Hillsborough

 

The refined yet rural setting of Hillsborough is home to some of the Bay Area’s wealthiest residents, featuring sprawling estates in a fervently preserved natural setting.

Consisting of beautiful woodlands and sparse winding roads, Hillsborough is an haven of tranquility situated just seventeen miles south of San Francisco. Its large residences include spectacular architectural masterpieces, and many of its grand historic properties are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Strict zoning regulations preserve Hillsborough’s lush natural setting and elegant character, as no commercial premises are permitted within its borders. Hillsborough shares its 94010 zip code with the neighboring community of Burlingame, which has a vibrant downtown district with many options for upscale shopping and fine dining.

The only non-residential properties within Hillsborough are its exceptional public and private schools and prestigious members-only institutions such as the Hillsborough Racquet Club and the Burlingame and Crystal Springs country clubs.

The unique character of Hillsborough’s grand estates is preserved through regulations that require all lots to be a minimum of half an acre in size, with a minimum home size of 2,500-square-foot. This exclusive community contains many luxurious residences which are well in excess of these requirements.

Iconic historic residences are abundant throughout Hillsborough. The 46,050-square-foot Carolands Chateau is a stunning example of American Renaissance and Beaux-Arts design inspired by the court architecture of Louis XIV. The distinctive domes of the quirky Flintstones House are an example of bold architectural experimentation and creative use of new building materials.

Hillsborough is home to a range of one-of-a-kind homes, as its extremely affluent residents often indulge their desire to create unparalleled living spaces. These stunning homes are situated on sprawling and well-maintained lots, secluded behind dense tree coverage.

This incredibly sought-after community consistently has some of the Bay Area’s highest property prices. The median sales price over the past year was $3,625,000, with an average price per square foot of $1,184. The most spectacular residences can fetch tens of millions of dollars, incluidng one palatial 16,000-square-foot century-old mansion put on the market in 2013 with an asking price of $100 million.

Hillsborough is an exclusive and desirable neighborhood. As such, it is home to some of the world’s grandest properties and most affluent residents seeking privacy and an escape from big city life.

Many high-profile figures have called Hillsborough home; sports stars such as the NFL’s Tom Brady and several baseball Hall of Famers, a plethora of extremely successful venture capitalists and finance figures, TV host Jimmy Kimmel, weight loss guru Jenny Craig, and several generations of the immensely influential Hearst family, including William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper magnate who served as the inspiration for Citizen Kane.

Hearst’s grandson George Randolph Hearst commissioned noted architect Julia Morgan to design one of Hillsborough’s most stunning properties, a 22-room marble-bedecked Georgian Colonial mansion dubbed the Western White House. This distinctive residence may be even more opulent than the iconic Washington D.C. Presidential home on which it’s based and is symbolic of a neighborhood unparalleled in its grandeur.