"Eat, Play, Fall in Love with Los Altos"
If city living is wearing you out and you’re wanting a bit of fresh air, family-friendly mom-and-pop stores with plenty of free parking nearby, look no further than Los Altos. Almost every single restaurant in this suburban utopia south of Palo Alto is family-friendly, and on any given day, its sidewalks are filled with tots and stroller-pushers enjoying the gorgeous weather. Park your car and take a leisurely walk down Main, State, and First streets or buy tickets to see a community-based theater performance. Whatever you fancy, Los Altos has something for the family who wants to play and explore at their leisure.
Play
For outdoor play, locals recommend Shoup Park, which is tucked away in the middle of a residential neighborhood, has access to a slow-flowing creek and is surrounded by redwood trees, to boot. For indoor ‘playtivity,’ there’s Play! Los Altos, an all-in-one playhouse with a well-stocked arts and crafts room, reading area, and spacious play space where kids can slide, tumble and jump around. Just a few blocks away is Area 151, an arcade for older kids who want to play shuffle ball, pop-a-shot, and skeeball. Pics at the arcade’s photo booth make a cute souvenir for you and your kids, and you can sync the images directly to your Facebook profile.
Tip: Area 151 provides homework help, task management assistance, and access to the arcade — but only after all the homework’s been completed, of course.
Eat
Follow the path to the yellow door next door to Bumble, where you can dine al fresco, at the bar or by the aquarium. There’s also a communal harvest table in the main dining area, ideal for brunch days where your kids are enjoying an hour in Bumble’s drop-off playroom ($10 for 30 minutes; $20 for 2 hours) and you’re nursing your Four Barrel coffee while munching on a sandwich.
