Palo Alto is one of the Bay area’s most important cities as the home of some of America’s premier technology and research in Silicon Valley and Stanford University. Located on the San Francisco peninsula, Palo Alto also has a thriving arts community to complement its high-tech wizards and academics. Although not considered a tourist destination, there are a few things to see and do in this small town if you are in the Bay area.
Stanford University forms the southern border of Palo Alto, and provides a big part of its cultural scene. Wandering its beautiful campus with its classic quad and famous Rodin sculpture garden is well worth the time. Silicon Valley makes up the northern edge of town, and in between are the Palo Alto Baylands and the compact downtown area.
Like many university towns, Palo Alto has a quiet, studious atmosphere to go with its progressive cultural scene. You can easily walk most of the downtown, which is lined with cafés, coffee houses, bookshops and boutiques. It’s a surprisingly pleasant town considering it gets very little tourism. There’s also a great natural side to Palo Alto to complement all the artistic events which go on throughout the year. The Baylands and Arastradero Preserve provide both coastal and forest environments native to the Bay area which are open to public recreation.
Highlights
Stanford University: one of America’s most prominent universities has a beautiful campus, lively quad, and is a pleasure to wander around.
Palo Alto Art Center: in addition to exhibiting local art, this impressive center also gives workshops, lectures and other special events.
The Cantor Center for Visual Arts: this extensive and free art museum on Stanford’s campus has 24 galleries, a sculpture garden and lovely outdoor grounds.
Arastradero Preserve: 10 miles of paths, perfect for hiking, biking and horseback riding, are teeming with local wildlife such as deer, bobcats, coyotes and dozens of bird species.
University avenue: brush shoulders with nouveau riche and preppy academic as you sip a latte at one of this thoroughfare’s trendy cafés.