Everything about Albany California totally explained
Albany is a city in
Alameda County,
California,
United States. The population was 16,444 at the 2000 census.
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 ladies 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.
In 2008 Albany will celebrate its centennial. A contest is underway now to update the town motto which appears on the City Seal. The current motto is "Gateway to Northern Alameda County".
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's 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
Contra Costa County 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.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 16,444 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. 7.98 % of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
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. 7.9 % of the population and 6.4 % of families were below the
poverty line. 8.0 % of those under the age of 18 and 8.2 % of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
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
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. The June 2007 median price of a single family home and condo was $687,500, compare with $334,800 in Census 2000.
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, two
middle schools, 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 percent of its graduates attend
college across the nation.
The only private high school in Albany is
St. Mary's College High School.
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.
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.
Trivia
- Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, from punk band Rancid are from Albany.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Albany California'.
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