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Revision as of 17:46, 27 July 2006
Richmond, California | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nickname(s): The City of Pride and Purpose | |
 | |
| City | Richmond |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Irma A. Anderson (D) |
| Population | |
• Total | 103,818 |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific Standard Time Zone) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (Pacific Daylight Time) |
| Website | http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/ |
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. It is in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It almost surrounds the city of San Pablo, and the unincorporated areas of North Richmond, El Sobrante, and East Richmond Heights. Bay Area Rapid Transit and Amtrak share a station in Richmond, which serves as a regional transit interchange. The city is headed by mayor Irma A. Anderson. As of the July 1, 2005 US Census estimate, the city has a population of 102,186, while the California Department of Finance says the city's population at 103,818, as of January 1, 2006.[1] This makes Richmond the 55th largest in the state ahead of Berkeley and ahead of Santa Clara, which are both Bay Area neighbors.
History
Richmond was founded and incorporated in 1905 and was carved out of the Rancho San Pablo, from which the nearby town of San Pablo has inherited its name. Until 1919 the city had the largest winery in the world and the small but abandoned village of Winehaven remains fenced off along Western Drive in the Point Molate Area. In the 1920s the Ku Klux Klan was active in the city. In 1930 Ford Motor Company opened an assembly plant in the south side of town; it is now an abandoned industrial area. The plant moved to Milpitas in the 1970s. The city was a small town at that time, until the onset of World War II which brought on a rush of migrants and a boom in the industrial sector. The former Standard Oil set up operations here in 1901, including a refinery with storage tanks over the western hills, and a pier into San Francisco Bay off of Point Molate on which oil tankers dock. The western terminus of the Santa Fe Railroad was established in Richmond with ferry connections at Ferry Point in the Brickyard Cove area of Point Richmond to San Francisco.
During World War II the city built thousands of ships for the war effort; mostly Liberty and Vicotry class. The city broke many records and even built one large liberty ship in a record sevan days as it competed with shipyards throughout the country. On average the yards pumped out one ship every thrity days.
Point Richmond had originally been the commertial hub of the city, but a new downtown arose in the center of the city. The new downtown was populated by many department stores such as Kress, J.C. Penney, Sears, Macy's, and Woolworth's. During the war the population increased dramatically and topped-off at around 99,000 residents in 1950. By 1960 the temporary housing built for those building ships for the Navy was torn down and the residents moved away and the population dropped to about 71,000 people. Many of the people that moved to Richmond moved from the Midwest and South. Many of these people were black people and women. Most of the white men were overseas at war and this opened up new opportunities for minorities and women. The women found a new sense of independence and did not return to the home after the war. This changed the sex politics and gender roles of the country and the world. This era also brought with it the innovation of Daycare for children, as a few women could care for several dozen women's children while most of the mothers went off to work in the factories and shipyards.
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In the 1970s the Hilltop area was developed in the northern suburbs of the city, this further depressed downtown and department stores such as Emporium, Sears, J.C. Penney, and Macy's were brought back to the city limits. In the late 1990s and early 2000s the Richmond Parkway was built along the western industrial and northwestern parklands of the city connecting Interstates 80 and 580. Richmond hosts one of the last operational wigwags, wigwags are an antique type of railroad crossing signal. There was controversy in 2005 when the State Transporation Authority ordered the BNSF railroad company to upgrade the railroad crossing signs to the city's dismay. A compromise was achieve that includes installing new fair crossing equipment while not removing, but simply shutting off the historic ones and preserving their functionabilty for special events.
In 2006 the city will be celebrating its centennial. MacDonald Avenue the designated main street in the city's main street redevelopment project is being nicknamed the 100 years street and being remodeled partly for this reason. The city plans on welcoming another 100 years, while ceromoniously leaving the problems of the past behind.
Geography
Richmond is located at 37°56′13″N 122°20′31″W / 37.93694°N 122.34194°WInvalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (37.936874, -122.342057)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 52.6 mi² (136.2 km²). 30.0 mi² (77.6 km²) of it is land and 22.6 mi² (58.5 km²) of it (42.98%) is water. The city enjoys 32 miles of waterfront, more than any other city in the Bay Area.[2]
The city borders San Francisco Bay to the southwest and San Pablo Bay to the northwest, and includes Brooks Island and the Brother Islands entirely; and ⅓ of Red Rock Island
There are several cities and unincorporated communities surrounding or bordering Richmond. To the south is the city of Albany which is in Alameda County and the city of El Cerrito. The cities and unincorporated areas of, East Richmond Heights, Rollingwood and, El Sobrante lie to the East. North Richmond to the west and San Pablo to the east are almost entirely surrounded by Richmond's city limits. To the north, Richmond borders the city of Pinole and the unincorporated areas of Bayview-Montalvin, and Tara Hills. Richmond borders Alameda, San Francisco, and Marin counties in the Bay and Red Rock Island.
Climate
| Monthy Annual Rainfall [3] | |
| Month | cm./in. |
| JAN | 124.7/4.91 |
| FEB | 112.0/4.41 |
| MAR | 89.4/3.52 |
| APR | 34.3/1.35 |
| MAY | 13.7/0.54 |
| JUN | 4.3/0.17 |
| JUL | 1.8/0.07 |
| AUG | 2.3/0.09 |
| SEP | 6.9/0.27 |
| OCT | 31.8/1.25 |
| NOV | 88.1/3.47 |
| DEC | 83.8/3.30 |
Richmond, like much of the coastal East Bay, enjoys a very mild Mediterranean climate year round. The climate is slightly warmer than the coastal areas of San Francisco, the Peninsula, and Marin County; it is however more temperate than areas further inland. The average highs range from 57 °F (14 °C) to 73 °F (23 °C) and the lows between 43 °F (6 °C) to 56 °F (13 °C) year round.[4] On average the warmest month is September and Richmond usually enjoys a strong "Indian Summer" every year; which is warmer than the "real" summer itself. January is on average the coldest month.
The highest recorded tempature in Richmond was 41.6°C/107°F in September 1971 while the coldest was -4.4°C/24 °F in January of 1990. [5]
The rainy season begins in late October and ends in April with some showers in May. Most of the rain however occurs during stronger storms which occur between November and March and drop 3.3 to 4.91 inches of rain per month. January and February are the rainiest months.[6]
Like most of the Bay Area, Richmond is made up of several microclimates. Southern parts of the city receive more fog than northern areas. Summer temperatures are higher in inland areas, where the moderating influence of San Francisco Bay is lessened. The average windspeed is 6 to 9 miles per hour with stronger winds March through August, the strongest winds are in the month of June.[7] The city also enjoys more than 80% sunshine 7 months out of the year and 10 with 60% or more. December and January are the darkest months with about 45% average brightness.[8] The city experiances virtually no snowfall ever, and brief hail annually. The city is very humid in the morning with the lowest humidity being in the high 70%s. This may be due to San Francisco Bay's notorious fog and also the fact that a lot of Richmond lies on a flat coastal plain of predominatly reclaimed swamplands. Moring humidity is 75% to 92% yearround, however afternoon humidity is more volatile. This percentage is in the high 20%s to mid 30%s May through October (the summer months) and climbs or descends through 40% to 70% during the winter bump.[9]
| Mean Annual Tempatures [10] | |||||||||||||
| Celsius | Farenheit | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |
| High | High | 14°C/57° | 16°/61°F | 17°C/63°F | 19°C/66°F | 20°C/68°F | 22°C/71°F | 21°C/70°F | 22°C/71°F | '23°C/73°F | 22°C/72°F | 18°C/64°F | 14°C/57°F |
| Low | Low | 6°C/43° | 7°C/45°F | 8°C/47°F | 9°/48°F | 11°C/51°F | 12°C/54°F | 13°C/55°F | 13°C/56°F | 13°C/56°F | 12°C/53°F | 9°C/48° | 6°C/43°F |
Enviornment
Richmond is home to many species of animals. Canada Geese migrate and stop in the city annually. Harbor seals call the Castro Rocks home as Pigeons and Seagulls glitter the sidewalks and parking lots. Tadpoles and frogs can be found in the local creeks and vernal pools. Field mice and lizards rush about your feet in open spaces. Mosquitoes can prick and irritate the inhabitants to an extent, usually limitedly to moderately.[11]. Herons and Egrets can be found nesting in protected areas on Brooks Island. Deer, Falcons, Racoons, Ducks, Foxes, Owls, and Mountain Lions call Wildcat Canyon and Point Pinole Regional Shoreline home; as do horses in stables at the earlier. Crabs and other fish can be caught on one of the many fishing piers. A license is needed for fishing on the waterfront or city waters but not on the piers, where in addition to crabs, sturgeon are plentiful and popular. Striped bass, bay rays, leopard sharks, perch, kingfish, and flounders are also available. Lady Bugs, Humming Birds, and Bats are important in fertilizing local plantlife.
Richmond is one of the few places where you can find the rare Olympia Oyster on the west coast, near the polluted waters near the Chevron Refinary. Stray and domestic Cats, Ferretts, Squirrels, Moths, Dogs, and Rabbits roam the neighborhoods. Red-tail hawkes patrol the skies as Crows perch on power lines. Sheep graze at Point Pinole. Monarch butterflies migrate through the city on their path between México and Canada. Wildcat Marsh offers visitors two ponds where Canada geese often rest. The park also is the home of the endangered Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse and California Clapper Rail. There is also another enndangeroud species in the city, the Santa Cruz Tarweed which remarkably survives on the patch of dirt alongside interstate 80. Bats can be seen flying at dusk. Wildcat Canyon also hosts falcons and vultures. The soils of the entire city are plentiful with ants and spiders. Snails can be found in most gardens.
Disasters
Richmond lies in the volatile California region that has a potential for devastating earthquakes. In the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake the city was effected with many buildings damaged. There was minor damage in the Richmond earthquake of 1995. The Napa and Gilroy tremlors also were felt in Richmond and knocked objects over. The city has also had at least one minor tornado.
Various industries have released dangerous chemicals into the air in the city. This has reached a point where an emergency warning siren system has been installed to warn people to, "shelter in place", and "shelter, shut, and listen". The vast majority of the spills are from the Chevron oil refinary; which is one of two of the largest refinaries in the state. The refinary usually releases Sulfur Trioxide and the local hospitals fill with patients complaing of burning eyes & skin, and sore throats. The refinary had ten accidents in ten years. The 10th accident occurred on 25 March 1999, when there was an explosion in one of the hydrocracking units, sending several hundred people to local hospitals with smoke-related injuries. The county's emergency warning sirens did not fire for 20 minutes after the explosion.
The General Chemical corporation released an immense amount of pullutants in 1993 causing western Contra Costa county and northwestern Alameda county to shut down for three days. People where asked to not leave their homes if at all possible during this time. Afterwards resients were asked to hose down the entire surface of their houses, lawns, backyard objects, and driveways to washout the pollutants. The company was forced out of town after the spill.
Demographics
| Historical Population | |
| 1910 | 6,802 |
| 1920 | 16,843 |
| 1930 | 20,093 |
| 1940 | 23,642 |
| 1950 | 99,545 |
| 1960 | 71,854 |
| 1970 | 79,043 |
| 1980 | 74,676 |
| 1990 | 87,425 |
| 2000 | 99,216 |
| Present | 103,818 |
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 99,216 people in the city and, 34,625 households, and 23,025 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,309.5/mi² (1,277.8/km²). There were 36,044 housing units at an average density of 1,202.3/mi² (464.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 31.36% White, 36.06% Black or African American, 0.64% Native American, 12.29% Asian, 0.50% Pacific Islander, 13.86% from other races, and 5.27% from two or more races. 26.53% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The city is the 44th Blackest in the nation by percentage tying with Chattanooga.
There were 34,625 households out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 20.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.44.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $44,210, and the median income for a family was $46,659. Males had a median income of $37,389 versus $34,204 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,788. About 13.4% of families and 16.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.1% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over. Richmond has the 507th highest income in the state ahead of Isleton and behind Sun City [12]
Statistically Richmond is the most dangerous city in California, surpassing Compton in 2006. For every 100,000 people there were 38.3 murders, 50.4 rapes, 485.8 robberies, 512 assualts, 1110.7 bulgaries, 3497.4 counts or larceny and 2471.4 thefts of vehicles.[13]
75.4% of denizens (over the age of 25) were high school graduates, while 22.4% have earned Bachelor's Degrees and 8.3% had a graduate or professional degree. 7.7% of the population was unemployed and those who were took 34.3 minutes to commute to their jobplace.[14]
33.2% of the population (age 15 and over) has never married, while 46.3% is currently wed. 11.1% have allready dovorced, 3.1% is currently separted, and 6.4% has been widowed.[15]
20.6% of the population was born internationally; of which 15.4% in Latin America and 8.7% Asia.[16]
During the daytime the population shrinks by 6.2% due to commuting while 23.3% of the population stays within the city limits for work. 20.5% of the jobs offered in the city are in the educational, health, and social service fields, while 10.9% are professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste disposal, and 10.4% is retail.[17]
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Economy
Many industries have been pursued in Richmond. It had a dynamite and gunpowder works (closed in 1960, now Point Pinole), the last active whaling station in the country at Point Molate (closed in 1971), and one of the world's largest wineries (closed by Prohibition in 1919).
During World War II Richmond was developed rapidly as a heavy industrial town, chiefly devoted to shipbuilding. Its major activity now is as a seaport, and 26 million tons of goods were shipped through Port Richmond in 1993, mostly oil and petroleum products. Chevron USA has a major oil refinery in the city, with a storage capacity of 15 million barrels (2,400 m³). The Social Security Administration employs over 1,000 at its regional office and program service center in downtown Richmond. Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in the Downtown is one of the largest employers. Galaxy Desserts is run, operated, and manufactures deserts in the city. Treeskunk Productions a video game animation studio is based in the town. Bay View recording studios are located in the city, and have worked with artists such as Smash Mouth.
The city has been appraised as valuing at a total of US$8,123,083,355.[18]
Top 27 Employers
This is a list of the top emplyoyers of the city. These range from retail giants like department stores and home improvement stores to local industries. The city is home to an immense refinary and also high-tech companies and labs.[19]
- Chevron U.S.A. Inc.,
- The Permanente Medical Group,
- Berlex, Inc., pharmaceutical company
- Costco Wholesale,
- Macy's, department store
- California Austism Foudation,
- Palecek Imports, Inc.,
- Veriflo Division,
- The Home Depot,
- Dicon Fiberoptics, Inc.,
- QRS Corporation,
- TPMG Regional Laboratory,
- Sealy Mattress Company,
- Sears Roebuck & Company,
- Richmond Wholesale Meat Company,
- Alan Ritchey, Inc. - Postal Facility,
- Grace Baking Company,
- Mulberry Thai Silks, Inc.,
- Kaiser Permanente Optical Manufacturing,
- J.C. Penney Corporation,
- Kensington Laboratories, Inc.,
- MHN Services,
- Safeway Stores, Inc. Bakery,
- Sims Metal America,
- Foss Maritime Company,
- Making Waves Education Program,
- Wine Warehouse - North,
Shopping
The Hilltop Area includes Hilltop Mall, which features a Sears, J.C. Penney, Macy's, and many other chain stores. It also includes Hilltop Auto Mall with Ford, Honda, Toyota, Chevrolet car dealerships, among others. In the late 90s Hilltop Plaza was built featuring a Barnes & Noble, Circuit City, International House of Pancakes, Chevron, PetSmart, and a Century Theatres Multiplex with 16 rooms, the first movie theatre in decades.
23rd street has become a predominantly Latino neihbogrhood over there years. The businesses on this trunk route are now majority Latino owned and operated. They include laundramats, hair salons, grocery markets, and taquerias, amonsgt others.
In the downtown area Richmond Shopping Center was built as part of the city's revitalization efforts. The center is anchored by a Foods Co. supermarket and features a Walgreen's pharmacy, independent shops, and fast food joints including a Burger King.
Pacific East Mall on Pierce St has many Asian stores, including 99 Ranch Supermarket, many Asian restaurants, and a Chinese bookstore.
Big-box stores in town include Costco in the Point Isabel area and a Home Depot, which is partially in Richmond and partially in El Cerrito. A Wal-Mart has been proposed in the city, however as with many of that company's expansion efforts, especially in the Bay Area it has been met with neighborhood opposition, similar to that of neighboring Hercules.
MacDonald 80 Shopping Center A vacant shopping center once anchored by Montgomery Wards and Toys'R'Us. Under city redevelopment plans the former Wards will be refashioned into a Target, and the Toys'R'Us into a Ross.
Housing Boom
File:Butt.jpgStarting in the early 2000s the city began an agressive redevelopment effort spurring exurban tract housing, condiminiums, townhomes, a transit village, spitside slithouses, and terraced hillside subdivisions. Since 1996 new homes have increased in price by 32%[20] and 65.6% in total amount of new dwellings built annually.
Country Club vista is a development surrounding the Richmond Country Club to the south and north. It encompasses suburban style tract houses with cul-de-sac courts and small yards. These homes sold for 600,000 to 900,000 U.S. dollars. Built by Shea Homes.
Seacliff at Point Richmond is a development of luxury waterfront homes built on a terraced hillside in exclusive Point Richmond. Built by Toll Brothers. These homes have truly spectacular panoramic bay views and incredible pricetags. They were advertised as, "starting in the low 1,000,000s". In the yacht club below the spits have been surrounded by mini mansions on stilts.
Between Hilltop Mall and Country Club Vista, San Marcos has popped up. It is a series of about ten condominium multistory buildings.
In an empty lot and west parking lot of the Richmond BART and Amtrak station has been constructed a Transit Village. It has been marketed as Metro Walk by the Olson Company, the construction company that built it.
Casinos
Many casinos have been proposed for the West Contra Costa area. Point Molate would have a casino, resort, and a luxury shopping mall. Sugar Bowl Casino proposes a casino, steakhouse, and a buffet. Casino San Pablo has already been built in neighboring San Pablo; with 2,500 slots. The projects have been the subject of much civic debate supporters contend that the often cash-strapped government would get a major new source of revenue, while opponents air their concerns over the ramifications including an increase in allready high crime rates, lowered property values, and worsening neighborhood quality of life.
Government and Politics
Elected Officials
| City Councilmembers[21] | |
| 1 | Irma Anderson, (D) Mayor |
| 2 | Jim Rodgers, (D) Vice Mayor |
| 3 | Nathanial Bates, (D) |
| 4 | Gayle McLaughlin, (G) |
| 5 | John E. Márquez, (D) |
| 6 | Tom Butt, (D) |
| 7 | Tony K. Thurmond, (D) |
| 8 | Richard Griffin, (D) |
| 9 | María Viramontes, (D) |
The city, is a Democratic stronghold, due to its urban location, laissez-faire San Francisco attitude, and a sizeable Black population. The city is governed by a 9-member city council; the mayor and vice mayor are also councilmember included in the count. By the early 1990s not a single Republican remainded on the council and most mayors were black. Rosemary McCormick was the mayor throughout the 90s and was an exception, as she is white. By the onset of the millennium the Green Party took the council in its sights and elected Gayle McLaughlin as the first Green to the council, under the support of the Richmond Progfessive Alliance (RPA) a coalition of liberal Democrats, Progerssive Independents, and Greens, fed up with the Democratic party. She is now running for mayor and is challenging Mayor Anderson in the 2006 mayoral election. She would be one of only a handful of Green mayors in the county. The city council has four African Americans, four Whites, one Latina, and no Asians or other groups.
Richmond has formerly been home to black culture and activist movements, most notably the Black Panther Party.
At present there is a great civic debate over whether City Hall should be moved to offices in the Marina Bay neighborhood, since the existing city hall is in dire need of expensive retrofitting.
Great American Boycott of 2006 The predominatly Latino storefronts of the 23rd Street business district were all closed for the general strike and the usually bustling district became tantamount to a one-day ghost town. Many Latinos from the area protested in San Francisco. There was also a protest in Richmond all on 23rd Street. One lane on 23rd Street was closed to allow traffic to pass. About 25,000 participated.
Richmond like all of California is served by Senators Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein. In the House of Representatives however the city is served by Congressman George Miller. For state senate by Don Perata and state assemblymember Loni Hancock. And finally at the county level by John Gioa.
In 2006 the city implemented a computer program that it had ordered from a German firm that provides the city with multifacited statistical interactive maps. These maps cover such areas as singage locations, streets, crime hot-spots, and type of zoning.[22]
Services
Richmond's waste is disposed of by the Richmond Sanitary Service. Residents presort their garbage into three bins. A brown bin for garbage; blue for recycling; and green for compost. Sewer systems and water is available from EBMUD which stands for East Bay Municipal Utility District. Electric power is available from PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric Company). Most parks are controlled by the East Bay Regional Parks District, which oversees all large, and the majority of all parks in Contra Costa and Alameda County. Public transportation is available from AC Transit locally and commuter services from Golden Gate Transit, Vallejo Transit, and WestCat. The city receives television signals from the local (Oakland-San Francisco-San José) affiliates of: Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, UPN, WB, PBS, Univisión, Telemundo, Telefutura, and TeleAzteca aswell as local channels KRON-4 and KNTV which provides mixed Pan Asian programing in Tagalog, Vietnamese, Cantonese, and Mandarin. Richmonders travel from Oakland International Airport or San Francisco International Airport. Residents can order cable televison which is monopolized by Comcast or satelite television from DISH Network or DirectTV. Landline local telephone service is also monopolized and is only available from AT&T. Long distance options are more numerous, with 10-10 numbres and other phone companies. Landline local service can be unmonopolized by not haveing it at all and using an alternative VoIP service, such a Vonage and other which are available in town. Many people opt not to have landline service at all and choose to have an additional or sole cellular phone line. Cellular service is available from T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon wireless and MetroPCS. Dial-up internet is available from a plethora of ISPs, while High-Speed internet is available from Comcast by cable modem, a AT&T and Yahoo consortium by DSL, and by satelite dish from HughesNet. Richmond is protected from crime by the Richmond Police Department and from Fire and Emergency by the Richmond Fire Department. Most students attend West Contra Costa Unified School District and Oakland Diocese in addition to Contra Costa College; they also commute to regional California Community Colleges. University students attend schools statewide in the University of California, California State University systems and also private and out-of-state schools. The city lies in the 510 area code. It hosts the following Zip Codes: 94805, 94804, 94803, 94801 . The following radio stations serve Richmonders: KNEW 910 AM, KTRB 860 AM, KIQI 1010 AM, KCBS 740 AM, KFRC 610 AM, KNBR 680 AM, KABL 960 AM, KTCT 1050 AM, KFAX 1100 AM, KMZT 1510 AM, KMKY 1310 AM, KGO 810, KSFO 560 AM and K249DJ 97.7 FM, KSFB-FM 100.7 FM, KLLC 97.3 FM, KALX 90.7 FM, KDFC-FM 102.1 FM, KOIT-FM 96.5 FM, KKSF 103.7 FM, KFOG 104.5 FM, KSOL 98.9 FM, KISQ 98.1 FM, KKSF-FM1 103.7 FM, KEAR 106.9 FM, KSOL-FM2 98.9 FM, KBLX-FM2 102.9 FM, KSOL-FM3 98.9 FM, KFRC-FM3 99.7 FM, KZBR-FM1 95.7 FM, KISQ-FM3 98.1 FM, KMEL-FM1 106.1 FM, KYLD 94.9 FM.[23] Richmond has four post offices in downtown (main), Point Richmond, Mira Vista, and Hilltop.
Education
Richmond is under the auspices of the West Contra Costa School District, formerly the Richmond School District, this district encompasses the cities, towns, CDPs, and unincorporated areas of Western Contra Costa County. The district provides elementary, middle, and high school learning environments. These include: Richmond, San Pablo, El Cerrito, Kensington, Pinole, Hercules, Rodeo, North Richmond, El Sobrante, Crockett, Bayview-Montalvin, Rollingwood, East Richmond Heights, and Tara Hills. For private education Richmond and the entire county lie in the Oakland Diocese, which has many elementary/middle schools and high schools throughout. The Contra Costa Community College District serves the entire county and Richmonders attend classes at Contra Costa College, most of the campus is in San Pablo, although some of the land is in El Sobrante. Many students attend schools outside the city, especially high schools since the local school district encompasses many municipalities. The population of the city has continued to increase for years while the number of classrooms and square footage at public schools has not. Many schools are overcrowded compared to state averages and standards of more affluent communities. The average classroom size is 35 students, while this number is 29 statewide. The school with the most students is 665 at César Chávez Elementary School. Many schools now have after school programs.[citation needed]
High Schools
Public Schools
- De Anza High School, 5000 Valley View Drive
- John F. Kennedy High School, 4300 Cutting Boulevard
- Richmond High School, 1250 23rd Street
Continuation Schools
- Delta High School
- Gompers High School
- Kappa High School
- Omega High School
Private Schools
- Family Christian Academy
- La Cheim School Inc.
- Richmond Education Learning Center
- New Faith Christian Academy
- Salesian High School (Catholic), Salesian Avenue
Middle Schools (Junior Highs)
- Adams Middle School, 5000 Patterson Circle
- Levonya DeJean Middle School, MacDonald Avenue
- Manzanita Middle School, 3200 Barrett Avenue
Elementary Schools
Public K through 6 Elementary Schools
- César Chávez Elementary School, 960 South 17th Street
- Coronado Elementary School, 2001 Virginia Avenue
- Ford Elementary School, 2711 Maricopa Avenue
- Grant Elementary School, 2400 Downer Avenue
- Harbor Way Elementary School, 214 South 11th Street
- Highland Elementary School, 2829 Moyers Road
- King Elementary School, 234 South 39th Street
- Lincoln Elementary School, 29 6th Street
- Murphy Elementary School, 4350 Valley View Road
- Nystrom Elementary School, 230 South Harbour Way
- Peres Elementary School, 719 5th Avenue
- Stege Elementary School, 4949 Cypress Avenue
- Valley View Elementary School, 3416 Maywood Drive
- Verde Elementary School, 2000 Glamarita
- Washington Elementary School, 565 Wine Street
- Wilson Elementary School, 629 42nd street
Private Pre-K through 8 Elementary/Middle Schools
- Canterbury School, 3120 Shane Drive
- Pacific Academy, 1516 Carlson Boulevard (PK-9)
- Montessori Community School, 1963 Carlson Boulevard (PK-K)
- Odyssey School, 1800 Barrett Avenue (K-Only)
- St. Joseph School (Catholic)
- St. John School (Catholic)
- St. David School (Catholic), 871 Sonoma Street
- St. Cornelius School, 201 28th Street (K-8)
- Vista Christian School, 2354 Andrade Avenue
Schools in neighboring areas
- Albany High School, Albany
- Berkeley High School, Berkeley
- Crestmont School, 6226 Arlington Boulevard (K-5)
- El Cerrito High School, El Cerrito
- El Sobrante Christian Academy, El Sobrante
- Hercules High School, Hercules
- Juan Crespi Middle School, Pinole
- Middle High School, San Pablo
- Pinole Valley High School, Pinole
- Portola Middle School, El Cerrito
- St. Mary's College Prepatory, Berkeley
Adult Education
- Serra Adult School, Serra Avenue
- Vista Adult School
Attractions and Landmarks
Point Richmond, which is in effect a town within Richmond is known for its small town charm and its quaint mom and pop shops. The Point, as it is known by locals offers visitors and locals alike owner-operated stores, coffee shops, and historic benches and streetlights. The Hotel Mac Restaurant has a reputation as being a good place to eat; this opinion however is far from universal.
Masquers Theature is a performing arts center that offers shows and productions year round. Hotel Mac is one of the oldest buildings in the area and has classic early 1900s architecture, along with many of the buildings found in the area it is over one hundred years old. There is also The Plunge, a Natatorium which is beloved by the community. It has been closed due to the building being unsafe for earthquake conditions and the city wanted to demolish it at one point, however this was haulted by neighborhood opposition and a fundraising campaign continues to, "Save the Plunge!" which is the grassroots slogan.
Ferry Point, The Ferry Point Tunnel, is one of the oldest tunnels in California. Built in 1899, this structure still stands, bringing access to many attractions and neighborhoods in Brickyard Cove. This tunnel goes to the Golden State Railroad Museum, the S.S Red Oak Victory ship, and many beaches and parks, and of course to Ferry Point where an abandoned ferry-rail pier still stands with a historic ferry slip still standing even though somewhat damaged from a fire. It can be viewed from a parallel adjacent fishing pier.
The S.S. Red Oak Victory Ship is a restored World War II liberty ship, it was the 558th ship made in Richmond. Liberty ships transported troops and supplies during World War II. Squeeze in the ship, and see what a warship looked like in World War II. Richmond once was home to the Kaiser Shipyards.
During World War II the city sprawled and the population of the city to increased dramatically. This led city leaders to construct the Richmond Civic Center in 1957. This center houses the city hall, a small convention center, library, hall of justice, police headquarters, and arts center.
The Richmond Public Library which is the only public library independant of the Contra Costa Countu Public Libraries system lies in the heart of the civic center. It houses over 204,686 books; 4,014 audio materials; 5,277 video materials; and 491 serial subscriptions.[24]
The Richmond-San Rafael bridge extends 5.5 miles, across San Pablo Bay. The bridge is the origin of the term rollercoaster span, due to its curves, bumps, and appearance which also have earned the bridge itself the nickname of, The rollercoaster bridge. It was Built in 1957, and it connects Contra Costa County with Marin County. Automobiles are charged a 3-dollar toll in the westbound (towards Marin) direction only.
The Golden State Railroad Museum is complex series of miniature railroad exhibits in a museum in the Brickyard Cove area of Point Richmond. A visitor can operate trains of various eras which chug past miniature freight and passenger terminals, trestles, tunnels, and meticulously detailed town and city scenes, many of which are copied from real life scenes in of the 1950s era.
The Santa Fe Railroad Terminal operated as the western terminus for railroad from the late 1800s and late 1900s. It has now been transformed into a museum to exemplify the feel of the terminal in that era.
At the corner of Washington and Park avenues lies the Indian Statue. It was constructed in 1909 by the Women Improvement group.
Keller Beach is the city's only beach. It is located at Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline, a park in Brickyard Cove. The beach offers picnicking, sunbathing, wading, and swimming. The beach is looked on upon by vehicles exiting the Brickyard Cove drive, Ferry Point tunnel and houses on the steep cliffs above. The beach, as with most of the cove, offers spectacular panoramic bay views of the Oakland hills, bridges, the San Francisco skyline and the Golden Gate.
Point Molate Beach Park is a park on the western coast of Richmond along Western Drive. It was originally a Chinese shrimp camp in the 1870s.
Point San Pablo yacht harbor is the port of call for hundreds of private boats.
East Brother Light Station on East Brother Island of the Brother Islands is host to an exclusive Bed and Breakfast. It is only accessible by private boat. Visitors come and stay for the day and picnic for free or they may pay for a room.
The Rosie the Riveter/World War II homefront National Historic Monument is located in Richmond and commemorates women's shipbuilding and support for the war effort in the 1940s.
Leisure and culture
Several regional parks administered by the East Bay Regional Park District lie within the city limits, including the Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline and the Point Pinole Regional Shoreline. They are linked by the San Francisco Bay Trail. Part of the former shipyard is now a Marina.
People can catch a show at the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, Hilltop Multiplex, or Masquers Theatures in Point Richmond.
The Richmond Art Center [25], founded by Hazel Salmi in 1936, is one of the oldest continually operating non-profit art centers on the entire West Coast of the United States. Its programming includes exhibitions, adult and youth education, and community initiatives. The Center currently (as of 2005) provides some of the only arts education programming in the Richmond City School District, relying primarily on public donations and private grants as its means of support.
The Richmond Progressive Alliance and Green Party are active political parties in Richmond. The House Rabbit Society has its national headquarters in Richmond.
Richmond is home to the National Institute of Art and Disabiltites [26], also known locally as the NIAD Art Center. NIAD is a non-profit organization hosting over sixty client artists weekly. NIAD's client artist's work can be seen at NIAD's on-site gallery, the Florence Ludins-Katz Gallery. NIAD has a gift shop.
There are dozens of gathering places for various relgions in the city, and some which are not represented within the city limits can be found very nearby. Christian denominational churches include the: Kingdom Hall of Jehovahs Witnesses; Kingdom Land Baptist Church; Grace Baptist Church; Grace Lutheran Church; Temple Baptist Church; Unity Church of Richmond; Holy Trinity Episcopal Church; Holy Mission Christian Center; St. David Catholic Chruch. Furthermore there is a Muslim mosque (Muhammad Mosque); a Sikh gurdwara in El Sobrante; a Hindu temple in Vallejo; a Unitarian Universalist church in El Cerrito; a Roman Catholic cathedral in Oakland; a Jewish Synagogue (Temple Beth Hillel) in El Sobrante; and a Buddhist priory in Albany (Berkeley Buddhist Priory)
From 1996 to 2002 geekfest was held on the beach in Point Molate every few weeks or monthly by S.P.A.M. Records. The festival was a community service for youth discontent with the only under 21 club. So they started their own thing. It was free and ravish.
Parks & Recreation
Richmond is under the authority of the East Bay Regional Parks District, a consortium of most of the Parks and Redcreation lands and facilities thought Alameda and Contra Costa County.
Wildcat Canyon Regional Park is by far the largest park in the city. It features San Pablo Creek, trails, forests, picnic areas, and a playstructure for children, as well as horses for rent and mountain biking trails. High school students practice cross-country in the park. It is situated in eastern Richmond hills and streches into Berkeley as it crosses into Alameda county as Tilden Regional Park.
The Richmond Greenway is a project coting millions of dollars to transform an old railine into a walking, jogging, and biking trail. It will be a corridor spanning east west from the end of the Ohlone Trail thay follows the BART like from El Cerrito to Berkeley. It will also follow the BART line to Richmond station and continue on to Point Richmond. Pedestrian bridges will be used to cross major avenues such as San Pavlo Avenue and 23rd Street. An additional side project will ad a bike lane/bike trail between the Richmond Greenway and the Ohlone trail at Potrero Avenue via 23rd Street, Carlson Boulevard, Cutting Boulevard, and Potrero. It is currently under construction.
The city boasts 292.6 acres of parkland.[27]
Richmond boast several marinas, including The Brickyard Cover Yahct Club, Point San Pablo Yacht Club, Marina Bay Marina, and Channel Marina.
Sister Cities
Richmond has at least two sister cities including:
Media
File:Globelogo.gifThere are four local newspapers: the Richmond Post, Fronteras (a Spanish-language newspaper), the Richmond Globe, and the West County Times, variation of the County Times. A local cable access TV station, KCRT-TV, mainly plays historical archives but also airs City Council Meetings and music videos. Richmond is also host to the West County Times one of several regional times newspapers for the East Bay. KNEW (AM) transmitts from towers at Point Isabel.
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Transportation
Richmond has a variety of Transportation offerings. The city has two interstates; a parkway is being propsoed for conversion into a state highway. There is an Amtrak station and BART station. There is a port and many marinas. The city is also host to several transit centers and park and ride lots. They and the cities streets and points of interest are served locally and regionally by AC Transit and regionally only by WestCat, Golden Gate Transit, and Vallejo Transit. AC Transit has a vehicle depot and mainatance facility as does the BART system. AC Transit operates most of the bus service and was precded by the historic Key System which operated buses and a light rail streetcar line along San Pablo Avenue between Richmond and Oakland. AC also hosts one of the only Hydrogen Fuel generators, pumps, or fuel station in northern California. It was inaugurated in 2002.[28]
Highways and Expressways
- Interstate 80 cuts through the eastern and northeastern portions of town, through a mostly residential area, connecting to Pinole, Hercules, and then on to Vallejo via the Carquinez Bridges to the north and to El Cerrito, Albany, and Berkeley to the south locally and further down to, Oakland and [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco.
Interstate 580 curves along the southern waterside of Richmond and merges into I-80 in Albany in the southern Oakland/San Francisco direction while slicing through mixed medium and heavy industries and homes through Point Richmond and onto the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge over the San Pablo Bay segment of the San Francisco Bay into San Rafael and Marin County.
- The Richmond Parkway, built in the late 90s and early 00s connects I-580 in the Point Richmond area in the southwest to the Hilltop Area and I-80, it runs along the city's heavily industrial western side and through unincorporated area of North Richmond. It has been proposed that it be upgraded to, California State Route 93 and taken over by Caltrans.
- San Pablo Avenue (California State Route 123) runs through Richmond and San Pablo to Pinole, Hercules and to its terminus in Crockett and south through El Cerrito, Albany, Emeryville, and until it runs into Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland.
Major trunk streets
- Marina Bay Parkway, serves as a link between I-580 and the Marina Bay neighborhood, it turns into 23rd street after crossing 580.
- Marina Way and Harbour Way/Harbour Way South, run north-south.
- MacDonald Avenue, is the principal city street of Richmond, running east-west from Point Richmond through downtown to San Pablo Avenue. It is nicknamed, the Parade Street, 100 year street, and the Main street. The latter coming from the Richmond redevelopment agency's plan to deam this street the Main Street of town. It is currently being repaved and refitted with new lamposts and trees.
- Cutting Boulevard, is similar to MacDonald, but secondary to it and runs from the same end points, but runs through the South Side of Richmond.
- 23rd Street, runs through the heart of the city North-South from where it turns to Marina Bay Parkway at I-580 trhough the Latino Businesss district and neighborhood known colloquially by some as, Mexico Town, to San Pablo avenue in the city of San Pablo.
- Barrett Avenue, serves as a secondary to MacDonald parallel one block north.
- Giant Highway, is a street in the northern part of town whichs runs between San Pablo and the Leroy Heights neigborhood.
- Hilltop Drive, is a trunk street running from the Richmond Parkway, crossing San Pablo avenue, passing Hilltop Mall and continuing past Interstate 80 into El Sobrante.
Public transportation
Intercity Rail
Amtrak provides intercity passenger rail service from Richmond Station. This station is shared with the BART system. The station is located downtown and has a transit center with connections to AC Transit and Golden Gate Transit buses as well as taxis.
There are two amtrak lines serving this station. The regional San Joaquin Route, which runs from nearby Oakland to the south through Richmond and the northern east bay, Stockton, Fresno, Bakersfield. Passengers wishing to continue to Los Angeles may transfer at Bakersfield for a connecting train.
The second Amtrak line, the Capitol Corridor runs from San José to the capitol of the state, Sacramento, through Richmond, Fairfield, and Davis; some trains continue to the northern Sacramento suburb of Auburn. This route is one of the most heavily used of any of the Amtrak lines in the entire country.
Subway
BART has one station in the city of Richmond, mentioned above, which serves as the northern terminus of the Richmond - San Francisco/Daly City and Richmond - Fremont Lines. Two other stations are located near Richmond, El Cerrito del Norte and El Cerrito Plaza, both in El Cerrito.
Local Bus Service
AC Transit provides a diverse service throughout West Contra Costa southeast of Pinole and Bayview-Montalvin. AC Transit offers local, all-night, transbay (commute), and rapid (express) buses. WestCat, Golden Gate Transit, and Vallejo Transit offer express service to and throuh the city to El Cerrito del Norte BART station, just outside the city limits from the Pinole/Hercules area, San Rafael/Marin County, and Vallejo/Fairfield/Vacaville/Solano County respectivly.
AC Transit
- 70-Appian: Richmond Parkway Transit Center - Richmond BART/Amtrak station
- 71-Rumrill: El Cerrito del Norte BART station - Richmond Parkway Transit Center
- 72-San Pablo Hilltop Mall - Downtown Oakland
- 72M-MacDonald Point Richmond - Oakland Amtrak station
- 72R-San Pablo Rapid: Contra Costa College - Downtown Oakland
- 74-23rd Street Marina Bay - Orinda BART station
- 76-Cutting El Cerrito del Norte BART - Contra Costa College
- 376-North Richmond Night: El Cerrito del Norte BART - Contra Costa College/Pinole Vista/Hilltop Mall loop
- 800-: Downtown San Francisco - Richmond BART/Amtrak station
- H-Arlington: Barrett Avenue & San Pablo Avenue - San Francisco Transbay Terminal
- L-Pierce: Princeton Plaza Shopping Center/San Pablo - San Francisco Transbay Terminal
- LA-Hilltop: Hilltop - San Francisco Tranbay Terminal
Golden Gate Transit provides connecting service to San Rafael Transit Center and Marin County across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge with the Richmond BART/Amtrak stations and the El Cerrito del Norte BART station.
- 40: El Cerrito del Norte BART - San Rafael Transit Center
- 42: El Cerrito del Norte BART/Richmond BART/Amtrak - San Rafael Transit Center
Vallejo Transit provides Express serive to Solano County and the Cities of Vallejo, Fairfield, Cordelia, Suisun City, and Vacaville to the El Cerrito del Norte BART station with lines:
- 80: El Cerrito del Norte - Vallejo Ferry Terminal/Curtola Park & Ride
- 85: El Cerrito del Norte - Curtola Park & Ride/Marine World
- 90: El Cerrito del Norte - Fairfield
- 92: El Cerrito del Norte - Vacaville
WestCAT provides service to the El Cerrito del Norte BART station to the Richmond Parkway Transit Center, Hilltop Area, Pinole, Hercules, Rodeo, and Martinez to the El Cerrito del Norte BART station with lines:
- J: El Cerrito del Norte - Hercules Transit Center
- JX(JL/JR): El Cerrito del Norte - El Cerrito del Norte Express
- 30Z: El Cerrito del Norte - El Cerrito del Norte - Martinez
- 30Z/JPX: Combines JXs and 30Z
Taxis serves all major shopping centers and stations.
Intercity Bus Service
File:Greyhoundretard.jpgGreyhound runs service from the Richmond Parkway Transit Center, but this has been doncontinued. There is now greayhound service from Richmond BART/Amtrak Sation transit center.
Ferry Service (discontinued)
The Red and White Fleet ran a ferry service from the Marina Bay neighborhood from the Old Kaiser Shipyards to San Francisco's Ferry Building and to pier 29 1/2 and to the San Francisco Giants baseball games at the then Pacific Bell Park (later SBC Park, currently AT&T Park) in Mission Bay. This service was discontinued, not due to unpopularity but due to unprofitability.
Commercial and Cargo Rail
The Union Pacific Railroad (UP) has a mainline passing through Richmond. This line was formerly operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP).
The BNSF Railway (BNSF) has a yard and that serves as the Northern California terminus of their line that goes through the San Joaquin Valley to their main classification yard at Barstow, CA. At Barstow the BNSF has an east-west mainline that runs between Los Angeles - Chicago. The track was formerly operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (ATSF). Many years ago the ATSF offered rail car ferry service from Point Richmond to San Francisco and the abandoned ferry pier remains at the abandoned location.
The Richmond Pacific Railroad (RPRC) is a class III shortline railroad operating on 2.5 miles of track, providing switching services at Richmond's wharves. This RPRC is owned by Levin-Richmond Terminal Corporation and was formerly known as the Parr Terminal Railroad (PRT).
Notable citizens
Music
- The Frontline's Left and Locksmith, rock/rap musicians.
- Larry LaLonde, member of the band Primus.
- Les Claypool, bassist for Primus was born in Richmond in 1963.
- Richard R. Lee, television producer.
- Stephen Bradley, member of the band No Doubt.
- Master P, rapper and founder/owner of the P. Miller brand of clothing. Richmond is his hometown where before hitting it big, he founded three music stores.
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Atheletics
- Dave Smith, career baseball pitcher for the Astros, Cubs, and Padres.
- David Jobe, UC Riverside Highlanders basketball player.
- Eto Onyenegecha - CSU Northridge Matadors basketball player
- Franco Harris, Boise State basketball player.
- Coach Ken Carter, was a Richmond High School basketball coach who was the inspiration for the film Coach Carter.
- Lamont Thompson, NFL Football defensive back for the Tennessee Titans.
- John Norman, SJSU Football Player
- Michael McFadden, college basketball player for the San José State Spartans.
- Quinton Ganther, NFL Football player for the Tennesse Titans
- William McGinnis inventor of whitewater rafting and rafting champeon.
Others
- Carl Franklin, actor.
- Divine Brown, sex worker turned actress and "D-list" celebrity, was caught in the act of fellatio with English actor Hugh Grant by police in Los Angeles.
- George Johnson, one of few remaining World War I veterans, oldest person in Richnmond and California. He is also one of the oldest supercentanerians in the world.
- George Miller congressman was born in Richmond, and represents it within the sevanth district of California.
- Glenn Plummer, telivison and film actor.
- Ken Olandt, film and television actor.
- Laci Peterson, once worked in Richmond for a wine distributor, in marketing. Her mutalated torso was found in Point Isabel.
Neighborhoods
The city of Richmond has a diverse array of neighborhoods as diverse as the population. There are: houses, townhomes, farms, ranches, tract housing, houseboats, mobile homes, apartments, condiminiums, vitorians & other historical buildings where people live. They are located in the hills, in the flatlands, on the waterfront, on stilts, in mobile home parks, around train stations, or on islands.
Atchison Village, is a neighborhood between the southern end of the Iron Triangle and Point Richmond. Many of the homes were built as World War II temporary "war housing". It is now on the national register of historic places. It is neary a gated community since there are only two through streets; it has a village feel to it.
Point Richmond and Brickyard Cove This area is known trhoughout the area for its quaint small town feel, and as being the nicest area of Richmond. The neighborhood was the city's central downtown area during the late 1800s until the early 1900s when the present day downtown rose to prominance and superceded, The Point as the busiest part of town. However the neighborhood has maintained many of its trademark mom n' pop shops and has fiercely resisted large chain stores from moving in; including a lost battle to Starbucks Coffee. The neighborhood is situated in the Southwestern corner of the city between Interstate 580 and the San Francisco bay at the foot of the Richmond-San Rafael bridge. There is a large hill which the "town" is built around on three sides. Many houses including historic Victorians adorn the view. Many of the area businesses are housed in century old buildings dating back to before the founding or incorporation of town. The Plunge, is a local landmark swim center, or Natatorium. The hill overhead is Miller-Knox regional park. There is a tunnel through this hill named Ferry Point tunnel, since trains used to drop passengers off here to continue onto San Francisco by ferries, before bridges connected the shores of the bay. The area on this side of the tunnel is known as Brickyard Cove. The Cove is home to Keller Beach, one of the only publically accessible beaches in Richmond and the adjecent area features a large picnicing and biking park area. Continuing along the road is the S.S. Red Oak Victory ship which is part of a local National Historic Monument; it is a restored Victory ship made in the city during World War II. Further along lies the Brickyard Cove Yacht club one of many marinas in the city, but by far the most exclusive. There are condiminiums and brand new luxury tract homes terraced into the hills as well as McMansions on stilts along two Spits. The condo's amenities include a swimming pool, tennis court, sauna, and spa.
Carriage Hills is a neighborhood subdivision in rural eastern Richmond; an area that is largely unincorporated in the El Sobrante area. The area features spectacular green rolling hills views in the rainy season and beutiful wheat colored grasslands in the dry season. It also enjoys views of the San Pablo Resevoir, where much of the West County area of Contra Costa County gets its water from.
They city's Downtown is charicterized by the large Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Social Security Administration Building, and The Richmond BART/Amtrak Intermodal station and Mertro Walk Transit Village. There is also the Richmond shopping center with a supermarket, shops, and fast food. The majority of the buildings are commerical, government, and transportation; except the transit village which is made up of live/work loft-type townhouses. To the east is the Richmond Civic center, which houses various city services headquarters, the main library branch, and city hall.
The Hilltop area is in the northeastern part of town centered around Hilltop Mall. It features many housing developments as of right now, from single-famioly homes to condominiums.
Marina Bay, located in Richmond's protected Inner Harbor, Marina Bay began in the early 1980s as a major effort to clean up, what was once the Kaiser Permanente Shipyards. Today Marina Bay is home to 70 big and small businesses in 300,000 square feet. We like to think of Marina Bay as Richmond's redevelopment gem. Marina Bay is home to High tech businesses, a beautiful waterfront trail, lovely parks, a long shoreline esplanade, and a picturesque 750 boat berth.
Parchester Village is a neighborhood in northwestern Richmond. It lies along the Richmond Parkway between the Richmond Country Club, Point Pinole, and an undeveloped gap north of North Richmond. Its streets are named after the last names of the city's African American pastors of the time. It was envisioned as the first integrated neighborhood, but after being unsuccessfully marketed as so, the developers decided to make it a, Coloured Only development.
Pullman is a neighborhood in the city named after the Pullman Company, founded by prolific industrialist George Mortimer Pullman, who in 1910 built their main facility on the 22 acres that would become this neighborhood. This facility, The Pullman Shops, served as the main manufacturing and repair facility for the famous Pullman sleeping car ubiquitous thoughout the United staes for much of the 20th century. During World war II the this facility played an important role in the war effort due to the need for rail transport and its close location to Port Chicago, the main ship building facility for the pacific theatre of operations.The Richmond facility was closed on December 31, 1959
Today, pullman has been redeveloped primarily into residential units, like apartments. However, there are a few neighborhood businesses along Carlson and Cutting Boulevards. A Railroad is located on the border. BART subways and Amtrak trains run to the the south of the area.
Richmond In Literature and Film
Books
- In Contempt (Mass Market Paperback)by Christopher A. Darden, Jess Walter, ReganBooks; Reprint edition (February 1997) (Christopher Darden, one of the prosecuters in the criminal case against O.J. Simpson, grew up in Richmond, California.)
- Photographing the 2nd Gold Rush: Dorothea Lange and the East Bay at War 1941-1945 (Paperback) by Dorothea Lange, Charles Wollenberg, Heyday Books (August 1995).
- Richmond (Images of America) (Paperback) by Donald Bastin, Arcadia Publishing (SC) (November 2003).
- Tales from the Iron Triangle: Boyhood Days in the Bay Area of the 1920s (Hardcover), by James Polese, Ocean Tree Books; 1st ed. edition (September 1994).
- To Place Our Deeds: The African American Community in Richmond, California, 1910-1963 (Paperback) by Shirley Ann Wilson Moore, University of California Press; 1 edition (February 5, 2001.
Film
- Many scenes from the Robin Williams film, Patch Adams where filmed during a week in Point Richmond.[29]
- The basketball movie, Coach Carter was filmed in Richmond High School. It was based on the story of their basketball team being benched for poor grades despite an undefeated season.
See also
- East Richmond Heights, California
- El Sobrante, California
- North Richmond, California
- Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park
- USS Tacoma (PF-3)
External links
- City of Richmond Official website
- Richmond Cityguide, a guide to local businesses, schools, parks, real estates, etc.
- West Contra Costa Unified School District
- Richmond Museum of History website
- Richmond Mainstreet Project - Downtown redevelopment information
- Richmond Greenway - Information about Bay Trail "Richmond Greenway" trail and bike trails project.
- Belding Woods
- Marina Bay
- Brickyard Landing
- East Brother Light Station
- Richmond entry at the World Gazetteer
- History of the Pullman Shops
- Map showing the modern location of the Pullman neighborhood
- Richmond neighborhood councils contact list
- Masquers Theature
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