It’s no secret that West Palo Alto is a hub of affluence, largely driven by new tech companies. Houses go for an average of 3.5 million dollars. It’s home to tech billionaires Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, and the family of the deceased Steve Jobs. 

What we don’t see

But what is lesser known is that just across the 50-foot wide San Francisquito Creek, East Palo Alto unfortunately was not benefited by the tech boom. Instead, it was struggling with shortages in funding and crime following its incorporation in 1983.

The Backstory

Being a historically poor community even before its incorporation, the city struggled to stay afloat. 

Excessive drug use and high crime rates led to the city being dubbed the “murder capital” of the United States after 42 people were murdered in 1992. 

The Ravenswood School District, serving East Palo Alto and part of Menlo Park was, and remains, known for its low academic performance, whereas the Palo Alto Unified School District in West Palo Alto is known for high performance, especially on state tests.

Hope for the future

In recent years, however, East Palo Alto has been on an upward climb. 

Since 1997, over a quarter of the town was bulldozed and replaced with infrastructure including housing, retail establishments, and more. Even more astounding, in 2023, the town was proud to announce that there was not a single murder for the entire year, a remarkable change from 1992. 

East Palo Alto now faces an issue of outward migration due to increased property prices, as well as issues regarding its public school system.

Will they remain polarized? Or grow similar?

The story of this town is incredibly inspiring, and I am excited to see what changes will be made next. Although it was not as lucky as neighboring Silicon Valley towns during the tech boom, it is making its way to becoming a respected town alongside the others. 

It saddens me to see how these neighboring towns did little to support East Palo Alto during its years of intense crime and struggle, especially given the resources they, as well as their residents, possess. 

Looking forward, however, I will be closely watching this town, as well as West Palo Alto, to see how the two become more similar or different in the years to come.