Woodside

Woodside offers a secluded feel and outdoor living. Separated from the ocean by the Santa Cruz Mountains, towering redwoods dominate its western hills, with oaks and eucalyptus in the lower areas. Residents value its privacy, access to nature, large parcels of land and diverse architecture.

This town of 5,287 enjoy local trails, horse farms, open space preserves, a quaint downtown area, an artists’ colony and summer jazz at the beautiful Filoli Garden. Its neighborhoods are a mix of architectural styles and lot sizes.

The small business district includes a few restaurants, Roberts Market, a hardware and horse tack store.. It is home to the famous Bucks restaurant, where many venture capital deals have been inked. Woodside is home to a mix of Silicon Valley movers and shakers – CEOs and venture capitalists, as well as famed musicians and artists.

Horses, hiking and cycling are part of the local culture. Popular cycling routes draw cyclists in droves on the weekends, along Old La Honda Road, Kings Mountain Road, Skyline Boulevard and Highway 94. Woodside is home to several open space preserves, including Purisima Open Space, Huddart County Park, the Phleger Estate and Skeggs Point.

Settlers arrived in the early nineteenth century to log the rich stands of redwoods. Woodside’s first generation of redwoods were used to build San Francisco’s original homes. Lumber was dragged by oxen teams to Redwood Creek, and floated by raft to San Francisco. Its second growth was used to rebuilt San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake. Sequoia redwood trees in Woodside are currently third generation growth.

Many people were attracted to this beautiful valley. Prosperous San Francisco families built country estates in Woodside in the 1800s. Regular stagecoach service to San Francisco was established in 1852. Sawmills were replaced by farms, small cattle ranches and vineyards. Its hillsides and steep ravines are now filled with vines, tended by notable winemakers such as Thomas Fogarty. 555 new houses were built after World War II. This rapid growth alarmed local residents, who feared that their rural haven would be transformed into an urban area. Residents incorporated in 1956 to retain local control and stop urbanization.