Menlo Park is the best kept secret in the Bay Area. Tucked amidst its more well-known neighbor Palo Alto and affluent Atherton, it sits right between San Francisco and San Jose in the heart of the Peninsula. It holds fast to its small-town character, having almost the same population for decades, while it offers a sophisticated and contemporary lifestyle. Being adjacent to Stanford University only enhances that academic atmosphere, as well as offering many sporting and cultural events to the community. Stanford’s influence extends also to the business arena, making Menlo Park the home to a preponderance of venture capital firms, SRI International, and many professional services. In fact, the international giant Google was born in a Menlo Park garage in 1998. The downtown area around Santa Cruz Avenue boasts charming restaurants, unique boutiques, and stores, while the world-class Stanford Shopping Center is only blocks away. The town’s friendly civic social hub is the popular Cafe Borrone, next to historic Kepler’s Books. Perhaps most alluring of all are the beautiful, tree-dotted neighborhoods in every nook and cranny of the city. There is much to love about Menlo Park.