Foster City, California

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This article is about the town in California. For the unincorporated community in Michigan, see Breen Township, Michigan.

Aerial view of Foster City

Foster City is an affluent planned city located in San Mateo County, California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 28,803.

Foster City was founded in the 1960s on engineered landfill in the marshes of the San Francisco Bay, on the east edge of San Mateo. The city was named after T. Jack Foster, a real estate magnate who owned much of the land comprising the city and who was instrumental in the initial design. His successor firm, Foster Enterprises, run by his descendants, is still active in real estate affairs throughout the San Francisco Bay area.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Education
4 Business
5 Recreation
6 Items of Interest
7 External links

[edit] Geography

Foster City is located at 37°33'5" North, 122°15'59" West (37.551285, -122.266382)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 51.6 km² (19.9 mi²). 9.7 km² (3.8 mi²) of it is land and 41.9 km² (16.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 81.13% water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there are 28 ,803 people, 11,613 households, and 7,931 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,957.7/km² (7,664.4/mi²). There are 12,009 housing units at an average density of 1,233.2/km² (3,195.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 59.32% White, 2.09% African American, 0.12% Native American, 32.52% Asian, 0.58% Pacific Islander, 1.23% from other races, and 4.13% from two or more races. 5.32% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 11,613 households out of which 30.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% are married couples living together, 7.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% are non-families. 23.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.47 and the average family size is 2.97.

In the city the population is spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 35.3% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 93.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $95,279, and the median income for a family is $106,099. Males have a median income of $77,916 versus $51,157 for females. The per capita income for the city is $45,754. 2.9% of the population and 1.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 1.6% of those under the age of 18 and 5.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

[edit] Education

Foster City is home to four public elementary schools in the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District: Foster City Elementary School, Brewer Island Elementary School, and Audubon Elementary School serve kindergarten through fifth grades. Nathaniel Bowditch Middle School serves 6th through 8th grades. There are several private preschools and elementary schools through 5th grade. There is a separate High School District: San Mateo Union High School District. There is no high school located east of Highway 101 so Foster City high school students attend the public schools in the San Mateo Union High School District and other private high schools in San Mateo County. There is an effort on the way to establish a Charter Public High School in Foster City as part of the community center. However, such efforts have received little recognition and have advanced little since their first proposal.

Of the four public schools in Foster City, Audubon School, Foster City School, and Bowditch Middle School have won California Distinguished School awards. In 1993, Bowditch was recognized with the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon. In 2005, Bowditch became a California Distinguished School for the second time.

[edit] Business

Foster City is the home to the world headquarters of Visa International, the main corporate body of the Visa payment card organization. Additional offices for the Visa USA corporate headquarters, opened in San Francisco in 1999, but were closed in 2006.

Foster City is also the headquarters of Applied Biosystems, Electronics for Imaging and Gilead Sciences.

Sony Computer Entertainment America's headquarters are in Foster City.

The Picture People is headquartered in Foster City.

The ...For Dummies series of instructional books is headquartered in Foster City.

[edit] Recreation

As a planned community, Foster City was made for recreation. It boasts 19 parks made up of more than 100 acres, including many public tennis courts, baseball and soccer fields, basketball courts, and a levee along the San Francisco Bay. Foster City also maintains an extensive 212-acre, man-made enclosed lagoon system. A world-class windsurfing spot in the San Francisco Bay can be found within the city limits of Foster City. There is one 9-hole golf course. Additionally, the Bay Area Dragons Dragon boat and Ho'okahi Pu'uwai Outrigger Canoe clubs operate in the lagoon.

[edit] Items of Interest

Foster City is one of the nation's safest cities. There is an average of one murder per decade.

Foster City's Werder Pier ("Weird-er") is a remainder of the original expanse of the San Mateo/Hayward Bridge. It is also one of the state's longest and oldest piers in existence. Unfortunately, due to much needed repair, the once popular fishing pier is no longer in operation.

In an attempt to preserve the city's waterways and reduce noise levels, only electric or manpowered watercraft are permitted in the Lagoon.

Foster City has more parks per capita than any other city in California.

World Renowned architect and father of Modernism Le Corbusier was commissioned to design a living complex for the city in the late 60's. It was never built. The only other Le Corbusier structure in North America is a performing arts center in Cambridge, Mass.

A number of San Francisco professional athletes have called Foster City home. Former San Francisco Giants players Kevin Mitchell and Jeff Kent won the National League Most Valuable Player award while they were residents of Foster City.

The movie "Over the Edge" is based upon events occurring in Foster City.

The music video for "Super Hyphy" a song by Bay Area rapper Keak Da Sneak was filmed at Bowditch Middle School. R&B singer Keyshia Cole was also featured in the music video.

Foster City is often referred to as the "Wisteria Lane" of the Peninsula. Sought after waterfront developments like "Bayporte" and "Whalers Island" often draw in great interest for their perfectly manicured lawns and the suburbia-type atmospheres so closely associated to Foster City.