Albany, California
Encyclopedia
Albany is a city in Alameda County
, California, United States. The population was 18,539 at the 2010 census.
garbage
in their community. Armed with two shotgun
s 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.
, the city has a total area of 5.5 square miles (14.2 km²), of which, 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) of it is land and 3.7 square miles (9.6 km²) of it (67.28%) 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
.
University Village
, a housing unit of the University of California Berkeley, is located in Albany.
was 3,392.1 people per square mile (1,309.7/km²). The racial makeup of Albany was 10,128 (54.6%) White, 645 (3.5%) African American, 88 (0.5%) Native American, 5,790 (31.2%) Asian, 37 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 607 (3.3%) from other races
, and 1,244 (6.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,891 persons (10.2%).
The Census reported that 18,454 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 74 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 11 (0.1%) were institutionalized.
There were 7,401 households, out of which 2,909 (39.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,801 (51.4%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 883 (11.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 295 (4.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 341 (4.6%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 123 (1.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,862 households (25.2%) were made up of individuals and 593 (8.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49. There were 4,979 families
(67.3% of all households); the average family size was 3.00.
The population was spread out with 4,630 people (25.0%) under the age of 18, 1,006 people (5.4%) aged 18 to 24, 6,154 people (33.2%) aged 25 to 44, 4,902 people (26.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,847 people (10.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.0 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
There were 7,889 housing units at an average density of 1,443.5 per square mile (557.3/km²), of which 3,574 (48.3%) were owner-occupied, and 3,827 (51.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.2%. 9,070 people (48.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 9,384 people (50.6%) lived in rental housing units.
.
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, November 2009 and July 2011 were $334,800, $687,500, $610,000 and $590,000 respectively.
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. The high school had a graduation rate of 92.1%, according to the 2009-10 School Accountability Report Card for the prior academic year.
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.
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. High school music groups, both instrumental and choral, have 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 in 2010. Albany was one of 15 schools accepted into the festival.
Friends of Five Creeks
is an all-volunteer group working hands-on for clean water and healthy watersheds.
The Albany Strollers & Rollers group was founded in 2004 to address safety hazards to bicyclists in the Albany area and to improve bicycle awareness.
Alameda County, California
Alameda County is a county in the U.S. state of California. It occupies most of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,510,271, making it the 7th most populous county in the state...
, California, United States. The population was 18,539 at the 2010 census.
History
In 1908, a group of local women protested the dumping of BerkeleyBerkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
garbage
Waste management
Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...
in their community. Armed with two shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
s and a twenty-two-caliber rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
, 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
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
which had previously been named Ocean View. On a vote of 38 to 6 the city was renamed in honor of Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, the birthplace of the city's first mayor, Frank Roberts.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 5.5 square miles (14.2 km²), of which, 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) of it is land and 3.7 square miles (9.6 km²) of it (67.28%) is water.
The principal shopping street
Main Street
Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world...
in Albany is Solano Avenue
Solano Avenue
Solano Avenue in Berkeley and Albany, California is a two mile long east-west street. Solano Avenue is one of the larger shopping districts in the Berkeley area...
, 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
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
, bordering the city of Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
to the south and east, and the Contra Costa County cities of El Cerrito
El Cerrito, Contra Costa County, California
-Transportation:The city's primary transportation infrastructure consists of the El Cerrito Plaza and El Cerrito del Norte BART stations along with several local bus lines, operated by AC Transit, providing access to the surrounding area and the nearby cities of Albany, Berkeley and Richmond...
and Richmond
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
to the north. Albany's northern and southern borders are defined by two creeks, Codornices Creek
Codornices Creek
Codornices Creek , long, is one of the principal creeks which runs out of the Berkeley Hills in the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area in California. In its upper stretch, it passes entirely within the city limits of Berkeley, and marks the city limit with the adjacent city of Albany in...
on the south and Cerrito Creek
Cerrito Creek
Cerrito Creek is one of the principal watercourses running out of the Berkeley Hills into San Francisco Bay in northern California. It is significant for its use as a boundary demarcation historically, as well as presently. In the early 19th century, it separated the vast Rancho San Antonio to...
on the north. Cerrito Creek takes its name from "El Cerrito de San Antonio", now known as Albany Hill
Albany Hill
Albany Hill is a prominent hill along the east shore of San Francisco Bay in the city of Albany, California. Geologically, the hill is predominantly Jurassic sandstone, carried to the western edge of North America on the Pacific Plate and scraped off there in the course of subduction. 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
Berkeley Hills
The Berkeley Hills are a range of the Pacific Coast Ranges that overlook the northeast side of the valley that surrounds San Francisco Bay. They were previously called the "Contra Costa Range/Hills" , but with the establishment of Berkeley and the University of California, the current usage was...
.
Albany's waterfront has undergone significant man-made changes; the most prominent landform is now the Albany Bulb
Albany Bulb
The Albany Bulb is a former landfill largely owned by the City of Albany, in California. The Bulb is the west end of a landfill peninsula jutting west from the east shore of San Francisco Bay...
, a former garbage landfill jutting out into San Francisco Bay. The bulb was the site of a small art colony
Art colony
right|300px|thumb|Artist houses in [[Montsalvat]] near [[Melbourne, Australia]].An art colony or artists' colony is a place where creative practitioners live and interact with one another. Artists are often invited or selected through a formal process, for a residency from a few weeks to over a year...
and shanty town
Shanty town
A shanty town is a slum settlement of impoverished people who live in improvised dwellings made from scrap materials: often plywood, corrugated metal and sheets of plastic...
until it was cleared to turn the area into part of the new Eastshore State Park
Eastshore State Park
Eastshore State Park is a state park and wildlife refuge along the San Francisco Bay shoreline of the East Bay between the cities of Richmond, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, and Oakland. It encompasses remnant natural wetlands, restored wetlands as well as landfill west of the Eastshore Freeway. It...
.
University Village
UC Village
UC Village, also called University Village or University Village Albany, is a housing community for students who are married or have dependents. It is owned and administered by the University of California, Berkeley. It is located within the city limits of Albany about two miles away from the main...
, a housing unit of the University of California Berkeley, is located in Albany.
Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that Albany had a population of 18,539. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,392.1 people per square mile (1,309.7/km²). The racial makeup of Albany was 10,128 (54.6%) White, 645 (3.5%) African American, 88 (0.5%) Native American, 5,790 (31.2%) Asian, 37 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 607 (3.3%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1,244 (6.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,891 persons (10.2%).
The Census reported that 18,454 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 74 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 11 (0.1%) were institutionalized.
There were 7,401 households, out of which 2,909 (39.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,801 (51.4%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 883 (11.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 295 (4.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 341 (4.6%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 123 (1.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,862 households (25.2%) were made up of individuals and 593 (8.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49. There were 4,979 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(67.3% of all households); the average family size was 3.00.
The population was spread out with 4,630 people (25.0%) under the age of 18, 1,006 people (5.4%) aged 18 to 24, 6,154 people (33.2%) aged 25 to 44, 4,902 people (26.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,847 people (10.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.0 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
There were 7,889 housing units at an average density of 1,443.5 per square mile (557.3/km²), of which 3,574 (48.3%) were owner-occupied, and 3,827 (51.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.2%. 9,070 people (48.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 9,384 people (50.6%) lived in rental housing units.
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 storeTarget Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
.
Albany is the site of Golden Gate Fields
Golden Gate Fields
Golden Gate Fields is an American horse racing track straddling both Albany, California and Berkeley, California along the shoreline of San Francisco Bay adjacent to the Eastshore Freeway in the San Francisco Bay Area...
, the only horse racing track in the Bay Area.
Real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
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, November 2009 and July 2011 were $334,800, $687,500, $610,000 and $590,000 respectively.
Education
Albany Unified School District
-History:Beginning in 2002-2003 the school district established an open door policy allowing non-Albany residents to attend Albany USD schools. By 2007 the district had so many new in-district students that it began to put limitations on out of district transfers....
, a special-purpose district
Special-purpose district
Special-purpose districts or special district governments in the United States are independent governmental units that exist separately from, and with substantial administrative and fiscal independence from, general purpose local governments such as county, municipal, and township governments. As...
whose borders match the city's. The school district operates three elementary schools, one middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
, one traditional high school, and one continuation high school
Continuation high school
A continuation high school is an alternative to a comprehensive high school primarily for students who are considered at-risk of not graduating at the normal pace. The requirements to graduate are the same but the scheduling is more flexible to allow students to earn their credits at a quicker...
, in addition to an adult school. Albany High School is known as one of the best public schools of the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
for its academic excellence. The high school had a graduation rate of 92.1%, according to the 2009-10 School Accountability Report Card for the prior academic year.
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
St. Mary's College High School
Saint Mary's College High School came into being as part of St. Mary's College of California, founded in 1863 by the Catholic Church, and put under the auspices of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in 1868...
, whose campus straddles the border with Berkeley, CA.
The University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
owns a large student housing complex in Albany, University Village
UC Village
UC Village, also called University Village or University Village Albany, is a housing community for students who are married or have dependents. It is owned and administered by the University of California, Berkeley. It is located within the city limits of Albany about two miles away from the main...
, 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 second Sunday of September. The event was started in 1975 by The Iris store owner and Solano Avenue Association founder Ira Klein as a "thank you party" from Solano Avenue business owners to customers. The Library of Congress designated the Solano Stroll as a "National Local Legacy" in 2001.Albany also has a large little league
Little League
Little League Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S...
, 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
Golden Gate Fields
Golden Gate Fields is an American horse racing track straddling both Albany, California and Berkeley, California along the shoreline of San Francisco Bay adjacent to the Eastshore Freeway in the San Francisco Bay Area...
, the only commercial racetrack in the Bay Area, as well as a the Eastshore State Park
Eastshore State Park
Eastshore State Park is a state park and wildlife refuge along the San Francisco Bay shoreline of the East Bay between the cities of Richmond, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, and Oakland. It encompasses remnant natural wetlands, restored wetlands as well as landfill west of the Eastshore Freeway. It...
which skirts the San Francisco Bay, and the Albany Bulb
Albany Bulb
The Albany Bulb is a former landfill largely owned by the City of Albany, in California. The Bulb is the west end of a landfill peninsula jutting west from the east shore of San Francisco Bay...
.
Albany also boasts its very advanced school music program. High school music groups, both instrumental and choral, have 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 in 2010. Albany was one of 15 schools accepted into the festival.
Friends of Five Creeks
Friends of Five Creeks
Friends of Five Creeks is a regional community volunteer organization founded in 1996 by Sonja Wadman originally dedicated to the stewardship of creeks in northern Alameda County and western Contra Costa, California, United States...
is an all-volunteer group working hands-on for clean water and healthy watersheds.
The Albany Strollers & Rollers group was founded in 2004 to address safety hazards to bicyclists in the Albany area and to improve bicycle awareness.