Highlands vs. 19th Avenue Park: Eichler Neighborhood Comparison
Comparison of San Mateo Highlands and 19th Avenue Park Eichler Developments
1. Location & Scale
San Mateo Highlands
A classic mid-century Eichler home in the San Mateo Highlands. The Highlands is a modernist tract nestled along the slopes of Pulgas Ridge on San Mateo’s southwest side, about 25 miles south of San Francisco sah-archipedia.org. Bounded by Interstate 280, Highway 92, Polhemus Road, and Crystal Springs Road, this elevated community overlooks the Crystal Springs Reservoir, with sweeping views of the Bay to the east and the Montara Mountain ridge to the west sah-archipedia.org. Developed between 1956 and 1964, the Highlands is the largest contiguous Eichler development – containing over 700 single-family Eichler homes designed by several notable modernist architects. This expansive hillside subdivision was built in phases from the mid-1950s to mid-1960s, making it the most extensive Eichler neighborhood in the Bay Area. Its scale and scenic location give it a distinctive presence among mid-century modern communities.
19th Avenue Park
By contrast, 19th Avenue Park is a smaller Eichler tract in the heart of San Mateo, situated on flat land near today’s downtown and transportation corridors. The neighborhood is tucked between S. Delaware Street, Concar Drive, and S. Grant Street, with only two access points (via Charles Lane and Betty Lane) due to its compact size 19thavepark.wordpress.com. Developed in the early 1950s (1953–1955), this enclave includes just over 200 Eichler homes 19thavepark.wordpress.com. It was one of Joseph Eichler’s first large-scale projects and exemplified his groundbreaking approach to postwar suburban housing on a smaller scale. Nineteenth Avenue Park’s central city location means it’s surrounded by urban amenities and infrastructure – a notable difference from the more secluded Highlands. Despite its modest size, this tract holds an important place in Eichler history as an early foray into bringing modernist homes to middle-class homebuyers in a convenient, urban-adjacent setting.
2. Home Style & Lot Characteristics
San Mateo Highlands
Homes in the Highlands tend to be larger and more varied in design than those in 19th Avenue Park. Eichler built roughly 650–700 homes here over a decade, featuring a wide variety of floor plans, including several original two-story models introduced in the 1960s. In fact, the Highlands even contains one of Eichler’s experimental showpieces – the X-100 steel-framed house, a unique all-steel model built in 1956 as a “House of the Future” to wow prospective buyers en.wikipedia.org. The typical Highlands Eichler is a single-story, post-and-beam “California Modern” ranch, with open-plan interiors and walls of glass oriented toward private patios or atriums en.wikipedia.org. Many sit on spacious, terraced lots that follow the hillside contours, often affording panoramic views over the surrounding landscape. Architectural integrity remains high in the Highlands – a large number of homes still boast original mid-century features or tasteful restorations, preserving their classic atriums, exposed beams, and clean lines. In short, the Highlands showcases Eichler homes at a grander scale – bigger lots, occasional custom variants, and iconic modernist design elements – all in a dramatic hilltop setting sah-archipedia.org.
19th Avenue Park
The Eichler homes in 19th Avenue Park are more modest in size and uniform in layout. Typically these are single-story houses with 3 to 4 bedrooms, situated on relatively small 5,000 sq ft lots 19thavepark.wordpress.com. Eichler introduced only three basic floor plans for the entire tract, leveraging repetition and efficiency in construction 19thavepark.wordpress.com. As a result, the homes here have a more standardized feel – a practical showcase of Eichler’s early tract-building approach. That said, they still feature Eichler’s signature design elements: open floor plans, post-and-beam construction, expansive glass walls, and integrated atriums or courtyards that “bring the outside in” to each living space en.wikipedia.org. Most of the 19th Avenue Park houses were built with flat or low-pitched gable roofs (and a few hybrid shed-roof variants), reflecting early-1950s Eichler models 19thavepark.wordpress.com. Over the decades, many of these homes underwent various remodels – some not always in line with the original aesthetic. In fact, longtime residents recall a past era of rather “ticky-tacky” alterations on some houses (e.g. clunky additions or dated facade changes). However, a number of properties have recently been restored or remodeled in keeping with the authentic Eichler style, reversing those earlier changes eichlernetwork.com. The result today is a mixed bag: some 19th Ave Park Eichlers retain crisp mid-century modern character, while others reflect eclectic updates from different eras eichlernetwork.com. Overall, the neighborhood’s homes are humble yet charming examples of Eichler’s vision, offering an entry point into Eichler ownership with their cozy scale and classic modernist bones.
3. Setting & Lifestyle
San Mateo Highlands
The Highlands offers a peaceful, upscale suburban lifestyle amid a picturesque natural backdrop. Set on rolling hills and cul-de-sacs with very limited through-traffic, the neighborhood feels like a quiet sanctuary of mid-century modern homes. Residents enjoy community amenities such as the Highlands Recreation Center, a members-only facility in the heart of the tract that features swimming pools, fitness rooms, sports courts, and a playground homes.com. Just beyond the homes, there is abundant green space: the Highlands directly borders Laurelwood Park, a 225-acre preserve of hilly oak woodlands with hiking and biking trails (San Mateo’s largest park) homes.com. This proximity to open space means deer and other wildlife sightings are common, and families have nature at their doorstep. Despite its hillside seclusion, the Highlands is not isolated – a small shopping center (Crystal Springs Village) nearby provides groceries and cafes, and both Highway 280 and CA-92 are only minutes away for easy commuting homes.com. The neighborhood is also coveted for its excellent public schools: it is zoned to Highlands Elementary, Borel Middle School, and Aragon High School, all highly rated institutions that attract families seeking a top-notch education homes.com. Perhaps most defining of the Highlands’ lifestyle is its strong community spirit. The active Highlands Community Association (HCA) has been in place for decades, organizing events and advocating for residents. Every July 4th, the Highlands famously hosts an elaborate Independence Day parade and festival – a tradition running for well over 65 years now highlandshca.wildapricot.org. Neighbors of all ages turn out with decorated bikes, floats, barbecues and even fireworks (when permitted), celebrating together in a display of old-fashioned community camaraderie highlandshca.wildapricot.org. In summary, life in the Highlands is defined by scenic tranquility, family-friendly amenities, pride in homeownership, and a tight-knit community vibe that honors its mid-century roots.
19th Avenue Park
Living in 19th Avenue Park offers a more urban and centrally-located lifestyle while still enjoying the benefits of an Eichler neighborhood. This tract is surrounded by city conveniences – walkability and transit access are key features. The community lies at a strategic crossroads of the Peninsula: just a couple blocks from the Hayward Park Caltrain station (for easy rail commutes up and down the Bay Area), and bordered by major arteries like Highway 92 (which connects to Highway 101 two blocks away) eichlernetwork.com. Downtown San Mateo is only about a mile away, meaning residents can walk or bike to a wide variety of restaurants, shops, and services in minutes eichlernetwork.com. In the early years, 19th Avenue Park was a classic 1950s family neighborhood – residents reminisce about impromptu block parties, kids playing baseball in the streets, and neighbors who all knew each other eichlernetwork.com. Today, while the surrounding area has become more built-up, the neighborhood maintains a friendly, unpretentious atmosphere. A new generation of homeowners is active in rejuvenating community spirit: the 19th Avenue Park Neighborhood Association organizes park playdates, holiday events, and meetings to keep neighbors connected eichlernetwork.com. A small central park (Concar Park) was upgraded with help from residents and now serves as a communal gathering spot for the area eichlernetwork.com. Because of its central location, 19th Ave Park does face development pressures around its edges – for example, proposals for new office buildings near the Highway 92 off-ramp and a large mixed-use project (“Station Park Green”) at a former shopping center site nearbyeichlernetwork.com. Neighbors have been actively engaging with the city to ensure such projects are scaled appropriately and to advocate for traffic mitigation, recognizing the need to balance growth with preserving their enclave’s character eichlernetwork.com. Despite these challenges, many residents appreciate the neighborhood’s convenient location and “hidden gem” quality – it’s a quiet pocket of mid-century modern homes that’s often overlooked, tucked amid the bustle of central San Mateo eichlernetwork.com. For those who live here, 19th Avenue Park offers the best of both worlds: suburban-style living (with Eichler design appeal) combined with immediate access to city life and transit.
4. Archival & Devotional Value
San Mateo Highlands
The Highlands is not just another Eichler tract – it’s often celebrated as a crown jewel of Eichler developments. Enthusiasts and architectural historians revere the Highlands for its unmatched scale and variety: it remains the single largest collection of Eichler homes in one contiguous neighborhood en.wikipedia.org. This breadth means one can see an array of mid-century modern designs all in one place, from early simple models to later expansive models – effectively, the Highlands is an open-air museum of Eichler’s evolution in the 1950s and ’60s. Adding to its legacy, the Highlands contains unique experimental homes like the X-100 steel house, which is one of only two ever built by Eichler. The X-100 drew national attention when it opened for tours in 1956 (150,000 visitors came to marvel at its futuristic steel structure) and it was featured in magazines like Life and Sunset sah-archipedia.orgsah-archipedia.org. This heritage makes the Highlands especially significant to mid-century modern devotees. The neighborhood’s successful preservation of so many original Eichler characteristics – aided by a prideful community that recognizes the value of its architecture – means it stands as a well-preserved time capsule of California Modernism. The “Eichler Highlands” frequently hosts home tours and is studied in design literature sah-archipedia.org, underscoring its status as a beloved historic neighborhood. In short, the Highlands’ archival value lies in being the quintessential Eichler enclave, one that encapsulates Joseph Eichler’s modernist “Dream for American living” on a grand scale en.wikipedia.org.
19th Avenue Park
While more unassuming, 19th Avenue Park holds its own important place in Eichler lore as one of Eichler’s earliest large-scale subdivisions. Built in 1953–55 right as Joseph Eichler was gaining momentum, it represents a proof of concept for bringing modern architecture to mainstream homebuilding. The tract’s relative homogeneity and modest home sizes illustrate Eichler’s strategy of standardization – an effort to efficiently deliver good design at affordable prices for young families in the post-war boom 19thavepark.wordpress.com. In fact, 19th Avenue Park is often noted as being truest to Eichler’s original mission: providing “stellar design to the masses” burlingameproperties.com. Homes here have generally been less expensive than in more famous Eichler neighborhoods, which means preservation-minded buyers have been able to enter the Eichler market and gradually restore these mid-century homes. The neighborhood thus attracts Eichler enthusiasts looking for relative value – it’s “one of the best deals in Eichlerland” according to local real estate observers burlingameproperties.com. Historically, 19th Avenue Park is also noteworthy for its diverse and inclusive character. Eichler was a proponent of fair housing, and this tract was integrated early on, including Asian American families at a time when many areas had restrictions eichlernetwork.com. This legacy of openness adds to the community’s pride. Today, as interest in mid-century modern design surges again, 19th Avenue Park is gaining recognition as a hidden Eichler gem. Its homes may be humbler than those in the Highlands or Palo Alto, but for aficionados, that authenticity and lack of pretense are exactly the appeal. In sum, Nineteenth Avenue Park’s value lies in its role as an Eichler origin story – a living example of Eichler’s democratic design ideals, still standing in the middle of suburbia and waiting to be appreciated anew.
Summary Table
Why the Boyenga Team Shines Here
As Silicon Valley Eichler specialists (and luxury property experts) with Compass, Eric and Janelle Boyenga bring an ideal blend of architectural passion and modern marketing savvy to both the Highlands and 19th Avenue Park. They understand what makes these Eichler neighborhoods special and have the experience to unlock their full value. They:
Honor the mid-century modern legacy of these communities – leveraging their deep knowledge of Eichler design to highlight each home’s unique character – while also utilizing cutting-edge Compass tools (like virtual staging, Compass Concierge home improvement services, and Private Exclusive listings) to present these properties in the best light and achieve standout results for sellers.
Understand the Highlands’ unique appeal – from its dramatic hillside views and larger floor plans to its tight-knit community amenities. The Boyenga Team excels at marketing the Highlands’ exclusive ambiance, whether it’s promoting an atrium model’s indoor-outdoor flow or the fact that a home is steps from the rec center or a trailhead. Their strategies connect emotionally with the kind of buyers who value the Highlands lifestyle and architectural pedigree.
Appreciate 19th Avenue Park’s strengths as well – including its central walkability, more approachable price point, and authentic Eichler heritage. Eric and Janelle know how to spotlight the neighborhood’s urban convenience (proximity to transit and downtown) and its potential for thoughtful modernization. Whether it’s advising on minimalist landscaping to recapture an Eichler curb appeal or sharing a vision for restoring an atrium, they help buyers see the “hidden gem” quality of 19th Avenue Park homes, and help sellers maximize their home’s appeal in this transitioning tract.
In short, the Boyenga Team’s expertise in mid-century modern homes, combined with their proven marketing acumen, makes them the perfect agents for Eichler neighborhoods like the Highlands and 19th Avenue Park. They tailor their approach to celebrate each community’s distinct vibe – be it the Highlands’ retro-modern elegance or 19th Avenue Park’s vintage charm – all while delivering the results and client service that rank them among the top real estate teams in the region.