Mountain View

Welcome to Mountain View

Great place for tech companies, even better home for residents
Referring to Mountain View as the center of the tech universe might be doing the city of over 80,000 residents a disservice.
As the headquarters for Google, Symantec, and Intuit, the city certainly earns its technological bona fides. But its fame as a corporate home base has not diminished the fact that Mountain View is a phenomenal place to put down your own roots.

After incorporation in 1902, the area was primarily an agricultural community until the U.S. Navy purchased land in 1931 and Moffatt Naval Air Station was built two years later. That led to the city serving as an incubator for aerospace and electronics companies.
Even with the plethora of technology companies, Mountain View remains more a residential community than anything else. Small distinctive neighborhoods and a bit of fun and excitement in between provide new residents the chance to create a little history of their own.

What to Love

Energy from being a worldwide tech center
Unique neighborhoods and residents
Google’s home base

People & Lifestyle

Mountain View, like several other areas in Silicon Valley playing host to major tech giants, can seem as if it’s really two cities. During the day, the population easily swells to over 125,000 as workers head into their high-tech offices.
This continuous flux of people gives Mountain View an unmistakable vibrancy that is missing in some of the sleepier parts of the San Francisco Peninsula.
The city is wonderfully diverse, both in its people and its neighborhoods. Residents may come from all over for work, but they stay because of the dynamic lifestyle Mountain View offers. So, it comes as little surprise that the city consistently ranks as one of California’s best places to live.

Dining, Shopping & Entertainment

The walkable downtown is a main draw for residents and visitors alike, complete with an abundance of shops and public art displays at Pioneer Memorial Park. In addition to downtown shopping, there are two major shopping areas, the newly developed Carmel Village, adjacent to Los Altos, and the Rengstorff Center.
If you’re hungry, Cascal, Doppio Zero, and Amarin Thai Cuisine are all excellent stops along Castro Street. Thirsty? Stop by Red Rock Coffee for morning fare and St. Stephen’s Green for something a bit later in the day.
Not merely a tech hub, Mountain View also celebrates the arts at the city’s Center for the Performing Arts and showcases an impressive 38-piece collection of outdoor public art throughout the city.

Things to Do

As a place where things happen, Mountain View offers many outdoor activities. A former landfill, Shoreline at Mountain View is a fabulous open space area (the largest in Mountain View) and is home to the Shoreline Amphitheatre and Lake Boathouse. Golfers will love the links-style Shoreline Golf Links that sits adjacent to San Francisco Bay.
Mountain View has an abundance of parks throughout the city, and the Stevens Creek Trail, which runs from Cupertino to Mountain View includes 10 miles of bike and pedestrian trails. There is also a fantastic Sunday farmers market to fuel you after a hike or bike excursion.
Being in the very heart of Silicon Valley, one should not miss the Computer History Museum or Charleston Park, a 5-acre public park that lies in the shadow of the Googleplex, Google’s headquarters.
If you are interested in Mountain View’s aerospace heritage, the old airship hangars and world’s largest wind tunnel at NASA's Ames Research Center are must-sees.