“Lenolt, the oldest of Redwood City’s boroughs and one of its most affordable has at its heart the city’s revitalized downtown.”
The sizeable neighborhood of Lenolt (MLS #331) is a nucleus of residential and commercial activity including the city’s rejuvenated downtown shopping district and three sub-boroughs, Centennial, Lenolt and Staumbaugh Heller.
Centennial is a blend of apartments, low-rise condominiums and pre-war bungalows as well as ‘home’ for Redwood City’s downtown. Depending upon their condition, location, vintage and size, homes in Centennial can range from $700,000 to $900,000. The city has plans to add 2,500 rental and saleable housing units to the downtown area, adding even more entry-level housing units to this borough. Centennial also claims Orion Alternative Elementary School, honored as a California Distinguished School in 2008
The sub-district of Lenolt, also referred to as the ‘A-B-C streets’ for its alphabetically named lanes, offers this borough’s best option for home sales. Its tidy assortment of well-maintained 1940s and 1950s ranch homes range from 1,000 to 1,400 square feet and are situated on shady, quiet lanes. Downtown is an easy 1-mile stroll and key commute corridors are in close proximity without affecting the peaceful suburbia.
Staumbaugh Heller is one of Redwood City’s most densely populated districts, in part due to the significant number of apartment complexes found in the area. Staumbaugh residents also share their space with retail and office space along with light industrial buildings. Although home sales are limited, a single family home in Staumbaugh Heller has a very attractive average price of $500,000. Residents here also enjoy the closeness of downtown eateries and shops.
Lenolt homes offer a pleasing price tag and the proximity to Redwood City’s downtown amenities.
Neighborhood Price Point
$400,000 – $800,000
Favorable Attributes
- Large district offering a variety of affordable homes
- Includes the revitalized downtown shopping district
- Proximity to highway 101 and El Camino Real
- Some residents have access to Orion Alternative Elementary School
History of Lenolt, Redwood City
Once part of the Rancho de las Pulgas, the district of Lenolt’s centralized Centennial area holds bragging rights as the birthplace of Redwood City. It is here that Captain John Smith built its first house on Jefferson and Broadway. It is also here during the 186os that ships offloaded lumber at the deep-water wharf.
By the 1860s, it had already made its mark as a timber port, with two or three ships docking a day to load up timber, shingles, fence posts and firewood, then setting sail again either bound for San Francisco or San Jose.
In 1863, the San Francisco-San Jose railroad began transporting well-to-do city dwellers to Redwood City, once determined to have ‘the best climate in the world’ based on U.S. and German government tests.
By the time Redwood City was incorporated in 1868, city forerunner Timothy Guy Phelps had begun laying out the pattern that would one day grow into the Staumbaugh Heller development, which back in the 1860s included churches, saloons, stables and Victorian homes, some of which still stand today.