🌲 Palo Alto

Palo Alto is where Silicon Valley began. The garage where Hewlett and Packard started HP still stands here, and the city's proximity to Stanford University made it the launchpad for the modern tech economy. Today it remains one of the most influential — and most expensive — small cities in the country.

University Avenue, the city's walkable downtown, runs from the Caltrain station toward the Stanford campus, lined with restaurants, cafes, bookstores, and the kind of café-table dealmaking that defines Valley lore. Nearby Sand Hill Road is the most famous venture-capital corridor in the world.

Stanford University anchors the city intellectually and physically — its campus, museums, medical center, and shopping center are woven into Palo Alto life. The schools, both public and Stanford-affiliated, are among the best in California, driving relentless housing demand.

Palo Alto's neighborhoods range from the leafy, historic homes of Professorville and Old Palo Alto to Eichler tracts and newer luxury builds. Prices are among the highest in the nation. Palo Alto is for those who want walkable prestige, intellectual energy, and a place at the literal origin of Silicon Valley — and who can pay the premium that comes with it.