Belvedere, California

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Belvedere is a suburb in Marin County, California, United States. The population was 2,125 at the 2000 census. It is the highest income city in California, judged by average per capita annual income, and the 17th highest income place in the United States (1st with a population over 1,000).

1 Location
2 History
3 Houses
4 Climate
5 Sailing and Fishing
6 Community Life
7 Transportation
8 Geography
9 Demographics
10 External links

[edit] Location

Located on the Tiburon Penninsula, between Richardson Bay and the Town of Tiburon, Belvedere consists of two "islands"—the larger being Belvedere Island, the smaller being Corinthian Island, which is shared with Tiburon—and a lagoon (Belvedere Lagoon) situated between the two islands. The lagoon was partially filled after World War II to provide building sites for tract houses and to improve access to Belvedere Island. Narrow, winding roads circle the two islands, pressed in by mature landscaping, with occasional water views. These roads are frequently congested with commuters, construction vehicles, dogs, and bicycles. Houses on the hilly, heavily wooded islands have views of San Francisco Bay, Angel Island, San Francisco, Sausalito, the Golden Gate Bridge and Mount Tamalpais. Houses on the Belvedere Lagoon have boat docks, and there are houses with docks on Belvedere Island as well, many with yachts.

[edit] History

The first settlers arrived in the late 1800s and milked cows, then the railroad came and Tiburon was the last stop for passengers and cargo heading to San Francisco and beyond. The Belvedere Lagoon was developed in the 1950s, mostly with ranch houses.

[edit] Houses

Whether traditional or contemporary, homes in Belvedere are unusually elegant and feature attractive gardens. Residents enjoy keeping fruit gardens because they can sell their products at the local farmer's market. Many houses fall under the Victorian Style of architecture. All Belvedere homes are featured on "The Home Tour" every May. With a recent flood of attention and demand for housing in Belevedere, housing and building has become a contentious issue on this small island as older members of the community have increasingly become frustrated with the large construction projects being developed in what once was a more humble community.

[edit] Climate

Belvedere enjoys a mild climate, usually not escaping heavy winds and the fog that often covers San Francisco in the distance.

[edit] Sailing and Fishing

Belvedere originally was a fishing based community. But as time went on slowly it turned into a sailing community. There are two yacht clubs: the San Francisco Yacht Club in Belvedere, and the Corinthian Yacht Club in neighboring Tiburon. They are both famous for their restaurants. Belvedere Park is also located in Belvedere.

[edit] Community Life

No restaurants or stores are allowed in Belvedere, and the city enforces strict rules regarding house design and setbacks in order to preserve trees, views, and the town's spacious, wooded character. Belvedere residents shop in Tiburon, which has a variety of waterfront cafes and restaurants, such as the local pizza shop, Waypoint, to the authentic supermarket, the Boardwalk. The community is served by the Belvedere-Tiburon Library.

Residents also enjoy a great recreation center, Blackie's Pasture. Named after a horse that once graced the land, it is located centrally between the San Francisco Bay and Tiburon Boulevard. Here residents find trails of enormous beauty to walk their dogs, children, and themselves. Every Friday many residents walk down to Tiburon, which hosts a party. There is very little crime in Belvedere, probably because there are few ways to get in and out of the area without being noticed.

[edit] Transportation

The commute to San Francisco takes about 25 minutes by car. Highway 101 is also fairly close. There is also a high speed ferry that leaves from Tiburon. And there is a regular ferry to Angel Island State Park. Belvedere is a family-oriented community. However, because of the high cost of homes in the area, the average age of residents is higher than the average for California as a whole.

[edit] Geography

Belvedere is located at 37°52′28″N, 122°27′57″W (37.874559, -122.465823)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.3 km² (2.4 mi²). 1.4 km² (0.5 mi²) of it is land and 4.9 km² (1.9 mi²) of it (78.10%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 2,125 people, 956 households, and 656 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,519.4/km² (3,968.9/mi²). There were 1,059 housing units at an average density of 757.2/km² (1,977.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.94% White, 0.09% Black or African American, 0.05% Native American, 1.79% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 2.16% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 956 households out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% were married couples living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.68.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.0% under the age of 18, 2.2% from 18 to 24, 14.9% from 25 to 44, 35.8% from 45 to 64, and 27.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 53 years. For every 100 females there were 86.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $130,796, and the median income for a family was $185,590. The per capita income for the city was $113,595. About 2.9% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.