MLS Green Acres, Real Estate in Palo Alto, CA

“Green Acres offers picture-perfect suburbia, with modest traditional homes perched upon large lots and access to all of Palo Alto’s modern amenities.”

The neighborhood of Green Acres (MLS #231) encompasses two sub-boroughs both situated near Arastradero Road. Its namesake, the Green Acres sub-district, is a blend of two post-war tracts while Palo Alto Orchards is another early 1950s residential development. Both sub-boroughs offer post-war suburban perfection and a convenient location.

Residential development began in the 1950s, a decade after many of the surrounding neighborhoods. The result is that homes in Green Acres boast four bedrooms, two baths, and more square footage than neighboring district dwellings. With the exception of the 2006 Glenbrook subdivision of 12 palatial homes, the typical Green Acres home sits on a lot between 7,500 and 10,000 square feet and tends to be located on a pristine, curved street or well-maintained cul-de-sac.

Residents of Green Acres are within walking distance of Terman Park and Juana Briones Park. The 4-acre Briones Park, once an apricot orchard, offers generous open space, shade trees, playgrounds, and picnic areas while the 7-acre Terman Park, with its soccer fields, baseball diamonds, and tennis and basketball courts, is perfect for athletic pursuits. Those with school-aged children also enjoy the proximity of Terman Middle School and Gunn High School, both awarded with extremely high rankings.

The optimism is borne of a time of significant growth that still remains strong in the southern borough of Green Acres. Its vintage homes, idyllic lanes, cul-de-sacs, and convenient location along with access to top schools make it a “cut above the norm”.

Favorable Attributes
  • Idyllic post-war suburban borough offering proximity to necessary conveniences and highways
  • Recreational opportunities provided by two nearby, local city parks
  • Vintage homes are an average of 1,600 to 2,000 square feet on 7,500 to 10,000 lots
  • Access to Palo Alto’s excellent schools, including close proximity to Terman Middle School and Gunn High School
  • Perfect neighborhood for busy families

History of Green Acres, Palo Alto

Until World War II, Palo Alto ended at Oregon Expressway. Beyond lay expanses of apricot and pear orchards that remained undeveloped until the 1950s and 1960s. The sub-districts of Green Acres, Palo Alto Orchards, and Green Acres were developed exclusively of one another during this time. The Green Acres sub-division originally evolved as two entities, one south and the other north of Arastradero Road while Palo Alto Orchards homes sold for under $10,000 and had cul-de-sacs named in honor of the developers and their wives.

Palo Alto Orchards also claims the down-to-earth Dinah’s Shack eatery that was situated along the eastern border of the borough along El Camino Real in the popular “restaurant row”. Closed in 1989, the restaurant is remembered by the one-of-a-kind Dinah’s Garden Hotel, constructed on the old restaurant site. Still standing proud is the radio tower south of the hotel erected in the 1940s and once was adorned with signage advertising Dinah’s Shack.