Belvedere, California

For the community east of Los Angeles, see East Los Angeles, California § Belvedere.
Belvedere, California
City in California
City of Belvedere
Belvedere around San Francisco Yacht Club
Belvedere around San Francisco Yacht Club
Flag of Belvedere, California
Flag
Location of Belvedere in Marin County, California.
Location of Belvedere in Marin County, California.
Belvedere, California is located in the United States
Belvedere, California
Belvedere, California
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 37°52′22″N 122°27′52″W / 37.87278°N 122.46444°W / 37.87278; -122.46444
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyMarin
IncorporatedDecember 24, 1896[1]
Government
 • TypeCouncil–manager[2]
 • Body
City council[3]
  • James Campbell (Mayor) [4]
  • Steven Block
  • Nancy Kemnitzer
  • James Lynch
  • Sally Wilkinson
 • County supervisorDistrict 3
Stephanie Moulton Peters[5]
 • State senatorMike McGuire (D)[6]
 • AssemblymemberStephanie Nguyen (D)[6]
 • U. S. rep.Jared Huffman (D)[7]
Area
[8]
 • Total
2.41 sq mi (6.23 km2)
 • Land0.52 sq mi (1.35 km2)
 • Water1.89 sq mi (4.89 km2)  78.42%
Elevation
[9]
36 ft (11 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
2,126
 • Density4,096.34/sq mi (1,580.46/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
94920
Area codes415/628
FIPS code06-05164
GNIS feature IDs1658031, 2409829
Websitewww.cityofbelvedere.org

Belvedere is a residential incorporated city located on the San Francisco Bay in Marin County, California, United States.[10] Consisting of two islands and a lagoon, it is connected to the Tiburon Peninsula by two causeways. At the 2020 census, the population was 2,126. The per capita (per person) income of Belvedere residents in 2000 was $250,000, but currently the average income is $283,000,[11] making it one of the highest-income cities in California and the eighth highest-income community in the United States (highest with a population of over 1,000 residents). Belvedere and Tiburon share a post office and the 94920 ZIP code.

Location

[edit]
Belvedere
Aerial view of Belvedere and the Tiburon Peninsula

Belvedere is located at 37°52′22″N 122°27′52″W / 37.87278°N 122.46444°W / 37.87278; -122.46444,[9] about 4 mi (6 km) north of San Francisco.

Belvedere's two islands are Belvedere Island and Corinthian Island. Corinthian Island is shared with Tiburon.

Belvedere Lagoon is situated between the two causeways (Beach Road and San Rafael Avenue) that connect Belvedere Island to the town of Tiburon.

Belvedere 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.[12]

History

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Belvedere incorporated as a city in 1896.[10] Its first post office was opened in 1897.[10]

Belvedere's City Hall was originally a Presbyterian Church. It was moved to its present location on San Rafael Avenue in 1949.[13]

Actress Vivian Vance, who played Ethel on I Love Lucy, died in Belvedere in 1979 at the age of 70.

In 2017, Belvedere became a twin city with Portofino, Italy.[14]

Houses

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Depending on where their homes are located, residents of Belvedere enjoy views of San Francisco, Angel Island, Sausalito, the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco and Richardson Bays, and Mount Tamalpais.[citation needed]

Houses on Belvedere and Corinthian Islands encompass a range of periods and architectural styles from Victorian to Mediterranean to post-and-beam "mid-century modern". Many are "cliff-hangers". Houses on the Belvedere Lagoon were designed by architects in the 1950s and 1960s. Houses on the lagoon have their own boat docks. Many of the homes on Belvedere and Corinthian Islands have docks with access to San Francisco Bay.

A number of Belvedere homes are listed on the National Register of Historic Places; e.g.,the Valentine Rey House[15] designed by Willis Polk and built in 1893. Notable designers of homes in Belvedere have included Joseph Esherick, Albert Farr, who designed the Belvedere Land Company building[16] and cottages, Henry Gutterson,[17] and Charles Warren Callister.

New construction has become a contentious issue as residents have become frustrated with large projects that they believe are negatively affecting the character of the community.

San Francisco Yacht Club House c. 1894

Belvedere is a residential community. The nearby town of Tiburon provides services, shops and eateries.

Two yacht clubs are located in Belvedere: the San Francisco Yacht Club and the Corinthian Yacht Club.[18][19]

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1900434—
191048110.8%
192061628.1%
1930500−18.8%
1940457−8.6%
195080075.1%
19602,148168.5%
19702,59921.0%
19802,401−7.6%
19902,147−10.6%
20002,125−1.0%
20102,068−2.7%
20202,1262.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[20]

2010

[edit]

The 2010 United States Census[21] reported that Belvedere had a population of 2,068. Population density was 859.2 people per square mile (331.7 per km2). 1,940 residents (93.8%) were 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. 72 residents (3.5%) were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 928 households. 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.

443 residents (21.4%) were under the age of 18, 45 (2.2%) were aged 18 to 24, 277 13.4%) were aged 25 to 44, 650 (31.4%) were aged 45 to 64, and 653 (31.6%) 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, with an average density of 434.2 units per square mile (167.6 per 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 residents (78.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units, and 454 residents (22.0%) lived in rental housing units.

Politics

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As of January 2, 2018, Belvedere had 1,425 registered voters. Of these, 587 (41.2%) were registered as Democrats, while 416 (29.2%) were registered as Republicans. 371 (26.0%) declined to state. 51 were registered with other parties.[22]

Twin City

[edit]

Education

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Belvedere is in Reed Union School District and the Tamalpais Union High School District.[24]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Word) on November 3, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  2. ^ "City Council". City of Belvedere. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  3. ^ "City Council". Belvedere, CA. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
  4. ^ "Campbell steps into second stint as Belvedere's mayor". December 23, 2020.
  5. ^ "New Marin supervisor faces full plate of issues". January 3, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Statewide Database". UC Regents. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  7. ^ "California's 2nd Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
  8. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Belvedere". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  10. ^ a b c Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 601. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
  11. ^ "Belvedere city, California profile" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 18, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
  12. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  13. ^ "History". Belvedere, CA. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  14. ^ "Belvedere California and Portofino Italy twin cities". May 20, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  15. ^ "National Register #82002203: Rey House in Belvedere, California". noehill.com. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
  16. ^ "Cupola's Arts and Crafts Architecture - Belvedere Land Company (1 of 3)". www.cupola.com. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
  17. ^ "Henry H. Gutterson - Western Neighborhoods Project - San Francisco History". outsidelands.org. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
  18. ^ "Home - Corinthian Yacht Club". www.cyc.org. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
  19. ^ "San Francisco Yacht Club". Archived from the original on December 1, 2007. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
  20. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  21. ^ "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Belvedere city". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  22. ^ "Report of Registration as of January 2, 2018, Registration by Political Subdivision by County" (PDF).
  23. ^ "Portofino: Verso il gemellaggio con City of Belvedere, San Francisco". May 20, 2017.
  24. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Marin County, CA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved April 28, 2023. - Text list
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