Colma, CA

Colma is famous for being one of the Bay Area's most unusual small towns, known for having far more departed residents than living ones. At the turn of the twentieth century, San Francisco banned burials and relocated most of its cemeteries just south to Colma. Today, roughly 1,500 residents share the two-square-mile town with seventeen historic memorial parks. All those expansive lawns and manicured grounds give the community a remarkably quiet, open feel right next to the city.

ATTRDicklyon / CC BY-SA 4.0

Daily life here is straightforward and convenient. Quiet residential pockets like the Sterling Park neighborhood sit alongside convenient shopping centers along El Camino Real. Commuting is simple thanks to the local Colma BART station, which offers a quick ride straight into downtown San Francisco or south along the Peninsula. If you want a peaceful, centrally located home base with plenty of green space and a quirky personality, Colma is well worth considering.