Skyfarm

"Subdivided from Crocker Family lands in the 1970s, Hillsborough's Skyfarm area offers the luxury of larger homes and larger lot sizes. Scenic lifestyle of Bay views, easy access to Highway 280 and SFO. Home to Nueva School."

Some Representative Streets

Butternut, Camphor Court, Churchill, Cinnamon Court, Cottonwood Court, Eugenia, Jacaranda, Macadamia, Orange Court, Pine Court, Privet, Rowan Tree, Skyfarm Drive, Tea Tree

NEIGHBORHOOD OVERVIEW

Skyfarm is one of Hillsborough’s newer subdivisions that borders Lower North to the east, and reaches westward to the top of the hill at Skyline near Highway 280. Skyfarm is named after the original Crocker Family property, whose mansion still exists as the private Nueva School (first picture above). Skyfarm lands were subdivided in the 1970s, with most constructions from the 1970s-1980s. For Hillsborough, Skyfarm housing stock would be considered newer, as a great majority of Hillsborough inventory is pre-War or 1950s. For those seeking larger executive homes with modern amenities, and without the price tag of Lower Hillsborough, Skyfarm is a fabulous match.

Bay views are magnificent from many streets such as Skyfarm Drive, Butternut, Privet, and Churchill. The average sq. ft. of homes sold in Skyfarm for year 2022 was a generous 5,164 sq. ft. By comparison the average size for a home sold in Hillsborough’s Lakeview was 3,490. Due to the consistently large lot sizes and the Bay views, Skyfarm is capable of achieving $10,000,000+ benchmarks. Skyfarm eight-figure sales in recent years (both ultra-modern designs) include: 38 Cinnamon Court, selling for $11,500,000 in 2018; and 35 Grevillea Court selling for $11,830,000 a few months later in 2018. The Skyfarm neighborhood of Hillsborough recorded Hillsborough's #1 Sale Price of 2022 at 950 Macadamia, closing at $15,470,000. 

A particularly unique and attractive Skyfarm street is Jacaranda Circle. Jacaranda backs up to Crocker Lake Open Space and also connects onto Chateau Drive linking downtown Burlingame and Highway 280. Man-made Crocker Lake was originally created to provide irrigation to William H. Crocker’s New Place estate gardens. It is now a rare greenbelt ecosystem in its own right, owned and protected by the Town of Hillsborough. I refer to Jacaranda as "Lower Skyfarm," being closer to the flats than it is to Highway 280. For 2023, Skyfarm's #1 sale was recorded at 714 Jacaranda Circle for $7,900,000. 

The Skyfarm neighborhood is assigned primarily to West School, Crocker Middle, and Burlingame High

For Hillsborough School District School Boundaries, North, South, West, By-Street click here. 

Explore All Hillsborough Neighborhoods at Geoffrey Nelson’s Hillsborough Google Map.

MarketSnapshotSKYFARM2023


Appeal for Residents and Homeseekers

  • Great opportunity for those seeking larger Floorplan with post-war constructions from 1970s to new. 
  • High average sq. ft. size in this area, consistency of larger homes. 
  • Price per sq. ft. can be more approachable for buyers than Lower Hillsborough
  • Utmost convenience to Highway 280. The commute ease is impeccable. Some of the closer-in blocks such as Jacaranda and Orange Court,  also connect quickly via Chateau Drive to Crocker Middle School, downtown Burlingame, El Camino, and Highway 101.

Potentially Adverse for Residents and Homeseekers

  • Some streets can feel a bit remote, with less "tree-lined" feeling than Lower North or Mid North/Homeplace, as example
  • Due to proximity to Highway 280, the area can receive varying levels of freeway noise.

Historic Notes

Not visible from any road, the unique Hillsborough Crocker Lake Open Space is tucked below streets such as Jacaranda, Cottonwood, and Skyfarm. The ecosystem is an ornithologist's dream with Mallard Hens, Snowy Egret, Cormorant, and Blue Heron (see photo aerial vista). Man-made Crocker Lake was originally created to provide irrigation to William H. Crocker’s New Place estate. The Crocker Family's Skyfarm Mansion (first photo, within Nueva aerial) complete with its glorious ballroom, is now the center of the private Nueva School. One of Hillsborough's last "Gilded Age" estates to be built, this Italian mansion was designed in 1931 on 103 acres by famous San Francisco architect Arthur Brown, Jr. for William Willard Crocker (grandson of Big Four railroad titan Charles Crocker) to replace the previous 1890s home that had burned down.