Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How far will Palo Alto go to curb billionaire home compounds?

Make time for Crossing Over with Psychic Medium John Edward live in San Francisco, CA! on the Palo Alto Patch calendar

Patch AM Team's profile picture
Patch AM Team, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
Friday January 2nd Patch AM
Friday January 2nd Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Morning Palo Alto! We've got the scoop on the latest happenings in town. Read on to get looped in. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How far will Palo Alto go to curb billionaire home compounds?
  • Why this ‘hidden’ Palo Alto senior lunch program suddenly needs your help
  • Will Palo Alto’s billionaires really leave—or just reshape your block?

Also on today's calendar: Crossing Over with Psychic Medium John Edward live in San Francisco, CA! and 9 more events.

Find out what's happening in Palo Altofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: I quit my job as a banker. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Palo Altofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Friday: Cloudy, a little rain; breezy, with a high of 64 and low of 57 degrees.
  • Saturday: Rain; breezy in the afternoon, temps: high: 66, low: 53.
  • Sunday: Breezy with periods of rain, with a high of 59 and low of 48 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Palo Alto tries to rein in Zuckerberg's Crescent Park expansion (paloaltoonline.com) — Neighbors in Palo Alto’s Crescent Park say Mark Zuckerberg’s multi-home compound has transformed their once-quiet block, and they’re pressuring City Hall to finally enforce zoning rules after years of complaints. The city has now shut down an unpermitted private school on the property and is weighing tougher regulations on large-scale property buy-ups, construction timelines, and private security practices that could affect future high-end compounds in residential neighborhoods.
   

2. La Comida looks for raise its profile as it prepares for downtown move (paloaltoonline.com) — A long-running Palo Alto senior lunch program, La Comida, is facing a major funding shortfall just as it prepares to move into a new permanent downtown site on Bryant Street. Serving hundreds of mostly low-income seniors at two Palo Alto locations, the nonprofit is asking local residents and businesses for financial help and volunteers so it can keep providing daily hot meals and social connection.
   

3. Billionaire talking about leaving Palo Alto (padailypost.com) — Palo Alto’s billionaire homeowners are drawing scrutiny from neighbors and the City Council over efforts to assemble multi-lot residential compounds, with complaints about noise, parking, and runoff on streets like Bryant. As some tech titans explore shifting assets or operations to other states amid a proposed statewide wealth tax, the debate could shape how extreme wealth fits into Palo Alto neighborhoods.
   

4. Sports briefs: Terra Linda takes down Palo Alto in consolation final (marinij.com) — Palo Alto High’s boys basketball team fell 60-44 to Terra Linda in the Sonoma County Classic consolation final, despite a strong showing from the Trojans’ standout players. The brief also recaps a Dominican University men’s game and invites coaches to submit scores for future coverage.
   

5. These were the Mountain View Voice's top 10 stories of 2025 (mv-voice.com) — Mountain View’s year in news included a massive “No Kings” protest that stretched along El Camino Real all the way to Palo Alto, drawing tens of thousands to oppose the Trump administration. The roundup also highlights big local debates over pickleball courts, Google’s shifting development plans, a rare bird sighting, and a long-running housing dispute in nearby Los Altos Hills.
   

📸 Around Palo Alto

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Palo Alto

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

📣 Palo Alto Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Palo Alto PatchAM possible:

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Happy New Year, Neighbors!
    May you enjoy good health, loving family and friends, delicious food, peace, and prosperity always! Cheers to 2026, Fire Horse Year! (Nextdoor South of Midtown)
  • Went to a neighborhood event with Piper two weeks ago at Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming Palo Alto, and Piper got a fun party bag.
    This toy was inside and she is obsessed with it even though she has a whole box of toys to choose from. It squeaks when she bites it and it's just… (Nextdoor Duveneck - St. Francis)
  • KIPP Public Schools Northern California posted a job opening for *English Teacher (26-27) in Palo Alto. Apply here.
  • City of Palo Alto California posted a job opening for Public Safety Dispatcher II (Lateral) in Palo Alto. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Palo Alto here.

Ok Palo Alto! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I just lost interest.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Palo Alto