About
North Los Altos was the first neighborhood of Los Altos to be developed and is steeped in history. The town was established in 1906 by Paul Shoup, who worked for Leland Stanford’s Southern Pacific Railroad. Paul Shoup rightfully promoted the town as “The Jewel of the Peninsula” and began selling land in 1908. While Shoup and a few other residents resided on stately University Avenue, the development sputtered for a while as the 1906 earthquake and depression led to little new development until the town really took shape in the early 1950s.
Once home to stunning prune and avocado orchards and serene farmlands, North Los Altos has become a highly desirable neighborhood within the heart of Los Altos. This elite neighborhood provides fortunate residents with larger lots, beautiful tree-lined streets, and walkability to a vibrant downtown, a revitalized San Antonio Shopping Center, and the best park in Los Altos, Shoup Park. From spacious Ranch-style homes for those who love to entertain, to modern and convenient townhomes and condominiums, North Los Altos has something for everyone.
The majority of North Los Altos has expansive lots that are generally slightly over a quarter acre, but the rambling ranchers from the 1950s are now being replaced with larger and newer Craftsman and Mediterranean homes. This neighborhood is prestigious enough, and the land valuable enough that the majority of newer homes being built now include a basement, which does not count against the limited amount of home the city allows you to build on a lot. North Los Altos remains highly coveted due to its desirable central location and beautiful homes.
Crossing over Foothill Expressway leads straight into Old Los Altos, a part of North Los Altos that has the feel of Old Palo Alto, with its beautiful tree canopy, sidewalks, and exceptional walkability. This esteemed neighborhood is a blend of stunning estates set on large lots on prestigious University Avenue, with a few homes being over 100 years old. Once off the larger lots of University Avenue, most homes reside on lot sizes between 5,000 and 7,000 square feet.
With proximity to the beloved downtown area affectionately dubbed The Village, residents relish in the tranquility of great amenities without the hustle and bustle common in other downtowns. Wonderful restaurants, local boutiques, a delightful library, and a vibrant community center, as well as access to top tier schools, make this tight-knit community appeal to just about everyone. Additional shopping centers and amenities are only slightly further afield.
On hot summer days, North Los Altos residents can often be found under the shade of the towering redwoods at Shoup Park. With 3.9 acres to enjoy, visitors can picnic, hike, monkey around on the playgrounds, meander through the fields, or take a short hike on Adobe Creek to the Redwood Grove.
Highly rated Los Altos schools include Almond Elementary, Egan Junior High School, and Los Altos High School.
