Burlingame, California

City of Burlingame
—  City  —
Burlingame Avenue

Seal
Location in San Mateo County and the state of California
Coordinates:
Country  United States
State  California
County San Mateo
Incorporated June 6, 1908
Government
 • Mayor Terry Nagel
 • City Manager Jim Nantell
Area[1]
 • Total 6.057 sq mi (15.686 km2)
 • Land 4.406 sq mi (11.411 km2)
 • Water 1.651 sq mi (4.275 km2)  27.25%
Elevation 39 ft (12 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 28,806
 • Density 4,755.8/sq mi (1,836.4/km2)
  United States Census Bureau
Time zone PST (UTC-8)
 • Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP codes 94010-94012
Area code(s) 650
FIPS code 06-09066
GNIS feature ID 1659704
Website http://www.burlingame.org/

Burlingame is a city in San Mateo County, California. It is located on the San Francisco Peninsula and has a significant shoreline on San Francisco Bay. The city is named after diplomat Anson Burlingame. It is renowned for its many surviving examples of Victorian architecture, its affluence, and its high quality of residential life. Burlingame was settled by wealthy San Franciscans looking for a better climate for their second homes. Beginning in the 1960s a population increase and its proximity to the San Francisco International Airport generated airline support services growth. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Burlingame had a population of 28,806.

Contents

History

Burlingame is on the Mexican land grant Rancho San Mateo given by Governor Pio Pico to his secretary, Cayetano Arena in 1845. Cayetano soon sold the land to San Francisco based merchant William Davis Merry Howard. Howard retired to live on the rancho for the remaining eight years of his life. Howard planted many eucalyptus trees on his property.

Howard's early death in 1856 led to the sale of most of the land to William C. Ralston, a prominent banker. In 1866, Anson Burlingame, the US Minister to China visited Ralston, and by the time he left he was the owner of 1,043 acres (4 km2) of land. His name “Burlingame” was put onto the parcel map for reference. That visit to the San Francisco Peninsula, was Burlingame’s last. On a visit to Russia in 1870, Burlingame died. With his death the land reverted to Ralston.

Ralston had plans for the area which he called “Ralstonville”, but he died in 1875 without many of his plans being realized. The land then passed to Ralston's business partner Senator William Sharon. Sharon died in 1885, and Sharon's son-in-law, Francis G. Newlands, became executor of Sharon’s estate. Newlands had grand plans of his own. His vision was to build estates that surrounded a country club, similar to the development he helped create in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The Burlingame Country Club was organized in 1893.

After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, many people looking to escape the hardships of a city in ruins flocked south. Hundreds of lots in Burlingame were sold in 1906 and 1907. Just two years after the quake, the town of Burlingame was incorporated June 6, 1908. By 1910, the neighboring town of Easton, on the former Rancho Buri Buri, was annexed and became part of Burlingame as well.

City of Trees

Burlingame is known as the "City of Trees" due to the number of trees within the city (18,000 public trees). In 1908, the Burlingame board of trustees passed an ordinance "prohibiting cutting, injuring, or destroying trees".[2] Most residential properties have trees owned and protected by the city on their public right of way. In addition the city has many parks and Eucalyptus groves that add to the overall tree numbers. The Eucalyptus groves occur to the west of the city on Interstate 280 and grow along many city streets, such as the heritage Jules Francard Grove along the Caltrain tracks north of Burlingame Ave,[3] following El Camino Real, and along other smaller local streets. Washington Park, with Burlingame Avenue at its southern edge, Burlingame High School at its northern edge, and the Caltrain line at its western edge is the oldest park in Burlingame. It was originally part of the millionaire cigar retailer Moses A. Gunst Estate, and some of the existing large trees within the park were part of this estate.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.1 square miles (16 km2). 4.4 square miles (11 km2) of it is land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2) of it (27.25%) is water.

Demographics

2010

The 2010 United States Census[4] reported that Burlingame had a population of 28,806. The population density was 4,756.2 people per square mile (1,836.4/km²). The racial makeup of Burlingame was 19,510 (67.7%) White, 360 (1.2%) African American, 74 (0.3%) Native American, 5,841 (20.3%) Asian, 139 (0.5%) Pacific Islander, 1,451 (5.0%) from other races, and 1,431 (5.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3,966 persons (13.8%).

The Census reported that 28,357 people (98.4% of the population) lived in households, 155 (0.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 294 (1.0%) were institutionalized.

There were 12,361 households, out of which 3,640 (29.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 5,735 (46.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,039 (8.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 409 (3.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 627 (5.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 101 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 4,276 households (34.6%) were made up of individuals and 1,201 (9.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29. There were 7,183 families (58.1% of all households); the average family size was 3.02.

The population was spread out with 6,256 people (21.7%) under the age of 18, 1,496 people (5.2%) aged 18 to 24, 8,872 people (30.8%) aged 25 to 44, 8,136 people (28.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,046 people (14.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.5 years. For every 100 females there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.

There were 13,027 housing units at an average density of 2,150.9 per square mile (830.5/km²), of which 5,821 (47.1%) were owner-occupied, and 6,540 (52.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.5%. 15,345 people (53.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 13,012 people (45.2%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the U.S Census of 2009, there were 27,363 people and 25,577 households residing in the city. There were 11,615 housing units with 5,389 owner-occupied homes costing at a median value of $1,000,000+.

There were 12,511 households out of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.4% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.93. The age distribution is: 19.2% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 36.9% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.

According to a 2009 estimate, the median income for a household was $82,295, and the median income for a family was $103,440.[5] The per capita income for the city was $46,573. About 3% of families and 6% of the population were below the poverty line[5]

Neighborhoods

  • Burlingame Gardens           
  • Burlingame Gate
  • Burlingame Park
  • Burlingame Terrace
  • Burlingame Village
  • Country Club Manor
  • Downtown
  • Easton Addition
  • Lyon Hoag
  • Oak Grove
  • Ray Park

Politics

In the state legislature Burlingame is located in the 8th Senate District, represented by Democrat Leland Yee, and in the 19th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Jerry Hill. Federally, Burlingame is located in California's 12th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +22[6] and is currently represented by Democrat Jackie Speier who currently lives in near-by Hillsborough.

Economy

In the 1920s Burlingame became a location for automobile retailers. In 1958 Burlingame annexed the area including Burlingame Plaza and Mills Peninsula Hospital.[7] Due to the proximity to San Francisco International Airport and a population increase beginning in the 1960s, various airline support service businesses opened in Burlingame.[8] As of 2002 most of the businesses in the Rollins Road industrial area serve the airline industry due to the proximity to San Francisco International Airport; the Rollins Road area also has car service businesses.[7]

Mills Peninsula Health Services, the largest employer in Burlingame, employs around 2,500 people. LSG/Sky Chefs, Inc., the eighth-largest employer in terms of Burlingame operations, has around 281 people employed there.[9] Guittard Chocolate Company is headquartered in Burlingame;[10] as the city's 10th largest employer it has around 210 employees.[9] Virgin America's headquarters are located in Suite 450 at Bay Park Plaza II in Burlingame;[11][12] as the 13th largest employer Virgin America has around 200 employees at its headquarters.[9]

The online discount brokerage Zecco.com operates one of two California offices in Burlingame.[13] The United States division of Natsume, a video game company, is headquartered in Burlingame.[14] China Airlines operates the San Francisco Branch Office (Chinese: 舊金山分公司 Jiùjīnshān Fēngōngsī''[15]) in Burlingame.[16] The Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO), the company made famous by the baseball steroid scandal, was headquartered in Burlingame.[17] In previous eras All Nippon Airways located its San Francisco Office in Burlingame.[18]

Top employers

According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[19] the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Enclos 521
2 Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport 467
3 ECC 460
4 Critchfield Mechanical 371
5 SF Airport Marriott 350
6 LSG Sky Chefs 281
7 Virgin America 257
8 Goldberg & Solovy 244
9 Flying Food Group 236
10 Lahlouh 218

Education

Preschools

There are nineteen preschools in Burlingame. They are A Child's Way, Palcare, Stepping Stone, Peninsula Temple Sholom, Papillion Preschool, Burlingame Montessori, St. Paul's Co-Op Nursery School, Learning Links, Morning Glory Montessori, Sunshine Family Child Care, United Methodist Co-Op Nursery School: Toddler Room, Kiddie Lab, First Presbyterian School, and Tout About Toys.

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools

San Mateo Union High School District operates local high schools. Burlingame High School is the city's sole public high school. Burlingame Intermediate School is Burlingame's sole public middle school. There are five public elementary schools serving Burlingame. They are Franklin Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, McKinley Elementary, Roosevelt Elementary, and Washington Elementary. According to the 2009 Base Academic Performance Index (API) Scores from the California Department of Education, the Burlingame School District ranks among the best in the state, with 4 out of their 5 public elementary schools (Roosevelt Elementary, Washington Elementary, Franklin Elementary, and Lincoln Elementary) scoring well between 880-925, and with ratings of 9 or 10.[20] There are several private schools located in Burlingame including Our Lady of Angels, St.Catherine of Siena.

Private School

Mercy High School is the only private catholic all- girls high school in Burlingame. It was founded in 1931 by the Sisters of Mercy. The School itself is located in the prestigious Kohl Mansion which is a Historic Landmark.[21] Also Our Lady of Angels School is located in Burlingame

Public libraries

Burlingame Library is located in Burlingame. It was established by city ordinance October 11, 1909. Following the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 the City approved a bond issue to reconstruct the library. The architecture has won awards and was featured in Library Journal as well as earning a cover story in American Libraries. There is a secondary location on Easton Drive, which is substantially smaller than the main branch. Both are operated by the Peninsula Library System, the library authority for the county.

Points of interest

Burlingame Avenue has developed into a popular hang out for Burlingame High School students on minimum days and also on the weekends, where they enjoy eating lunch at some of the popular restaurants, including La Corneta, Crepevine, and Urban Bistro, which just recently opened off Burlingame Avenue. Therapy is the most popular clothing store among BHS students, and you can always count on finding teens sipping a Starbucks drink as they walk down the Ave or munching on a petite treat from the delicious new bakery Teacake.

In popular culture

Miscellany

References

Notes
  1. ^ U.S. Census
  2. ^ "Urban Reforestation and Tree Protection" Burlingame Municipal Code
  3. ^ "Jules Francard Grove", The San Mateo Times, August 7, 1980
  4. ^ All data are derived from the United States Census Bureau reports from the 2010 United States Census, and are accessible on-line here. The data on unmarried partnerships and same-sex married couples are from the Census report DEC_10_SF1_PCT15. All other housing and population data are from Census report DEC_10_DP_DPDP1. Both reports are viewable online or downloadable in a zip file containing a comma-delimited data file. The area data, from which densities are calculated, are available on-line here. Percentage totals may not add to 100% due to rounding. The Census Bureau defines families as a household containing one or more people related to the householder by birth, opposite-sex marriage, or adoption. People living in group quarters are tabulated by the Census Bureau as neither owners nor renters. For further details, see the text files accompanying the data files containing the Census reports mentioned above.
  5. ^ a b [1] United States Census Bureau
  6. ^ "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. 
  7. ^ a b "7 Development Framework." City of Burlingame. Retrieved on January 24, 2009.
  8. ^ "Best Places to Live: Burlingame." San Jose Magazine. Retrieved on January 25, 2009.
  9. ^ a b c "Top 15 Employers in Burlingame." City of Burlingame. Retrieved on January 24, 2009.
  10. ^ "Contact Us." Guittard Chocolate Company. Retrieved on January 24, 2009.
  11. ^ "Virgin America is teaming with Virgin Galactic." Virgin America. Accessed September 24, 2008.
  12. ^ Simmers, Tim. "Virgin America airline destined for Burlingame." Oakland Tribune. January 13, 2006.
  13. ^ "Hello, We Are Zecco." Zecco.com. Retrieved on January 25, 2009.
  14. ^ "Natsume Consumer Service and Warranty Service." Natsume. Retrieved on January 25, 2009.
  15. ^ "北美洲地區." China Airlines. Retrieved on April 24, 2010
  16. ^ "Branch Offices North America." China Airlines. Retrieved on January 25, 2009.
  17. ^ "The BALCO Investigation." San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on January 25, 2009.
  18. ^ "Customer Service Center, the Americas." All Nippon Airways. December 10, 2006. Retrieved on August 13, 2011. "San Francisco 1350 Old Bayshore Hwy. Suite 650 Burlingame, CA 94010"
  19. ^ City of Burlingame CAFR
  20. ^ http://api.cde.ca.gov/AcntRpt2010/2009Base_Co.aspx?cSelect=41,San,Mateo
  21. ^ http://www.mercyhsb.com/page.cfm?p=22
  22. ^ http://www.burlingame.org/Index.aspx?page=96
  23. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrmVNTr7vBw

External links

City Council members