Menlo Park, California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| City of Menlo Park | |
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| — City — | |
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| Coordinates: 37°27′15″N 122°10′43″W / 37.45417°N 122.17861°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | San Mateo |
| Incorporated | March 23, 1874 |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Rich Cline |
| Area | |
| - Total | 17.4 sq mi (45.1 km2) |
| - Land | 10.1 sq mi (12.7 km2) |
| - Water | 7.3 sq mi (18.9 km2) 41.88% |
| Elevation | 72 ft (22 m) |
| Population (2000 Census) | |
| - Total | 30,785 |
| - Density | 3,040.1/sq mi (1,173.4/km2) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| - Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP codes | 94025-94029 |
| Area code(s) | 650 |
| FIPS code | 06-46870 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1659108 |
| Website | http://www.menlopark.org/ |
Menlo Park is an affluent city in San Mateo County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. It is located at latitude 37°29' North, longitude 122°9' West. Menlo Park had 29,964 inhabitants as of the 2007 U.S. Census.
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[edit] History
In the nineteenth century two Irish immigrants, Dennis J. Oliver and his brother-in-law D. C. McGlynn, purchased a 1,700-acre (6.9 km2) tract of land on the former Rancho de las Pulgas.[1] In the 1850s they erected a gate with a wooden arch bearing the inscription "Menlo Park" at the entrance to their property (now the intersection of Middle Ave and El Camino Real).[2][3] The word "Menlo" derived from the owners' former home of Menlough in County Galway, Ireland.[1] In 1863, the San Francisco and San Jose Rail Road named a nearby station "Menlo Park" after the sign.[1] The 1867 station building still stands on the platform of the current Caltrain station, used by the local Chamber of Commerce. The town of Menlo Park grew up around this station, becoming a popular home for San Francisco businessmen.[1] A post office arrived in 1870, and the city was incorporated in 1874.[2] The original arch which gave its name to the stations and ultimately the city survived until 1922, when it was destroyed in an automobile accident.[1] The origin of the name of Menlo Park, California (ca 1850)[3] pre-dates any work done by Thomas Edison (ca 1876) in Menlo Park, New Jersey.
[edit] Geography
Menlo Park is located at 37°27′15″N 122°10′43″W / 37.45417°N 122.17861°W (37.454188, -122.178579).[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.4 square miles (45 km2), of which 10.1 square miles (26 km2) is land and 7.3 square miles (19 km2) is water. The total area is 41.88% water.
The main street in downtown Menlo Park is Santa Cruz Avenue, with the Menlo Center situated at its intersection with El Camino Real. The Menlo Park Civic Center is bounded by Ravenswood Avenue, Alma Street, Laurel Street and Burgess Drive. It contains the council offices, library, police station and Burgess Park which has various recreational facilities.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 30,785 people, 12,387 households, and 7,122 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,040.1 inhabitants per square mile (1,173.8 /km2). There were 12,714 housing units at an average density of 1,255.5/sq mi (484.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 68.35% White, 9.03% African American, 0.54% Native American, 6.15% Asian, 1.46% Pacific Islander, 9.56% from other races, and 4.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.60% of the population.
There were 12,387 households out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.5% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 34.7% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
As of the 1999 census, the median income for a household in the city was $84,609. Males had a median income of $79,766 versus $51,101 for females. The per capita income for the city was $53,341. About 4.2% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those over age 64. As of 2008 the median income for a family was $133,251.[6]
[edit] Politics
The city is mostly Democratic, with 47% being registered Democrats and 32% being Republicans.[7] In the state legislature Menlo Park is located in the 11th Senate District, represented by Democrat Joe Simitian, and in the 21st Assembly District, represented by Democrat Ira Ruskin. Federally, Menlo Park is located in California's 14th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +18[8] and is represented by Democrat Anna Eshoo.
For over twenty years Menlo Park has had a well-defined local partisan split over environmental, traffic, and other issues, between many residents and business interests. This crosses traditional party lines (Republican/Democratic).[citation needed]
[edit] Economy
Much of Menlo Park's economy centers around the companies on Sand Hill Road, consisting of venture capital, private equity, financial services, law firms, and other professional service companies and investment vehicles focusing on technology.
[edit] Features
- Home to the Western Region Geography office of the United States Geological Survey.
- Sand Hill Road, location of many Silicon Valley venture capital firms.
- Home to SRI International, formerly Stanford Research Institute.
- Home to the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.
- Corporate offices and show gardens of Sunset Magazine.
- Google Inc. was founded here on September 7, 1998
- Adjacent to Menlo College. (Famous alum includes Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal.)
- Adjacent to Stanford University and Stanford Shopping Center.
- Home to Saint Patrick Archdiocesan Seminary and University.
- Home to Fuller Northern California
- Home to Geron Corporation, a biotechnology company focusing on telomere and stem cell research.
- Home to the original store of the Round Table Pizza chain.
[edit] Historic Landmarks
California Historical Landmarks
- Campsite and terminus point of the de Portolá Expedition from November 6, 1796 through November 10, 1796.
- Home to the oldest continually operating train station in California, making it State Historical Landmark #955.
- Twentieth Century Folk Art Environments, State Historical Landmark #939.
National Historical Landmarks National Register of Historic Places lists:
- Barron—Latham—Hopkins Gate Lodge #8600195
- Church of the Nativity (Menlo Park, California) #80000855
- Menlo Park Railroad Station #74000556
- Rock Magnetics Laboratory(USGS) #94001647.
[edit] Famous residents
- Joan Baez, folk singer
- Sergey Brin, Google founder
- Lindsey Buckingham, musician
- Henry Cowell, composer
- Jeanne DuPrau, author
- Nancy Farmer, author
- Jerry Garcia, Grateful Dead singer/guitarist
- Vince Guaraldi, jazz musician
- Ken Kesey, author
- Phar Lap, New Zealand racehorse
- Milton Latham, railroad baron/politician/California Governor (shortest term – five days)
- Robert McCool, software developer
- Stevie Nicks, musician
- Ariel Rittenhouse, Olympic diver
- Shirley Temple Black, actress and diplomat
- Courtney Thorne-Smith, actress
- Isaac Baron, professional poker player
[edit] Traffic and parking
Menlo Park suffers from traffic congestion at peak use hours owing to its proximity to Stanford University, and its lack of high capacity arterials that connect Interstate 280 to U.S. Route 101. Much of the city's arterial network consists of two-lane roads.
Since 1963, Menlo Park has had an ordinance that prohibiting parking between 2 AM and 5 AM on all residential streets in the city. The city has cited a number of benefits from this rather strict policy including: easier street maintenance, reduced crime, and easier access for nighttime emergencies.[9]
[edit] See also
- Menlo Park City School District
- German-American International School
- Menlo Park, New Jersey
- Menlo Park (Pretoria, South Africa)
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c d e Hoover, Mildred Brooke; Douglas E Kyle (2002). Historic Spots in California (4th edition ed.). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. pp. 405. ISBN 0804744831. http://books.google.com/books?id=AYMPR6xAj50C&pg=PA405&vq=%22menlo+park%22&dq=0804744831&as_brr=3&sig=38x9jqr_fehYv0KkaL0K5gUC1MM.
- ^ a b Durham, David L (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, CA: Word Dancer Press. pp. 662. ISBN 1884995144. http://books.google.com/books?id=Yfa0hmE7yocC&pg=PA662&vq=%22menlo+park%22&dq=1884995144&sig=WqCShJBHz6H-8WOMOWfwBWWuhxA.
- ^ a b Stanger, 1963. pg. 109
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2008/snapshots/PL0646870.html
- ^ "SD14 partisan registration". http://www.sen.ca.gov/ftp/SEN/senplan/SD11.HTM. Retrieved 2009-06-06.
- ^ "Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest?". Campaign Legal Center Blog. http://www.clcblog.org/blog_item-85.html. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
- ^ "Parking & Permits". Menlo Park PD website. City of Menlo Park. http://www.ci.menlo-park.ca.us/police/parking.html.
[edit] References
- Stanger, Frank M. South from San Francisco: The Life Story of San Mateo County 1963, publisher: San Mateo County Historical Association
[edit] External links
- City of Menlo Park
- Official Guide from the Chamber of Commerce
- Menlo Park Library
- Menlo Park Library Foundation
- Menlo Park Historical Association
- Walking Tour of Menlo Park
- San Mateo County Visitors Bureau Guide
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