City of Brentwood | |
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— City — | |
Location in Contra Costa County and the state of California | |
Coordinates: 37°55′55″N 121°41′45″W / 37.93194°N 121.69583°WCoordinates: 37°55′55″N 121°41′45″W / 37.93194°N 121.69583°W | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
County | Contra Costa |
Government | |
• Mayor | Robert (Bob) Taylor |
• State Senate | Mark DeSaulnier (D) |
• State Assembly | Joan Buchanan (D) |
• U. S. Congress | Jerry McNerney (D) |
Area[1] | |
• Total | 14.805 sq mi (38.345 km2) |
• Land | 14.786 sq mi (38.295 km2) |
• Water | 0.019 sq mi (0.049 km2) 0.13% |
Elevation[2] | 79 ft (24 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 51,481 |
• Density | 3,500/sq mi (1,300/km2) |
Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
• Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
ZIP code | 94513 |
Area code(s) | 925 |
FIPS code | 06-08142 |
GNIS feature ID | 277479 |
Website | www.ci.brentwood.ca.us |
Brentwood is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. It is located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population is 51,481 as of 2010.
Brentwood began as a farming community in the late 19th century, and still is known throughout the Bay Area for its agricultural products, primarily its cherries, corn and peaches. Many of the old farms and orchards have been replaced by suburban developments since 1990. Brentwood is increasingly residential, with the rate of population growth in the triple digits during the 1990s and 69% from 2000 through 2005.
Contents |
History
Brentwood was originally laid out on land donated from property owned by John Marsh, an East Contra Costa County pioneer who acquired Rancho Los Meganos, the land grant that Brentwood is built upon, in 1837 from Jose Noriega. Brentwood was named after Marsh's ancestral home, the town of Brentwood in the County of Essex, England.[3]
Brentwood's first post office was established in 1878.[4] The city incorporated in 1948.[4]
Balfour, Guthrie & Co., a British investment company, purchased the John Marsh ranch in 1910. The company invested heavily in other California agricultural properties as well. In 1910, it built the Brentwood Hotel at Oak Street and Brentwood Boulevard, across from the railroad station. This replaced an earlier hotel on the same site that had burned down in 1903. The hotel was razed in 1967, and replaced by a service station.[5]
The Brentwood water tower perhaps symbolizes the city's transition from a rural farm community to a modern bedroom community. This landmark on Walnut Street, across the street from the Brentwood Park and Ride lot, is the tallest structure in the city. It is no longer used for its original purpose, but now serves as a cell phone tower. City water is stored in large tanks atop hills outside the city.
During the 1990s, a great deal of retail stores were built along the Brentwood/Antioch border on Lone Tree Way at the SR 4 Bypass, about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) from downtown Brentwood. This includes major tenants such as Kohl's, Trader Joe's, Home Depot, Lowes. Slatten Ranch Shopping Center, actually on the Antioch side of Lone Tree Way, includes Target, Sport Chalet and Barnes & Noble. JC Penney opened its Slatten Ranch store in March 2008.
The Streets of Brentwood, an outdoor lifestyle retail center, opened in Brentwood in the Fall of 2008. The Streets of Brentwood's upscale shops include Banana Republic, Coldwater Creek, DSW Shoes, Jos. A. Bank, REI, Swarovski, Victoria’s Secret, and White House/Black Market. The only all-digital Rave Motion Pictures in the San Francisco Bay Area is located in the Streets of Brentwood. Dining establishments found in Streets of Brentwood include Bangkok 101, BJ's Brewhouse, Mel's Diner, Grazie! Grill, Salad Makers, and Red Robin.
The city broke ground for a new civic center in November, 2009. The Mission-style architectural inspiration for City Hall, the main building, was the 1910 Brentwood Hotel. Related facilities include a parking garage and a community center.[6] City departments began moving into the new facility in October 2011, and the former city hall was demolished during November 2011.
Geography
As shown by the view from Mount Diablo, Brentwood is located on the alluvial plain of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. In this picture, Brentwood is in the center right and the city of Antioch is in the center left. North Peak, appears in the foreground between the two cities and largely hides the city of Oakley.
Brentwood has a total area of 14.81 sq mi (38.4 km2), of which 14.79 sq mi (38.3 km2) is land and 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2) or 0.13% is water. The landscape on the west is marked by rolling hills, native grasses, oak trees, fruit orchards, and vineyards, with a number of public golf courses.
Climate
Climate data for Brentwood, CA | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 72 (22) |
76 (24) |
88 (31) |
94 (34) |
103 (39) |
117 (47) |
110 (43) |
109 (43) |
109 (43) |
102 (39) |
85 (29) |
75 (24) |
117 (47) |
Average high °F (°C) | 54 (12) |
60 (16) |
66 (19) |
71 (22) |
79 (26) |
86 (30) |
92 (33) |
90 (32) |
86 (30) |
77 (25) |
64 (18) |
55 (13) |
73.3 (23.0) |
Average low °F (°C) | 39 (4) |
43 (6) |
45 (7) |
48 (9) |
54 (12) |
58 (14) |
59 (15) |
59 (15) |
57 (14) |
52 (11) |
45 (7) |
39 (4) |
49.8 (9.9) |
Record low °F (°C) | 20 (−7) |
25 (−4) |
27 (−3) |
28 (−2) |
35 (2) |
35 (2) |
41 (5) |
43 (6) |
41 (5) |
28 (−2) |
24 (−4) |
18 (−8) |
18 (−8) |
Precipitation inches (mm) | 2.66 (67.6) |
2.43 (61.7) |
2.08 (52.8) |
.78 (19.8) |
.43 (10.9) |
.09 (2.3) |
0 (0) |
.02 (0.5) |
.18 (4.6) |
.62 (15.7) |
1.60 (40.6) |
2.41 (61.2) |
13.3 (337.8) |
Source: [7] |
Education
Public schools
Brentwood's public education system has about 7 elementary, 3 middle, and 4 high schools, Independence High School, Liberty High School, Freedom High School and Heritage High School. The city is served by the Brentwood Union School District, Knightsen School District and the Liberty Union High School District. The Brentwood Union School District runs on a modified traditional school calendar. The Brentwood Union School District has many California Distinguished Schools. Heritage High School includes a full range of Advanced Placement courses and the highest API score in the area, stellar performing arts programs, and championship athletic teams.
Los Medanos College operates a satellite facility at Sand Creek Road and Brentwood Blvd. (Highway 4).[8]
Brentwood was one of 118 cities designated by KaBOOM! as a Playful City USA for 2010 - with only 10 in California and only Brentwood, Redwood City and San Francisco in Northern California. Each community selected demonstrated creative commitments to the cause of play and fitness. Brentwood was selected for a variety of reasons, including that fact that it offers the community its Wellness Policy, a community-wide aspirational goal which promotes physical activity and education as the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle. Brentwood has 58 parks within nearly 12 square miles (31 km2), and miles of jogging trails, to support healthy lifestyles.
Public libraries
The Brentwood branch of the Contra Costa County Library is located on Second Street in Brentwood, across from the Civic Center [9], which is now in use.
Demographics
2010
The 2010 United States Census[10] reported that Brentwood had a population of 51,481. The population density was 3,477.3 people per square mile (1,342.6/km²). The racial makeup of Brentwood was 34,969 (67.9%) White, 3,389 (6.6%) African American, 333 (0.6%) Native American, 4,051 (7.9%) Asian, 202 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 4,964 (9.6%) from other races, and 3,573 (6.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13,779 persons (26.8%).
The Census reported that 51,335 people (99.7% of the population) lived in households, 141 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 5 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 16,494 households, out of which 8,047 (48.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 10,560 (64.0%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,823 (11.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 825 (5.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 794 (4.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 141 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 2,616 households (15.9%) were made up of individuals and 1,355 (8.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.11. There were 13,208 families (80.1% of all households); the average family size was 3.47.
The population was spread out with 16,058 people (31.2%) under the age of 18, 3,854 people (7.5%) aged 18 to 24, 13,991 people (27.2%) aged 25 to 44, 11,703 people (22.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 5,875 people (11.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.6 years. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.
There were 17,523 housing units at an average density of 1,183.6 per square mile (457.0/km²), of which 12,580 (76.3%) were owner-occupied, and 3,914 (23.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.0%. 38,410 people (74.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 12,925 people (25.1%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the 2010 census, there were 51,300 residents.[11] The population density was 2,001.2/sqmi (774/sqkm). There were 7,788 housing units at an average density of 668.8/sqmi (259/sqkm). The racial makeup of the town was 75.38% White, 9.40% African American, 0.75% Native American, 6.99% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 5.96% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.34% of the population. There were 23,700 households out of which 45.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.2% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 19.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.93. In the town the population was spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 3.2% from 18 to 24, 19.4% from 25 to 44, 33.4% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males. The median income for a household in the town was $87,068, and the median income for a family was $91,796.[12] Males had a median income of $58,059 versus $39,585 for females. The per capita income for the town was $33,621. About 5.4% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Agriculture remains important to the local economy, but has declined in relative importance as the city has become more suburban. Local wineries including Bloomfield, Tamayo, and Hannah Nicole have gained in sales and prestige after winning numerous medals in recent years at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and the California State Fair. There is no heavy industry and only a small light industrial area in the northeastern part of the city. Brentwood underwent a strong economic boom from 2000 through 2008. Population expanded from 23,302 in 2000 to about 48,000 in 2006, a higher growth rate than other communities in the Bay Area. The boom stalled in 2009, paralleling the economic crisis that affected all of California, but successful new home subdivisions, including a gated community (Carmel Estates), appeared again in 2010. Within an active adult community (Trilogy at the Vineyards), Club Los Meganos opened in 2010 with 34,000 square feet (3,200 m2) of athletic club, pool and cabanas, gourmet studio, spa, tennis courts, and events center.
Top employers
According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[13] the top employers in the city are:
# | Employer | # of Employees |
---|---|---|
1 | Brentwood Union School District | 500-600 |
2 | Liberty Union High School District | 400-500 |
3 | City of Brentwood | 200-300 |
4 | Precision Cabinets | 200-300 |
5 | Safeway | 100-200 |
6 | WinCo Foods | 100-200 |
7 | The Home Depot | 100-200 |
8 | Kohl's | 100-200 |
9 | Raley's | 100-200 |
10 | Best Buy | 50-100 |
Transportation
Highway
Public transportation is very limited, so the principal roads leading into the city are very congested with commuter traffic. No freeways served Brentwood directly, until February 2008, when the John Marsh Heritage Highway (also known as the California State Route 4 Bypass or Bypass Road, now California State Route 4) was built to connect the western side of Brentwood directly with Antioch. State Route 4 passes by the western edge of Brentwood. The freeway portion of SR 4 ends at the Lone Tree Way exit; SR 4 continues as a two-lane highway to its intersection with Marsh Creek Road and the end of Vasco Road, an unnumbered highway that is the principal route to Livermore, Interstate 580, and the Silicon Valley. To the southeast of Brentwood, County Route J4, known as the Byron Highway, connects to Tracy and the San Joaquin Valley. Highway 4 is currently undergoing multi-million dollar improvements that are scheduled to add lanes through Antioch and Pittsburg by 2015 in order to reduce the driving time between Brentwood and Concord/Walnut Creek.
Bus service
Local bus service is provided by Tri Delta Transit, a special purpose district providing public transportation for Eastern Contra Costa County. This district also operates express bus service to the Pittsburg/Bay Point and the Pleasanton/Dublin BART rail stations Monday through Friday, several a day, and only in the predominant commute direction.[14] It takes about one hour to reach Pittsburg/Bay Point BART from the Brentwood Park & Ride lot on Walnut Street.
Rail
There is no passenger rail service to Brentwood. The nearest Altamont Commuter Express train station is in Livermore. The nearest Amtrak station is in Antioch, CA.
There is a freight-only rail line that passes through Brentwood, which is owned by Union Pacific Railroad. However, the line has been inactive since the early 1990s. Union Pacific Railroad does have plans to reactivate this line sometime in the future.
Air
Commercial airports serving this area are:
- Oakland International Airport
- San Francisco International Airport
- San Jose International Airport
- Sacramento International Airport
- Stockton Metropolitan Airport
Other nearby airports serving private aircraft are:
- The Brentwood "Cornfest" occurs one weekend in July each year, culminating in a concert. Past performers include Eddie Money, Eric Burdon and The Fixx.
- Numerous local farms operate produce stands or offer "U-Pick" opportunities.
- A farmer's market is held on First Street in downtown Brentwood on Saturday mornings from May through October.
- Hannah Nicole Vineyards including tasting room.
- Brentwood's CoCo County Wine Company in historic downtown Brentwood.
Points of interest
- East Contra Costa Historical Society and Museum [15] East of Brentwood on Sellers Road.
- John Marsh House Currently not open to the public.
- Los Vaqueros Reservoir [1]
- Marsh Creek Trail [2]
- Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta
- Brentwood Civic Center [3]
Notable residents
- Lisa Joann Thompson, dancer and actress, In Living Color, Fame L.A., and Motown Live attended Liberty High School in Brentwood.
- Ron Rivers—Former NFL running back for the Detroit Lions
- Steven Levitan-- director, writer, producer of comedic series such as Modern Family
See also
References
- ^ U.S. Census
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Brentwood
- ^ Gudde, Erwin; revised by William Bright (1998). California Place Names (4th ed.). Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-21316-5.
- ^ a b Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Quill Driver Books. p. 606. ISBN 9781884995149.
- ^ City of Brentwood Web site, "History and Timeline"
- ^ City of Brentwood Web site
- ^ "Monthly Averages for Brentwood, CA (94513)". Weather.com. http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/94513. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
- ^ "LMC Brentwood Center Web site. Accessed August 4, 2010
- ^ "Brentwood Library." Contra Costa County Library. Retrieved on April 1, 2010.
- ^ All data are derived from the United States Census Bureau reports from the 2010 United States Census, and are accessible on-line here. The data on unmarried partnerships and same-sex married couples are from the Census report DEC_10_SF1_PCT15. All other housing and population data are from Census report DEC_10_DP_DPDP1. Both reports are viewable online or downloadable in a zip file containing a comma-delimited data file. The area data, from which densities are calculated, are available on-line here. Percentage totals may not add to 100% due to rounding. The Census Bureau defines families as a household containing one or more people related to the householder by birth, opposite-sex marriage, or adoption. People living in group quarters are tabulated by the Census Bureau as neither owners nor renters. For further details, see the text files accompanying the data files containing the Census reports mentioned above.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Benicia city, California - Fact Sheet - American FactFinder
- ^ City of Brentwood CAFR
- ^ Tri Delta Transit Web site
- ^ http://www.theschoolbell.com/history/information/information.html
External links
- Everything Brentwood
- City of Brentwood website
- Brentwood Chamber of Commerce
- Brentwood Local News (Brentwood Press)
- Information: East Contra Costa County Historical Society Web site
- Brentwood Events EastCountyLive.com SPOTLIGHT
- Streets of Brentwood website
- Brentwood city, California - Fact Sheet - AmericanFactFinder
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Antioch | Oakley | Bethel Island Knightsen |
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Clayton, Walnut Creek | ![]() |
Discovery Bay | ||
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Mount Diablo | Los Vaqueros Reservoir, Livermore | Byron |
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