White Oaks Neighborhood Spotlight: Elm Street

April 23, 2008


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(Note: To “view” the neighborhood above in the Google Street View map, simply click on the arrows and take a tour! Pretty cool stuff.)

Elm Street is one of the few streets in San Carlos that runs nearly the nearly entire width of the city in a continuous manner. As such, it takes on multiple personalities as it meanders its way through San Carlos. The northern end originates in the hilly portion of San Carlos on the Belmont border, and has several stately hillside homes — for example, check out this beautiful listing at 329 Elm St. The central part of Elm cuts right through San Carlos' popular downtown, and plays host to the San Carlos City Hall, and The Elms assisted living center. Continuing southerly from downtown, Elm settles into the type of tree-lined neighborhoods that people envision when they think of San Carlos.

The portion of Elm Street that runs through White Oaks (between Brittan and Eaton) is probably one of the most picturesque streets in all of San Carlos (although it's not readily apparent from the Google photo above.) This part of Elm reminds me of Los Altos, and other very nice upscale neighborhoods on the Peninsula. Many of the homes have been remodeled, such as the one on the corner of Belvedere and Elm, and the gorgeous home on the corner of Elm and White Oak Way.

One of the biggest attributes of this stretch of Elm Street is the location. It's just a couple of blocks from the southern shopping district on Laurel Street. Baskin-Robbins is a 5 minute walk — what more could you ask for?? But with it's rural feel, it's easy to forget you're that close to downtown. White Oaks School is also within walking distance, which is a huge plus for families.

If the turn-over rate is any indication, this is a very desirable place to live. Since 2004, only 12 homes have sold on Elm between Brittan and Eaton. Those that did sell were only on the market for an average of 21 days, and the vast majority sold at or above the asking price. So people that move there tend to stay there.

So if you're looking for a great street to call home in San Carlos, keep a close eye on Elm. And when one comes on the market, be ready to move quick…because everyone else will!

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