Albany, California
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| Albany, California | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Alameda |
| Incorporated | |
| Incorporated | 1908 |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Robert Lieber |
| - State Senate | Don Perata (D) |
| - State Assembly | Loni Hancock (D) |
| - U. S. Congress | Barbara Lee (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 16,444 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] 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. [1]
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".
[edit] Achievements
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[citation needed].
Due to Albany's excellent school district and recent economic turmoil, 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[2], compare with $334,800 in Census 2000[3].
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 designated the Solano Avenue Stroll a National Local Legacy.
Albany also has a great little league. The Albany Little League has gone to state tournaments with their junior and Majors levels. The current levels for the league are: T-Ball, A, AA, AAA, Majors, and Juniors (in order). Go to http://www.albanylittleleague.org for more information.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census of 2000[4], 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.
[edit] Trivia
- Albany is the setting of the comic strip, Pearls Before Swine (comic strip)[citation needed]
- Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, from punk band Rancid are from Albany.
[edit] References
- ^ Albany City Chamber of Commerce
- ^ Data Quick News - San Francisco Chronicle Chart, June 2007, Accessed August 6 2007
- ^ About Albany, City of Albany Website, Accessed August 6 2007
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
[edit] See also
[edit] 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, California is at coordinates Coordinates:
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