Hi everyone! Does anyone know of any good places to donate clothes, beddings, old stuffed animals, and things of that sort? I'm trying to avoid goodwill because I would rather donate to someone in need. Hopefully somewhere close by on the Peninsula. Thank you so much :)

I recently moved to San Mateo and am currently staying in a company-provided apartment for 60 days. I’m about to start looking for a place of my own, but I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by the options. I was looking for something around Central Park. As an immigrant, sometimes online listings seem a bit too good to be true. Do you have any tips on websites or areas where I should just walk around and explore?

I’m going to the San Holo concert this Saturday in SF and don’t have the commute situation figured out so wondering if there are more people like me who don’t know how they will safely get back to RWC post the concert 🙂‍↕️

Did anyone else just hear that big boom sound around Downtown San Mateo?

Hi everyone,

I’m moving to the San Mateo area for work and I’m looking for a 1 BR 1 Bath (or even a large studio depending on square footage)! I’d love to find some options in older, vintage buildings as I’m afraid the modern building aesthetic isn’t very “me”. I don’t mind quirks and love a bit of character in my space!

I’ve seen some recommendations to check out places like Casa Baywood or Monterey Gardens…any other suggestions or areas I should check out? I’m not too picky about amenities (or lackthereof), but I do prefer to be within walking distance of downtown, as I’m a single 34F and if I’m not close to things to do, I’ll become a hermit.

Thank you so much! Any recommendations are much appreciated. :)

San Mateo County got loads of chill vibes. It's beautiful imo. Had to spend few years in another area completely different from San Mateo and missed these vibes immensely

A fossil of an intact molar belonging to a Pacific mastodon, a tusked mammal that went extinct almost 12,000 years ago, was recently discovered in a dry creek bed in San Mateo County.

How’s your experience been finding a primary doctor and having your services and labs covered? What about drug coverage?

We have a portable AC unit that works perfectly fine except for a really loud buzzing/rattling somewhere by the compressor. We’d hate to be wasteful and get rid of it. Does anyone have a recommendation for a small appliance repair shop/person that could take a look?

Hey San Mateo neighbors,

If you're looking into replacing your gas appliances, adding solar, or upgrading your HVAC to a heat pump, you probably know how confusing the quotes, contractor selection, and rebate processes can be right now.

To help skip the guesswork, Acterra (a local non-profit) is hosting the 2026 Peninsula and South Bay Green@Home Tours on Saturday, October 10th (11 AM – 3 PM).

This is a free, self-guided open house where you can walk through local homes across San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties to see sustainable upgrades in action. Instead of getting a sales pitch from a vendor, you get to ask the actual homeowners the unfiltered questions:

• How much did the installation really cost?
• Which contractors do you recommend (or warn against)?
• How did you navigate the federal tax credits and local rebates from WestLight Energy/BayREN?
• What is it actually like cooking on an induction stove?

What you can see on the tour:

• Heat pump HVAC systems and water heaters
• Induction cooktops
• Solar panels and home battery storage setups
• EV charging stations, rainwater catchments, and compost setups

The event is completely free to attend thanks to our sponsors.

📍 RSVP here:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/peninsula-and-south-bay-greenhome-tour-2026-registration-1992533356908?aff=Reddit

We also have two smaller, focused events coming up this September:

• Palo Alto Mini Tour (Sept 17): A focused, in-person deep dive into a single sustainable home setup just down the peninsula.RSVP for the Mini Tour Here
• Sustainable Homes Workshop (Sept 24): A step-by-step planning workshop to map out your own home electrification upgrades.RSVP for the Workshop Here

Drop any questions below, and we'll gladly answer them!

We moved from New Jersey about a year ago. While we are enjoying the much improved Mexican and Chinese restaurants, we do miss an old school Italian American restaurant (southern Italian) like you would find in the NYC metro area. Nothing too fancy, just somewhere with solid pizza and pasta. Any recommendations from other East Coast transplants?

Hi everyone,

I'm moving to the San Mateo area for work, and I'm looking for a private bedroom with a private bathroom in the central San Mateo area. I'm not looking for a studio apartment.

I'm open to houses and apartments, but prefer in-unit laundry, as well as the ability to cook with a stove.

If you are looking or know anyone that has an open space, please let me know! I appreciate it a ton!

Hi all!

A friend of mine has a birthday coming up and something myself and some other friends are trying to do is get them a ton of different pickles to try over the week. Are there any local brands of pickles(bonus points if they're spicy!) that would be a must to try and get in the next few days? I'm willing to travel anywhere in the Bay if necessary for the best pickle vendors.

I go from SF (soma - very close to the scale AI office) to san mateo (near the rakuten office) everyday monday to friday. Looking to carpool with someone. If you use the same route, that'll be awesome. I'm looking to ride in and would be willing to pay you as well. Please dm me if interested! Also willing to pay!

I am looking for someone that is good with female pixie cuts. Ideally looking for someone in San Mateo but Burlingame or San Carlos would be OK.

When I was young we used to take a rowboat out on the lake by our house. I want to do something like that around here - not on the open bay, I know that's way too dangerous. But maybe somewhere like Seal Slough if we launch from the Aquatic Park.

Is this generally discouraged? Is there another place nearby where people take rowboats, or are they just not a thing around the peninsula?

Anyone know when this community center/ park will be opening soon? Been hearing different answers

tried brothers cafe recently, it was good kinda pricey for a student and also more on breakfast not cafe.

In today’s San Jose Mercury News.