Woodside Plaza Neighborhood

The Woodside Plaza neighborhood is one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Redwood City. It is a great place to live, especially with its tree-lined street, great schools, proximity to shopping, general walkability and easy access to and from Woodside Rd. The Woodside Plaza neighborhood is located in the City’s most southwestern area, bordering the City of Woodside and about 6 blocks from the Town of Atherton. Our neighborhood is bordered by Alameda de las Pulgas on the west, Woodside Road on the south, Valota Road on the east and Roosevelt Avenue on the north. Neighbors and residents often refer to this area as “The Plaza.

The Woodside Plaza neighborhood is located in the City’s most southwestern location, bordering the City of Woodside and about 6 blocks from the Town of Atherton. Our neighborhood is bordered by Alameda de las Pulgas on the west, Woodside Road on the south, Valota Road on the east and Roosevelt Avenue on the north.

The Plaza was originally created as a Post WWII development, with the bulk of the homes being constructed from approx. 1948-1954. The sale prices started around $10,000 and the biggest group of original buyers came from United Airlines. Many of the houses built were 3 bedrooms with one bath, about 1050 sf and a two car garage. Lot sizes ranged from 6,500- 8,500 sf with some corner lots or double lots getting as big as 10k sf. Throughout the neighborhood there is a fairly even split between one story homes and split-level raised foundation homes. The single story homes are either raised foundation or slab. There are a small amount of duplexes and condo located on the outskirts of the neighborhood boundary closer to Woodside Road and Valota Rd.

Popularity and desirability of The Plaza has grown exponentially over the years as word got out about its tree-lined streets, friendly neighbors, top-rated schools and great restaurants. People weighing their options saw the value of what a special and unique neighborhood like The Plaza, has to offer. Rather than move out of the area to a bigger home, many have chosen to stay here and expand or remodel their current home. This is an area where you can grow and not ever have to move away.

The Woodside Plaza shopping center, is one of the cornerstones of the neighborhood. It is split by Massachusetts Ave. On one side you can find Lucky Supermarket, Rite Aid, Pet Food Express and Hassett Hardware. This half of The Plaza shopping center also contains a dry cleaners, Orangetheory, Club Pilates, a hair salon, a nail salon, and a tiny branch of the US Post Office. This side of the center also has two great restaurants. One is Breakers Cafe, a breakfast and lunch spot serving up typical diner food. The other is Redwood Grill, a full service restaurant and bar. On the other side of the shopping center is a Ross, Michaels, UPS Store and several restaurants. Yat Sing Chinese, Sushi Plus and The Lobster and BBQ Shack are great options for dining locally. Lastly, Wells Fargo and Bank of America also reside in the shopping center, with several other banks just across the street on Woodside Rd.

Woodside Plaza is home to Henry Ford Elementary School (K-5), Roosevelt School (Pre K-8) and John F. Kennedy Middle School (6-8). Sequoia Union High School district with the designated school being Woodside High School, however there are occasions where children can petition for a in- district transfer to one of the other local high schools.

Downtown Redwood City is now arguably the most happening entertainment mecca in between San Francisco and San Jose. Downtown is the heart of RWC, as well as San Mateo County. There is a hub of commercial and residential activity offering options for renters and entry-level homebuyers. Downtown Redwood City is vibrant and diverse with a multitude of restaurants, bars, Century movie theater, office space, retail and is also the home of the Fox Theater. Originally, the Fox Theater opened in 1929 to show motion pictures and in 1993 the theater was inducted to the National Register of Historic Places. Since 2010 the entire Theatre District in downtown Redwood City, has experienced a renaissance. Downtown is always busy and has an array of fantastic restaurants to choose from, Theater Row, Courtyard Square for concerts, dozens of quaint shops, a CalTrain stop and bus hub.

The Fox Theatre and Club Fox are successfully booking its venues with over 300 guests per year. Combined with the drawing power of Century Theatres across the street (1,000,000 patrons per year), the San Mateo History Museum, Parks & Rec produced events in the Courthouse Plaza (over 100,000 people annually), and the incredible success of the many restaurants, and other fine retail establishments, downtown Redwood City is the new place to dine and be entertained on the Peninsula.

The Woodside Plaza neighborhood is close to Red Morton Community Park and its many recreational activities. This 31-acre park is loaded with amenities that include a community pool, sports fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, recreational classes, a pre-school, a teen center, a fitness center, a playground, and picnic areas with barbecue pits. The Veterans Memorial Building and Senior Center are being reconstructed and remodeled.

Stulsaft Park is an unexpected wilderness in the heart of Redwood City and accessed from Woodside Plaza off Goodwin Ave. The park’s 42 acres of lush oak and bay woodland, with Ojo de Agua Creek running through its valley, provide beauty and serenity year round. Trails wind through this shady canyon canopy offering cool hikes on the hillsides and creek beds of 1 to 3 miles. Picnic at one of the many picnic areas by the creek or nestled in the slopes. Enjoy the playground or fly a kite on the recreation field at the north side of the park, off Farm Hill Blvd. Enjoy this hidden jewel of Redwood City and help keep this wilderness intact for generations to come.

I-280 is a mile and a half west and I-101 is about 3 miles east, an easy drive either way. San Francisco Airport is just about 20 min away using I-280 and San Jose Airport is about 30 min south. That makes the Woodside Plaza neighborhood perfect for commuters.

Stanford Hospital, Stanford Shopping Center and Stanford University are all about 5 miles south on Alameda de las Pulgas, about 15 minutes by car. There are many Stanford professors and other employees living here and many of them bike to work.