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Briones Regional Park

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Briones Regional Park is a 6,117-acre (24.75 km) regional park in the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) system, located in the Briones Hills of central Contra Costa County of the San Francisco Bay Area in California .

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80-581: The park is located in rolling hills of the East Bay region, near Martinez , Lafayette , Walnut Creek , and Pleasant Hill . The western end of Briones Regional Park is adjacent to the Briones Reservoir , operated by EBMUD across Bear Creek Road. Briones Peak is the highest point in the park with an elevation of 1483 ft (452 m), and offers panoramic views of Mount Diablo and the Diablo Valley to

160-479: A female householder with no husband present, and 70.7% were non-families. 55.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.71 and the average family size was 2.69. In the city, the population was spread out, with 11.4% under the age of 18, 13.4% from 18 to 24, 42.2% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

240-590: A free weekly newspaper, the East Bay Express , which has reported on the culture and politics of the East Bay for over 30 years, and has influenced the identification of the East Bay as a culturally defined region of the Bay Area. The East Bay Monthly , another free newspaper, has been published since 1970. In the early years of the evolution of USA Today , during the early 1980s, they operated regional newspapers, with

320-640: A live rabbit opened in Emeryville. In the early 20th century, Emeryville was as well known for its gambling houses and bordellos as it was for its booming industrial sector. Earl Warren , then Alameda County district attorney, later California governor and Chief Justice of the United States , described it as "the rottenest city on the Pacific Coast". During Prohibition and the Great Depression , Emeryville

400-470: A new shopping center, the Bay Street Shopping Center . It was to be built on the site of a defunct paint factory. But this was a historic site of an Ohlone village and burial ground . Madison Marquette developers worked with archaeologists and Ohlone tribe representatives in order to avoid disturbing the human remains. The tribe approved reinterment of some remains at an undisclosed location on

480-528: A political party. Emery Unified School District serves the students in Emeryville and parts of Oakland. Its schools, both in the same site, are Anna Yates Elementary School and Emery Secondary School . The East Bay German International School (EBGIS) is a German immersion school operating located in the former Anna Yates school campus since 2017. The school was founded in 2007 in Berkeley. It reorganized as an independent school in 2018 after being operated by

560-548: A regional employment center. Emeryville has some features of an edge city ; however, it is located within the inner urban core of Oakland/the greater East Bay . It was industrialized before the First World War . Before the colonization of the area by Spain in 1776, this area was long the site of indigenous settlements. The historic Ohlone Native Americans encountered the Spaniards and later European colonists. They thrived on

640-490: A regional sewage treatment plant near the eastern terminus of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, which, for the most part, cured the noxious problem. The Emeryville Mudflats became notable in the 1960s and 1970s for public art , erected (with neither permission nor compensation) from driftwood timbers and boards by professional and amateur artists and art students from local high schools, UC Berkeley ,

720-523: A single thoroughfare linking two sections of the new Emeryville. On the northern stretch of Shellmound Street, the Emery Marketplace and a movie multiplex were built. In 2007, the western end of Yerba Buena Avenue was linked with the northern end of the Mandela Parkway, creating a new through route between Emeryville and West Oakland. In 2001, the city contracted developer Madison Marquette to build

800-533: A small wharf near the mouth of Temescal Creek adjacent to the shellmound. The wharf served the Peralta family's Rancho San Antonio . It was used for loading cattle hides, the principal product of the ranch, onto lighters , and transferring them to ocean-going ships, including New England–bound schooners. Cattle were a major part of the economy into the American era, when numerous meat packing plants were established along

880-523: Is a city located in northwest Alameda County, California , in the United States. It lies in a corridor between the cities of Berkeley and Oakland , with a border on the shore of San Francisco Bay . The resident population was 12,905 as of 2020. Its proximity to San Francisco, the Bay Bridge , the University of California, Berkeley , and Silicon Valley has been a catalyst for recent economic growth. It

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960-681: Is home to about 20,000 current jobs; this number is projected to increase to about 30,000 by 2030. Emeryville has a Mediterranean climate , similar to nearby Oakland . The 2010 United States Census reported that Emeryville had a population of 10,080. The population density was 8,089.9 inhabitants per square mile (3,123.5/km ). The racial makeup of Emeryville was 4,490 (44.5%) White , 1,764 (17.5%) Black, 44 (0.4%) Native American , 2,775 (27.5%) Asian , 16 (0.2%) Pacific Islander , 348 (3.5%) from other races , and 643 (6.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 927 persons (9.2%). The Census reported that 10,007 people (99.3% of

1040-527: Is not a formally defined region, aside from its being described as a region inclusive of Alameda and Contra Costa counties. As development moves generally eastward, new areas are described as being part of the East Bay . In 1996, BART was extended from its terminus in Concord to a new station in Pittsburg , symbolically incorporating the newly expanded Delta communities of Pittsburg and Antioch as extended regions of

1120-770: Is strongly promoted by city and county agencies, and by organizations like the East Bay Bicycle Coalition . Major pedestrian paths across the region include the San Francisco Bay Trail , the Bay Area Ridge Trail , the Ohlone Greenway , Iron Horse Regional Trail , Contra Costa Canal Trail, and the Richmond Greenway . Rail service in the East Bay dates to the First transcontinental railroad , when

1200-406: Is the Bay Area's largest port and the fifth largest container shipping port in the United States. In 1868, the University of California was formed from the private College of California and a new campus was built in what would become Berkeley. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake saw a large number of refugees flee to the relatively undamaged East Bay, and the region continued to grow rapidly. As

1280-647: Is the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area and includes cities along the eastern shores of the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay . The region has grown to include inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. With a population of roughly 2.8 million in 2024, it is the most populous subregion in the Bay Area, containing the second- and third-most populous Bay Area counties of Alameda (1.7 million) and Contra Costa (1.1 million). Oakland

1360-512: Is the home to Pixar Animation Studios , Peet's Coffee , the Center for Investigative Reporting , Alternative Tentacles and Clif Bar . In addition, several well-known tech and software companies are located in Emeryville: LeapFrog , Sendmail , MobiTV , Novartis (formerly Chiron before April 2006), and BigFix (now HCL). Emeryville attracts many weekday commuters due to its position as

1440-504: Is the largest city in the East Bay by population and the third largest in the Bay Area. The city serves as a major transportation hub for the U.S. West Coast , and its port is the largest in Northern California . Increased population has led to the growth of large edge cities such as Alameda , Concord , Emeryville , Fremont , Hayward , Livermore , Pleasanton , San Ramon , and Walnut Creek . Although initial development in

1520-399: Is titled East Bay Grease ), The Pointer Sisters , MC Hammer , Tony! Toni! Toné! , Tupac Shakur , Too Short , Spice 1 , en Vogue , Pete Escovedo and Sheila E , Keyshia Cole , and Mac Dre . The region is a major center for the development of rock , folk , funk , jazz , hip hop , soul and women's music . Bay Area thrash metal has centered strongly on the East Bay, including

1600-461: Is water. Named Watergate, the Emeryville marina is home to a mixed-use development, including two marinas (one public, the other private), a park, a residential condominium community known as Watergate, a business park with several office buildings, and several restaurants. At one time, the Emeryville Mudflats were famous for their stench. In the 19th and early 20th century, this was caused by

1680-602: Is within Briones Park, and runs parallel to the city of Lafayette . The Lafayette Ridge Trail is approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) long. It begins at the parking lot of Springhill Elementary School and reaches the summit of Russel Peak at 1357 ft (414 m) in elevation, where it divides into the Russel Peak Trail and Briones Crest Trail. Several other trails branch off of the Lafayette Ridge Trail, most notably

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1760-544: The California College of Arts and Crafts and the Free University of Berkeley . The mudflats were even featured in the 1971 film Harold and Maude . These unsanctioned works were admired by some drivers heading westbound on the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge from Interstate 80. In the late 1990s, the sculptures and materials were removed in the interest of establishing a more natural and undisturbed marshland for

1840-702: The Chiron Corporation (now Novartis), a major biotechnology company, established its headquarters just south of the old junction of the SP mainline tracks and the old Berkeley branchline (Shellmound Junction) at the end of Stanford Avenue, the site of the old Shellmound trotting course. Following the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, a new Amtrak depot was built in Emeryville to replace the former 16th Street Station in West Oakland. It had been deteriorating even before it

1920-820: The Fox Oakland Theatre , the UC Berkeley Greek Theater , the nonprofit The Freight and Salvage , and the Concord Pavilion (formerly Sleep Train Pavilion). Major museums include the Oakland Museum of California , the Lawrence Hall of Science and the Chabot Space and Science Center . The East Bay Regional Parks District operates over fifty parks, many consisting of significant acreage of wildlands, in

2000-540: The German International School of Silicon Valley . Ex'pression College for Digital Arts was a private, for-profit college located in Emeryville from 1993 until its closure in 2022. The city uses a council–city manager system . Emeryville City Council is the main legislative body and the mayor does not hold any formal authority separate from the council. The responsibilities of the Council include adopting

2080-718: The Transbay Terminal across the lower deck. Streetcars were replaced with busses in 1948 and transbay service halted in 1958. The system's assets were sold to the newly formed AC Transit in 1960. The East Bay's modern rail transit service is Bay Area Rapid Transit , or BART, which was primarily designed to deliver commuters to San Francisco via the Transbay Tube , and to a lesser extent Oakland and Berkeley. Amtrak 's California Zephyr terminates in Emeryville , providing connections as far as Chicago , and further stations across

2160-717: The Western Pacific Railroad was contracted by the Central Pacific Railroad to provide the link between the Bay and Sacramento . This railroad eventually became the Niles Canyon Railway . Service to Alameda commenced in September 1869, four months after driving the golden spike at Promintory, Utah . Oakland Long Wharf eventually became the western terminus before ferry service to San Francisco. This road provided

2240-406: The "AC" moniker. County Connection , WestCAT , WHEELS , Tri Delta Transit and Union City Transit also provide bus service in the East Bay. Ferry service is provided by San Francisco Bay Ferry from Jack London Square and Alameda Harbor, with service at Richmond Ferry Terminal slated to begin in 2018. Hercules may also see future ferry service to San Francisco. Bicycle transportation

2320-594: The 1990s, the former tracts of the Santa Fe and Key System yards were redeveloped as a large shopping and residential area, as was the Shellmound corridor. Development of these areas included major roadwork, with the extension of 40th Street. The work included construction of a large overpass across the Southern Pacific (now Union Pacific) railroad tracks; it connected 40th Street to an extension of Shellmound Street, creating

2400-639: The Earth". It was a familiar sight to eastbound motorists on the Bay Bridge. For decades the city was also the location of Shell Development, the research arm of Shell Oil Company ; it relocated in 1972 to Houston , Texas. A large scrap metal yard (part of the Judson Steel mill) and its distinctive neon "Judson Steel" sign were visible for decades from the Eastshore Freeway until the mid-1980s. A large facility of

2480-400: The East Bay are served by Amtrak California 's Coast Starlight and San Joaquin . The East Bay has a mixed economy of services, manufacturing, and small and large businesses. The region is headquarters to a number of highly notable businesses, including Kaiser Permanente , Chevron , and Safeway , among others. The East Bay Economic Development Alliance was founded by Alameda County as

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2560-621: The East Bay grew, the push to connect it with a more permanent link than ferry service resulted in the completion of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge in 1936. The Bay Area saw further growth in the decades following World War II, with the population doubling between 1940 and 1960, and doubling again by 2000. The 1937 completion of the Caldecott Tunnel through the Berkeley Hills fueled growth further east, where there

2640-577: The East Bay until they declared bankruptcy. The New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) automobile manufacturing plant employed about 5,100 employees at its peak. Tesla, Inc. has taken over part of the NUMMI plant, which is still the only automobile manufacturing plant in California. The East Bay is served by a number of both public and private higher education institutions: Colleges Universities Emeryville, California Emeryville

2720-466: The East Bay, many directly adjacent to urban centers. Tilden Regional Park , is one of the largest regional parks (2,000 acres (8.1 km )) located directly adjacent to the urban center of Berkeley. Briones Regional Park , at 5,000 acres, is another large wildlands park near an urban center, Walnut Creek. The East Bay also has a rich political history. One of the revolutionary movements founded in Oakland

2800-460: The East Bay. Beyond the borders of Alameda County, the large population of Tracy is connected as a bedroom community housing commuters traveling to or through the East Bay. Except for some hills and ridges which exist as parklands or undeveloped land, and some farmland in eastern Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, the East Bay is highly urbanized. The East Bay shoreline is an urban corridor with several cities exceeding 100,000 residents, including

2880-527: The Economic Development Advisory Board in 1990 as a public/private partnership with the mission to promote the East Bay as an important region for development, with Contra Costa County joining in 1996, and the current name chosen in 2006. The East Bay, as a part of the greater Bay Area, is a highly developed region, and is a major center for new and established economic ventures. Along with the county governments of Alameda and Contra Costa,

2960-564: The Pacific Intermountain Express (PIE) trucking firm was also visible. A heavy truck manufacturing division of what was formerly International Harvester , later Navistar , was located in Emeryville. One of its more popular over-the-road semi-truck models, the International DCO-405, became commonly and affectionately known as an "Emeryville". By the late 1960s, industries were beginning to move away from Emeryville. With

3040-524: The Springhill and Buckeye Ranch Trails. The ridge's trails offer terrain for mountain biking , with periodic gains/descents of up to 200 ft (61 m) elevation. The area which includes present day Briones Park and the Russell Reservation were part of the 1842 Mexican land grant of Rancho Boca de la Canada del Pinole granted to the widow of Felipe Briones. The Briones began cattle ranching in

3120-643: The University of California has maintained a 283-acre (1.15 km) parcel of land in the Briones Hills , known as the Russell Reservation, as a research center. Briones Regional Park was established in October 1967 by the East Bay Regional Park District. East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area) 37°42′N 122°00′W  /  37.7°N 122°W  / 37.7; -122 The East Bay

3200-662: The area, which continues to the present day. In 1870, the Briones family sold the rancho. By 1850, Happy Valley Road, which runs along the edge of Briones Regional Park, was the main thoroughfare from Martinez south to the Pueblo of San José , and then up to San Francisco. In 1909, the Peoples' Water Company, the precursor to the East Bay Municipal Utility District purchased the land for watershed protection. Since 1966

3280-428: The area. State Route 61 , State Route 84 , State Route 123 , State Route 185 , and State Route 238 are major surface streets that receive state funding for maintenance. San Pablo Avenue previously carried U.S. Route 40 until the terminus was moved progressively east to Utah . AC Transit is the major bus transit agency for the region, and provides bus service throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties, hence

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3360-775: The bands Exodus and Metallica , among others. Possessed and Death , both considered the first death metal bands, have roots or connections in the East Bay: Possessed formed in El Sobrante , with Death debuting nationally while in Concord . Major music (and sports) venues include the Oakland Arena ; adjacent Oakland Coliseum ; the Oakland Paramount Theater , venue for the Oakland East Bay Symphony ;

3440-403: The bayshore in Emeryville between 67th and 63rd streets, in an area called "Butchertown". The cattle processed here were raised in nearby ranches and farms, and brought in by rail or barge. The odors from the corrals and slaughterhouses were notorious and often mentioned in local newspapers of the 19th and early 20th century. Emeryville's first post office opened in 1884. The Town of Emeryville

3520-665: The bayshore) and east across the Sierra Nevada to the gold mining town of Bodie, California . From Bodie the railroad would extend east through Nevada to a connection with the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad . Despite these goals, the railroad was completed only from Oakland to Orinda . Its right-of-way was sold to the Santa Fe Railway . The Santa Fe constructed a rail yard and passenger depot below San Pablo between 41st Street and Yerba Buena Avenue. Although located in Emeryville, when

3600-582: The cities of Oakland , Hayward , Fremont , Richmond , and Berkeley . In the inland valleys on the east side of the Berkeley Hills, the land is mostly developed, particularly on the eastern fringe of Contra Costa county and the Tri-Valley area. In the inland valleys, the population density is less and the cities smaller. Cities exceeding 100,000 residents in the inland valleys include Antioch and Concord . East Bay cities include: The East Bay has

3680-437: The city as of 2010 is 40.2% non-Hispanic White , 27.3% Asian , 17.2% non-Hispanic Black or African American , 0.2% Native American , 0.2% Pacific Islander , 5.2% from two or more races, and 0.4% from other races . 9.2% of the population are Hispanics or Latinos of any race. There were 3,975 households, out of which 10.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 18.0% were married couples living together, 8.3% had

3760-461: The city budget and setting city policy. Every year, one mayor and one vice mayor are chosen from and by the members of the council. As of July 1, 2019, businesses with 55 or fewer employees working within the geographic boundaries of the city must pay each employee at least $ 16.30 per hour. Large businesses with 56 or more employees must pay the same rate (previously the rate differed based on employee count). Many businesses have set up headquarters in

3840-431: The city's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are: The Emeryville Amtrak station was completed in 1994 and serves four intercity rail lines: Emeryville is the primary San Francisco Bay Area station/stop for the two interstate lines, serving approximately 500,000 passengers annually; it replaced a station in West Oakland that was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and

3920-443: The city. Companies based in Emeryville include: As part of an urban renewal project, several shopping centers opened in the late 1990s next to the intersection of Interstate highways 80 and 580, capitalizing on Emeryville's access to San Francisco as well as to East Bay customers. A new retail and residential development named Bay Street Emeryville now sits along Highway 80 and is home to many stores and restaurants. According to

4000-747: The current, one-story commercial building housing several chain businesses. During World War II, Emeryville was the southern terminus of the Shipyard Railway , a specially constructed electric rail line operated by the Key System to transport defense workers to the Kaiser Shipyards in Richmond . The station was on the west side of San Pablo Avenue on the Key's yard property. The tracks led to San Pablo Avenue, where they were merged into existing streetcar tracks. From

4080-418: The depot opened in 1902, it was called "Oakland" after the larger community. The Key System , a local transit company, acquired the general offices of the California and Nevada and its nascent pier into San Francisco Bay. Key developed the pier to reach nearly to Yerba Buena Island . The Key System established its main rail yard adjacent to the yard of the Santa Fe in a large tract west of San Pablo Avenue. It

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4160-424: The east, the Sacramento River to the north, and the Berkeley Hills and Mount Tamalpais to the west. The park is also home to many animals and birds, such as turkey vultures, black-tailed deer, cougars, coyotes, squirrels, and redtailed hawks. Cattle, sheep, and goat ranchers still use portions of the park for grazing purposes and hold a one hundred-year lease that is effective until the 2060s. Lafayette Ridge

4240-409: The effluent from the "Butchertown" area, where several meat-packing plants operated along the bayshore. They also dumped stripped carcasses in the bay here. Later, untreated sewage from Emeryville, Oakland, and Berkeley flowed directly into the bay over the mudflats, producing hydrogen sulfide gas, particularly noticeable on warm days. In the 1950s the East Bay Municipal Utility District constructed

4320-419: The greater Bay Area focused on San Francisco , the coastal East Bay came to prominence in the middle of the 19th century as the part of the Bay Area most accessible by land from the east. The transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869 with its western terminus at the newly constructed Oakland Long Wharf , and the new city of Oakland rapidly developed into a significant seaport. Today the Port of Oakland

4400-416: The largest employers are: Other major companies with headquarters in the East Bay include 10x Genomics , 24 Hour Fitness , Alibris , ANG Newspapers , Clif Bar , Clorox , Columbus Salame , Dreyer's , Ellie Mae , GE Digital , Ghirardelli Chocolate Company , Gillig Corporation , LeapFrog , Peet's Coffee , Pixar Animation Studios , Ross Stores and Workday . Mervyn's headquarters were located in

4480-407: The late 19th into the early 20th century, Emeryville continued development as an industrial city. Joining the meat-packing plants were the Judson Iron Works and the Sherwin-Williams paint company. From 1939 until the 1970s, the Sherwin-Williams plant roof featured a massive animated neon sign showing a can of red paint tilting, spilling, and covering a globe of the earth — with the slogan "Cover

4560-405: The late part of the century, the Key System provided interurban routes across Alameda county, with connections to San Francisco ferries via their private Key System Pier. Southern Pacific ran a competing system, East Bay Electric Lines, until they, too, had the Key System take over operations. When the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge opened in 1936, Key System cars could make the trip directly to

4640-438: The loss of jobs, the city declines. This began to change in the mid-1970s starting with the development of the marina section of Emeryville. The Judson steel mill abruptly shut down in the fall of 1986, after more than 100 years of operation, in the wake of declining profits and contentious labor negotiations. By the late 1980s, a large shopping area had begun to develop north and south of the Powell Street corridor. Additionally,

4720-411: The nurturing of wildlife. This process continues around the bay in many other wetlands, former diked grazing fields, and salt production evaporation ponds. Historically, Emeryville had been the location of a number of heavy industrial uses such as Judson Steel, whose properties were developed by bringing in waste and construction debris fill from San Francisco in the early 1900s. Correspondingly much of

4800-459: The pier, and later, to the Bay Bridge, ran in a subway below Beach Street and the Southern Pacific mainline near the power plant. That subway survives. Today it is used as a private entrance to the main sewage treatment plant of East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD, the water utility serving Oakland and many surrounding cities). In the late 1980s and early 1990s, after the Santa Fe spun off its real estate development arm, this company acquired

4880-635: The population) lived in households, 73 (0.7%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 5,694 households, out of which 692 (12.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,240 (21.8%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 435 (7.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 160 (2.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 481 (8.4%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 119 (2.1%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . 2,871 households (50.4%) were made up of individuals, and 530 (9.3%) had someone living alone who

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4960-448: The poverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 Population Estimates, 9,866 people resided in Emeryville in 2009. According to the California Secretary of State , as of February 10, 2019, Emeryville has 6,654 registered voters. Of those, 4,152 (62.4%) are registered Democrats , 306 (4.6%) are registered Republicans , and 1,914 (28.8%) have declined to state

5040-433: The rail yards and shops of the Key System and Santa Fe. This real estate was redeveloped by what was called the Catellus Development Corporation , as a shopping center and multi-unit residential district. In the late 19th century, the city developed a large park around the shellmound. This included two dance pavilions, one of which was built on top of the shellmound. The Oakland Trotting Park, for Standardbred horse racing,

5120-541: The region's paper entitled East Bay Today . The Solano Avenue Stroll , the oldest and largest street festival in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, is held every September on the Solano Avenue shopping district in Albany and Berkeley. The East Bay is the birthplace of many musical acts, including Creedence Clearwater Revival , Country Joe and the Fish . Counting Crows , Yesterday and Today , Digital Underground , Green Day , Operation Ivy , Primus , Rancid , Set Your Goals , Tower of Power (whose debut album

5200-433: The rich resources of the bayside location: gathered clams from the mudflats, oysters from the rocky areas, caught fish, and hunted a variety of game. In addition, women gathered acorns from the local oak trees, roots, and fruit. The Ohlone discarded clam and oyster shells in a single place, over time creating a huge mound, now known as the Emeryville Shellmound . During the Spanish and Mexican eras, colonists constructed

5280-441: The site. The completed mall displays photographs of the historic shellmound, but it does not mention the burial grounds. An Ohlone representative said they believed the information would make shoppers there uncomfortable. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km ), of which 1.2 square miles (3.1 km ) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km ) of it (38.02%)

5360-461: The sole link to the rest of the country until about 1879 when a more direct route across the Carquinez Strait was completed. Today, Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) operates commuter rail services through Niles Canyon to San Jose. Streetcar service across the East Bay was historically provided by the Key System , incorporated in 1902 as the San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose Railway . An amalgamation of several streetcar companies established in

5440-403: The underlying soil contained heavy metals , hydrocarbons and other soil contaminants. Much of this contamination was removed in the 1980s when the considerable wave of redevelopment occurred. The population had increased to almost 7,000 by the year 2000. Since then, the population has continued to grow and is estimated by General Plan projects a population of 16,600 by 2030. In addition, the city

5520-467: Was 10.2%. 3,365 people (33.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 6,642 people (65.9%) lived in rental housing units. As of the census of 2000, there were 6,882 people, 3,975 households, and 1,164 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,646.2 inhabitants per square mile (2,180.0/km ). There were 4,274 housing units at an average density of 3,506.5 units per square mile (1,353.9 units/km ). The racial makeup of

5600-412: Was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 45,359, and the median income for a family was $ 57,063. Males had a median income of $ 49,333 versus $ 39,527 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 33,260. About 6.3% of families and 13.2% of the population were below

5680-416: Was 35.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.8 males. There were 6,646 housing units at an average density of 3,306.7 units per square mile (1,276.7 units/km ), of which 5,694 were occupied, of which 2,013 (35.4%) were owner-occupied, and 3,681 (64.6%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 9.3%; the rental vacancy rate

5760-418: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.76. There were 1,835 families (32.2% of all households); the average family size was 2.61. The population was spread out, with 1,031 people (10.2%) under the age of 18, 1,064 people (10.6%) aged 18 to 24, 4,675 people (46.4%) aged 25 to 44, 2,304 people (22.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,006 people (10.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

5840-489: Was a site of numerous speakeasies, racetracks and brothels; it became known as a somewhat lawless red light center. Today's popular local restaurant, The Townhouse, was operated as a speakeasy during Prohibition. The Oaks Room Card Club operates today as a legal gambling establishment on San Pablo Avenue . Emeryville was the site of Oaks Park , the home turf of the Pacific Coast League 's Oakland Oaks . The ballpark

5920-573: Was built nearby at the junction of the Berkeley Branch line with the mainline of the Southern Pacific. The old Emeryville Arena was torn down in February 1920, to make way for a new idea for a new venue to revive the sport of dog racing, but using what the Oakland Tribune described as an "automatic rabbit". On May 29, 1920, the first greyhound racing track to employ a mechanical lure in place of

6000-484: Was in the vicinity of Yerba Buena Avenue (so named because the island was visible in line with the thoroughfare). The Key System's main power plant, used to drive its electric streetcars and commuter trains, was constructed adjacent to the city limits with Oakland. The immense smokestack was a local landmark for decades, surviving until being damaged in the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989. It was demolished for safety reasons shortly thereafter. The old Key System mainline to

6080-531: Was incorporated December 2, 1896. It was named after Joseph Stickney Emery, who came during the California Gold Rush and acquired large tracts of land in what became known as "Emery's". In 1884, Emery was president of a narrow-gauge railroad called the California and Nevada Railroad . The railroad was originally intended to extend from Oakland, through Emery's (at the time, an unincorporated settlement along

6160-407: Was located on the block bounded by San Pablo, 45th Street and Park Street (the fourth side was Watts Street). The site is now partly empty and fenced off. It is overlapped by Pixar Studios. Pixar's main gate (on Park Street) lies directly on the old segment of Watts Street. The stadium did not front directly on San Pablo, where a strip of various small commercial buildings stood. They were replaced by

6240-535: Was seriously damaged by the quake. The Emeryville station serves Amtrak's California Zephyr , Coast Starlight , San Joaquin , and Capitol Corridor trains. The California Zephyr originates here with service daily to Chicago, Illinois via Salt Lake City , Utah and Denver , Colorado. Buses link the station with San Francisco. In the late 1980s the Emeryville Public Market opened; this farmers' market also features up to twenty restaurants. By

6320-639: Was the Black Panther Party . The East Bay is home to many of the restaurants central to the creation of California cuisine , including Chez Panisse . All vehicular crossings of the San Francisco Bay land in the counties comprising the East Bay. Interstate highways in the East Bay include Interstates 80 , 580 , 680 , 880 , 980 , and 238 . California State Routes 24 , 4 , 13 , 92 , 160 , 242 , 84 , and Richmond Parkway are limited access highways for at least part of their lengths in

6400-559: Was undeveloped land. Cities in the Diablo Valley, including Concord and Walnut Creek , saw their populations increase tenfold or more between 1950 and 1970. The addition of the BART commuter rail system in 1972 further encouraged development in increasingly far-flung regions of the East Bay. Today, the valleys east of the Berkeley Hills contain large affluent suburban communities such as Walnut Creek, San Ramon and Pleasanton . The East Bay

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