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Wedged between the Caltrain tracks and Middlefield Road, it's easy to confuse Atherton Oaks for one of the well-established surrounding neighborhoods.

What's more, Holbrook Palmer Park and Felton Gables cleave it nearly in two, leaving one side running from Watkins Avenue to Fair Oaks Lane and the other from Encinal Avenue to Glenwood Avenue.

Tom Holt, who has lived in the area for 30 years, doesn't mind the Atherton Oaks' odd shape, but said that it's sometimes overlooked.

"In our experience this place is kind of a sleeper," he said. "When people think of Atherton, they think of Lindenwood, Felton Gables or West Atherton and they kind of forget about this little corridor."
Still, being on the edge of Atherton and Menlo Park has its perks, he said.

"We really enjoy the rural sense of Atherton while being really close to Menlo Park," he said. "It's an easy walk to downtown. It's the kind of community where you know folks, and as you encounter them you can catch up on how their family is doing and what they're up to."

The area is surrounded by a number of schools, including Encinal Elementary, Menlo-Atherton High School, Sacred Heart and Menlo School. Of course, Holbrook Palmer Park is extremely close, as well.
Holt, whose two children attended nearby public schools, said these amenities make the neighborhood a perfect place for young families to start.

Its proximity to the schools can make it difficult to navigate traffic once school gets out, but commuter traffic isn't bad, and it's easy enough to plan alternate routes to avoid El Camino Real and Middlefield Road, Holt said.

"Everything is kind of an easy drive," said Holt, who works in Menlo Park. "We don't really buy into the whole traffic problem idea."

Another perk of living in the area is the comparatively larger lots it contains.

"One of the nice things is the sense of space," he said. "Some places in Menlo are quite pricey and they're typically a half acre or a quarter acre, where we have a whole acre."

In the end, Holt said the neighborhood isn't negatively affected by being divided by Felton Gables and Holbrook Palmer Park. While distinct, it's similarly pleasant compared to surrounding neighborhoods.

"I wouldn't say there's some kind of great differentiating aspect," he said. "Everywhere in this area is really delightful."

-- Eric Van Susteren


FACTS
CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOLS: The Playschool, Holbrook-Palmer Park, 150 Watkins Ave., Atherton
FIRE STATION: 300 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park
LOCATION: Between Laurel Street and Middlefield Road. From Glenwood Avenue to Encinal Avenue and Watkins Avenue to Fair Oaks Lane.
PARK: Holbrook-Palmer Park, 150 Watkins Ave., Atherton
PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Menlo Park City Elementary School District Laurel School, 95 Edge Road, Atherton; Encinal School, 195 Encinal Ave., Menlo Park; Hillview Middle School, 1100 Elder Ave., Menlo Park
Sequoia Union High School District -- Menlo Atherton High School, 555 Middlefield Road, Atherton
SHOPPING: Downtown Menlo Park
MEDIAN 2012 HOME PRICE: $2,790,000 ($235,000-$3,700,000)HOMES SOLD: 4

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