| City of Belvedere | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Belvedere around San Francisco Yacht Club | |
| Location in Marin County and the state of California | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Marin |
| Incorporated | December 21, 1896[1] |
| Government | |
| • Type | city manager[1] |
| • County Board | District 3 Charles McGlashan |
| • Senate | Mark Leno (D) |
| • Assembly | Jared Huffman (D) |
| • U. S. Congress | Lynn Woolsey (D) |
| Area[2] | |
| • Total | 2.406 sq mi (6.234 km2) |
| • Land | 0.519 sq mi (1.345 km2) |
| • Water | 1.887 sq mi (4.889 km2) 78.42% |
| Elevation[3] | 36 ft (11 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 2,068 |
| • Density | 859.5/sq mi (331.7/km2) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP code | 94920 |
| Area code(s) | 415 |
| FIPS code | 06-05164 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1658031 |
| Website | http://www.cityofbelvedere.org |
Belvedere is an affluent city in Marin County, California, United States. Belvedere is located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northeast of Sausalito,[4] at an elevation of 36 feet (11 m).[3] At the 2010 census, the population was 2,068 and the per-capita income in 2000 was $113,595,[5] making it one of the highest income cities in California and the 17th highest income place in the United States (1st with a population over 1,000).
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Belvedere is located at ,[3] about 4 mi (6 km) north of San Francisco.
Situated on the Tiburon Peninsula at the southeastern base of Ring Mountain, between Richardson Bay and the Town of Tiburon, Belvedere consists of two "islands" and the lagoon (Belvedere Lagoon) between them. The larger of the two islands is Belvedere Island, and the smaller one is Corinthian Island, which is shared with Tiburon. The area of Ring Mountain is notable for its archaeological resources of extant Native American petroglyphs as well as considerable biodiversity of California native plants.[6]
Belvedere lagoon is owned and maintained by the Belvedere Lagoon Property Owner's Association. The lagoon is not accessible by boat from the San Francisco Bay, and no public access is provided. Until somewhat late in the 20th century, houseboats were present in Belvedere Lagoon.[7]
The city has a total area of 2.42 sq mi (6.3 km2), of which 0.54 sq mi (1.4 km2) is land and 1.89 sq mi (4.9 km2) (78%) is water.[8]
The first settlers arrived in the late 19th century, then the railroad came and Tiburon was the last stop for passengers and cargo heading to San Francisco and beyond. The Belvedere Lagoon was partially filled after World War II to provide building sites for tract houses and to improve access to Belvedere Island. It was also once the site of a 9 hole golf course.
Belvedere incorporated in 1896.[4] The first post office opened in 1897.[4]
The City Hall was formerly a Presbyterian Church. It was moved to its present location on San Rafael Avenue in 1949.[1]
Late actress Vivian Vance, who played Ethel on I Love Lucy, died in Belvedere at the age of 70.
Belvedere sits on the south side of the tip of Tiburon Peninsula, a small peninsula that extends into the San Francisco Bay. Many Belvedere properties are renowned for their spectacular views of the Bay Area, Angel Island, San Francisco, Sausalito, the Golden Gate Bridge and Mount Tamalpais. As a result, land values are extremely high. In 2000, 87.6% of the city's owner-occupied housing units cost more than $1,000,000,[5] compared with 2.3% for California as a whole.[9] Today, the median property price in Belvedere exceeds $5,000,000.
Many houses in Belvedere are in the Victorian Style of architecture. Some 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 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.
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. The adjacent town of Tiburon, however, is home to a wide range of services, shops and eateries.
Originally a fishing based community, Belvedere has grown into a sailing community where the San Francisco Yacht Club is located.[10] Belvedere Park is also located in Belvedere.
The 2010 United States Census[11] reported that Belvedere had a population of 2,068. The population density was 859.2 people per square mile (331.7/km²). The racial makeup of Belvedere was 1,940 (93.8%) White, 3 (0.1%) African American, 58 (2.8%) Asian, 7 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 18 (0.9%) from other races, and 42 (2.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 72 persons (3.5%).
The Census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.
There were 928 households, out of which 228 (24.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 542 (58.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 54 (5.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 15 (1.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 27 (2.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 6 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 276 households (29.7%) were made up of individuals and 187 (20.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23. There were 611 families (65.8% of all households); the average family size was 2.76.
The population was spread out with 443 people (21.4%) under the age of 18, 45 people (2.2%) aged 18 to 24, 277 people (13.4%) aged 25 to 44, 650 people (31.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 653 people (31.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 54.0 years. For every 100 females there were 80.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.2 males.
There were 1,045 housing units at an average density of 434.2 per square mile (167.6/km²), of which 695 (74.9%) were owner-occupied, and 233 (25.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.5%. 1,614 people (78.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 454 people (22.0%) lived in rental housing units.
At the 2000 census[8], there were 2,125 people, 956 households and 656 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,968.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,519.4/km²). There were 1,059 housing units at an average density of 1,977.9 per square mile (757.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city in 2010 was 90.9% non-Hispanic White, 0.1% non-Hispanic Black or African American, 2.8% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. 3.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 956 households 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.
Age distribution was 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. For every 100 females there were 86.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males.
The median household income was $130,796, and the median family income 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.
Largely because of the high cost of housing, the median age of residents in 2000 (52.7 years[5]) was much higher than that for California as a whole (33.3 years[9]).
In 2009, registered Republicans in the town made up 36.2%, while Democrats made up 39% of registered voters, making Belvedere the most Republican town in the county.[12]
The Belvedere-Tiburon Library is located in nearby Tiburon.
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