Belmont

 

Belmont is a peaceful community located halfway between San Francisco and San Jose. Its homes are mainly built in the hills overlooking the San Francisco Bay and the coastal range. It was originally part of Rancho de las Pulgas, for which one of its main roads, the Alameda de las Pulgas, is named. The town provides easy access to freeway and rail transportation. In conjunction with its neighbor San Carlos, Belmont offers a plethora of shopping and dining venues. There are approximately 10,500 homes in Belmont, with most of its 25,000 residents working in San Mateo County. The town offers excellent private and public schools and is located nearby several community colleges. Belmont has a rich heritage of fine homes from the turn of the twentieth century and enjoys the security of a very low crime rate that's less than one-fifth of the national average.

Belmont has attracted national attention for a smoking ordinance passed in January 2009 which bans smoking in all businesses and multi-story apartments and condominiums; the ordinance has been described as one of the strictest in the nation.