East Palo Alto

City, San Mateo County

© McCormack's Guides

 

Zip Code: 94303

Small town, population 33,524, in the south county that offers a great commute and, because of social problems, some of the lowest home prices in Silicon Valley. Scores at regular schools are low but charter schools are showing higher numbers. Many teens attend high school in other districts. www.mccormacks.com

After hitting a record 39 homicides in 1992, the number dropped to three in 1993, seven in 1994, six in 1995, and one in 1996. In 1997, homicides rose to 16 but dropped again to seven in 1998. In 1999, the city posted one homicide and in 2000 and 2001, six. The counts for following years are 7, 9, 7, 15, 6 and 7. See Crime.

 Crime remains a worry and is probably the biggest drawback to East Palo Alto. In 2006 a police officer, on what seemed to be a routine stop, was shot to death; suspect arrested.

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Median age of residents is 26. Kids under 18 account for 35 percent of town; over 55 years, 10 percent. Family town; loads of kids.

Waterfront location, on the Bay. Close to Silicon Valley and the Dumbarton Bridge. Buses. Train station (to Silicon Valley and San Francisco) nearby. In 1994, Sun Microsystems opened a research complex just over the northern border of the town.

East Palo Alto is protected by hills from coastal fogs. Breezes from the Bay. Balmy. www.mccormacks.com

Golf course on southern border. At least four parks, wetlands, trails, community pool. In 2007, YMCA opened a center in town: includes a gym and workout rooms.

Regional mall less than 2 miles away. World-renowned university, Stanford, loaded with cultural activities, also less than 2 miles off. Foreign movies, coffee houses, bookstores, art galleries — all within 5-10 minutes.

Shopping center (Home Depot, Office Depot and fast-food restaurants), IKEA, a giant furniture store and a luxury hotel and office buildings were opened this decade on both sides of Highway 101. All these businesses pump a lot of sales tax revenue into the city's coffers. The hotel is on the Stanford side of Highway 101 and draws its market from Stanford, Palo Alto and Silicon Valley.

With housing supply short, Silicon Valley especially near the freeway, has been infiltrating East Palo Alto for a decade and, newspapers report, pushing up rents and home prices — somewhat. A lot of East Palo Alto looks like it did decades ago.

Rural to 1940, East Palo Alto took off after World War II when thousands of poor people were recruited from the South to work in war industries. www.mccormacks.com

The 1940s saw the construction of 900 residential units, the 1950s, the boom era, 2,700 units, followed in the 1960s by 1,600 units, then 900 units, and in the 1980s, 500 units. In the last decade, almost nothing (300 units) was built but in 2000 new homes in small developments, some gated, sprouted on the east side, near the freeway.

The housing styles tell the story: the flattop roofs of the forties and fifties give way to the slopes of the sixties and seventies, the single garages blossom into two-car spaces, the two-bedroom homes grow into three. The latest homes are often two-story.

Until residents voted the town into cityhood in 1983, East Palo Alto was unincorporated and governed by the county. The 1980s saw an influx of immigrants. East Palo Alto today is one of the most diverse towns on peninsula. In historical perspective, people came because whatever its problems, it’s better than the place they left.

Education by the Ravenswood Elementary District, which also serves the waterfront side of Menlo Park. Lacking a high school, East Palo Alto used to send all its students to neighboring high schools, many with high scores. But, according to newspaper reports, many East Palo Alto students did not do well in these schools. Some in the community have been arguing for years that East Palo Alto needs its own regular public high school — a point of confusion because there are local high schools.

Scores in the regular public elementary schools serving East Palo Alto are low, often the 10^th and 20^th percentiles. See Schools. www.mccormacks.com

In 1997, a private group opened a public charter school — Kinder to eighth — in East Palo Alto. Run by a firm called Aspire, it now enrolls about 415 students and posts scores in the 50^th to 90^th percentile.

Later Stanford University opened a charter high school, enrollment about 300, in Menlo Park that accepts students from East Palo Alto (the school is called East Palo Alto High School).

Lastly, in 1996, a private school that is almost 100 percent financed by donations from foundations, was opened. It is called Eastside College Preparatory School, enrollment about 210. It is hard to track scores at private schools but the local newspaper reports that this school does a good job of advancing its students to college.

In the big picture, East Palo Alto has been adopted by outside groups that favor the charter or private approach to education. The Ravenswood district, losing students to the other schools, may be uneasy with the charters. One and all profess to be working for the good of the students but doing good has always been a dicey business and the alternative approaches imply that public schools are not up to the job.

Stanford is working with Aspire to open a charter high school (as opposed to a regular high school controlled by the school board) in East Palo Alto but in 2007 the board rejected the project (which may get the green light on appeal). www.mccormacks.com

OK, again, a little confusing, but on the plus side parents have alternatives in how they want their children educated.

In 1996 and 2000 voters passed bonds totaling $16 million to renovate the public schools. In 2004, they voted to tax themselves $98 per parcel for five years for programs and to recruit and train new teachers.

Newcomer classes for non-English speaking.

East Palo Alto has many residents living below the poverty line but many live above. About 11 percent of the residents, or 2,227 people, are college graduates, the 2000 census reported.

Housing quality a mix. On some streets the homes are small and in need of repair. Move over a few blocks, and the maintenance steps up; another few, the quality steps up again. Many homes are rentals. Townhouses in center of city, near city hall, library and post office. www.mccormacks.com

The trade-off: when it comes to home prices, the market recognizes the problems, which is why you can buy many three-bedroom homes for much less than what's charged in Palo Alto or Menlo Park.

Residences total 7,799 — single homes 4,001, single attached 342, multiples 3,297, mobile homes 159 (2010 state figures).

Short commute for many because thousands of jobs are within a drive of 10 miles. Highway 101 on east border, Highway 84 (Dumbarton Bridge) on the north; leads to East Bay. Local buses. Caltrain station in Palo Alto.

Chamber of commerce (650) 482-9711.

• City government is looking at ways to boost downtown, about University and Bay Road. Among options: more housing and a large supermarket.

City web site: www.ci.east-palo-alto.ca.us