San Mateo

San Mateo Eichler Homes Overview

San Mateo, California is home to two notable mid-century modern Eichler neighborhoods. Eichler homes are distinctive mid-20th-century houses developed by Joseph Eichler, featuring open floor plans, post-and-beam construction, floor-to-ceiling glass, and an emphasis on indoor-outdoor living. In San Mateo, the two Eichler tracts are San Mateo Highlands in the western hills and Nineteenth Avenue Park near the city’s center. Built during the 1950s and 1960s, these neighborhoods exemplify Eichler’s vision of bringing modern architecture to suburban communities, and they remain cherished for their design, ambiance, and strong sense of community. (Notably, Eichler’s open, non-discriminatory sales policy helped foster diverse communities in these neighborhoods from the start eichlerhomesforsale.com.)

San Mateo Highlands Eichler Community

San Mateo Highlands – often just called “The Highlands” – is a large Eichler development nestled in the coastal hills of southwest San Mateo. This neighborhood, tucked into Pulgas Ridge above the Crystal Springs Reservoir, boasts the largest contiguous collection of Eichler homes in the world. Between 1955 and 1965 (roughly), Joseph Eichler built around 650 modern homes in the Highlands, making it his most ambitious tract development. The project was a collaboration with all three of Eichler’s preferred architectural firms – Jones & Emmons, Anshen + Allen, and Claude Oakland – which contributed a rich variety of home designs. Early models in the Highlands were single-story 3-bedroom ranches, but by the 1960s Eichler introduced larger plans, including some split-level and two-story models. In fact, the Highlands was the site of Eichler’s first homes built with an open-air atrium in the center – a design innovation introduced in 1958 that became a signature feature of Eichler homes eichlerhomesforsale.com. Homes in the Highlands prominently feature the typical “California Modern” style: low-pitched or flat rooflines with deep overhangs, glass walls facing private patios, and post-and-beam construction that blurs indoor and outdoor spaces.

One reason the Highlands stands out is because it served as a showcase for Eichler’s most experimental designs. In 1956, Eichler built the famed X-100 “Steel House of the Future” here as a prototype house to wow the public eichlerhomesforsale.com. This one-of-a-kind model, designed by A. Quincy Jones of Jones & Emmons, was one of only two steel-framed Eichler houses ever constructed. It featured futuristic elements like a space-age kitchen (with a stovetop hidden under a sliding countertop) and “skydome” acrylic skylights, and an estimated 150,000 people toured the X-100 during a three-month open house exhibition eichlerhomesforsale.com. (Decades later, the X-100 was restored and even listed on the National Register of Historic Places, underscoring its architectural significance eichlerhomesforsale.com.) Just two blocks away in the Highlands is another unique Eichler landmark: the “Life House”. Built in 1958, this custom multi-level Eichler home was designed by famed architect Pietro Belluschi (in collaboration with Jones & Emmons) as part of a Life magazine project on affordable modern homes. The Life House was built on a sloped lot with four staggered levels, and it was spotlighted in a 1958 issue of Life for its ingenious design eichlerhomesforsale.com. (A virtually identical home was built on the Stanford University campus in 1959 using the same Belluschi design.)

Beyond its architectural innovation, the Highlands was conceived as a true planned community. Eichler ensured the tract included parks, greenbelts, and a central community hub for residents eichlerhomesforsale.com. To this day, the neighborhood enjoys shared amenities through the Highlands Recreation Center on Lexington Avenue, which offers a swimming pool, tennis courts, a playground, a fitness center, and organized programs for all ages. The Highlands’ combination of iconic design, community facilities, top-rated schools, and picturesque setting has maintained its enduring desirability among home buyers and Eichler enthusiasts alike eichlerhomesforsale.com.

San Mateo Highlands Facts

• Number of Eichler Homes: Approximately 650–700 homes were built in the Highlands, making it Eichler’s largest development. Construction spanned roughly 1955 to 1965 for this tract (late 1950s into mid-1960s).

• Location: The Highlands is located in the hills of southwest San Mateo, west of Hwy 280. Eichler homes are found along Lexington Ave, Yorktown Rd, Bunker Hill Dr, Ticonderoga Dr, and numerous cul-de-sacs branching off these roads, overlooking the Bay to the east and coastal hills to the west.

• Architects & Design: Homes here were designed by Jones & Emmons, Anshen + Allen, and Claude Oakland – Eichler’s primary architects – offering a mix of floor plans. Most are single-story post-and-beam houses (many with atriums or courtyards), but several two-story and split-level models were built in the later phase. The mid-century modern style is ubiquitous: open layouts, wood-paneled interiors, glass walls, and flat or low-gabled roofs with deep overhangs are common.

• Notable Highlights: The Highlands contains two famed prototype houses. The X-100 steel-frame house (built 1956) was a futuristic all-steel model home – one of only two ever built by Eichler – meant to attract buyers with its avant-garde features eichlerhomesforsale.com. Also, the Highlands is home to the “Life House” (built 1958), a unique multi-level Eichler designed by Pietro Belluschi and featured in Life magazine as an affordable dream homeeichlerhomesforsale.com. These experimental homes drew national attention and remain treasured pieces of Eichler history.

• Community Amenities: As a master-planned neighborhood, the Highlands includes parks and a Recreation Center for residents eichlerhomesforsale.com. The Highlands Recreation Center (1851 Lexington Ave) provides facilities such as a swimming pool, tennis courts, playgrounds, and community events, fostering a strong neighborhood spirit. The area’s Highlands Elementary School and proximity to nature trails further add to the family-friendly community atmosphere.

Nineteenth Avenue Park Eichler Neighborhood

Nineteenth Avenue Park is the other Eichler enclave in San Mateo, offering a different vibe from the Highlands. This tract – often just called “19th Ave Park” – is a compact Eichler development nestled in an otherwise urban part of San Mateo, not far from downtown. Built between 1953 and 1955, it was one of Eichler’s earliest large-scale projects on the Peninsula eichlernetwork.com. Approximately 230–240 Eichler homes were constructed in this neighborhood, all based on just a few efficient floor plans designed by Jones & Emmons eichlernetwork.com 19thavepark.wordpress.com. In contrast to the expansive Highlands, the 19th Ave Park Eichlers occupy a flat, centrally located area and are more modest in scale – typically single-story 3-bedroom or 4-bedroom homes on smaller lots 19thavepark.wordpress.com. These houses still display classic mid-century Eichler characteristics: open-plan living spaces, floor-to-ceiling glass, exposed post-and-beam structure, and a mix of rooflines (flat, low-gabled, or shallow shed roofs) that give the neighborhood a distinctive modernist look. Many feature Eichler’s signature glass-walled atriums or courtyards, though on a smaller scale than some later designs. Over the years, some homes have been remodeled, but most still retain their original Eichler architectural DNA and mid-century charm.

Despite its unassuming size, Nineteenth Avenue Park has a strong identity as a “hidden Eichler enclave.” The tract is tucked away in San Mateo’s Sunnybrae area, bounded roughly by South Delaware Street, Concar Drive, and South Grant Street. It is insulated from through-traffic, as it only has two entrance points: one via Charles Lane off S. Delaware, and one via Betty Lane from S. Grant Street. Inside this small pocket, the Eichler homes line a handful of quiet residential streets – Joanne Drive, Wolfe Drive, Connie Avenue, Eleanor Drive, Edna Way, Jody Court, Celeste Drive, and Vanessa Drive 19thavepark.wordpress.com A single small park sits at the south end of the neighborhood, offering green space, a playground and picnic area for residents 19thavepark.wordpress.com. These features give 19th Ave Park a distinctly neighborly, cul-de-sac feel despite being in the middle of a busy city. In fact, with major freeways (Highway 92 and 101) and commercial hubs nearby, many locals are surprised to discover this tranquil mid-century Eichler tract hidden in plain sight eichlernetwork.com.

From the beginning, Nineteenth Avenue Park was a slightly more humble and affordable Eichler development compared to the Highlands. Historian notes and longtime residents recall that it attracted a number of young families and even some blue-collar buyers in the 1950s, reflecting Joseph Eichler’s aim of providing high-quality modern design to the broader middle-class eichlernetwork.com. Like all Eichler projects, it was open to anyone – in fact, this neighborhood had an unusually high percentage of Asian-American homeowners early on (at a time when many other areas still had exclusionary practices), a testament to Eichler’s anti-discrimination policy eichlernetwork.com. Over the decades, the surrounding area grew up around 19th Ave Park – shopping centers, office buildings, and the upgrade of Bayshore Highway into today’s freeways transformed the context into a more urban setting eichlernetwork.com. Yet the Eichler enclave remains intact and valued by its residents. It retains a quieter, family-friendly atmosphere with block parties and community spirit, even as it sits just a short walk from downtown San Mateo and a Caltrain station eichlernetwork.com. Homebuyers and Eichler enthusiasts are often drawn to 19th Avenue Park as a relatively attainable Eichler neighborhood – it offers the coveted Eichler style and central Peninsula convenience, typically at lower prices than the larger Eichler tracts in places like Palo Alto or the Highlands eichlernetwork.com. In sum, Nineteenth Avenue Park stands as a modest but endearing piece of Eichler’s legacy, marrying mid-century design with a close-knit community in the heart of the city.

Nineteenth Avenue Park Information

• Number of Eichler Homes: Approximately 235 homes were built in this tract, constructed over just a few years (1953–1955) during Eichler’s early expansion on the Peninsula eichlernetwork.com.

• Location: Central San Mateo, near the Hayward Park area. The neighborhood is bordered by S. Delaware St, Concar Dr, and S. Grant St, with access only from Charles Lane and Betty Lane – contributing to its secluded feel. Interior streets include Joanne, Wolfe, Connie, Eleanor, Edna, Jody, Celeste, and Vanessa, which form a small network of cul-de-sacs. A pocket park at the south end provides a play area and greenery for residents.

• Architect & Style: Designed by Jones & Emmons, the homes in 19th Ave Park were built using just 3 basic floor plans for efficiency. They are single-story mid-century modern houses (3-4 bedrooms) featuring hallmark Eichler elements: open beam ceilings, indoor-outdoor integration via patios and glass walls, and distinctive roof profiles (flat or low-sloped butterfly and gable designs). While modest in size (often 1,500–1,800 sq ft), these homes exemplify Eichler’s principle that good design should be accessible to the average family.

• Community Character: 19th Avenue Park is known as a friendly, unpretentious Eichler community. From its early days, it fostered block parties, neighborhood gatherings, and a helpful atmosphere among neighbors eichlernetwork.com eichlernetwork.com. Uniquely, it was socially ahead of its time – original residents included a notably diverse mix of families (including racial minorities who found welcome here when many neighborhoods did not) eichlernetwork.com. Today, it remains a “hidden gem” Eichler tract – centrally located yet often overlooked – with lower-profile homes that are more affordable than those in the Highlands or Palo Alto, making it a great entry point for Eichler aficionados.

San Mateo Eichler Homes Legacy

San Mateo’s Eichler homes offer a fascinating microcosm of mid-century modern suburban development. The two neighborhoods – one sprawling across scenic hills, the other tucked into a cozy city enclave – showcase the versatility of Eichler’s architectural vision. From the grand experiment of the Highlands (with its iconic show houses and communal amenities) to the intimate charm of 19th Avenue Park (with its accessible design and tight-knit community), each remains an integral part of San Mateo’s architectural heritage and continues to attract those who appreciate the timeless Eichler aesthetic. These Eichler communities stand as living legacies of Joseph Eichler’s mission to “bring modern design to the masses”, combining form, function, and community in a way that still feels remarkably contemporary decades later.