Professor 1Wouldn’t you expect a name like Professorville to be something out of a Hollywood movie?  Well Professorville Palo Alto could very well be in a movie.  Professorville is one of the smaller Palo Alto neighborhoods which is found between Addison, Kingsley, Ramona and Cowper streets in downtown Palo Alto.  The first homes were built in Professorville in the late 1880’s.  During this period Leland Stanford was building out other portions of Palo Alto and Stanford University campus and some of the adventurous professors sought to build their own homes – on land they could actually buy which wasn’t owned by Stanford.

Professorville is today a designated official historic district with many of the homes in the over 100 year old range.  Homes of all distinction and character decorate each and every street within the neighborhood including ivy and foliage covered buildings on every street.  There are Colonial Revival homes, Craftsmen homes, Queen-Anne style homes, and Dutch Colonial to name a few.

Professorville Palo Alto Has an Inseparable Connection with Stanford University and Silicon Valley

Professorville’s connection with Stanford University is by far one of its greatest charms.  Many Professorville residents over the years have been university professors and many still are today – thus its name “Professorville.”  From Professorville residents can walk, bike or jog to Stanford University, El Camino Real, and California Avenue.  The Birthplace of Silicon Valley is located at 367 Addison Avenue where the garage that Bill Hewlett and David Packard housed their little start-up company called Hewlett-Packard today.  Noble prize winner William Shockley grew up at 959 Waverley Street – Shockley was the co-inventor of the transistor.

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Professorville Residents are Extremely Proud of their Neighborhood

Professorville neighborhood is a collection of some of the most charming homes on the peninsula and in Palo Alto. Unfortunately because of their age and historic significance Professorville homes can be challenging for those owners who wish to improve and expand their homes.  Moreover, most of the homes in Professorville only have one-car or smaller garages leaving only the public street for families with more than one vehicle (when a lot of these homes were built the modern mode of transportation was not a car).  Complicating things the Palo Alto Historic Review Board must approve all construction plans even after any project were already approved by the Palo Alto Building and Planning departments.  The idea is that the historical and aesthetical preservation of the neighborhood is a very high priority within city administration and neighborhood owners.Hewlett Packard garage in Palo Alto

Professorville lots sizes are not typically uniform as they vary from 2,000 sq. ft. to over 10,000 sq. ft. and everything in between.  Even with all of the hurdles and challenges that Professorville has with its inventory of older homes in 2013 single-family homes sold for an average price above $3,400,000.

 

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Professorville Children Enjoy Top Notched Palo Alto Schools

Like all Palo Alto residents Professorville school-aged children are fortunate to be able to attend top-notched public schools in the Palo Alto Unified School District.  Families move from all of the Bay Area and even from outside the state to come to attend Palo Alto public schools. [School attendance boundaries are subject to change and schools are subject to availability.  Verify enrollment and availability with the Palo Alto Unified School District].

 

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Professorville Properties Are Great Long-Term Investments As Palo Alto Remains One of the Most Desirable Cities in the United States

Although primarily owner-occupied properties exist within Professorville, the geographical advantage for Professorville Palo Alto makes it great location for real estate investors looking for long-term buy and hold strategies.  This is even in the face of the historical context and impediments for improving Professorville homes.  It is important for a property owner to consider hiring an experienced Palo Alto property manager and/or a professional property management company who knows the intricacies of Palo Alto government and restrictions can help an investor navigate through these bureaucratic waters.  With the help of a professional and competent property manager a property owner can achieve long-term growth in equity and obtain an average return-on-investment.

Palo Alto goes as Stanford University goes and as long as it remains a world class university the city,Professor 5 Map including the wonderful neighborhoods like Professorville surrounding it will continue to grow, prosper, and continue to get even better over time.

Contact Esquire Property Management Group to discuss any questions or investment property strategies in Palo Alto or any surrounding Bay Area community.  Palo Alto is a long-term home run investment – take time now to see how you can get involved.

If you are in need of a property manager for your Palo Alto income property, or if you’re considering purchasing income property in Palo Alto, please consider Esquire Property Management Group. Please read about the unique advantage we bring our Palo Alto property management clients. With a real estate agent, a real estate attorney and a real estate developer on staff, we are also uniquely qualified to assist with your real estate search and purchase needs anywhere in the Silicon Valley (see our staff page for our qualifications).

David Roberson
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