Albany, California
| City of Albany | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
 |
|
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Alameda County |
| Government | |
| - N/A | |
| - Senate | Loni Hancock (D) |
| - Assembly | Nancy Skinner (D) |
| Area | |
| - Total | 5.5 sq mi (14.1 km2) |
| - Land | 1.7 sq mi (4.4 km2) |
| - Water | 3.8 sq mi (9.7 km2) |
| Elevation | 43 ft (13 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 16,444 |
| - Density | 9,665.4/sq mi (3,731.8/km2) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| - Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP codes | 94706, 94707, 94710 |
| Area code(s) | 510 |
| FIPS code | 06-00674 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1657902 |
| Website | http://www.albanyca.org/ |
Albany (formerly Ocean View) is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. The population was 16,447 at the 2000 census.
Contents |
History
In 1908, a group of local women protested the dumping of Berkeley garbage in their community. Armed with two shotguns and a twenty-two-caliber rifle, they confronted the drivers of the wagons near what is now the corner of San Pablo Avenue and Buchanan Street. The women told the drivers of the horse-drawn garbage wagons to go home, which they did quickly and without complaint. Shortly thereafter, the residents of the town voted to incorporate as the City of Ocean View. In 1909, voters changed the name of the city, primarily to distinguish the city from the adjacent section of Berkeley which had previously been named Ocean View. On a vote of 38 to 6 the city was renamed in honor of Albany, New York, the birthplace of the city's first mayor, Frank Roberts.[1]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.5 square miles (14.2 km²), of which, 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²) of it is land and 3.8 square miles (9.7 km²) of it (68.74%) is water.
The principal shopping street in Albany is Solano Avenue, which cuts across the city from west to east. Another important street is San Pablo Avenue, which travels from north to south.
Albany is located on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay, bordering the city of Berkeley to the south and east, and the Contra Costa County cities of El Cerrito and Richmond to the north. Albany's northern and southern borders are defined by two creeks, Codornices Creek on the south and Cerrito Creek on the north. Cerrito Creek takes its name from "El Cerrito de San Antonio", now known as Albany Hill. The hill's unusual location near the bay shore makes it a prominent landmark in the East Bay. The rest of the city is relatively flat by Bay Area standards, except for a small area near the base of the Berkeley Hills.
Albany's waterfront has undergone significant man-made changes; the most prominent landform is now the Albany Bulb, a former garbage landfill jutting out into San Francisco Bay. The bulb was the site of a small art colony and shanty town until it was cleared to turn the area into part of the new Eastshore State Park.[2][3]
Demographics
As of the census of 2000,[4] there were 16,447 people, 7,011 households, and 4,269 families residing in the city. The population density was 9,665.4 people per square mile (3,734.7/km²). There were 7,248 housing units at an average density of 4,260.2/sq mi (1,646.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 61.29% White, 4.10% Black or African American, 0.39% Native American, 25.09% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 3.17% from other races, and 5.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.98% of the population.
There were 7,011 households out of which 33.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 34.9% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $54,919, and the median income for a family was $64,269. Males had a median income of $50,248 versus $44,877 for females. The per capita income for the city was $28,494. About 6.4% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under the age of 18 and 8.2% of those ages 65 and older.
Economy
The major retail and business areas in Albany are Solano Avenue, which is a pedestrian-oriented street lined with mainly small shops, restaurants, and services; San Pablo Avenue, which is more automobile-oriented; and an area near the Eastshore Freeway, which the city is trying to attract big-box stores and offices, and currently houses a two-story Target store.
Albany is the site of Golden Gate Fields, the only horse racing track in the Bay Area.
Real estate prices have been rising steeply in recent years until the 2008 financial crisis and recession. The median price of a single family home and condo in Census 2000, June 2007 and November 2009 were $334,800, $687,500 and $610,000 respectively.[5]
Education
Public schools in Albany are operated by the Albany Unified School District, a special-purpose district whose borders match the city's. The school district operates three elementary schools, one middle school, one traditional high school, and one continuation high school, in addition to an adult school. Albany High School is known as one of the best public schools of the San Francisco Bay Area for its academic excellence. Each year, 95.9 percent of its graduates attend college across the nation.
There are two private high schools in Albany: Tilden Preparatory School (formerly School for Independent Learners) on Solano Avenue and St. Mary's College High School, whose campus straddles the border with Berkeley, CA.
The University of California, Berkeley owns a large student housing complex in Albany, University Village, which is primarily used for family housing.
Arts, culture, and recreation
The Solano Stroll, an annual street festival held on Solano Avenue in Albany and Berkeley, attracts more than 250,000 visitors on the 2nd Sunday of September. Started in 1974, the Library of Congress has designated the Solano Avenue Stroll a National Local Legacy.
The Albany music programs are also top-notch. This year, at the High School Jazz Band CMEA Music Festival at the School of the Arts in San Francisco, every group from Albany that went got an overall rating of superior, with 3/4 groups getting a Unanimous Superior rating.
Albany also has a large little league, which draws children from around the area. The Albany Little League has gone to state tournaments with their junior and Majors levels. In 2008, Albany won its first championship in the Little League.
Albany is home to Golden Gate Fields, the only commercial racetrack in the Bay Area, as well as a the Eastshore State Park which skirts the San Francisco Bay, and the Albany Bulb.
Albany also boasts its very advanced school music program. This year, all of the high school music groups, both instrumental and choral, performed in at least a superior manner at the CMEA, Reno Jazz, and other festivals. The Albany High School Jazz Band was also accepted the Essentially Ellington festival at the Lincoln Center in New York, New York. This is a very prestigious honor, considering that Albany was one of 15 schools accepted this year.
Curiosity
- Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, from punk band Rancid are from Albany, and often reference the area in their lyrics.
- Members of Metallica moved to homes in Albany in the mid-1980s while practicing (and previously living together) at the "Metallimansion" in El Cerrito.[6]
- The first Supercuts was founded in Albany in 1975.
- The comic strip Pearls before Swine takes place in Albany. Strip creator Stephan Pastis lived in Albany when the strip began.
- Poet Ron Silliman was raised in Albany; Albany is the title of a long poem he published in 1981; the town and poem also are also the basis of his memoir, entitled Under Albany, which was published in 2004.
- Sculptor Walter De Maria was born in Albany in 1935.
See also
- Marin Creek
- Albany Hill
References
- ↑ Albany City Chamber of Commerce
- ↑ Albany Shuts Down Homeless Camp / Squatters leave site of future park
- ↑ Shak dwellers told to go
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ DataQuick Real Estate Headlines and Statistics, Accessed December 28 2009
- ↑ McIver, Joel (2004). Justice For All: The Truth About Metallica (page 85). Omnibus Press. ISBN 1847727972.
External links
- City of Albany Web Site
- School District Site
- Albany schools Test scores, parent reviews and ratings for Albany schools.
- Albany Library Web Site
- Albany Library Blog
- Solano Stroll Web Page by Solano Avenue Association
- Albany Community News Web Site
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