went by to see how Bay Meadows in San Mateo was coming along.
for reference (north is to the right):
source
looking north up 'Main St' (Delaware St), the only north-south connector road
looking west up 31st St, which is one of the ones which will soon pass under the Caltrain tracks and out across El Camino (and through part of Hillsdale Mall which you can just see under construction) on the other side
another look up Delaware, with the second office building (Station 3), which is getting closer to wrapping up, visible in the distance
overall, to me, it is pleasant to walk around Bay Meadows. landscaping is ample and well-maintained, the building forms are mostly agreeable, there are amenities such as plazas, lawns, gardens, and playgrounds.
restaurants have started to move into some of the retail areas around the plaza above.
one of the drawbacks of Bay Meadows is that it doesn't connect well with its surroundings. part of that is bad luck and a legacy of what it replaced (racetrack), but I thought maybe it could have had better connections with the residential neighborhood to its south. I had thought it was completely walled off from it until I happened by this:
(and of course, as mentioned, the connections at least on the west (train track) side are being addressed soon.)
on the east, this fence runs the entire length of the development and has no openings - you have to go around it, as here where it meets the southern east-west connector road:
a look at the newer office building:
I just read this week they are about to break ground on the third one (Station 2).
looking east up 28th St, which is the northern east-west connector and which will also pass under the train tracks (the sort of strange-looking building on the left is a school)
also looking east, but back from the west side of El Camino, where 28th St currently ends. the road will pass through that parking lot on the other side, I suppose.
and yes, for being situated right next to a major commuter rail stop, this should have been way denser.