ALBANY - As a city known for attracting young couples and families, Albany has much to brag about, from its good schools to good neighbors.

This city of youngsters is nestled between El Cerrito and Richmond to the north, and Berkeley to its south and east, with a beautiful beach front coastal view of the San Francisco Bay on the west. It sits on a little over a square mile of land making it one of the Bay Area's smallest towns.

But don't let size fool you. Albany is packed with fun and good food.

The city's ``main street,'' Solano Avenue, has more than 60 restaurants serving Arabic, Indian, Thai, Mexican, Italian and Chinese cuisines. Cafes, book stores or movies can serve as a lively source of entertainment. A simple walk to the beach can reveal a spectacular view of Angel Island and San Francisco's city skyline.

Golden Gate Fields can be seen off Interstate 580 west of the city's center. The large horse race track attracts visitors from all over the state.

The city is called ``kid town'' by many of its inhabitants, because of the large presence of young families living in its borders. Almost 65 percent of the city's population is below the age of 45, with nearly half of them being under 24, according to the 2000 U.S. Census records.

Almost half of the city's population are married couples, with a third of them having children under age 18. This makes schools a major decision factor for parents moving here who are struggling to find a good education for their children. Albany is rated as having one of the best school districts in the Bay Area, and has achieved some of the highest academic test scores in the state. With consistent student ranking in the 90th percentile, education is one of its strongest bragging points.

The tradition of valuing education doesn't stop with Albany's children. More than 64 percent of Albany residents hold bachelor's degrees, making it second only to the nearby city of Piedmont for the number of residents with bachelor's degrees. With an ever increasing rate of diversity, Albany is about 61 percent white and the remaining 39 percent mixed with Asian/Pacific-Islander, Hispanic, African American, American Indian and other races and ethnicities, according to the 2000 census.

The highest spot in Albany is the Albany Hill which, according to the city's historical records, used to serve as the dwelling place of the Costanoan Ohlone Indians, before Spanish settlers arrived. The king of Spain gave vast amounts of the East Bay in a land grant to a nobleman, Don Luis Maria Peralta, who in turn gave the lands of Berkeley and Albany to his son Jose Domingo for a ranch. According to historical records, a second wave of American immigrants flooded the area in search of gold. Albany served as a center of dynamite production for the mining of the California Gold Rush. 

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http://www.ebparks.org/
[East Bay Regional Parks]

http://www.abag.ca.gov/bayarea/baytrail/baytrail.html
[San Francisco Bay Trail]