If you’re driving up the 101 toward San Francisco, you’ve seen it. You probably just didn’t realize it had a name. It’s that cluster of houses clinging to the steep, foggy side of San Bruno Mountain, right past the South San Francisco "The Industrial City" sign. That is the City of Brisbane CA, and honestly, it’s one of the strangest, quietest, and most fiercely independent spots in the entire Bay Area.
People call it "The City of Stars."
Why? Because back in the 1940s, a resident named Arthur Edwards decided to put a large wooden star on his house for Christmas. His neighbors liked it. They copied him. Now, every December, the entire hillside lights up with hundreds of oversized stars. It’s a local law of sorts, though mostly enforced by social pressure and tradition rather than actual police. If you live there, you put up a star. Period.
But Brisbane isn't just a quirky Christmas village. It is a massive contradiction. It’s a tiny town of roughly 4,800 people that happens to sit on top of some of the most valuable, contested, and complicated real estate in North America.
The Massive Fight Over the Baylands
You can't talk about the City of Brisbane CA without talking about the Baylands. This is the 600-acre stretch of vacant land—well, mostly vacant—that sits between the residential "Slope" and the highway. For decades, it was a rail yard and a landfill. Now, it is a multibillion-dollar headache.
For years, developers have been drooling over this dirt. They see 2,200 housing units. They see millions of square feet of office space for biotech and tech giants. But for a long time, the people of Brisbane said no. They liked being small. They liked their quiet streets where you can actually find parking and your neighbors know your dog's name.
There was a massive political showdown. The state of California, desperate for housing, basically told Brisbane they had to build. The local vote in 2018 was a turning point. Residents eventually approved a measure that allowed for a mix of housing and commercial use, but the cleanup process for a former rail yard is a nightmare. We’re talking about decades of industrial residue. It’s not just "dig a hole and build a condo." It requires massive remediation, environmental impact reports that stack up to the ceiling, and constant oversight from the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC).
Living on "The Slope" vs. "The Flatlands"
Brisbane is geographically split, and the vibe changes depending on where your feet are planted.
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Most of the houses are on "The Slope." These are the streets that make San Francisco’s hills look like gentle inclines. We are talking about 20-degree grades where your parking brake is your best friend. The architecture is a chaotic mess of 1920s cottages, mid-century boxes, and modern glass cubes that look like they’re hovering over the bay.
Then you have the flatlands and the marina. The Sierra Point area is where the money is currently flowing. This is the biotech hub. While the residential part of town feels like a sleepy 1970s mountain village, Sierra Point looks like the set of a sci-fi movie. Massive glass towers housing companies like Bristol Myers Squibb and various startups are popping up constantly.
It creates this weird duality.
In the morning, you have world-class scientists commuting into the glass towers at Sierra Point. At the same time, a few blocks away, a local is grabbing a coffee at Madhouse Coffee or Silverspot and complaining about the fog rolling off the mountain. It’s a small town that functions as a high-tech engine.
The San Bruno Mountain Factor
Most people in the Bay Area think San Bruno Mountain is just a big hill they drive around. For those in the City of Brisbane CA, it’s basically their backyard, and they are incredibly protective of it.
This isn't just a park. It’s a biological island. It is one of the few places on earth where you can find the Mission Blue butterfly and the Callippe Silverspot butterfly. Both are endangered. Because of this, the mountain is protected by one of the first Habitat Conservation Plans (HCP) in the United States.
If you hike the Ridge Trail on a clear day, the view is absurd. You can see the Pacific Ocean, the San Francisco skyline, the East Bay, and the Santa Cruz mountains all at once. But you have to earn it. The wind up there will try to knock you over. It’s raw, it’s cold, and it’s beautiful.
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Why Nobody Moves Away
Brisbane has a "sticky" population. People move in and they stay for forty years. It’s the kind of place where the community pool is the social center of the universe during the summer.
The local school district is tiny. Brisbane Elementary and Lipman Middle School are the main hubs. Because the town is so small, kids grow up together in a way that’s almost extinct in the rest of the Silicon Valley sprawl. It feels isolated in a good way. You are seven minutes from San Francisco and ten minutes from SFO airport, yet it feels like you're in a Northern California coastal town three hours away from civilization.
But it isn't perfect.
The weather is... well, it’s a lot. Brisbane is right in the path of the "fog gap." The wind whips through the San Bruno Mountain passes and slams into the town. One minute it’s 75 degrees and sunny, and the next, you’re enveloped in a grey mist that drops the temperature 15 degrees in six minutes. You don’t live here if you hate layers.
The Economic Engine You Didn't Notice
Despite its size, the City of Brisbane CA punches way above its weight class economically.
The city has no "big box" stores. No Target. No Walmart. Instead, it relies on a massive industrial park and the burgeoning biotech sector. This allows the city to provide services that larger cities struggle with. The public works are top-notch. The parks are well-maintained.
However, there is a looming identity crisis.
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As the Baylands project finally moves toward construction over the next decade, Brisbane’s population could potentially double. For a town that prides itself on being a "hidden gem," that’s terrifying for many residents. They worry about the traffic on Bayshore Boulevard. They worry about losing that "village" feel.
Realities of the Real Estate Market
If you’re looking to buy in Brisbane, bring a thick wallet and a sense of humor.
Inventory is almost non-existent. Because nobody leaves, houses rarely hit the market. When they do, they are often snapped up by people who work in South San Francisco’s biotech labs or San Francisco’s tech sector but don't want to deal with the chaos of living in a major city.
Expect to pay a premium for a view. A house with a clear shot of the bay will cost significantly more than one tucked into the canyons. And remember: check the foundation. These houses are built on steep terrain and bedrock—or sometimes not-so-stable soil. A thorough geological inspection is a non-negotiable here.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception about Brisbane is that it’s just a suburb of San Francisco. It isn't. It’s actually quite politically distinct and culturally independent.
It was incorporated in 1961 specifically because residents wanted to control their own destiny and avoid being swallowed up by the larger neighboring cities. There is a deep-seated "do it yourself" attitude. When the city needs something, the residents usually form a committee and figure it out themselves.
It’s also surprisingly diverse in its demographics, though it skews older than the hyper-young tech hubs of San Jose or Palo Alto. You’ll find retired longshoremen living next door to software engineers and artists.
Practical Advice for Visiting or Moving
If you’re just passing through, don’t just stay on the highway. Turn off at the Brisbane exit and drive up Visitacion Avenue.
- Eat at the 23rd St. Cafe: It’s a local staple. Don’t expect anything fancy, just good food and a lot of local gossip.
- Hike the San Bruno Mountain State Park: Park at the main entrance off Guadalupe Canyon Parkway. Take the Summit Loop. Bring a windbreaker. Even if it looks sunny, bring the windbreaker.
- The Marina: It’s a great spot for a walk, but it’s often overlooked. It’s one of the few places you can get right up to the water without the crowds of Oyster Point or the Embarcadero.
- December Visit: If you’re around during the holidays, do the "Star Walk." Just drive through the residential streets at night. It’s genuinely magical and costs zero dollars.
Actionable Steps for Potential Residents
- Check the Wind Maps: Before buying or renting, visit the specific street at 4:00 PM. The wind patterns in Brisbane are highly localized. One street might be calm while the next one over is a wind tunnel.
- Investigate the Baylands Progress: If you're looking at property as an investment, stay updated on the Brisbane Baylands specific plan. The timeline for the 2,200 housing units will radically change property values and traffic patterns in the next 10 years.
- Meet the Neighbors: Seriously. In a town this small, your relationship with your neighbors matters more than it would in a big city. Stop by the local library or the community center to get a feel for the people.
- Commute Reality Check: Test the drive. While it’s "close" to SF, the 101 merge can be a nightmare during peak hours. Check the Caltrain shuttle schedules if you plan on commuting via rail; Brisbane has a dedicated shuttle that connects the city to the Bayshore Caltrain station.