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Renting an Apartment in Walnut Creek
Walnut Creek is a largely affluent suburb several miles east of Oakland in Contra Costa County, California, USA, in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. While not as large as neighboring Concord, Walnut Creek serves as the business and entertainment hub for the neighboring cities within central Contra Costa County (due in part to its location at the junction of the highways from Sacramento and San Jose (I-680) and San Francisco/Oakland (SR-24). As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 64,296.
History
Walnut Creek was first known as “The Corners,” where two roads leading from Pacheco and Lafayette, California met. This Corner is now known as the Mt. Diablo Boulevard and North Main Street intersection. The first settler of the area was William Slusher, who built a dwelling on the bank of Walnut Creek, which was then known as “Nuts Creek” in 1849. Today, Walnut Creek has been routed underneath downtown through a series of tunnels starting at the southwest end of Macy’s and ending just southwest of Maria Maria La Cantina Restaurant and bar. Slusher’s dwelling was built in the area of modern-day Liberty Bell Plaza.
Milo Hough of Lafayette built the hotel named “Walnut Creek House” in the corners in 1855. A blacksmith shop and a store soon joined the hotel, and a year later, Hiram Penniman (who built Shadelands Ranch) laid out the town site and realigned the Main Street of today.
In December 1862 a U.S. Post Office was established, and the community was named “Walnut Creek.” The downtown street patterns laid out by pioneer Homer Shuey on a portion of one of his family’s large cattle ranches in 1871-1872 are still present today.
On October 21, 1914, the town and the surrounding area of 500 acres (2 km˛), were incorporated as the 8th city in Contra Costa County, California.
A branch line of the Southern Pacific railroad ran through Walnut Creek until the early 1960s. The mainline of the Sacramento Northern Railway also passed through Walnut Creek. Both railroads had stations here. Today, the Pittsburg-Baypoint-San Francisco line of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) serves Walnut Creek with a station adjacent to Highway 680.
Politically, Walnut Creek used to be a Republican stronghold, but is increasingly leaning Democratic.
Walnut Creek has recently undergone major development in its downtown area, which growing cities throughout the nation have looked to as a model[citation needed]. The city government has successfully attracted upscale retailers while maintaining a degree of economic diversity.
Open space
Walnut Creek owns more open space per capita than any other community in the state of California. In 1974, Walnut Creek voters approved a $6.7 million bond measure that allowed the city to purchase 1,800 acres (7 km˛) of undeveloped hillsides, ridge lines, and park sites. Walnut Creek owns parts of Lime Ridge Open Space, Shell Ridge Open Space, Acalanes Ridge Open Space, and Sugarloaf Openspace. There is also open space in the retirement community, Rossmoor.
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 64,296 people, 30,301 households, and 16,544 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,246.9/km˛ (3,229.6/mi˛). There were 31,425 housing units at an average density of 609.4/km˛ (1,578.5/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city was 83.89% White, 1.07% African American, 0.33% Native American, 9.36% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 1.96% from other races, and 3.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.99% of the population.
There were 30,301 households out of which 20.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.4% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.78.
In the city the population was spread out with 17.6% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 25.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 85.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $63,238, and the median income for a family was $83,794. Males had a median income of $66,482 versus $45,220 for females. The per capita income for the city was $39,875. About 1.7% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.
Public transit
A free shuttle operates between the central district and the Walnut Creek BART station. BART provides regional access in and out of Walnut Creek to most of the Bay Area. Other areas of Walnut Creek may be accessed at modest cost by using the buses of the Central Contra Costa Transit Authority.
Points of interest
* Castle Rock Park
* Gardens at Heather Farm
* Mount Diablo
* Civic Park
* Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts
* Ruth Bancroft Garden
* Shadelands Museum
* Old Borges Ranch
* Broadway Plaza and Walnut Creek Downtown
* Diablo Valley Lines (Walnut Creek Model Railroad Society)
* Lindsay Wildlife Museum
* Walnut Creek Farmers' Market, Sundays Year Round