Sterling Downs

This is the most affordable area in Belmont. That said, some homes have sold for over $1,000,000. It is also one of the few places where the lots are level. A nice place to walk and an easy connection for commuters. The development is between the CalTrain railroad tracks and I-101. It was built in the 1950s and has the same developer as many homes in Palo Alto, Redwood City hills and parts of San Mateo. The homes in the section north of Ralston Avenue are on slab foundations, originally were single-story with an attached garage and breezeway, approximately 5,000 square foot lots, designed for indoor/outdoor living. The public school in this area is Nesbitt. There was bicycle and pedestrian lane built crossing from Sterling Downs area to Redwood Shores over the I-101 freeway. Look for the blue curvy overpass at the Ralston exit.

Over the years, homeowners have remodeled and expanded and altered these homes, but they all started out very similar. The neighborhoods all have sidewalks and leafy trees lining the streets. North of Ralston, one street (Wessex) has duplexes, and a few other (Masonic, Wessex, Old County Road) have apartment homes; but the majority of this area is single family homes designed around a quiet little grassy park with tennis courts and barbecue stations. Masonic Avenue has the Belmont Post Office, UPS store, the Fire Station, ARCO gas station and small shopping centers with various firms such as a cat hotel, private school and an Indian grocery.

The south side of this area has two streets with duplexes - Ralston and Judson. The alphabetical streets have barricades at the end to prevent automobile traffic from going through, essentially making them cul-de-sacs where children occasionally play in the street. Most of the buildings are single family homes. These were built on raised foundations originally designed with a quaint little staircase and attic bedroom over the garage. Most have been updated and some so drastically, you can't recognize the original footprint.

There is a newer park on Ralston with picnic tables and a grassy field and swings. You will often see caregivers out for a stroll with the little ones, enjoying the sunshine and greenery in this tiny park.

Old County Road is the buffer between the neighborhood and the train. The train side is all businesses (mostly automotive), the other side is mostly apartment buildings or business parks. The beloved ice-rink of 50 years shut down early 2016. It will be interesting to see what it is replaced with in the coming years.