Yeah, Trader Joe's and Mervyn's are right next to each other. There's also a Starbucks, Safeway, Quizno's (sandwiches) and other stores right in that same block.

If you walk south a couple of blocks, there's a Peet's (better coffee than Starbucks in my opinion), and quite a few restaurants (including the Shanghai Dumpling Shop). Stay away from the 16 Mile House - it's under new ownership and not very good any more. My family also likes Lai Lai for "Chinese American" food.

We have friends who love Lai Lai, but I'm not a big fan. Although I haven't been, I've heard excellent things about don Pico's.

I'm so glad you started this thread!

We will be relocating to Burlingame in a month or so and I am delighted to have all of these local restaurant recs.

Any recs for Burlingame itself?

Sorry, islandpaddler, but I have to ask an OT question. Lise, you finally made a decision? Did you buy a house in Burlingame? Which neighborhood? You can email me at [email protected] (my "public" email address)

We did! In the Easton addition. I would e-mail you, but big brother doesn't let me access personal e-mail at work!

Where is the Easton addition???

Stu Dudley

Easton is an east-west street off El Camino (at First Presbyterian Church). The area around it west of El Camino is the Easton Addition. Very nice area.

I see it - a few blocks north of Broadway - excellent location.

Stu Dudley

I have attended and also hosted family get-togethers at Fook Yuen. You'll love the dim sum for lunch!

lisettemac, I have lived in Burlingame for most of my life. I grew up here, then lived elsewhere for 10+ years. I convinced my husband that this was the best place in the world to live, so we returned here in the early 80s, right after we became parents.

As much as we love to travel, and as much as we appreciate different lifestyles, geographic differences, cultural differences, etc., we are always happy to return to this village.

Burlingame has changed a lot over the years. While many bemoan those changes, I am okay with it, because it remains essentially the same in feeling -- and always will, simply by virtue of its layout: it's a one-street town, very much like a New England village.

"The City of Trees" -- you will love it here, I think!

Do they still hang dead pigs in the parking lot, on the left side of Fook Yuen? That always turned my stomach. Especially after thinking about the pigs being exposed to the exhaust of cars. :-S

I've lived here a lonnnnnnng time, and I have never seen any dead pigs in the parking lot of Fook Yuen! (Btw, we familiarly refer to that restaurant as F***You...which is not meant as an insult, just an easy referential for a non-Chinese-speaking couple!)

it's a one-street town, very much like a New England village.

Well, it's actually a two-street town (but Lucie and I both live within walking distance of Burlingame Ave., so I'm sure she's referring to that). The atmosphere on the two streets is very different, but Broadway has changed a lot (for the better, I guess) over the last few years --- islandpaddler, there are some very nice restaurants on Broadway now, and Broadway is a mile closer to Millbrae! (Way to get this back on topic LOL!)

I'm excited about the move, but also daunted about how hard it is to pick up and move across the country.

I guess I'm scratching my head at the analogy to a New England village, Lucie. We live in New England now .... and just about nothng about Burlingame reminds me of New England!

lisettemac, I have spent a bit of time in New England, and I always felt very at home. But being a native, I'm sure nothing will feel like "the real thing" to you! Do keep in mind that Burlingame Avenue (where I live) and Broadway Burlingame (where the Easton addition is) are two very, very different animals, though!

Burlingame - New England Village? Nah...I don't see it, either. It's very much a California town.

TTess, certainly not like historically-preserved New England villages!

But are you familiar with downtown Burlingame? I.e., Burlingame Avenue, NOT Broadway Burlingame (which, though it has its own attributes, has always been considered basically a freeway entrance!)

Burlingame -- the town that centers on one street, Burlingame Avenue -- is a unique place ... and very different from, e.g., Menlo Park, Palo Alto, and Mill Valley, other "small towns" in the Bay Area.

I certainly don't pretend to be a NE native, but I have spent a good deal of time there, and the towns with which I am most familiar (particularly Hanover, NH and a few other Vermont and Connecticut small towns) definitely have a similar feeling. Of course, we don't get snow, and of course we don't all have mud rooms or basements; but we also don't have a lot of ranch houses, Mexican tile roofs, palm trees, etc. And there is, thankfully, not a single strip mall within at least a mile of my house!

I wish the Electric Avenue store was still on Burlingame Ave. Same with Puckihuddle. Replaced by Gap, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, anymallstoreUSA, etc.

Stu Dudley

I hear you, Stu, believe me. However, since Electric Avenue replaced one of my father's businesses (a small retail clothing store, nothing famous!), I have mixed feelings about the demise of EA, whose owner was kind of a jerk. But I miss the hardware store, Jurgensen's, Burlingame Drug, Levy Bros., Towles, and the Garden Center, among others. And I hate what the new owner of the smoke shop has done to that historically significant place. I wish he would just disappear.

Nevertheless, I still love this place -- and as I said, I've witnessed over a half century of changes. Another thing I appreciate: our library is, imo, one of the best little libraries I've ever known!

I loved EA, or at least the stuff they sold!

When BabyGap replaced the old stationery store, the owner told me he could make more money renting the building than selling stationery.