Piedmont, California

Piedmont, California
City
Location in Alameda County and the state of California
Country	United States
State	California
County	Alameda
Government
• State Senate	Don Perata (D)
• State Assembly	Sandré Swanson (D)
• U. S. Congress	Barbara Lee (D)
Area
• Total	1.7 sq mi (4.4 km2)
• Land	1.7 sq mi (4.4 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	328 ft (100 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	10,952
• Density	6,442.4/sq mi (2,489.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	94602, 94610, 94611, 94618
Area code	510
FIPS code	06-56938
GNIS feature ID	1659383
Website	http://www.ci.piedmont.ca.us/

Piedmont is a small affluent city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is surrounded by the city of Oakland. The population was 10,952 at the 2000 census. Piedmont was one of the "25 Top-Earning Towns" in CNN Money Magazine's list of 'The Best Places to Live in 2007, and was also named the "Best Place To Live" in the United States in 2007 by Forbes.

Background

El Cerrito Ave., one of Piedmont's tree-lined streets

Piedmont is a small, primarily residential community with fine architecture, tree-lined streets, and competitive city schools. Because of its school system, low crime rate, good weather, and high property values, it is regarded as one of the most desirable residential communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. Property in Piedmont is markedly more expensive than real estate in neighboring communities. Piedmont was named one of the "25 Top-Earning Towns" in CNN Money Magazine's list of 'The Best Places to Live.'

Piedmont is largely zoned for residential use. Piedmont has a minimal amount of commerce compared with its statistically similar counterparts. However, shopping is plentiful in adjacent Oakland neighborhoods such as Piedmont Avenue, Montclair, Grand Lake, and Rockridge. It has a small commercial district in the center of town along Highland Avenue that includes a gas station, three banks (Citibank, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America), a realty office, Mulberry's Market, and some professional offices. A small number of commercial enterprises also line Grand Avenue near Piedmont's southwest border with Oakland. Located in the East Bay hills, Piedmont is surrounded by the city of Oakland. Piedmont provides its own fire and police services but does not have its own public library or federal post office; these services are shared with Oakland. Indeed, Piedmont's three ZIP codes are all shared with Oakland. The relationship between Oakland and Piedmont is remarkable among American cities; although property in Piedmont is surrounded by Oakland and residents depend on neighboring communities for supermarkets and other commerce, property taxes on Piedmont real estate are not shared with Oakland. Some residents have remarked that, in a sense, Oakland's most valuable real estate and most wealthy residents are actually in the city of Piedmont.

The city is served by two local weekly newspapers: the citizen-run Piedmont Post and the Piedmonter, a neighborhood newspaper organized under the Contra Costa Times news organization.

Piedmont has several parks and a community center. Recent community efforts have raised funds to improve Dracena Park: construction for a new play area began in 2005 and was completed in March 2006. In addition to a new play structure and two sets of swings, the new playground includes a climbing wall, a waterfall faucet for the sand area, and a cement slide built into a grassy manmade hill. It is also the location of the national lawn darts championship.

History

Main article: History of Piedmont, California

Residents originally sought incorporation in 1907. Two elections were held among the citizens of Piedmont in 1907, both of which narrowly upheld the decision for Piedmont to become a separate city, rather than become a neighborhood within the city of Oakland.

By the Roaring Twenties, Piedmont was known as the "City of Millionaires" because it had the most resident millionaires per square mile of any city in the United States. Many of these millionaires built mansions that still stand, notably on Sea View Avenue and Sotelo Avenue/Glen Alpine Road in upper Piedmont. Piedmont became a charter city under the laws of the State of California on December 18, 1922. On February 27, 1923, voters adopted the charter, which can only be changed by another vote of the people.

Piedmont celebrates the year 2007 as its Centennial Anniversary since incorporation. The Centennial Committee hosted celebratory events along a trail that runs through downtown Piedmont and denoted historical landmarks in the city. The Committee also created a float for the city's Fourth of July parade.

The historical exhibit "A Deluxe Autonomy: Piedmont’s First 100 Years" was on display in the Oakland Public Library from January 5 to March 31, 2007.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.4 km² (1.7 mi²). There is a small lake with no public access called Tyson Lake. There is a small pond in Mountain View Cemetery. (The cemetery is in Oakland, just outside Piedmont's border.)

Piedmont's major streets include Oakland Avenue, which runs from Piedmont's small city center down into Oakland; Highland Avenue, which divides Piedmont into upper and lower sections; Moraga Avenue, which runs near the city's northern border; and Grand Avenue, which runs near Piedmont's western border. Lots in upper Piedmont are, on average, larger than lots in lower Piedmont. A nearby shopping center on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland comes within two blocks of Piedmont but never actually enters the city's borders. No major highways run within Piedmont's borders.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 10,952 people, 3,804 households, and 3,104 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,502.1/km² (6,488.7/mi²). There were 3,859 housing units at an average density of 881.6/km² (2,286.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.59% white, 1.24% African American, 0.11% Native American, 16.02% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races, and 3.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.97% of the population.

There were 3,804 households out of which 47.3% included children under the age of 18, 70.9% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.4% were non-families. Of all households, 14.5% were made up of individuals and 7.8% consisted of a person aged 65 or older living alone. The average household size was 2.88, and the average family size was 3.18.

In the city, the population was spread out with 30.3% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 18.5% from 25 to 44, 34.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.

Median income for a household in the city was $134,270, and median income for a family was $149,857. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $58,553 for females. Per capita income was $70,539. About 1.0% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over.

Piedmont's demographics are drastically different from Oakland's. In Oakland, more than 1 out of every 3 residents is African American. In Piedmont, this figure is 1 in 100.

Education

A view of Piedmont Middle School and Witter Field, taken from Piedmont High School

Piedmont is within the Piedmont Unified School District.

The district, coinciding with the municipal boundaries, includes three elementary schools (Havens, Beach, and Wildwood), a middle school (Piedmont Middle School), a high school (Piedmont High School), and an alternative high school, Millennium. Piedmont High School matriculates a high percentage of students bound for college. Many graduates continue their education at both public and private colleges and universities.

The Piedmont Unified School District is one of a few California public school systems to achieve such success. This can be largely attributed to the dedicated population of parents who choose to pay higher prices for housing so that their children can attend Piedmont schools instead of private schools. In particular, cost-benefit analyses will reveal that, for many households, Piedmont schools make more economic sense than private schooling. Such analyses, for example, may take into consideration real estate prices, mortgage interest rates, projected real estate value appreciation, local taxes, federal tax deductions, quality of schools, private tuition costs per student, and number of children.

Piedmont voters regularly approve bond measures earmarked for maintaining and/or improving educational facilities. For example, Witter Field, home of the Piedmont Highlanders, was rebuilt over a period of years (1996–1999), transforming it from the older facility to a newer and markedly improved one. Similar improvements have been made to the fields adjacent to the Beach Elementary School.

In 2005, Piedmont citizens voted in favor of Measures B and C with an overwhelming majority. Measure B renews the school district parcel tax, which pays for 21 percent of the district's budget, and Measure C adds an additional amount that compensates for reduced funding from state and federal sources. Had Measures B and C failed, students returning in the 2006–2007 school year would have been met with larger class sizes, far fewer course options, and fewer teachers, aides, custodians, and other staff.

In 2006, voters authorized the Piedmont City Unified School District to issue up to $56 million in bonds to improve Piedmont public school buildings so as to reduce dangers from earthquakes, to meet state and federal seismic safety standards.

The Piedmont Educational Foundation awards a number of grants for academic innovation in Piedmont schools each year, and provides a sustained source of funding for the PUSD through its Endowment Fund.

Notable residents

Further information: Category:People from Piedmont, California

Current

Piedmont is home to a number of leaders in the political, business and academic communities, in addition to sports figures including ex-Major League Baseball player Dave McCarty,ex-National Football League star Bubba Paris, San Francisco 49ers, M.B. and B.B. Professional Ping Pong Players,-National Football League star Bill Romanowski, Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, Green Day member Tre Cool, Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong, and Peter Docter, director of Pixar's Monsters, Inc. and co-writer of WALL-E.

Past

Author Jack London lived in Piedmont, and John F. Kennedy's Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara grew up in Piedmont, where his family lived on Ranleigh Way. Clint Eastwood resided in Piedmont and attended Piedmont schools. Country Joe McDonald resided in Piedmont in the 1970s. Actors Dean Butler (Little House on the Prairie) and Austin Tichenor (Reduced Shakespeare Company) also grew up in Piedmont. Further, notable tennis player and coach Brad Gilbert, grew up in Piedmont. Charles R. Schwab, founder of the discount stock brokerage firm bearing his name, and his family also lived in Piedmont in the early 1980s.

Other past notables include Dorothy and Robert DeBolt who rose to international prominence while raising their 20 children, including 14 adopted, multi racial and multi-handicapped, to complete self sufficiency. A 1977 documentary of their family's story, "Who Are The DeBolts?" won an Academy Award .

F. Wayne Valley, philanthropist, construction magnate, owner of the Oakland Raiders and founding member of the AFL. Frank C. Havens, for whom Havens Elementary School is named, and James Gamble, president of the Western Union Telegraph Company, who, in 1877, founded the Piedmont Land Company, thus introducing the name later adopted by the city upon its incorporation.

See also

• People from Piedmont, California
• Oakland, California

External links

• Official City Website

• Piedmont Unified School District website
• Piedmont Educational Foundation
• Piedmont Baseball Foundation
• Piedmont Basketball Foundation
• Piedmont Softball Foundation
• Piedmont Soccer Club
• Piedmont Neighborhood News Blog
• The HairyNet - An Irreverent Look back.