Foster City, California
Encyclopedia
Foster City is an affluent planned city located in San Mateo County, California
, 94404. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 30,567. Forbes
ranked Foster City #10 on their 2009 list of America's Top 25 Towns to Live Well. Money
has also recognized Foster City multiple times as one of the Best Places to Live. Foster City is sometimes considered to be part of Silicon Valley
for its local industry and its proximity to Silicon Valley
cities.
Foster City was founded in the 1960s on engineered landfill
in the marshes of the San Francisco Bay
, on the east edge of San Mateo
. The city was named after T. Jack Foster, a real estate magnate who owned much of the land comprising the city and who was instrumental in its initial design. His successor firm, Foster Enterprises, run by his descendants, is still active in real estate affairs throughout the San Francisco Bay Area
.
, the city has a total area of 19.8 square miles (51.3 km²), of which 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²) is land and 16.1 square miles (41.7 km²) is water. The total area is 81.07% water.
was 1,540.6 people per square mile (594.8/km²). The racial makeup of Foster City was 13,912 (45.5%) White, 576 (1.9%) African American, 29 (0.1%) Native American, 13,746 (45.0%) Asian, 189 (0.6%) Pacific Islander, 575 (1.9%) from other races
, and 1,540 (5.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,995 persons (6.5%).
The Census reported that 30,458 people (99.6% of the population) lived in households, 52 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 57 (0.2%) were institutionalized.
There were 12,016 households, out of which 4,256 (35.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 7,127 (59.3%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 963 (8.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 316 (2.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 531 (4.4%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 75 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 2,807 households (23.4%) were made up of individuals and 860 (7.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53. There were 8,406 families
(70.0% of all households); the average family size was 3.04.
The population was spread out with 6,913 people (22.6%) under the age of 18, 1,526 people (5.0%) aged 18 to 24, 9,801 people (32.1%) aged 25 to 44, 8,223 people (26.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,104 people (13.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.3 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
There were 12,458 housing units at an average density of 627.9 per square mile (242.4/km²), of which 6,958 (57.9%) were owner-occupied, and 5,058 (42.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.5%. 18,423 people (60.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 12,035 people (39.4%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 28,803 people, 11,613 households, and 7,931 families residing in the city. The 2009 median home price in Foster City was $1,025,000. The population density
is 8,043.95 people per square mile (3,151.23/km²). There were 12,458 housing units at an average density of 3,195.6 per square mile (1,233.2/km²). There are 11,613 households out of which 30.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% are married couples
living together, 7.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% are non-families. 23.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.47 and the average family size is 2.97.
In the city the population is spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 35.3% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 93.9 males.
According to Money Magazine, the median income for a household in Foster City is $135,470. The median income for a family is $118,231. Males have a median income of $77,916 versus $51,157 for females. The per capita income
for the city is $45,754. 2.9% of the population and 1.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 1.6% of those under the age of 18 and 5.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Foster City is located in the 8th Senate
District, represented by Democrat
Leland Yee
, and in the 19th Assembly
District, represented by Democrat Jerry Hill
. Federally, Foster City is located in California's 12th congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of D +22 and is currently filled by Jackie Speier
.
Of the four public schools in Foster City, Audubon School, Foster City School, and Bowditch Middle School
have won California Distinguished School awards. In 1993, Bowditch was recognized with the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon. In 2005, Bowditch became a California Distinguished School for the second time.
Foster City also has one private Jewish day school: Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School is a kindergarten - eighth grade school. It was rated the number one Jewish day school in the South Bay/Peninsula.http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/29912/format/html/displaystory.html
The city is served by the Peninsula Library System
.
, with warm dry summers, and cool wet winters. The warmest month of the year is July with an average maximum temperature of 80.8 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is December with an average minimum temperature of 38.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
The annual average precipitation is 20.16 inches. The wettest month of the year is January with an average rainfall of 4.20 inches.
to a location in Foster City. Visa's headquarters were in Foster City, and Visa became Foster City's largest employer. Visa owns three buildings at the intersection of Metro Center Boulevard and Vintage Park Drive. As of 2009 it employed about 3,000 people at the complex. During that year Visa signed a 10 year lease agreement for the top three floors of 595 Market Street
in San Francisco and moved its top executives there. Visa continued to keep employees at the Foster City offices. As of 2009, after the headquarters move, the Foster City facilities remained the company's center of employment, and the post-headquarters move Foster City buildings housed 2,400 employees as of 2009.
Other companies with headquarters in Foster City:
Foster City also boasts:
In addition, Foster City maintains an extensive 218 acre (0.88221548 km²), man-made enclosed lagoon system.
Foster City's Werder Pier is a remainder of the original expanse of the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge. It is also one of the state's longest and oldest piers in existence. Unfortunately, due to much needed repair, the once popular fishing pier is no longer in operation.
A number of San Francisco professional athletes have called Foster City home. Former San Francisco Giants
players Kevin Mitchell
and Jeff Kent
won the National League
Most Valuable Player
award while they were residents of Foster City.
The movie Over the Edge
is based upon events occurring in Foster City, chronicled in a 1973 article titled "Mousepacks: Kids on a Crime Spree" in the San Francisco Examiner.
The music video for "Super Hyphy", a song by Bay Area rapper Keak Da Sneak
, was filmed at Bowditch Middle School
. R&B singer Keyshia Cole
was also featured in the music video which was produced by Half-White Productions.
Sought after waterfront developments like "Bayporte" and "Whalers Island" often draw in great interest for their well manicured waterfront properties and award winning New England
Saltbox
style architecture.
Foster City TV broadcasts a variety of programs related to operation of and life in Foster City. Foster City TV provides programming through a dedicated Government-access television (GATV) channel, and by streaming through a website (http://fostercitytelevision.com/).
San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
, 94404. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 30,567. Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
ranked Foster City #10 on their 2009 list of America's Top 25 Towns to Live Well. Money
Money (magazine)
Money is published by Time Inc. Its first issue was published in October 1972. Its articles cover the gamut of personal finance topics ranging from investing, saving, retirement and taxes to family finance issues like paying for college, credit, career and home improvement...
has also recognized Foster City multiple times as one of the Best Places to Live. Foster City is sometimes considered to be part of Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
for its local industry and its proximity to Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
cities.
Foster City was founded in the 1960s on engineered landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
in the marshes of the San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
, on the east edge of San Mateo
San Mateo, California
San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of approximately 100,000 , it is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the east, Belmont to the south,...
. The city was named after T. Jack Foster, a real estate magnate who owned much of the land comprising the city and who was instrumental in its initial design. His successor firm, Foster Enterprises, run by his descendants, is still active in real estate affairs throughout the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 19.8 square miles (51.3 km²), of which 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²) is land and 16.1 square miles (41.7 km²) is water. The total area is 81.07% water.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Foster City had a population of 30,567. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,540.6 people per square mile (594.8/km²). The racial makeup of Foster City was 13,912 (45.5%) White, 576 (1.9%) African American, 29 (0.1%) Native American, 13,746 (45.0%) Asian, 189 (0.6%) Pacific Islander, 575 (1.9%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1,540 (5.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,995 persons (6.5%).
The Census reported that 30,458 people (99.6% of the population) lived in households, 52 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 57 (0.2%) were institutionalized.
There were 12,016 households, out of which 4,256 (35.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 7,127 (59.3%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 963 (8.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 316 (2.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 531 (4.4%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 75 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 2,807 households (23.4%) were made up of individuals and 860 (7.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53. There were 8,406 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(70.0% of all households); the average family size was 3.04.
The population was spread out with 6,913 people (22.6%) under the age of 18, 1,526 people (5.0%) aged 18 to 24, 9,801 people (32.1%) aged 25 to 44, 8,223 people (26.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,104 people (13.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.3 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
There were 12,458 housing units at an average density of 627.9 per square mile (242.4/km²), of which 6,958 (57.9%) were owner-occupied, and 5,058 (42.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.5%. 18,423 people (60.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 12,035 people (39.4%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 28,803 people, 11,613 households, and 7,931 families residing in the city. The 2009 median home price in Foster City was $1,025,000. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
is 8,043.95 people per square mile (3,151.23/km²). There were 12,458 housing units at an average density of 3,195.6 per square mile (1,233.2/km²). There are 11,613 households out of which 30.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% are married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% are non-families. 23.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.47 and the average family size is 2.97.
In the city the population is spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 35.3% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 93.9 males.
According to Money Magazine, the median income for a household in Foster City is $135,470. The median income for a family is $118,231. Males have a median income of $77,916 versus $51,157 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city is $45,754. 2.9% of the population and 1.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 1.6% of those under the age of 18 and 5.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Politics
In the state legislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Foster City is located in the 8th Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Leland Yee
Leland Yee
Leland Yee is a California State Senator in District 8 which represents the western half of San Francisco and most of San Mateo County. Prior to becoming state senator, Yee was a California State Assemblyman, Supervisor of San Francisco's Sunset District, and was a member and President of the San...
, and in the 19th Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
District, represented by Democrat Jerry Hill
Jerry Hill (Politician)
Jerry Hill is a Democratic state assemblyman representing California's 19th assembly district since December 2008. The district includes the cities of San Mateo, Burlingame, Brisbane, Daly City, Foster City, Millbrae, San Bruno, South San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, and Belmont.- Personal...
. Federally, Foster City is located in California's 12th congressional district
California's 12th congressional district
California's 12th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that spans from the southwestern portions of San Francisco in the north down to San Mateo in the south, and from Moss Beach in the west to the edge of San Mateo in the east, where it borders...
, which has a Cook PVI
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of D +22 and is currently filled by Jackie Speier
Jackie Speier
Karen Lorraine Jacqueline "Jackie" Speier is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2008. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes the northern two-thirds of San Mateo County and the southwest quarter of San Francisco.She is also a former member of the California State...
.
Education
Foster City is home to four public schools in the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District. Foster City Elementary School, Brewer Island Elementary School, and Audubon Elementary School serve kindergarten through fifth grades. Nathaniel Bowditch Middle School serves 6th through 8th grades. There are several private preschools and elementary schools. There is a separate High School District: San Mateo Union High School District. There is no high school located east of Highway 101 so Foster City high school students attend the public schools in the San Mateo Union High School District and other private high schools in San Francisco Bay Area.Of the four public schools in Foster City, Audubon School, Foster City School, and Bowditch Middle School
Bowditch Middle School
Nathaniel Bowditch Middle School is a public middle school in Foster City, California. It was built in the late 1960s, and makes use of the pod system of architecture that was popular during that time period. Bowditch is located in a residential area and across the street from a levee which follows...
have won California Distinguished School awards. In 1993, Bowditch was recognized with the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon. In 2005, Bowditch became a California Distinguished School for the second time.
Foster City also has one private Jewish day school: Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School is a kindergarten - eighth grade school. It was rated the number one Jewish day school in the South Bay/Peninsula.http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/29912/format/html/displaystory.html
The city is served by the Peninsula Library System
Peninsula Library System
The Peninsula Library System is the public library organization serving San Mateo County, California, United States, which forms the bulk of the region within the San Francisco Bay Area known as "The Peninsula"...
.
Climate
Foster City, like most of the peninsula, has a mild Mediterranean climateMediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
, with warm dry summers, and cool wet winters. The warmest month of the year is July with an average maximum temperature of 80.8 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is December with an average minimum temperature of 38.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
The annual average precipitation is 20.16 inches. The wettest month of the year is January with an average rainfall of 4.20 inches.
Business
Headquarters
Around 1993 Visa Inc. began consolidating various scattered offices in San Mateo, CaliforniaSan Mateo, California
San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of approximately 100,000 , it is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the east, Belmont to the south,...
to a location in Foster City. Visa's headquarters were in Foster City, and Visa became Foster City's largest employer. Visa owns three buildings at the intersection of Metro Center Boulevard and Vintage Park Drive. As of 2009 it employed about 3,000 people at the complex. During that year Visa signed a 10 year lease agreement for the top three floors of 595 Market Street
595 Market Street
595 Market Street is a skyscraper in San Francisco, California. The building rises 410 feet in the northern region of San Francisco’s Financial District. It contains 30 floors, and was completed in 1979. 595 Market Street currently stands as the 37th-tallest building in the city. The architect who...
in San Francisco and moved its top executives there. Visa continued to keep employees at the Foster City offices. As of 2009, after the headquarters move, the Foster City facilities remained the company's center of employment, and the post-headquarters move Foster City buildings housed 2,400 employees as of 2009.
Other companies with headquarters in Foster City:
- Acxiom DigitalAcxiomAcxiom is a global interactive marketing services company that uses consumer data, analytics, information technology, data aggregation, data integration, and consulting solutions to help companies conduct direct marketing programs...
- Adchemy
- Arena SolutionsArena SolutionsArena Solutions is a bill of materials and change management software company that provides the Arena product to manufacturers around the world...
- Bones Doggy Daycare
- Broadview International, a part of Jefferies & Company
- Electronics for ImagingElectronics for ImagingElectronics for Imaging, Inc. Electronics For Imaging, Inc. provides color digital print controllers, format printers and inks, and print management solutions worldwide. The companys controller technologies transform digital copiers and printers into networked printing devices...
- EquinixEquinixEquinix, Inc. is an American public corporation that provides carrier-neutral data centers and internet exchanges. Equinix provides network-neutral data centers and interconnection services...
- FirstRain
- Genius.com
- Gilead SciencesGilead SciencesGilead Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes therapeutics. For many years since the company was founded, the company concentrated primarily on antiviral drugs to treat patients infected with HIV, hepatitis B or influenza. In 2006, Gilead acquired two...
- Golden State Home Loans
- Imperva, Inc.
- Kewill Systems
- Legacy Partners
- Life TechnologiesLife TechnologiesLife Technologies is a global biotechnology company headquartered in Carlsbad, California. It possesses a portfolio of more than 9 million genetic research assays and custom solutions...
- Live365.com
- MarketLive, Inc.
- Motiv Power Systems
- NavigenicsNavigenicsNavigenics, Inc. is a privately held personal genomics company, based in Foster City, California, that uses genetic testing to help people determine their individual risk for dozens of health conditions....
- Perfect WorldPerfect WorldPerfect World , is a 3D adventure and fantasy MMORPG with traditional Chinese settings. Players can take on various roles depending on choice of race and choice of class within that race....
- PhilipsPhilipsKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
- The Picture People
- QuinStreet Inc.QuinstreetQuinStreet, Inc. is a publicly traded online marketing company based in Foster City, CA with satellite offices worldwide. QuinStreet employs a performance-based advertising model with use of search engine marketing strategies to promote clients on Web sites in a number of verticals, including:...
- Rearden Commerce
- Scale Venture Partners
- SciClone Pharmaceuticals
- Sling MediaSling MediaSling Media Inc. specializes in audio and video placeshifting technology. The company is a subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation and is based in San Mateo, California...
- Sony Computer Entertainment AmericaSony Computer EntertainmentSony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
- TruvisoTruvisoTruviso is a continuous analytics, venture-backed, startup headquartered in Foster City, California developing and supporting its solution leveraging PostgreSQL, to deliver a proprietary analytics solutions for net-centric customers....
- Voex
Top employers
According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gilead Sciences Gilead Sciences Gilead Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes therapeutics. For many years since the company was founded, the company concentrated primarily on antiviral drugs to treat patients infected with HIV, hepatitis B or influenza. In 2006, Gilead acquired two... |
1,947 |
| 2 | Life Technologies Life Technologies Life Technologies is a global biotechnology company headquartered in Carlsbad, California. It possesses a portfolio of more than 9 million genetic research assays and custom solutions... (formerly Applied Biosystems Applied Biosystems Applied Biosystems, Inc. started as GeneCo , was the name of a pioneer biotechnology company founded in 1981 in Foster City, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area... ) |
1,675 |
| 3 | Visa | 1,429 |
| 4 | Electronics for Imaging Electronics for Imaging Electronics for Imaging, Inc. Electronics For Imaging, Inc. provides color digital print controllers, format printers and inks, and print management solutions worldwide. The companys controller technologies transform digital copiers and printers into networked printing devices... |
1,252 |
| 5 | Inovant | 968 |
| 6 | Sony Computer Entertainment Sony Computer Entertainment Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony... |
768 |
| 7 | QuinStreet Quinstreet QuinStreet, Inc. is a publicly traded online marketing company based in Foster City, CA with satellite offices worldwide. QuinStreet employs a performance-based advertising model with use of search engine marketing strategies to promote clients on Web sites in a number of verticals, including:... |
302 |
| 8 | IBM IBM International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas... |
296 |
| 9 | MidPen Housing | 264 |
| 10 | Rearden Commerce | 251 |
Recreation
Foster City boasts 19 parks occupying more than 100 acre (0.404686 km²), including many public tennis courts, baseball and soccer fields, basketball courts, and rollerblading/biking trails along the San Francisco Bay. Foster City has more parks per capita than any other city in California.Foster City also boasts:
- World Class Windsurfing A world-class windsurfing spot in the San Francisco BaySan Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
can be found within the city limits of Foster City. It is located adjacent to Mariners Point. - A Golf course and driving range There is one 9-hole golf course, and driving range Mariners' Point, on land owned by the City, and operated by VB Golf.
- Dragon Boating The Bay Area Dragons and Ho'okahi Pu'uwai Outrigger CanoeOutrigger canoeThe outrigger canoe is a type of canoe featuring one or more lateral support floats known as outriggers, which are fastened to one or both sides of the main hull...
clubs operate in the lagoon. In an attempt to preserve the city's waterways and reduce noise levels, only electric, wind, or man-powered watercraft are permitted in the Lagoon. - Teen Activities Center A newly constructed $4 million dollar center for teens that that will provide access to: TV’s, computers, video games, art rooms, homework rooms, a kitchen and outdoor basketball courts.
- Public Amphitheatre Located in Leo J. Ryan Memorial ParkLeo J. Ryan Memorial ParkLeo J. Ryan Memorial Park is a recreational city park, located in Foster City, California and run by the city government and local citizens. Originally called simply "Central Park", the park was named in honor and memory of Congressman Leo J. Ryan, the first and only United States Congressman to...
, is a newly constructed Amphitheatre. It serves as the location for the Foster City Summer concerts. Adjacent to the park is a boardwalk with boat tie-up facilities.
In addition, Foster City maintains an extensive 218 acre (0.88221548 km²), man-made enclosed lagoon system.
Items of interest
Foster City is one of the nation's safest cities. There is an average of one murder per decade.Foster City's Werder Pier is a remainder of the original expanse of the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge. It is also one of the state's longest and oldest piers in existence. Unfortunately, due to much needed repair, the once popular fishing pier is no longer in operation.
A number of San Francisco professional athletes have called Foster City home. Former San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
players Kevin Mitchell
Kevin Mitchell (baseball player)
Kevin Darnell Mitchell is a former American Major League Baseball left fielder. He became widely known not only for his occasional brilliance on the field, but also for his unpredictable and sometimes volatile behavior off the field.-New York Mets:In Amazin, Peter Golenbock's oral history of the...
and Jeff Kent
Jeff Kent
Jeffrey Franklin Kent is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman. Kent won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2000 with the San Francisco Giants, and is the all-time leader in home runs among second basemen...
won the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
award while they were residents of Foster City.
The movie Over the Edge
Over the Edge (film)
Over the Edge is a drama film directed by Jonathan Kaplan released in 1979. Due to the negative publicity surrounding a wave of recent youth gang films, Over the Edge had a limited theatrical release in late 1979...
is based upon events occurring in Foster City, chronicled in a 1973 article titled "Mousepacks: Kids on a Crime Spree" in the San Francisco Examiner.
The music video for "Super Hyphy", a song by Bay Area rapper Keak Da Sneak
Keak Da Sneak
Charles Toby Bowens , commonly known by his stage name Keak da Sneak, is a rapper from Oakland, California . At the age of 16 he was known as Z-Kush but became known as "Keak da Sneak" at 17, best known for his scratchy, gruff rapping voice and coining the term "hyphy" in 1994.-Career:Keak da Sneak...
, was filmed at Bowditch Middle School
Bowditch Middle School
Nathaniel Bowditch Middle School is a public middle school in Foster City, California. It was built in the late 1960s, and makes use of the pod system of architecture that was popular during that time period. Bowditch is located in a residential area and across the street from a levee which follows...
. R&B singer Keyshia Cole
Keyshia Cole
Keyshia Myeshia Cole Gibson born October 15, 1981) is an American singer–songwriter and actress. She gained nationwide acclaim when her 2005 debut album, The Way It Is went platinum. Her sophomore album Just Like You went into production shortly after that and was released in September 2007...
was also featured in the music video which was produced by Half-White Productions.
Sought after waterfront developments like "Bayporte" and "Whalers Island" often draw in great interest for their well manicured waterfront properties and award winning New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
Saltbox
Saltbox
A saltbox is a building with a long, pitched roof that slopes down to the back, generally a wooden frame house. A saltbox has just one story in the back and two stories in the front...
style architecture.
Foster City TV broadcasts a variety of programs related to operation of and life in Foster City. Foster City TV provides programming through a dedicated Government-access television (GATV) channel, and by streaming through a website (http://fostercitytelevision.com/).
See also
- Foster City MarinaFoster City MarinaThe Foster City Marina is a planned facility for waterfront land use and boat berthing in Foster City, California. The site area is and the marina site is the only land use designated as "waterfront commercial" by the city's General Plan...
- Leo J. Ryan Memorial ParkLeo J. Ryan Memorial ParkLeo J. Ryan Memorial Park is a recreational city park, located in Foster City, California and run by the city government and local citizens. Originally called simply "Central Park", the park was named in honor and memory of Congressman Leo J. Ryan, the first and only United States Congressman to...