People have visited Menlo Oaks since the early 1700s, first as explorers for Spain, but Native Americans lived or hunted in and around Menlo Oaks even before that.

In the mid-1800s Menlo Oaks became a summer destination for families from San Francisco or those living further north on the peninsula. They built summer homes and residences here, like the home at 699 Menlo Oaks (shown below). It was built circa 1916 and demolished around 2015. It and the Coleman Mansion, now Peninsula School, were the two most prominent structures here. Later, hunter cabins dotted Menlo Oaks until the mid-1900s. About that time, Joe Eichler built some of his Mid-Century Modern homes, and ranch homes popped up, too.

People who moved to Menlo Oaks before 2000, sought a simpler, “back to nature” environment to raise their families in. Today, even though Silicon Valley businesses dominate the area and have influenced increased development everywhere on the Peninsula, including Menlo Oaks, our area still remains a wooded escape.  The homes are bigger now than those of the 50s and 60s, but the people who live in them continue to enjoy the many benefits of Menlo Oaks and its trees—even if the streets remain just like they were in the 50s and 60s.