day with a ceremony featuring guest speaker U.S. Army veteran Al Banfield and a pancake breakfast at Fire Station 61.
Memorial Day Pop-Up: May 25 Devil’s Canyon Brewing Company is offering $1 light lager pints, $5 select beers and $10 flights for Memorial Day along with bites from food truck El Fuego Authentic Mexican.
Story is the Thing: May 28 Four Northern California fiction authors – Ellen Barker, Andrew Lam, Portia Elan and Victoria Tatum – read from and discuss their work at this Kepler’s event, which also includes a reception with the authors.
Pub in the Park: May 30 Redwood City’s annual series featuring outdoor acoustic music, lawn games and an inflatable pub serving brews returns to the park. The kickoff event features local bluegrass group The Straggylers.
Blue Moon on Black Mountain: May 31 Hike a Peninsula peak at twilight with Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District docent naturalists and check out views of the Santa Clara Valley and Santa Cruz Mountains while the second full moon of the month rises.
Plan Ahead:
San Mateo County Fair: June 5-14 Carnival rides and games, all kinds of favorite fair food, livestock, exhibits, concerts and more are back for the annual county fair.
Sunnyvale Art & Wine Festival: June 6-7 Celebrating five decades of music, art and food in downtown Sunnyvale, this year’s festival features hundreds of artists, many food trucks and live bands and musicians all weekend, including Barn Owls, Rosebud and many more.
Biggest Little Air Show: June 13 Watch realistic remote-controlled model aircraft take to the skies as well as a US Coast Guard search-and-rescue demonstration and performances by the Suhkoi West Demo Team.
Dana Carvey and David Spade: June 14 The comedy icons, podcast co-hosts and “SNL” veterans team up and make a tour stop at the Mountain Winery.
FoggyCon 2026: June 20 Daly City hosts its inaugural event devoted to gaming and collectibles with TCG tournaments, trading cards, vintage toys, sports memorabilia and more.
Bark n’ Brewfest: June 27 Taste beers and wines and meet adoptable animals at the Peninsula Humane Society’s annual fundraiser at West Washington Park in Burlingame. Well-behaved dogs on leash are welcome.
Summer Swap: June 28 RethinkWaste hosts a swap with gently used summer gear. All donated items must be in good or fair condition.
How a layoff, a library and a laser cutter led one Redwood City artist down a new path
Jason Newblanc, aka Gadget, creates intricately layered wood-cut designs and makes miniature cityscapes from found objects
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