One Of California's Wealthiest Suburbs Has A Fun Downtown And Parks In The Heart Of Silicon Valley

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Coined the "Capital of Venture Capital," Menlo Park clearly has a lucrative appeal. The city ranked pretty high on GOBankingRates' 2024 list of the wealthiest suburbs in California, landing high at fifth place. It also snagged the No. 15 spot on the personal finance website's overall ranking of America's wealthiest suburbs in 2025. Situated about 30 miles away from San Francisco, right in the heart of Silicon Valley, Menlo Park is a prime hub for techies, investors, entrepreneurs, and the like. Several tech giants, including Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, call the place home. Menlo Park residents also contribute to the suburb's affluent air. The median household income was just over $200,000 in 2023; home values currently run about $2.7 million.

You can rub elbows with tech billionaires at the glamorous Rosewood Sand Hill. The spiffy resort boasts 5 stars on Hotels.com — but for at least one guest, that isn't enough. "If there were a sixth star, this hotel would deserve it," the reviewer wrote, noting that "words can't quite sum up how good this hotel is." You can find plenty of other snazzy accommodations in town, including The Stanford Park Hotel and the Park James, both of which have rave reviews online. Menlo Park sits between the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and San José Mineta International Airport (SJC) on the southern end of the San Francisco Peninsula. Once you've landed and checked in, get out and taste all the fruits the city has to offer, from its lively downtown district to its many lush, green parks.

Menlo Park's urban core rivals any of the most charming downtowns in California. The upbeat district straddles Santa Cruz Avenue along the historic El Camino Real and puts on a plethora of lively happenings on the agenda throughout the year. If fun is your vibe, be sure to check out the city's official events calendar when planning your trip. It features a helpful filter tool that allows you to easily search for certain keywords, such as "city holidays" or "events for adults." And if you're traveling with the kiddos, there's even an "events for children" option. Some of the events are free (at the time of writing) and take place right at the library in the downtown civic center, from book talks and movie screenings to music shows and storytimes for kids. You can also check Menlo Park's Eventbrite to see what else the city's got going on while you're in town. 

If wading through history is your idea of fun, you can take a walking tour of the Victorian architecture sprinkled throughout the downtown district. The 1.5-mile stroll can take up to an hour and a half to complete, which just goes to show how much there is to see along the way. Some of the cool stops include the city's old railroad depot and entrance gate, as well as a variety of heritage homes — some of which date back to the 1800s. Download the Menlo Park Historical Association's official walking guide, and you'll be stepping back in time in no time.

With a name like Menlo Park, it's almost guaranteed that you'll find a bevy of grassy greens in this part of Northern California. According to the city's official website, there are 17 public parks scattered throughout the suburb. Nealon Park is located right in the lively downtown area, where you can grab lunch from a local eatery and plop down for a picnic. Burgess Park is blocks away, right behind the library. It's about the same size as Nealon Park, spanning a little over 9 acres, but it does have a pretty pond, a swimming pool, and walkways.

For extra beautiful views and way more grounds to cover, head over to Bedwell Bayfront Park. "It's a nice hike," one reviewer wrote on Tripadvisor. "You can go up the hill to fly kites or walk around to the Bay views. Could be windy and could get warm. Lots of trees in certain areas." The park hugs the lapping waters of the San Francisco Bay on the other side of town, boasting 160 acres of Peninsula lands to explore. The park is also flanked by the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge — a massive 30,000-acre birding paradise. So be sure to bring along a pair of binoculars. If you have pups in tow, you can let them run free in the off-leash area at Willow Oaks Park.