Central Park is located off of El Camino Real between 5th Ave and 9th Ave. Inside the park is a beautiful Japanese Tea Garden. There is also a small train on rails for children that runs for a few hours each weekend day all year round and during the week during the summer.
North of the park, downtown San Mateo runs along 3rd Avenue and 4th Avenue spilling somewhat onto 2nd Avenue between El Camino Real and the Caltrain train tracks; it's one of the more successful urban downtowns left on the Peninsula. The streets with the most restaurants and other establishments are B Street, 3rd Avenue, 4th Avenue and 2nd Avenue.
Until recently, San Mateo was home to the only horse racing track on the San Francisco Peninsula, Bay Meadows. It's being redeveloped, although the structure is as of mid-2010 still visible from the outside. The grounds are also home to the San Mateo County Events Center, where the annual county fair is held and various other events (including the recent Bay Area stops of Maker Faire. Take the Delaware Street exit off of Highway 92 and head south; the Event Center parking lot is directly off Delaware. What part of Bay Meadows remains visible are best viewed on foot from this area.
For fans of the local mid-century modern architecture, San Mateo is home to two Eichler neighborhoods - 19th Avenue park is a very early tract group of Eichlers, and The Highlands is a later neighborhood of custom Eichlers.
Coyote Point is a park located in the North-East corner of San Mateo off of Highway 101 at Peninsula Avenue. A small boat harbor is there as well as a natural history museum. There is also a public shooting range, open weekday evenings.
Poplar Creek golf course, a municipal course, is located there as well. A hiking trail allows easy access to San Francisco Bay.
Crystal Springs Reservoir is located in the watershed area off of Highway 280 on the western edge of San Mateo. Crystal Springs dam is located just south of Crystal Springs off of Skyline Boulevard.
