Burlingame has a problem that other cities would love to confront: How to preserve the small-town feel of Burlingame Avenue while maintaining the upscale retail corridor's economic vitality.

Rents continue to rise along the Avenue, where high-end boutiques mix with the likes of Apple and Banana Republic. Elsewhere, a flurry of restaurant openings on Broadway has generated excitement among residents and local merchants.

Visitors and residents can walk a corridor of a different kind in Mills Canyon, where nature trails lead hikers through a surprisingly rugged landscape.

City leaders must still grapple with the question of how to fund more than $40 million in needed infrastructure improvements. Measure H, which would have levied a special tax to pay for upgrades to the city's flood-control system, needed two-thirds of the vote to pass Nov. 7 and fell just short.

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[San Mateo County Community College District]