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| *] - ] winner was a reporter for the '']''. | *] - ] winner was a reporter for the '']''. | ||
| *] - Baseball player appeared in two World Series | *] - Baseball player appeared in two World Series | ||
| *] (believed by some to be a pen name) - "War Nerd" columnist | |||
| *] - Baseball Hall of Famer, first-baseman in the famous "] to ] to Chance" double-play combination of the early twentieth century ] | *] - Baseball Hall of Famer, first-baseman in the famous "] to ] to Chance" double-play combination of the early twentieth century ] | ||
| *] - Singer-actress attended Fresno High School | *] - Singer-actress attended Fresno High School | ||
Revision as of 10:41, 16 February 2006
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| Fresno, California | |
|---|---|
| Flag of Fresno, CaliforniaFlag | |
| Nickname: Raisin Capital of the World | |
 Location in the state of California | |
| County | Fresno |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Alan Autry |
| Population | |
| • Total | 464,727 (city proper) |
| 1,002,284 (metro area) | |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| Website | http://www.ci.fresno.ca.us/ |
Fresno is the county seat of Fresno County in the U.S. State of California. Fresno is a major population center of the Armenians in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 427,652. Estimates by the California Department of Finance (2005) approximate a city population of 464,727 and a metropolitan area of 1,002,284. Fresno is the sixth-largest city in California and the largest inland city in the state. It is located at 36°47' North, 119°48' West, in the San Joaquin Valley portion of California's expansive Central Valley. Its ZIP Code is 937xx.
It is also the largest city in the United States that is not directly served by an Interstate highway (although there are long-term plans to upgrade California State Highway 99, the main freeway through the area, to Interstate standards; it is unofficially proposed to be designated Interstate 9).
The "Fresno Municipal Sanitary Landfill" was the first modern landfill in the United States, and incorporated several important innovations to waste disposal, including trenching, compacting, and the daily covering of trash with dirt. It was opened in 1937 and closed in 1987. It is now a National Historic Landmark.
Fresno is also home to California's largest Hmong community. In East Fresno, many neighborhoods are 40-50% Hmong.
The Fresno area is also home to a large Ukrainian population.
Government
Actor Alan Autry was elected Mayor of Fresno in November, 2000. His first term was from January, 2001 to January, 2005. He was re-elected on March 2, 2004 with over 72 percent of the vote, and his second term will last until January, 2009.
The City Council consists of seven members, elected by district, as follows.
- District 1 (west-central) - Tom Boyajian
- District 2 (northwest) - Brian Calhoun
- District 3 (southwest) - Cynthia Sterling
- District 4 (east-central) - Larry Westerlund
- District 5 (southeast) - Mike Dages
- District 6 (northeast) - Jerry Duncan
- District 7 (central) - Henry T. Perea
Geography
Fresno is located at 36°46'54" North, 119°47'32" West (36.781549, -119.792113)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 271.4 km² (104.8 mi²). 270.3 km² (104.4 mi²) of it is land and 1.1 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.42% water.
Fresno is about 60 miles south of Yosemite National Park. It is the closest major city to the park. Because it sits at the junction of Highways 41 and 99 (41 is the park's southern access road, and 99 branches east from Interstate 5 to serve the urban centers of the San Joaquin Valley), the city is a major gateway for visitors coming from Los Angeles.
Fresno has large public parks like Woodward Park and Roeding Park.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 427,652 people, 140,079 households, and 97,915 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,582.2/km² (4,097.7/mi²). There are 149,025 housing units at an average density of 551.3/km² (1,427.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 50.17% White, 8.36% Black or African American, 1.58% Native American, 11.23% Asian (mostly Hmong), 0.14% Pacific Islander, 23.36% from other races, and 5.16% from two or more races. 39.87% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 140,079 households out of which 40.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% are married couples living together, 17.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% are non-families. 23.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.99 and the average family size is 3.57.
In the city the population is spread out with 32.9% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 28 years. For every 100 females there are 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 93.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $32,236, and the median income for a family is $35,892. Males have a median income of $32,279 versus $26,551 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,010. 26.2% of the population and 20.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 36.5% of those under the age of 18 and 10.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
An October 2005 study by the Brookings Institution, entitled "Katrina's Window: Confronting Concentrated Poverty Across America" ranked Fresno as the city with the most concentrated level of poverty in the United States. The study was prompted in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, in which the economic and racial divides of American cities became clearly visible.
Education
4-Year Institutions:
- California State University, Fresno (Public)
- Fresno Pacific University (Private/Mennonite Brethren)
- University of California at San Francisco - Fresno Medical Education Program
- San Joaquin College of Law (Private)
- Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary
- California Christian College (Private/Baptist)
- Alliant International University-Fresno Campus
- Fresno National University
- University of Phoenix
2-Year Institutions
Origins and history
The County of Fresno was formed in 1856. It was much larger than it is today, comprising its current area plus all of what became Madera County and parts of what are now San Benito, Tulare, Kings, Inyo, and Mono counties.
The center of settlement was not then at what became Fresno, but to the northeast, at Millerton near Fort Miller. Millerton, then on the banks of the free-flowing San Joaquin River, became the county seat. Other early county settlements included Firebaugh's Ferry, Scottsburg, and Elkhorn Springs.
The San Joaquin River flooded on Christmas Eve, 1867, flooding Millerton. Some residents rebuilt, others moved. Flooding also destroyed the town of Scottsburg that winter. Rebuilt on higher ground, Scottsburg was renamed Centerville.
In 1867, Anthony Easterby purchased land bounded by the present Chestnut, Belmont, Clovis and California avenues. Unable to grow wheat for lack of water, he hired Moses J. Church in 1871 to build an irrigation canal. Church then formed the Fresno Canal and Irrigation Company, a predecessor of the Fresno Irrigation District.
In 1872, the Central Pacific Railroad established a station near Easterby's farm for its new Southern Pacific line. Soon there was a store. Around the station and the store grew the town of Fresno Station, later called Fresno. Many Millerton residents, drawn by the convenience of the railroad and worried about flooding, moved to the new community.
Two years after the station was established, county residents voted to move the county seat from Millerton to Fresno. When the Friant Dam was completed in 1944, the site of Millerton became inundated by the waters of Millerton Lake. In extreme droughts, when the reservoir shrinks, ruins of the original county seat can still be observed.
Before World War Two, Fresno had many little cultural neighborhoods, like Little Armenia, German Town, Little Italy, and China Town. During that war Fresno's Asians were rounded up and shipped to internment camps. Street names were changed and native German and Italian students were forbidden to speak their languages in Fresno Schools. The City of Fresno and Fresno Unified School District have yet to apologize to the German and Italian Communities. (See: Japanese internment in the United States)
Cultural and commercial attractions
Arte Américas
Arte Américas is a local Latino cultural center. Arte Américas was founded in 1987 by artists and teachers to "make the Central Valley a flourishing place for Latino arts." It presents exhibit of visual arts.
Fresno Metropolitan Museum
The Met displays traveling exhibitions, shows from its own collection, lectures and other outreach programming. The museum also has a science center called the Reeves ASK Science Center that was developed in partnership with San Francisco's Exploratorium. The museum is currently closed for renovations, and is scheduled to reopen in Fall of 2006. The Met participates in Fresno's ArtHop program, and hosts outreach events and fundraisers on an annual basis, including First Friday Films, Christmas at the Met and a science-education based Bubble Festival. www.fresnomet.org
Tower District
Centered around the Historic Tower Theatre, this neighborhood is home to a restaurants, nightclubs, as well as many independent shops and bookstores. The Tower Theatre for the Performing Arts offers performances such as concerts as recitals. The theatre is also home to the annual Fresno Reel Pride Film Festival (the 6th oldest & one of the largest gay & lesbian film festivals in the country), as well as regular screenings of independent films put on by Fresno Filmworks. This neighborhood also has several theaters and hosts several parades annually. Nearby are several of Fresno's historic historic homes and buildings. Fresno City College, California's first community college, is also based here.
Fresno Art Museum
The museum is located in Radio Park, and puts up a rotating series of exhibits. It participates in the monthly Art Hop, and has a variety of film programs, including classic films, anime, and international selections.
Fresno Philharmonic
The city supports a small but respected philharmonic orchestra.
Arts Council’s monthly Art Hop
Fresno Arts Council holds a monthly Art Hop that features many artists in the Fresno area and is held every first Thursday of the month from 5 pm - 8 pm. One of the biggest art events takes place during the annual Rogue Performance Festivalin March.
Save Mart Center
The Save Mart Center is a newer professional-level indoor arena (cap:18,000) completed in 2003, conveniently located at the Shaw Avenue and Hwy 168 interchange in NE Fresno. It has hosted a wide range of music acts, from The Rolling Stones to Andrea Bocelli, as well as a huge variety of other events. It is currently the home of the Fresno State Men's & Women's Basketball teams and the Fresno Falcons hockey team of the ECHL. The arena was recently ranked among the top 25 in the world for number of tickets sold.
Forestiere Underground Gardens
The Forestiere Underground Gardens () in northwest Fresno near Highway 99, are unusual manmade creations built by Baldasare Forestiere over a period of 40 years. For a fictionalized account of Forestiere and his lonely obsession, see the short story "The Underground Gardens" by T. Coraghessan Boyle, published in The New Yorker, (May 25, 1998).
The Red Lantern
The Red Lantern, or the "Red" as it is lovingly known, is the Central Valley's oldest gay bar and entertainment center. It is the home of the Imperial Dove Court de Fresno/Madera, Inc. and The Knights of Malta. Leather and Drag shows are standard attractions, and local celebrities mingle with the public.
Neighborhoods
Sunnyside
One of Fresno's first affluent areas, Sunnyside is located on Fresno's far east side, bounded by Clovis Avenue to the West. The area is no longer noted as Fresno's more affluent areas however, it is still home to notable Fresno residents. (2002) This neighborhood is served by the Fresno Unified School District
Old Fig Garden
A historic community set among mature trees, Old Fig Garden has long been Fresno's most prestigious neighborhood and one that often breaks the mold. Eschewing sidewalks and traditional boundaries Fig Garden is an area of approximately 6 square miles which was once on the northern fringe of Fresno, but that is now surrounded by it, as the city has incorporated land all around it hence making Fig Garden a county "island". This small area which turns its nose up at traditional ways of development (i.e. strip malls and cookie cutter housing) is home to some of the city's most beautiful older homes, many in the California Craftsman or Colonial revival style. The area's main thoroughfare (Van Ness Boulevard) annually hosts the nationally renowned Christmas Tree Lane.
Tower District
Just North of Downtown Fresno, this vibrant and culturally diverse area of shops and homes has been restored to its vintage charm after a significant decline in the mid-1990's. Home to Fresno City College and Fresno High School, Tower District remains one of Fresno's favorite "Hangout" spots. The area features bungalow and 1960's styles of architecture. Art Deco architecture can also be spotted in the area. Tower District can be accessed by Freeway 99, 41, and also 180. Tower District is served by the Fresno Unified School District.
Downtown/West Fresno
Downtown Fresno has long been a neglected area of Fresno. To the East of Freeway 99 is Downtown Fresno and to the West is what locals refer to as the "Westside" or more properly West Fresno. West Fresno is home to Fresno's largest African American concentration. This area continues to be noted as a troubled area of the city and has gained notarity with it's high concentration of gangs and a troubled West Fresno School District. Downtown Fresno however, has gone through a dramatic change since the 1990's and is starting to show significant signs of growth and private investment in the area. Downtown and West Fresno is served by the Fresno Unified School District and also the West Fresno Unified School District.
Huntington Heights
Located in Central Fresno, this area is what some may call a "diamond in the rough". Million dollar historic homes line this lushly landscaped Boulevard but high crime and troubled communities surround the historic street. This area is near the Fresno Fairgrounds and walking distance to much of downtown.
Van Ness Extension
Van Ness Avenue transformes from a downtown "main street" into a boulevard that leads to Fresno's most expensive and expansive estates. As it passes through the Tower District and Old Fig Garden there are many historic homes and estates of gradually increasing profile to be seen. At the base of Fig Garden Village the street veers to the northwest and appears to dead end. Travelling down Shaw Avenue about 3 miles Van Ness Boulevard comes back to life in an interesting realignment just beyond West Avenue. Like a hidden jewel, this "new" Van Ness neighborhood is known as Van Ness Extension (the neighborhood properly refers to homes right on Van Ness Blvd as well as those within approximately a 1/2 mile off the street) and is home to the city's most impressive executive mansions many of which rival the mansions of Beverly Hills. Included in this area is a newer private lakeside community known as Lake Van Ness flanked by unbelieveable multi-million dollar mansions. At the end of Van Ness Boulevard is the San Joaquin River bluff-line, which gives way to a riverfront community known simply as "The Bluffs" which are also among Fresno's most affluent.
Woodward Park
This area is off Freeway 41 about one mile East of the Friant Rd. exit. The Woodward area is in North-East Fresno. Home to one of the cities largest parks and Champlain and Perrin shopping areas, this area is still one of Fresno's most rapidly growing communities. Withen the woodward area is the affluent neighborhoods such as Woodward Lake, The Dominion, Copper River, and also Saint Andrews, although locals refer to the area as simply "Woodward Park Area". This area of Fresno has twice failed to incorporate itself as its own city. Clovis Unified continues to meet the excessive demand for new schools in this area by building an average of 2 schools per year in the area. Clovis West High School and Buchanan High School are the area's primary high schools, in addition to a yet-to-be-named Clovis high school that will be finished in 2006. This new high school will be home to the largest public school building in California in addition to a 7000 seat performing arts theatre and a 5000+ seat capacity gym.
Harlan Ranch (Clovis)
Modeled after Fresno's Dominion housing area in North-East Fresno, Harlan Ranch is located in Clovis and is already home to the Central Valley Research and Technology Park (2005). This area is trying to meet the excessive demand for housing in Clovis and more notably the Clovis Unified School District. Housing prices in Clovis and primarily near this area are on average the highest home prices in Central California.
Old Town Clovis (Clovis)
Old Town Clovis is home to an ecclectic array of bungalow style homes and a charming old town shopping district. Old Town Clovis in home to hundreds of festivals a year in addition to the Clovis Rodeo, a 90 year Clovis tradition. Served by the Clovis Unified School District, this area remains vibrant due to community interest and non-existant crime.
Shopping centers
Fashion Fair Mall
Fashion Fair hosts Macy's, Macy's Men's, Gottschalks, JC Penney, and over 130 other retailers. The new outdoor expansion of the mall, dubbed "The Village at Fashion Fair" opened in 2005 and is host to several new retailers and restaurants including The Cheesecake Factory, Sephora, Urban Outfitters, Metropark, Lucky Brand Jeans, Bebe, and Brookstone.
Manchester Center
Fresno's oldest indoor shopping mall. It is the home of Sear's, Long's Drugs, Fresno City College extension classes and a continuation school.
Champlain and Perrin
Situated in rapidly expanding North Fresno, this area is home to four small shopping centers, most notably the recently completed (2005) Piazza Del Fiore shopping center. Piazza Del Fiore features several high end boutiques, restaurants, and a large day spa. Popular restaurants include La Paella, Campagnia, Echo, and Five. The Fresno County Woodward branch library on the southwest corner was completed in 2004 and has received several awards for its modern, innovative architecture.
River Park
The "River Park" area (so named for its proximity to the San Joaquin River, which divides Fresno and Madera counties) in northeast Fresno is a major shopping and entertainment district. It properly refers to only the River Park shopping center located between Blackstone Avenue, the 41 freeway, Minarets Avenue, and Nees Avenue, but locals usually use the name to refer to places on the east side of Blackstone or the region in general. The area houses a Gottschalks, Best Buy, Target, Borders Books & Music, Chico's, Jos. A Bank, Nordstrom Rack, several "big-box" retailers, and a 22-screen Edward's movie theater. Restaurants include P.F. Chang's, Claim Jumper, California Pizza Kitchen, and The Elephant Bar.
Fig Garden Village
Fig Garden Village (or simply "Fig Garden") houses many city icons, such as The Warner Company Jewelers, The Ripe Tomato and Elbow Room Restaurants. It also features events such as the annual "Fig Gig" jazz festival. Catering to Fresno's affluent residents, Fig Garden Village currently houses many upscale restaurants and stores including Whole Foods, Williams Sonoma, The Sharper Image, Eddie Bauer, and Ann Taylor. Fig Garden Village is undergoing a massive expansion that will include Pottery Barn and Banana Republic.
Downtown / Fulton Mall
Additionally, the city is trying to work hard to revitalize downtown. For the past forty years, it has been mostly a government center, even with such developments as the Fulton Mall (converted from a part of Fulton Street, it was the first pedestrian mall of its kind in the U.S.), but has fallen into disrepair. High-rise buildings have now been going up again, and a new federal courthouse was recently errected. This and other plans are part of the city's "Vision 2010" that aims to bring residents back to the area. Downtown Fresno has hundreds of historical buildings including theaters such as Crest Theater that was built in the late 1940's. Once known as The Fox Crest Theater, it is currently targeted for revitalization as an independent/art movie house.
Professional sports
Fresno has no major-league level professional sports teams, but it does have several minor league sports franchises.
- Fresno Grizzlies (Pacific Coast League baseball, affiliate of the San Francisco Giants)
- Fresno Falcons (ECHL hockey)
- Central Valley Coyotes (AF2 football)
The Fresno Grizzlies play in Grizzlies Stadium, in downtown Fresno. The $46 million stadium opened in 2002 and marked the beginning of an ongoing effort to stimulate downtown commerce and Fresno tourism.
Notable residents
(In alphabetical order)
- Robert Beltran - Actor (Star Trek Voyager)
- Deborah Blum - Pulitzer Prize winner was a reporter for the Fresno Bee.
- Frenchy Bordagaray - Baseball player appeared in two World Series
- Frank Chance - Baseball Hall of Famer, first-baseman in the famous "Tinker to Evers to Chance" double-play combination of the early twentieth century Chicago Cubs
- Cher - Singer-actress attended Fresno High School
- Mike Connors (born Krekor Ohanian) - Actor, star of TV series Mannix.
- Trent Dilfer - Super Bowl-winning quarterback
- Henry Ellard - Professional football player
- William Everson - Poet
- Victor Davis Hanson - Scholar, historian, author
- Pat Howell - Football player
- Kirk Kerkorian - Billionaire businessman
- Daryle Lamonica - Football player
- Philip Levine - Poet
- Larry Levis - Poet
- Audra McDonald - Actress-singer, Tony Award winner
- Bill Nijjer - Mortgage Originator
- Steve Perry - Musician, singer for '80s band Journey. Born in nearby Hanford
- James Porteous - Inventor
- Nick Ryan (Nicholas Fanady) - Radio and TV personality, convicted serial child molester
- Les Richter - NFL player
- William Saroyan - Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and novelist
- Tom Seaver - Baseball player
- David Seville (born Ross Bagdasarian) - songwriter-recording artist (The Chipmunks)
- Cynthia Sterling - Bussiness Leader and Suporter of Gay Rights
- Brian Turner - Poet
- Del Webb - Real estate developer
- Marcus Wesson - Mass murderer
- Virgil Wigley - Nightclub owner
Media
Newspaper
Television
- 18 KVPT PBS
- 21 KFTV Univision
- 24 KSEE NBC
- 26 KMPH Fox
- 30 KFSN ABC
- 47 KGPE CBS
- 49 KNXT EWTN
- 51 KNSO Telemundo
- 53 KAIL UPN
- 59 KFRE WB
- 61 KTFF Telefutura
Sister cities
Fresno maintains sister city relationships with Kochi, Japan and Torreon, Mexico since 1965 and 1967, respectively. A sister city relationshipwith Münster, Germany began in the mid-1980's. The Shin-Zen Friendship Garden in Fresno's Woodward Park is dedicated to Kochi.
Transportation
Highways
Fresno is served by a main north/south freeway California State Highway 99. Other highways include the recently-completed California State Highway 168 that leads to the city of Clovis and Huntington Lake, California State Highway 41 that comes into Fresno from the south via Paso Robles, and California State Highway 180 that comes from the west via Mendota. Fresno is known for being the largest American city not directly linked to an Interstate highway.
Airports
Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FYI, formally known as FAT) is the largest airport, and site of commercial airline service. The airport serves an estimated 1.2 million passengers annually.
Historic Fresno Chandler Executive Airport (FCH) is located 1 1/2 miles west of Downtown Fresno. Built in the 1920's, it is one of the oldest operational airports in California. The aiport currently acts as a general aviation airport.
Sierra Sky Park is located in Northwest Fresno. It is a privately owned airport, but is open to the public. The airport was America's first aviation community. Extra-wide streets surrounding the airport allow for residents of the community to literally "drive" their airplane home!
External links
- Fresno.ca.us City of Fresno, Official Site
- Fresno City and County Historical Society
- FresnoBee.com The Fresno Bee
- Flypinfo.org Fresno Leading Young Professionals
- CentralValleyExchange.com Central Valley Exchange
- FresnoCVB.org Fresno Convention & Visitor Bureau
