Why 1800 Old Bayshore Hwy Burlingame CA 94010 Is More Than Just a Waterfront Address

Why 1800 Old Bayshore Hwy Burlingame CA 94010 Is More Than Just a Waterfront Address

Ever driven up the Peninsula toward SFO and noticed those massive glass structures hugging the bay? Most people just see them as a blur of windows while rushing to catch a flight. But if you pull off the Millbrae exit and wind your way down toward the water, you hit 1800 Old Bayshore Hwy Burlingame CA 94010. It’s a spot that basically defines the weird, high-stakes intersection of Silicon Valley tech and old-school airport logistics.

It's a weird location. Honestly, on paper, being right next to one of the busiest airports in the world sounds like a nightmare for a workspace. The noise, the traffic, the constant smell of jet fuel—it shouldn't work. Yet, this specific stretch of Burlingame has become a magnet for some of the biggest names in the world. We’re talking about a place where multi-billion dollar deals happen just a few hundred yards from where a Boeing 777 is touching down.

What’s actually inside 1800 Old Bayshore Hwy Burlingame CA 94010?

If you’re looking for this address, you’re likely looking for the Bay Center. This isn’t some dusty, mid-century office park. It’s a modern, Class A office complex that has undergone some serious transformations over the last decade. Currently, the most notable tenant—and the reason most people search for this building—is Meta (formerly Facebook).

Meta’s presence here changed everything. For years, Burlingame was where you went for a cheap airport hotel or a sourdough bowl at Fisherman's Grotto. Then, the tech giants started realizing that Menlo Park was getting too crowded and San Francisco was too expensive or "difficult" for certain commuters. 1800 Old Bayshore Hwy Burlingame CA 94010 offered the perfect middle ground. It’s literally minutes from the terminal, making it a dream for executives flying in from Seattle or New York for a six-hour strategy meeting before heading right back to the gate.

The building itself is massive. It's about 173,000 square feet of space. Think about that. That is roughly three football fields stacked and wrapped in high-performance glass. When Meta took over a significant chunk of this space, they didn't just move in some desks. They completely overhauled the interior to match that "campus" vibe they’re known for. We’re talking open floor plans, high-end culinary options, and views of the San Francisco Bay that would make a corner office at Salesforce Tower jealous.

The strategic genius of the Burlingame waterfront

Why here? Why not Palo Alto?

Money and logistics.

✨ Don't miss: Is US Stock Market Open Tomorrow? What to Know for the MLK Holiday Weekend

Real estate in the "true" Silicon Valley core—places like Mountain View or Cupertino—is basically non-existent. When a company needs to scale quickly, they look at the "North County" submarket. Burlingame sits in this sweet spot. You have the Caltrain nearby at the Millbrae Intermodal Station, which connects the BART system to the peninsula. This means a developer living in the Mission District can get to 1800 Old Bayshore Hwy Burlingame CA 94010 almost as easily as an executive living in Hillsborough.

Also, let’s talk about the Bay Trail. It runs right behind the property. You’ll see employees out there during lunch, jogging or just staring at the water, trying to solve some coding bug. It provides a level of "amenity" that you just can't build from scratch in an inland office park.

The ownership history of this site is a bit of a revolving door of institutional capital. Cushman & Wakefield and other major brokerage firms have handled the leasing and sales over the years. It’s currently part of the larger Peninsula office market dynamics where vacancy rates fluctuate based on how many days a week people are actually coming into the office. Despite the "work from home" shift, high-quality waterfront assets like this tend to hold their value better than the generic "beige box" offices you see further inland.

If you're visiting 1800 Old Bayshore Hwy Burlingame CA 94010 for a meeting, don't expect a lot of street parking. It’s a corporate environment. The parking garage is your friend.

Around the corner, you’ve got the Hyatt Regency and the Marriott. This is intentional. The whole ecosystem of this specific block is designed for the high-flying corporate traveler. You can land at SFO at 9:00 AM, be in a conference room by 9:30 AM, have a steak at one of the nearby grills by noon, and be back in the air by 4:00 PM.

  • Pro Tip: If you have time to kill, the Shorebird Park is right there. It’s one of the best spots to watch planes land on the 28 runways at SFO.
  • Food: Most people in the building stick to the internal cafes, but New England Lobster Market & Eatery is just a short drive away. It’s a local legend for a reason.

The Reality of the "Meta Effect"

When a company like Meta plants a flag at 1800 Old Bayshore Hwy Burlingame CA 94010, the local economy feels it. The surrounding hotels see more mid-week bookings. The local sandwich shops start seeing a surge in catering orders. However, it also creates a bit of a bubble.

🔗 Read more: Big Lots in Potsdam NY: What Really Happened to Our Store

There’s a common misconception that these buildings are open to the public or have some kind of "visitor center." They don't. Security is tight. If you don't have a badge or a scheduled interview, you aren't getting past the lobby. It’s a fortress of intellectual property.

But it’s not all sunshine and tech stock options. The location faces real challenges. Sea level rise is a genuine conversation in Burlingame. When you're building this close to the water, you have to think about the next 50 years of climate data. The city has been working on various levee and infrastructure projects to ensure that the Bayshore corridor doesn't end up underwater by 2070.

How to get to 1800 Old Bayshore Hwy Burlingame CA 94010 without losing your mind

Traffic here is legendary. And not in a good way.

If you are coming from San Francisco, the 101 South can be a parking lot starting at 3:00 PM. The "surface street" trick is to take Airport Blvd, which runs parallel to the highway. It saves you from the merging madness near the San Bruno curve.

If you’re coming from the South Bay, the 101 North is usually better, but the Broadway exit in Burlingame can get backed up for a mile. Your best bet is to stay in the right lanes and use the Millbrae Avenue exit, then double back south on Old Bayshore. It feels counter-intuitive, but it usually shaves off ten minutes of idling.

  1. Check the SFO flight schedule: No, seriously. If there’s a major delay or a holiday weekend, the traffic around the 1800 block becomes a gridlock.
  2. Use the Shuttles: Many of the tenants in this building run private shuttles from the Millbrae BART/Caltrain station. If you’re a visitor, check with your host to see if you can hop on.
  3. Parking: Use the designated structure. Don't try to be a hero and park at the nearby hotels; they will tow you faster than you can say "IPO."

Is this area still relevant in 2026?

People keep saying the office is dead. They’ve been saying it since 2020. But look at 1800 Old Bayshore Hwy Burlingame CA 94010 and you’ll see a different story. Specialized hubs—especially those near major transit or with unique views—are actually doing okay. Companies are downsizing their total footprint but upgrading the quality of the space they keep.

💡 You might also like: Why 425 Market Street San Francisco California 94105 Stays Relevant in a Remote World

They want "trophy" buildings. This is a trophy building.

It’s about prestige. It’s about being able to tell a recruit, "Hey, your desk looks out over the Pacific flight path." That matters for a certain type of talent. While the "cube farms" in San Jose are sitting empty, the waterfront in Burlingame remains a hive of activity.

Actionable Steps for Visitors or Businesses

If you’re looking at 1800 Old Bayshore Hwy Burlingame CA 94010 as a potential place of employment or a business partner, here is the ground reality you need to act on:

  • Factor in the "Airport Tax": Everything in this immediate radius costs 20% more. Coffee, lunch, gas—it’s the price of convenience. Budget accordingly if you’re managing a team here.
  • Verify the Tenant List: Companies move. While Meta has been the big fish here, tech companies are notorious for subleasing space when they pivot. If you're heading there for a specific company, double-check which "Wing" or floor they are on.
  • Connectivity is King: The building has top-tier fiber infrastructure. If you’re a tech startup looking for a sublease in the area, the "bones" of 1800 Old Bayshore are significantly better than the older mid-rises further south in San Mateo.
  • Environmental Impact: If you are a developer or investor, look into the Burlingame One Shoreline project. It’s the local initiative protecting this specific stretch of land from the Bay's rising tides. Knowing the status of those levees is crucial for long-term valuation.

It’s easy to dismiss a street address as just a point on a map. But 1800 Old Bayshore is a microcosm of why the Peninsula still holds its grip on the global tech imagination. It’s expensive, it’s loud, it’s crowded, and yet, everyone still wants to be there.

Bottom line: If you have a meeting at 1800 Old Bayshore Hwy Burlingame CA 94010, leave early, bring your badge, and definitely take a moment to look at the water before you go inside. It’s one of the few places in the Bay Area where the grind of corporate life feels a little less heavy because of the view.

Go check the traffic on 101 before you head out. It’s already building up.