San Bruno – Then and Now
San Bruno wasn’t always what it is today. In fact, until the 1940’s it was actually considered a pretty rural town. There were a couple of main things that happened that set into the play the transformation from a small, rural town to the bustling city that it is today. Today, it’s an “airport city”, having an airport local to the area that is never without business. In fact, the airport itself contains a library and museum that is actively being added to. Visitors can learn about some of the history and see exhibits as they wander through or wait for their plane.
It’s the perfect combination of international city and small-town charm that brings people from all over the world in search of property here. As with numerous places around the country, it’s also a prime time to snatch up a deal on a San Bruno apartment or home for you and your family.
Many people who come here today don’t realize the rich history that San Bruno holds, though. If you’re thinking about moving to San Bruno but don’t know much about its history, keep reading. The main things that you’ll learn in this article are the two events that dramatically made a mark on the area.
The first major event that turned this city onto a new path in history was the Tanforan horse race track. During WWII, American citizens who were of Japanese descent were brought here before they were shipped to detention camps. To the west of the Tanforan race track, was the Army’s Western Region Advance Personnel Depot. This meant that military members were constantly coming and going through the area as they traveled between their posts and the Pacific. In fact, it wasn’t uncommon for military members to decide to stay here when they returned back to the States.
You’d never know it, but around 1940, San Bruno had a quaint population of about only 6500. Then there was an enormous San Bruno real estate boom that skyrocketed that number to over 35,000 over only 20 years or so. What happened to bring about such a drastic change? In the 1940’s George Williams bought a good part of the Mills land. He began to develop this land to keep up and support the military personnel who were returning from war and hanging around the San Bruno area. He continued from the Mills Park Addition westward, building housing.
Today, about 40,000 live in San Bruno and enjoy the many perks of living in the area. The weather is almost always inviting you to get outside and have some fun, there’s never a day when you can say there’s nothing to do, and you’re within a short distance to the beach or to San Francisco. San Bruno real estate has recently been seeing some of the lowest prices in recent history. This makes it a perfect time to buy a San Bruno home or apartment and start enjoying everything that the area has to offer.