 Albany at a Glance
Albany is located on the Eastern shore of San Francisco Bay, across from the Golden Gate Bridge.
The city lies in the northwestern corner of Alameda County, bordered by the cities of El Cerrito and Richmond on the north and the city of Berkeley on the east and south sides. The terrain is mostly flat, except for Albany Hill, which rises to 338 feet above sea level. The Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge is just a few miles south of Albany, off Interstate 80, which runs along the western edge of the city. AC Transit bus lines and a BART station in neighboring El Cerrito provide easy accessible transportation service to San Francisco, Richmond, Berkeley, Oakland and beyond.
The City of Albany Today
With a population of 16,444 (according to the 2000 US Census) and more than 350,000 living within a 15-mile radius, Albany today combines a small-town ambience with its central location in a major metropolitan area. Albany prides itself on being a safe, community-oriented city, with strong services and programs for youth, families and the elderly. It is a city made up primarily of single-family homes and small businesses, its small town character exemplified by its "Main Street," Solano Avenue. Albany's public schools have an outstanding reputation with student test scores at the elementary, middle and high school levels among the highest in the state.
City Street Map
Population
16,444 (2000 Census)
Albany is often referred to as "kid town," with over half of the population 35 years of age or younger. About 75% of Albany residents live in family households and, of those families, 75
are headed by married couples.
Ethnic Composition
The ethnic composition of Albany has changed over the years. There are over 17 foreign languages spoken by students in the schools reflecting the diverse cultural backgrounds of the residents of Albany, among them are Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Spanish. Over 35% of Albany residents speak a language other than English at home. The following statistics are based on 2000 Census data.
One Race: 94.2%
Median Single Family Home Price: $334,800(2000 Census)
Median Household Income: $54,919(2000 Census)
Form of Government: City Council - City Administrator
Incorporated: 1908
Education
Albany Unified School District operates one high school, one middle school, three elementary schools, and one continuation high school. Year after year, the school district proudly boasts the continued achievement of producing some of the highest academic test scores throughout the state and certainly in the Bay Area. In state academic ranking, Albany Schools consistently place in the 90th percentiles.
 In Alameda County, the number of Albany residents holding college degrees is second only to Piedmont. Sixty-four percent (64%) of Albany residents have a Bachelors Degree or higher. The community is very supportive of education, and in recent years, voters have approved several bond measures for renovation of existing or construction of new school facilities. Ocean View Elementary School and the new Albany Middle School opened in September 1999. Albany High School opened its new facility in September 2001.
Health
Albany is located just a few miles from several well-known and highly regarded health care facilities in the East Bay Area. Among those serving the community are Alta Bates in Berkeley, Children's Hospital and Summit Medical Center in Oakland, and Kaiser Permanente in Richmond. All of these locations can be reached in less than 15 minutes.
Recreation and Culture
 Albany is located in the center of almost any desired form of recreation and culture available. With San Francisco to the west and Berkeley to the east and south, theaters and museums of all types are only minutes away. In addition, professional and college sports activities abound throughout the area.
Within Albany itself, Golden Gate Fields, one of the largest thoroughbred racetracks in the United States, draws its participants from throughout the entire Bay Area. Throughout Albany, but especially on Solano Avenue, there are sidewalk cafes, as well as numerous full-dining establishments that offer everything from simple fare to a variety of international dishes.
Committed to environmental preservation, Albany has an ongoing creek restoration program, and recently dedicated 1/3-mile of land to the San Francisco Bay Trail. The Albany Mudflats are frequented by numerous shorebirds, such as, snowy egrets, double-breasted cormorants, and Canadian Geese, as proof that the preservation efforts are certainly worthwhile and effective.
Albany also operates a Community Center/Library, Senior Center, Teen Center, Child Care Center, and seven local parks with playgrounds, ballfields, and tennis courts. The school district owns and operates an indoor swimming pool that is open to the public.
Community groups also put on a variety of activities of general interest to the community. One such event, The Solano Stroll, is a mile-long celebration of food, fun and music and draws about 75,000 people from throughout the Bay Area each year on the second Sunday in September.
Community Development
The City of Albany is committed to serving business with lower development fees that surrounding cities and a friendly can-do attitude towards commercial improvement. City staff strive to employ an entrepreneurial spirit when assisting new businesses. With a level of taxable sales per resident lower than most East Bay cities, Albany is a prime target for enterprising businesses. The involvement of residents in the development of Solano and San Pablo Avenues indicates strong local interest in better access to shops and services. With high incomes compared to those found elsewhere in the East Bay, Albany residents comprise a potentially lucrative retail market.
Albany's Commercial Areas
 Solano Avenue is a pedestrian-oriented street featuring grocers, florists, and charming retail shops, and is particularly popular for its variety of restaurants. Typical of a small-town "Main Street," Solano Avenue is a strong regional attraction and is visited by thousands of shoppers and strollers each year.
San Pablo Avenue is a well-traveled boulevard of medium sized storefronts with high traffic counts and great retail potential.
Eastshore Highway and Cleveland Avenues provide high visibility locations along Interstate 80 and 580. Larger scale retail, light manufacturing and warehousing are currently accommodated in this area, away from residential neighborhoods, and there is ample opportunity for intensive retail or office use.
History
Early Settlers.
Albany's heritage is intertwined with its location along the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay, its temperate climate and its unique natural features. This environment supported the City's first known residents, a tribe of Native Americans known as the Costanoans (coast dwellers) or Ohlone, who lived at the base of Albany Hill along Cerrito Creek.  Shell fragments and grinding rocks found at Creekside Park serve as a reminder of these people who lived in the Albany area until the early 19th Century, when the Spanish land barons arrived in California.
In 1820, the King of Spain granted a large portion of the East Bay to Don Luis Maria Peralta, who then divided the land among his three sons. Jose Domingo received the northern portion, which included the area of Berkeley and Albany, and used the land for cattle farming.
Gold and dynamite. The discovery of gold and the entry of California into the United States brought many settlers to the west, ultimately ending the land grant economy. The Peralta land was divided into small parcels and sold as farms or homesteads.
Gold mining created a demand for dynamite, and Albany became home to a number of powder plants at Fleming Point, which is the present site of Golden Gate Fields. This industry died out in 1905 after a series of explosions and fires. In 1906, the great San Francisco earthquake and fire occurred, which results in a large migration of families from San Francisco to the East Bay. This significantly impacted development in Albany and other nearby jurisdictions.
Incorporation. In 1908, area residents protested the dumping of Berkeley garbage in their community by incorporating and became the City of Ocean View. In 1909, voters changed the name of the city, primarily to distinguish the City from many other communities in the area with the name of Ocean View. On a vote of 38 - 6, Albany was chosen as the new name, in honor of the birthplace of the City's first mayor, Mayor Frank Roberts.
In 1927, Albany voters adopted the City's first Charter, giving the City full control over its own affairs as long as there is no conflict with State or Federal laws.
During World War II, the Federal Government built a housing project called Codornices Village on land leased from the University of California, to accommodate the thousands of workers at the Richmond shipyards. Adjacent was the Veterans Village that provided temporary military housing for the US Navy training base in the same area. After the war, both "villages" operated as a Federal Housing Project until 1956, when the 420 units reverted to University ownership and came to be known as "Albany Village," serving as family student housing. In 1962, 500 more apartments were building for students. Renovation of all 350 units commenced in 1999 and was completed in 2000.
Step 2 of the renovation of University Village began in September, 2004, with the demolition of the existing 412 units of 1960s housing. These will be replaced with up to 558 one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Anticipated completion of the project is in 2008.
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