Seal Point Park

Just south of Coyote Point in San Mateo -- take the 3rd Street exit east off Hwy 101 -- is Seal Point Park, which includes a terrific park for kids, paved walking and jogging paths along the bay, and just some gorgeous views. Took my 2 year old there today and had a hard time getting him to leave he was having such a blast. Nice change of pace from your favorite Burlingame park. Great example of local government doing something very well that the public can enjoy without paying admission ...

Burlingame - City of Trees

Burlingame goes by the moniker "City of Trees" but I'm still amazed at the number of homes here with no trees on their property between the sidewalk and the street. Some homes have them covered up with brick or stone, others have just let the grass turn to weed or dirt. Somehow, there's no consistent enforcement of the "vision" of Burlingame as the city of trees which is surprising and disappointing. I know Burlingame trees have suffered from diseases and different streets are in various stages of regrowing their trees, but to plant nothing at all seems like a bad idea. There are plenty of folks who would donate trees, I think, to those who can't afford them, and the marginal extra upkeep required to keep that "street strip" maintained is hardly more effort than keeping the rest of a lawn maintained. For the cost of real estate here and the impression that trees make on a street and to property values, simply covering a homeowner's "street strip" with rock or brick is sort of like buying a new Ferrari and then painting it a dull, flat grey color. No one should do that and no one should neglect their street strip, either!

Coyote Point Trails ...

Most people in Burlingame are unaware of the great running trails around Coyote Point, reachable by taking Peninsula Avenue east over Highway 101. There are also picnic areas, a museum, a playground, and many great overlooking the bay, but the running trails around Coyote Point that actually connect either up to the Marriott near SFO, or all the way down to Redwood City, are a great venue for runners or cyclists and very close to downtown Burlingame. There is actually a $4 admission if you enter by car, but I typically run to the park from Burlingame, again via Peninsula Ave ...

Goodbye Bay Meadows ...

Some friends invited me to $1 Friday Nights at Bay Meadows racetrack last night -- really a goof since we're really not horseracing types. $1 admission, $1 hot dogs, $1 beers. Fun to watch the races and different from the usual Friday night entertainment, even if my horses ran more like donkeys ... Motivation for doing this was the whole track is being demolished to get ready for a new wave of residential construction in the fall of 2007. Given the price of real estate around here and the many outlets for gambling online and elsewhere, i'm not shocked at this and mostly happy about this, apart from potential heavier traffic that is likely to impact us Burlingamers once the new residents move in. Burlingame recently scored a mini-victory when in the face of massive local opposition to studying a new on/off ramp at Peninsula Ave & 101, the San Mateo County planners agreed to scrap the notion of even studying the interchange. Great example of how local politics works when the citizenry gets sufficiently motivated ...

Ecco Restaurant in Burlingame

My wife and I celebrated my birthday this week at Ecco in downtown Burlingame. Among the priciest restaurants in Burlingame, but superb food, outstanding service, and a decent wine list make this one we visit regularly, usually for special occasions like this. California/eclectic menu - head chef is Persian, we think. (?) Lots of seafood on the menu this time, but good selections of lamb, veal, duck, and beef as well. There are usually no lines to get in and the staff has been there for years, knows the menu intimately, and just does a terrific job. Quiet, good atmosphere, no pressure, few pretensions. Prices must keep the mob away, we figure. Our server Sharon was outstanding and it was just another nice experience overall that we recommend highly. It's a bit hidden - just off Burligame Ave not far from Il Fornaio.

Burlingame Public Library Rocks

I re-discovered public libraries a few years ago in an attempt to cut my Amazon habit - the Burlingame public library and its online reservation system (actually a county-wide system) is just a tremendous resource with a huge catalog of books that cost only $0.75 each to reserve. No more browsing at the library by hand - you walk in the front door, present your card, librarian pulls your reserved books off the shelf behind him/her, you pay the small fee, and the book is yours to read for up to six weeks if you renew, whic is usually enough time to get through whatever i need to read.

moreover, they have excellent programs for kids -- my 2 year old regularly attends storytime and loves it.

finally- they have free wifi and it's awesome to see all the researchers and entrepreneurs using the library as their base. a real renaissance for libraries that is long overdue, courtesy of the internet.

New Burlingame Mexican Restaurant

We've eaten twice at La Corneta, the new mexican restaurant on Burlingame Ave. Good food, good prices, and good experience. Line can be a bit long and they currently only accept cash, but this should give Hola a run for its money - finally.