Neat local flavor to take a look out…read more It's actually someone's house that they live in, so make sure to be mindful and polite when visiting (because I can't imagine how annoyed the neighbors would be with randos going in and out as well as just thinking this place is an eyesore with how rich and pretentious the neighborhood already seems). There are statues of the saber tooth there and Fred, some dinos. Lots of purple and orange colors. It's not only just Flintstones theme as there are bunnies, aliens, Terracotta warriors and an eclectic mix of decor. Neat, fun and interesting stop if you're nearby and on the way somewhere else.

Flintstones House Hillsborough CA Wed 4/12/23 ©…read moreLet me start by saying, this quirky house is not a tourist destination! For decades, this prominent feature in Hillsborough hills just off the scenic route Hwy 280 brought happy feelings to passers by! Of course it's been a curiosity for decades in existence... but wait! All it is, a wonderful single family residence, with a twist in a story full of intrigue & litigation! And it has its own Wikipedia page! I've told myself, Grey, you live close by, you've got to write about the Flintstones House! It's a curiosity worth noted, yet a source of controversy to its neighbors! A colorful authentically looking residence in the affluent Hillsborough community uniquely affected the inner moods within the neighborhood, while much of the story remained hidden from public eye. The listing wasn't on the Yelp maps until recently, a yelper put it on during the pandemic, the house itself has been gracing the hill for decades in existence. The Flintstones house has been renovated & changed hands some years ago... I believe it used to sport an off white stucco, at some point it got repainted bright orange & purple... sold in 2017 & that's when complaints began. As the storytelling goes, the original Flintstones suburban sprawl developed in real life! Much controversy to it in the recent years due to the current owner coloring it even brighter burnt color resembling the cave & decorating the yard even more...beauty is in the eye of the beholder! Neighbors considered yard decorations an eye sore! So they brought forth the law suits. The installations of dinosaurs became a point of contention. Maybe historic inaccuracies were getting on their nerves? :-) After all, all we know is that Fred & Wilma enjoyed the company of their pet dinosaur Dino, but were there many others in the Stone Age? What about a Giraffe, a woolly mammoth, and a Fred Flintstone himself?! I understand neighbors didn't want any attention in the affluent town they reside in. Well, the owner won the law suit! She gets to keep her dinosaurs! Not only that, but also $125K from the city for originating the architectural review in the first place! And we the public got to enjoy this amazing architectural creation for years to come! *Well, he packed his guitar and his bar-room tan, Gotta get some miles behind him as fast as he can, Another destination, some place else to play. *But as the night approaches, a change is in the air His heart is pumping fast, he's got no cares The music befriends him, it can take him anywhere It's a honky-tonk engagement But there's no better place to play His mind feels like crazy pavement He's getting crazed out every day [ Review #766 w 2 pix on May 2, 2023 ] Flintstones House! Hillsborough CA Wed 4/12/23 Yabba Dabba Doo! @Flintstones House Hillsborough CA Wed 4/19/23

I've lived two streets away from this little creek and park for six years and never realized it,…read morebut this year during quarantine I noticed it on Maps and had to check it out. The first time I came here I was actually a little scared! It's a legit woodsy area right next to a neighborhood, with a small babbling (or maybe trickling) creek. The mallard ducks like to call this place their home, mostly visible in early morning or evening (you can sometimes catch them sleeping!). After you get used to the insular quietness of this park, you come to really appreciate it! It's a very short path (I think my Fitbit logs it as about 200-300 steps across), but it's very peaceful. You can listen to the birds chirp, the squirrels rush about, and the water and gentle rustling of leaves. I also found it funny to catch the squirrels yelling their heads off more than once. It's located between two streets, so you can clearly see houses on both sides, and it's pretty safe. I'd recommend taking a stroll! But not too many so I can keep the quietness to myself :)

Arroyo Park is probably one of the honey's favorite parks in the area due to the mallard ducko…read morefamily that is in residence in the stream. We originally thought it was just the drake and his two ladies, but it turns out there's at least two drakes and three hens, though we don't usually see them all together. The park is open during daylight hours and is usually pretty quiet, surprising for being not that far from the bustling El Camino street. You can hear the brook babbling and birds, and it's really quite a lovely stop.

The 'Dream Fountain' is located on 'The Avenue' which is San Mateo Avenue. Lot's of places to eat…read moreon this street in San Bruno! There is also a Centennial Time Capsule here provided to the city of San Bruno by the Rotary Club of San Bruno on December 23rd, 2014, to be opened on December 23rd, 2064!! So if you're in the area, check out the Dream Fountain and the surrounding area!!

Ric's short attention span review…read more A cool parklet area in downtown San Bruno. Located next to the Health Mart Pharmacy (as of march 2017) it is a nice and relaxing respite when shopping. A Rotary International time capsule is located at this park. ( To be opened 12/23/64) Fountain was dedicated 10/9/2008. Located at the corner of Jenevein and San Mateo avenues ( Main Street downtown San Bruno. A Rotary Centennial clock is located across the street next to the Citibank Branch. Worth a look if you happen to be in the area, pretty interesting shops and places to eat here, this fountain with benches is pretty neat.

It was our 2nd time to Downtown San Mateo. Our last time was in 2023. We found many new restaurants…read moreopened this time even though many are overpriced. Parking was a bit hard to find but it was a great town to go for dining or go to the movies or shopping. FYI, you have to pay for parking in Downtown San Mateo.

I enjoy visiting the area occasionally, for the unique restaurants and businesses, one of my…read morefavorite spots for nightlife being The Swingin' Door. This past weekend my bf and I decided to experience hot tub hydrotherapy at the Water Lounge Spa which was so relaxing, walked along B Street and snacked on some yummy cookies from TinyB Chocolate, sipped on delicious cocktails at the Wunderbar speakeasy, picked up a book (Freakonomics) from B Street Books store, browsed the adorable collection of products from Fanloli gift shop, and checked out a special Valentine's Day event "A Kiss and a Song" on a beautiful Friday late afternoon. We got our lip prints read by Sara James, while listening to the sounds of the accordian by Michael Zampiceni who played mainly french music for passersby. Nothing too extraordinary, an informal but charming event, all for fun and free to engage in on this romantic holiday. I returned to the area two days later with my sister, and we got an amazing massage at Spa Siam Orchid and had a satisfying meal at Pacific Catch for lunch. Parking isn't too difficult to find in the vicinity, but they do charge a small fee in metered spaces and in the Main Street parking garage (free on Sundays). Even with modest entertainment offerings, all the cute shops and eateries, along with string lights decorating and illuminating the trees and buildings at night, make for an alluring setting in downtown San Mateo.

Burlingame, yes! Somewhere legit to go, do, eat, shop south of the City…read more Things to do: 4/5 Safety: 4/5 Cleanliness: 4/5 The tale of two main streets: ====================== 1. Broadway: the "original". Older but still nice and maintained, it has lots of restaurants and some shopping (& services). Best places: Shabu House, Café Figaro, Burlingame Market, and Young Can Wok. Basically, one main block, 3-4 blocks long. 2. Burlingame Ave: "the new". Also known as "downtown", it's upscale, has all the better shops and tons of restaurants. Best places: Limón Rotisserie, Rasa, Stella Alpina, Salt & Straw, Apple Store, and Rangoon Ruby (as well as popular Mingalba, but I don't like). Burlingame Ave is the main drag, but it spills over about 3 blocks wide, and 4-5 blocks long. Residents: ========== This is the most desirable place to live south of the city. Buying or renting here is cray cray, but of course, less. If you've already bought, especially before 2010, you're a millionaire. Hotels: ========== Unfortunately, there aren't any hotels in the cool eating/shopping section. But, along the bay (less than 1 mile away) there are tons: Doubletree (my fav), Hilton Bayfront, Hilton Garden, Marriott Waterfront, Hyatt, Embassy Suites, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn Express, among others. Parking/Uber/Lyft: =============== Parking is a bit of a problem. There's street parking, and some lots small parking lots in the rear of the restaurants and shops. If you can, take a uber/lyft/taxi and safe yourself the trouble. Other: =========== If shopping and eating isn't your thing (Who are you? Not my friend!), you can walk/run along the bay. There are nice trails, and safe morning to night.

BURLINGAME COAT FACTORY…read more Okay, now that I got that out of the way, this is definitely a higher income, bougie neighborhood. Good luck finding parking that you don't have to pay for if you're in the main business/downtown area. Lots of people walking around, especially with their dogs and going about on their bikes. Some restaurants have signs saying no laptops on certain days or at certain times so you know there's an epidemic of people camping there for hours or work from home-cels or even worse, Linkedin-cels, but I digress. I did exit the car and see a $9 fancy almond croissant on the road and really, really debated grabbing it, ripping off the bottom part and eating the top part, but we already ate and were going to eat more, so I stayed away from that. Pretty cold and windy even on a bright May afternoon, so I guess that's why people wear a lot of North Face and puffer jackets here. Nice mix of affordable businesses (Ume Tea) and more higher end eateries. Good diversity of, at least food from what I've seen, and everything was largely walkable. Parking can get tight though, even with paid parking. We went at an odd time that was a bit before brunch, so I can't imagine the weekends. Aside from maybe 5 places (all food, lol), nothing really matched my interests and tastes, so it's not a must stop for me to peruse around.

I love this place! Went there for happy hour the Bruschetta plate was delicious and drinks were so…read moregood. The service is great and everyone was so friendly they treat their regulars well! I can't wait to go back :) Service: Fantastic super friendly and attentive Taste: delicious I was there for a while Ambience: it was lovely for a date or a get together or just to go solo and make a new friend Highlights: loved happy hour! Thanks for being great!

Look, I'll be honest, if you're coming here for seamless, polished service, you might be…read moredisappointed. We went on a slow night and still dealt with a total "slow turnaround" and some classic operational gaffes. They couldn't find the bottle of wine we actually wanted and then spent way too much time trying to sell us on a different bottle we had zero interest in. It was a bit of a circus just to get the basics situated. But then the food arrived, and that's where the magic happened. I've seen reviews complaining about a "lack of flavor," but that was not our experience at all. We started with the beet salad--the honey-lemon notes were nice, though nothing to write home about. But once the mains hit, everything changed. The Carpaccio was spot on, the Ribeye (prepared perfectly to medium) was delicious, and the Branzino special was fantastic. And the Rigatoni Rustica? Believe the hype. It's a classic for a reason. Bottom line: The service is definitely sloppy, but I wouldn't dismiss this place because of it. The food is genuinely good Italian and the prices are reasonable for Burlingame. My advice? Skip the salads, ignore the service "monkey dance," and go straight for the classics. I'd definitely go back just for the steak and the Rigatoni alone. Highly recommended if you actually care about what's on your plate. An A++ local find.

Beautiful City to raise your young family. It has one of the best school system in California…read more The City is clean and safe. It has several Festivals events for the family throughout the year.

Glad to see Millbrae is catching up with technology. EV parking is located on El Camino off…read moreMillbrae Ave. For us PHEV/EV drivers, we now have 4 charging stations (Chargepoint) in the lot where Bambu and Ben Tre are located. Great location as parking here with all the Chinese Dim Sum joints are packed, especially during the weekend. Half a day on Saturday though parking is off limits with the Farmer's Market. I like the divider on Broadway with trees. Keeps all the Asian drivers for making a U in the middle of the block. Haha More stores are also popping up. Good way to get the residence and visitors amused and entertained. I haven't seen mammoth, limousine twin size baby strollers yet, but I may have been visiting during non family days. So here's the gist, if you're looking for a huge dim sum house, wait in line, this could be the city for you. Hong Kong lounge sure has its competition. Last time I was there, it was for a wedding. Incidentally, I've been with my Sweetheart for 10 years this year, celebrating our anniversary. I might just consider proposing. Guess I need to buy a Cracker Jack, and if the prize is a ring, it's a sign. Stay tuned! Cheers!

The Shaggy Dog Statue, located in Central Park in San Mateo!!…read more It's located on the southern end of the park, right when the paved path forms a Y split. He's obviously very sturdy, kids can't walk by him without jumping on him. Even adults can't just walk by without stopping and staring, or taking a picture. He stands upright, as if he's alerted to something. And he seems very well maintained, cool local flavor in San Mateo!!

Central Park has a statue of an exotic animal with it's Leon the Giraffe statue by the Fifth Street…read moreentrance. So why not a statue of one of the planet's most common domesticated and beloved animals? No worries, the park's got that covered too. You'll find it near the 9th Street entrance, near the gazebo and rose garden. The cast-iron dog statue is standing and looks alert, staring straight at you. He is somewhat shaggy and looks a little like a Labrador. The top of his head is worn smooth, the result of thousands of people petting his head. The dog was imported from Italy in the 1870's by William Kohl who once owned the property that is now Central Park. I wonder how many photos of people posing with the dog have been taken over the years?

amazing decor and the food was excellent! absolutely loved it!!!!!!!! everyone was so nice! I felt…read morelike I was eating in Italy

Great service, great food, great atmosphere! Highly recommend checking this new restaurant out.read more

Geat trails and spectacular views, very historic place great for dogs too!…read moreLots of wildlife here also, we saw Deer, Coyotes, a Bobcat, 2 snakes and many lizards, be careful there is some Poisen Oak around the area.

There isn't much to do here, a small parking lot, a few concrete benches, and views of endless…read morebeautiful land. If you like nature or looking to explore some trails (I don't know where they lead), or just a peaceful atmosphere to get away, this is a cool spot. But otherwise, it's pretty much a rest stop off the 280 freeway (without restrooms, or any structures really).