Sugarloaf - San Mateo, CA

San Mateo was incorporated in 1894, but wasn’t developed until the latter half of the 20th century. As one of San Mateo’s most populous neighborhoods, Sugarloaf houses about 10,000 residents, some of whom have been here since their homes were built in the 1960s and 1970s.

The Peninsula Gallery and Art Smart offer showings by local artists, and the Peninsula Ballet Theatre has periodic recitals. Several annual festivals take place in the Sugarloaf area, including the San Francisco Aloha Festival, Japan Expo and the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show.

Despite the fact that Sugarloaf presents a hike from the "civilization" of central San Francisco, it offers a wide variety of food to choose from. Most restaurants are located along El Camino Real, south of San Mateo.

You probably wouldn't expect to find a Russian-Filipino dining spot south of San Francisco, but Baltica shows that you'd be wrong. Here, Eastern European classics such as borscht and Baltic herring meet up with noodle and rice plates, adobong chicken, and other Filipino delights. Expect the unexpected. What doesn't seem like it would work on paper comes highly recommended by locals.

Keeping the eclectic trend going, All Spice serves up Indian food to the Sugarloaf neighborhood with a fancy twist. Maple and smoked chili pork belly, octopus a la plancha and orange-ricotta-almond gnudi are just three ways the pros in this kitchen turn native flavors into truly memorable dishes. Save room for the dark chocolate "kulfi," a tandoori-spiced macadamia-nut brittle.

Much like the restaurant scene, the nightlife in Sugarloaf can be found along El Camino Real. Check out your favorite sports team at Ryan's Sports Bar. If you're in the mood for karaoke with your fish and chips, The Swingin' Door is the place to go, while Clubhouse Bistro offers dancing.

You'll have to drive north to San Mateo for a live music venue, but from dive bars to fancy lounges, there's plenty of music to go around.

The further south from San Francisco you get, the more important it is to have access to a car. You may find that the geography is a little too spread out for walking everywhere, and there’s the San Francisco rain to consider.

Most people prefer to drive here, and parking is much easier than in the central area of San Francisco. You’ll likely find parking at a meter spot or in a free or low-cost lot. If you prefer to take public transportation, there are several options, including BART, Caltrain, and samTrans trains and buses.

Cabs are usually not a problem, though you may need to call one instead of hailing one on the street. Uber is also an option, because it services the San Mateo area.

Sugarloaf is accessible to the 101, 280 and 92 freeways and has several bike lanes. Biking and walking are both safe and recommended.

Laurelwood/Sugarloaf Park serves the Sugarloaf area with one of the largest green spaces in the area. With a “passive lawn,” really a spacious meadow for walking, playground, picnic areas and restrooms, the park provides a perfect respite from a stressful day or a meeting place for families with kids. Hiking and walking are encouraged in the surrounding hilly area. Dogs are allowed, too

Another park in the area is Beresford Park, which has a community garden area, parking, restrooms, tennis courts, a skating area, bocce ball and basketball courts, baseball diamond and indoor spaces such as conference rooms and activities spaces. Both are kid- and dog-friendly, and free to the public. Parking can also be had if you arrive early. Beresford, in particular, supports exercise of all kinds.

The Belmont Greek Festival, held in summer each year, happens just outside Sugarloaf, as does Movies in the Meadow, a summer movie festival in nearby Bay Meadows Park.

As a suburb of San Mateo, Sugarloaf was designed to be a bedroom community for people working in San Francisco to the north or San Jose to the south. Therefore, the cost of living is substantially lower than in San Francisco proper.

A typical 1-bedroom apartment rents for approximately $1,700 per month. Since the price of housing is lower, the price of food and entertainment tends to be lower also, and Sugarloaf has a lower overall cost of living than San Francisco.

It costs around $3.25 each way to get in and out of San Francisco from Sugarloaf. A beer costs between $3 to $4 in the Sugarloaf neighborhood, and gas will run you about 15% higher than the national average.

Most of Sugarloaf's shopping venues can be found along El Camino Real. The Hillsdale Shopping Center provides the area with large chain stores, and there are restaurants surrounding a large food court. Nordstrom offers high-end shopping in the area, as do boutiques Nouvelle Vogue, for bridal wear, and Barcelino, for stylish men's clothing.

Among the smaller boutiques in Sugarloaf are Sweet as Honey Boutique, for trendy women's clothing and accessories, and Mary Ellison, a home-based personal shopping business for women seeking fashionable clothes. If you don't want to look like everyone else, book yourself an appointment.

Although Sugarloaf has a Safeway store for groceries, the area also enjoys the San Mateo Produce Market, the Nijiya Market and BZ Bee Market. The 25th Avenue Farmer's Market occurs on Tuesdays from May through October. The nearby San Mateo Farmer's Market is open on Saturdays year-round for fresh produce and eclectic vendors.