On the plus side, they're close to downtown San Mateo and everything else that city has to offer, such as stores, restaurants, movie theaters, buses and Caltrain. San Mateo also is home to College of San Mateo. A golf course and bayside trails are nearby.

The condos also have easy access to highways leading to San Francisco, San Jose, the East Bay and the coast.

That easy access also is a minus in the location equation. The 21 townhome-style condos are on a frontage road for Highway 101 with only a high, vine-covered sound wall to deflect traffic noise.

Park Bayshore condos are built on the site of the old San Mateo Motel, which probably was constructed shortly after World War II and before Bayshore Highway became a freeway. It was one of many motels that sprang up to serve travelers who could access it directly from the road.

After the freeway limited access to the motels in the early 1960s, their business declined. The San Mateo Motel, which had kitchenettes, became an apartment motel. By the time it was torn down to make way for the condos, it had seen better days.

Thus the project is contributing to the improvement of the South Shoreview neighborhood, not one of San Mateo's best. The updated Shoreview Shopping Center a few blocks away on South Norfolk Street is another improvement, said Aaron Barger, project manager for the developer, Barry Swenson Communities of San Jose.

Buyers apparently have decided that the positives outweigh the negatives because by mid-November, 15 of the 21 condos had been sold since June when the project went on the market. Most of the buyers are young professional couples, according to a sales representative. He speculated that they wanted to get their feet into the homeownership door. He also said that older people might not want to deal with all the stairs.

Located in four buildings, the two- and three-bedroom condos are on three levels, with the two-car garage on the lowest level, the living room, dining room and kitchen on the second level, and the bedrooms on the third level.

The 1,775-square-foot three-bedroom model costs $680,000. It's almost sold out.

The 1,230-square-foot two-bedroom model costs $559,000 to $589,000. Both have 2 1/2 bathrooms.

That smaller model, Plan A, has a porch with a side entry on the ground level, where there's also a two-car tandem garage. Washer and dryer hookups are in the garage, meaning a hike up and down the stairs to do laundry. The doorway to the deep storage area under the stairs is much narrower than usual.

At the back of the garage, a sliding door opens to a small brick deck with a landscaped area about 3 feet deep. In the model, the landscaping includes some of the 15 mature purple leaf plum trees that the developer has preserved.

The main living area is up one flight of stairs. Off the living room is a small deck that in the model looks to neighboring condos on the north.

A high counter separates the dining area from the kitchen. It features granite counters and backsplashes as well as stainless-steel appliances and Shaker wood cabinets. Windows over the sink have a view of the other buildings and driveways.

Up two steps are a linen closet and half-bath. A skylight and window brighten the stairwell to the third floor.

The second bedroom is in back. It's rather small with room for only a twin bed, but it has a walk-in closet. Some residents might use it as an office or den.

Next to this bedroom is a full bathroom with a vanity, toilet and tub with shower. All of the bathrooms have tile floors, granite counters and Shaker wood cabinets.

The master bedroom in front keeps the walk-in closet separate from the bathroom, an improvement from many new homes that incorporate the closet into the bathroom.

The bathroom is outfitted with a shower stall, double vanity and toilet.

Overall, the floor plan makes efficient use of its space except for the laundry area in the garage.

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This article appeared on page L - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle