Welcome
Veronica Weber
Whether you are visiting for business, for pleasure or to attend a conference or other event at Stanford University, you will quickly discover the unusual blend of intellect, innovation, culture and natural beauty that makes the Palo Alto area so special. Palo Alto’s home to Nobel Prize winners, Silicon Valley CEOs, venture capital firms, Hewlett-Packard and one of the most renowned universities and medical centers in the world. While Palo Alto developed as a sleepy college town, the emergence of Stanford University in the 1970s as the nation’s leading high-technology research center paved the way for hundreds of start-up businesses with connections to Stanford professors and their inventions. Thus Palo Alto became known as the birthplace of Silicon Valley and attracted engineers and others from all over the world to pursue their dreams. The Stanford campus itself is the biggest visitor attraction, and visitors could easily spend a day or longer exploring the beautiful campus. But at a minimum any visit should also include a walk or drive through the tree-lined residential neighborhoods (among the costliest in the nation), a walk in the foothills or Baylands and some great shopping and eating in the several business districts. For our list of 10 sites not to miss while you are visiting, look in the “Attractions” section.
Veronica Weber
Enjoy!
Inside: Attractions ....................................................... 6 Arts & Entertainment ................................. 10 Shopping........................................................ 12 Hotels......................................................... 14-15 Stanford .......................................................... 16 Recreation ...................................................... 18 Getting Around............................................22 Safety ...............................................................29 Map.............................................................32-33 Dining .............................................................. 35 The Palo Alto Visitors Center is co-located with the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce at 400 Mitchell Lane in downtown Palo Alto. The Visitors Center is staffed Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and may be reached at 650-324-3121. The center has useful brochures and other materials and can assist with answering questions and addressing special or unusual needs of visitors.
Veronica Weber
Destination Palo Alto (www.destinationpaloalto.com) offers much more information about where to go and what to do while visiting Palo Alto. Visitors Guide is a special project of the Palo Alto Weekly. Copyright ©2013 by Embarcadero Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.
On the cover: Apple’s iconic glass storefront is a highlight of Palo Alto’s University Avenue. Photo by Veronica Weber.
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