Lindenwood

The neighborhood of Lindenwood is geographically defined by the borders of Bay and Middlefield Roads to the East and West and Marsh and Ravenswood to the North and South.

Originally, at the epicenter of this area, was an opulent mansion, Linden Towers, which was built by the silver tycoon James C. Flood and completed in 1880. It was said to be the Peninsula's largest and most lavish and ostentatious home of the era. The estate boasted gorgeous gardens, arbors, orchards and majestic heritage trees, many of which still stand today.

Sadly, the great house was demolished in 1934 after the death of Flood’s son and the heirs sold off the great house piece by piece and the land to developers. Some artifacts from the original estate remain, like huge urns, fountains, statues, quaint street lights and dramatic columns and pillars.

This area was subdivided into lots the average size being what is locally referred to as 'Atherton Acres' comprising of parcels just shy of an acre at .98. The city of Atherton does not allow these parcels to be subdivided, which is why Lindenwood is able to retain such low density housing, and is one of the reasons people choose to live here.

The building styles in Lindenwood, a combination of ranch style homes with a splattering of some more contemporary architecture like the Eichler-style buildings which were inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, were hugely popular in this area around the mid 50's and early 60's.

Of note, recently, there has been a flurry of building, spec home builders are recognizing it as a viable neighborhood for development and are replacing the older structures with huge luxury homes complete with full basements – buildings that maximize the square footage allowances dictated by the City of Atherton. Now, Tuscan Villas and French Chateaux sit alongside the more modest original homes. And buyers are choosing this neighborhood to buy and tear down and design and create their own custom made dream homes!

The neighborhood enjoys the benefits of being in the Menlo Park City Elementary School District and the Sequoia Union High School District and there are some great private schools like Sacred Heart, Saint Raymond's, Nativity and Menlo School, just a very short distance away.

The downtown areas of both Menlo Park and Palo Alto are very close, practically equidistant, and only a little over a mile away.

People are drawn to the neighborhood to power walk and cycle – because of the wide meandering tree-lined streets, low density housing, light destination driven traffic, and lush and lovely verdant surrounds. Fittingly, street names like Laburnum, Greenoaks, Heather and Lupin reflect the many gorgeous established trees in the area while others pay tribute to historical references, with names like James, Flood and Linden.

The community is tight-knit, with its own active Homeowners Association, (a healthy 61% of homeowners paying annual dues), a neighborhood newsletter and organized events like historical tours and block parties.

Residents like the gated feel of this community – impressive entries usher visitors in, while tall surrounding walls keep people out! The tall mile long brick wall along Middlefield road was actually constructed by the Flood family in 1907. And once inside the walls, the twisty irregular streets and off shoot cul-de-sacs, while charming, also renders this neighborhood very tricky to negotiate…it’s easy to get lost and hard to find your way out! Take your compasses, carry your GPS devices, you may need them!