Foster City

city in San Mateo County, California, United States

Foster City is a quiet suburban city on the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Primarily residential and lacking in a downtown, it also has a couple of large office parks and several large employers including Gilead, Visa, and Sony.

Get in

The only direct public transit to Foster City is via bus, either AC Transit (from the East Bay, there is express service from the Union City and Hayward BART stations) or SAMTrans (several routes.) There are also shuttles from the Hillsdale Caltrain station in San Mateo, although service has been cut back.

It is also very readily accessible from Highway 92 (Foster City Boulevard and Edgewater/Mariner's Island) exits, and indirectly from Highway 101 (Hillsdale.)

Get around

See

  • 🌍 Leo J. Ryan Park, East Hillsdale Blvd. across from The Marketplace. Leo J. Ryan Memorial Park encompasses 20 acres overlooking Central Lake, the largest water expanse in the lagoon system, and is home to the William E. Walker Recreation Center. Besides the wonderful waterfront setting, the park includes an outdoor amphitheater, sailboat tie-up facilities, boardwalk, lawn areas, and a gazebo on the lake. (Restroom facilities are also available.) 

Do

Foster City has one of the nicest 4th of July fireworks on the Peninsula, and with budget cutbacks in 2010 eliminating fireworks from many other communities, it drew a very large crowd.

  • cityFEST (formerly the Arts and Wine Festival). A festival held annually in June. 

Buy

There are two shopping centers with supermarkets/large pharmacies, and a couple of smaller ones with local restaurants. The most convenient for travelers is along the north side of Hillsdale, directly across from Ryan Park.

Eat

  • 🌍 5 Joy Restaurant, 1489 Beach Park Blvd, ☏ +1 650 345-1762. Chinese cuisine; Claims to have some of the best pot stickers in the Bay Area. 
  • 🌍 Edgewater Place Shopping Center, 901-999 Edgewater Blvd. While none of the restaurants here are particularly distinguished food-wise, several of them, including Boardwalk Pizza (pizza and mediterranean food) and Mr. Fong's (Chinese seafood and Dim Sum), feature outdoor or indoor seating with views over the lagoon. 
  • Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine, 1473 Beach Park Boulevard. Great Thai food that is a Foster city classic from curries to dry fried rice to noodles. (updated Dec 2023)

Drink

  • The Clubhouse Bistro Sports Bar Foster City, 1221 Chess Dr, ☏ +1 650-570-5700. The Clubhouse Bistro is a small suburban nightclub with a cocktail lounge and bistro restaurant. Located in the small part of Foster City north of 92; while undistinguished, it's the only such venue in this part of the peninsula. 

Sleep

Foster City has several hotels, mostly focused on mid-range corporate accommodation.

Go next

  • Hayward- 92 East. About 20 minutes away.
  • San Jose- 92 West to 101 South. About 30 to 50 minutes away.
  • Half Moon Bay- 92 West. About 25 to 55 minutes away.
  • San Francisco- 92 West to 101 North. About 20 to 35 minutes away.
Routes through Foster City
Half Moon Bay ← San Mateo ←  W  E  → Hayward → END


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