As the sun sets over B Street and the sky adopts the familiar reds and oranges of the murals below, hundreds of San Mateo residents and visitors from across the Bay come downtown to walk, shop and dine.
Though the spectacle repeats every Friday and Saturday night, it’s hardly a longstanding routine.
“Ten years ago, if you told someone you were going to downtown San Mateo, they would assume you were just going to grab a bite to eat,” said Jonathan Lam, who grew up in the area. “Now, it’s so much more than that. It’s a place to go, a thing to do.”
“The street is more congested than it used to be, which is crazy to say because there used to be so much traffic. But now it’s busy with people, not with cars. It’s a lot better this way,” Lam said.
Initially closed to vehicles during the pandemic to accommodate social distancing, the now-permanent pedestrian mall on B Street has evolved over the past three years into a central gathering place for the community.
Families come out to eat or go to the movies, groups of teenagers walk by with boba from three different stores and kids run around aimlessly as their parents watch, unafraid of the cars that once dominated the area.
Fisher Shi brings his 2-year-old son and a bottle of bubbles to B Street more than half the nights of the week, he said. The street is safe, there’s good live music and people (especially adults) seem to enjoy the bubbles just as much as his son does, Shi said.
“I think this was one of those cases where a bad time leads to something good,” said Kevin Simpson, who co-founded B Street Boosters, a community group that advocates for improvements on the street.
“Asking to close two blocks, have no parking in front of businesses, to just let people use them recreationally probably wouldn’t have flown before. But COVID showed us that people crave public spaces where they can interact casually and just have fun,” Simpson said.
In 2021, the City Council discussed reopening the street. There had been complaints about the lack of on-street parking, both from residents and business owners, and concerns about how the closures affected businesses.
Residents demonstrated their desire to keep the street closed through a city survey, and ultimately, the street was turned into a permanent pedestrian mall. Although around 60 spaces were lost, the city opened a new 500-car parking lot at Fifth Avenue, Simpson said.
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Amanda Martin said she loves that the street is walkable, and has even been inspired to walk the mile from her house to downtown rather than drive.
“It feels like the city is switching from prioritizing cars to prioritizing people,” said Martin’s friend, Ryan Rizeq.
The city is currently adding ADA parking stalls on Second Avenue to accommodate handicapped residents as a part of the Pedestrian Mall Improvements Project. The project also includes seating and landscaping.
The city has already replaced the temporary water-filled barricades along the sides of the blocks with planters. While they block off traffic during the day, they can be moved for morning deliveries and emergency vehicles.
Though the city is working to put in more permanent furniture along the street, the B Street Boosters added picnic tables it bought with funds donated by the community.
The group, along with the city, the Downtown San Mateo Association and the Chamber of Commerce, also brings in materials for pop-up events held on the block. There have been street performances, astronomy nights and game nights.
The street closure and activities make downtown more vibrant, said Foster City resident Katie Brandi. She and her cousins felt inclined to walk around and play cornhole because so many people were out and about, she said.
“I feel like the activities encourage people to talk to each other. Maybe you need an extra player for a game or something, I think it’s a great way to make new friends,” said Kayla Brandi.
Building the pedestrian mall and a lively post-COVID downtown is a continuing project, Simpson said.
“These things can go away. It becomes easy for the city to kind of knuckle under people who just want parking, but residents have really shown up. People care about this so much that they are willing to put in their own labor and dollars, wave after wave after wave, to make sure this stays open,” Simpson said. “This is how you build a community.”
(2) comments
The street closure is awesome. Best part of downtown. The city needs to commit to it now. The street should be leveled so chairs and tables aren't at weird angles. the jenky plastic barriers should be upgraded to something nice looking. Some landscaping should be added. We all see closing this street is a success. It's time don't right.
Thanks to San Mateo residents and Visitors from all over for making the B Street Pedestrian Mall such a vibrant part of Downtown San Mateo. . Thanks to the B Street Boosters, Downtown San Mateo Association, San Mateo Area Chamber and City staff for working together so well to create all the great events to draw people to the B Street Ped Mall. Thank you to all the businesses in Downtown San Mateo who make it such a wonderful, interesting place. See you all tonight, 4 PM to 6 PM, on the Mall for another Downtown Live! Event with Jazz Guitarist Peter Carlozzi. Then on September 12 and 19 for September Nights on B. The best is yet to come!
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