“An elite borough nestled in peaceful seclusion among a canopy of trees, Menlo Oaks convenience and array of home styles are cherished among its residents and highly desired by would-be homeowners.””
Heavily forested and sidewalk-free, the Menlo Oaks neighborhood (MLS #307) is comprised of two divergent boroughs, unincorporated Menlo Oaks itself and South of Seminary/Vintage Oaks.
The 131 houses and 14 town homes in the Vintage Oaks development were constructed between 1997 and 1999 on property once owned by St. Patrick’s Seminary. Spacious and traditional in style, these dwellings sit on ¼-acre lots and have a price tag equal that matches their grandeur. The older houses found in South of Seminary date back to the 1950s. Their smaller square footage and lot sizes offer more affordable options then in neighboring Vintage Oaks.
This unincorporated Menlo Oaks district is governed by the County of San Mateo but does fall within the Menlo Park school district. Homes here are large and elegant and are situated on expansive lots. This rural district is free of sidewalks and its residents enjoy minimal through traffic. With its first dwellings constructed in the 1920s and continuing today, an attractive potpourri of Spanish-style, contemporary and Craftsman-style homes can be found in this well-appointed borough.
The Menlo Oaks area offers the best of the city: secluded, forested accessibility, unique, high-end homes and access to top-notch education.
Neighborhood Price Point
$1,000,000-$2,700,000
Favorable Attributes
- Wooded lanes free of sidewalks
- Access to excellent Menlo Park school district
- Rural and serene neighborhood
- Variety of home styles, sizes and price points
- Larger, ¼-acre lots available in Vintage Oaks sub-borough
History of Menlo Oaks, Menlo Park
Unincorporated Menlo Oaks was once a part of Ravenswood, the first town in San Mateo County founded by Isaiah Churchill Woods Jr. in 1852. His 2,000-acres included all of present-day Menlo Oaks and Vintage Oaks as well as other boroughs and the Woodside Dairy. In 1855 thanks to the economic panic of the day, Woods sold his acreage, including the dairy, to Robert E. Doyle and in 1891, after once again changing hands, it became the site of St. Patrick’s Seminary.
About the time construction of the Seminary was underway, another nearby estate met an unplanned and unfortunate fate. In 1882, James Coleman built a splendid manor on 165-acres of land in the former Ravenswood. Coleman and his new bride, Carmelita, planned to live in the mansion but, for unknown reasons, never moved in. A few years later, Carmelita was shot and killed in San Francisco; her death was ruled accidental.
For many years afterward, the Coleman estate was rented to a number of people when finally, James Coleman finally sold the estate to Livingston Jenks. The property was subdivided and the mansion itself became the cornerstone of the progressive, coeducational Peninsula School. Founded in 1925, The Peninsula School is the area’s oldest independent educational institution and also owns bragging rights as the location for The Grateful Dead’s first musical appearance.