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Residents of Sharon Heights are both secluded by an abundance of trees and given easy access to Highway 280 and a bustling retail area.

"It's easy to know the neighbors, we all look out for each other," says Diane Tokheim of the cul-de-sac she has lived in for nearly 40 years. She and her husband Bob bought their home in its infancy and raised four children there, near to the Stanford Heights Golf and Country Club.

Bordered by Alameda de las Pulgas, Santa Cruz Avenue, Sand Hill Road and the Sharon Heights Golf Club, the 574-acre neighborhood sits atop the hills of West Menlo Park.

The location makes for an easy trip to Stanford Hospital, Stanford Shopping Center and downtown Menlo Park.

Sharon Heights Shopping Center located on Sharon Park Drive is also convenient, situated just on the border on "the Alameda." It is a one-stop shopping center for 95-year-old Ben Hogan and his wife Lucille.

"Everything you need is right there. You can go to the pharmacy, grocery store and bank all in one ride," says Mr. Hogan, a resident since 1964.

Sharon Heights was constructed on land once belonging to William Sharon, the developer of San Francisco's Palace Hotel and a former U.S. senator from Nevada. Sharon came to San Francisco during the gold rush in 1849, quickly establishing himself as one of California's richest men. One of his homes included a mansion in Menlo Park, known as "Sharon Heights."

Developed for residential use by Duncan McDonald and Mark Radin in the 1960s, the land now holds a variety of homes, condominiums and apartments. A good number of apartment buildings and condos are located close to the entrances along Sharon Park Drive. Redevelopment in the recent years has led to a wide range of homes. They vary from ranch-style and two-story homes to lavish mansions reminiscent of a Tuscan villa and the White House.

"In the past several years you've seen homes being torn down and bigger homes going up in their place," says Ms. Tokheim.

A number of the hilly streets are divided by lush medians, full of trees and other greenery. Well manicured lawns front the homes in this tidy neighborhood.

The proximity to schools and parks has made Sharon Heights a haven for families raising small children. The duck pond at Sharon Park gets the attention of many, children and adults alike. And the parents' choice of Phillips Brooks School, Trinity School, Las Lomitas School, La Entrada School and Menlo-Atherton High School is one of the main attractions to the neighborhood.

Carla and John Sakrison moved to Sharon Heights from San Francisco four years ago. They both work near Sand Hill Road and fell in love with the area, knowing it would be an ideal neighborhood to raise their two children.

"The proximity to work and 280 was a big draw also. It's just a low-flow traffic, hear-the-birds kind of neighborhood," says Ms. Sakrison. Mr. Sakrison is currently the president of the Sharon Heights Homeowners' Association.

"There is a fundamental set of grounding here," says Ron Oehm, father of two Phillips Brooks graduates and a resident since 1979. "It's the kind of neighborhood your kids can come back home to after they've been gone."


FACTS


CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOLS: Trinity School, 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park

FIRE STATION: 3322 Alameda de las Pulgas

PARKS: Sharon Park, Sharon Park Drive; Sharon Hills Park, Valparaiso Avenue at Altschul Avenue

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Sharon Heights Homeowners' Association, John Sakrison, president, 650-854-4487

PRIVATE SCHOOLS: Phillips Brooks School, 2245 Avy Ave.; Trinity School, 2650 Sand Hill Road

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Las Lomitas School District — Las Lomitas School, 299 Alameda de las Pulgas, Atherton; La Entrada School, 2200 Sharon Road, Menlo Park

Sequoia Union High School District — Menlo-Atherton High School, 555 Middlefield Road, Atherton

SHOPPING: Sharon Heights Shops

MEDIAN 2008 HOME PRICE: $1,795,000 ($1,425,000-$3,242,000)

HOMES SOLD: 17

MEDIAN 2008 CONDOMINIUM PRICE: $1,132,000 ($425,000-$2,300,000)

CONDOMINIUMS SOLD: 29

View the neighborhood map (PDF)

— Susan Robles