Belvedere is a residential incorporated city located on the San Francisco Bay in Marin County, California, United States. Consisting of two islands and a lagoon, it is connected to the Tiburon Peninsula by two causeways. At the 2020 census, the population was 2,126. The per capita (per person) income of Belvedere residents in 2000 was $250,000, but currently the average income is $283,000, making it one of the highest-income cities in California and the Belvedere and Tiburon share a post office and the 94920 ZIP code.
Location
thumb|left|Belvedere
thumb|Aerial view of Belvedere and the [[Tiburon Peninsula (California)|Tiburon Peninsula]]
Belvedere is located at ,
History
Belvedere incorporated as a city in 1896.
Belvedere's City Hall was originally a Presbyterian Church. It was moved to its present location on San Rafael Avenue in 1949.
Actress Vivian Vance, who played Ethel on I Love Lucy, died in Belvedere in 1979 at the age of 70.
In 2017, Belvedere became a twin city with Portofino, Italy.
Houses
Depending on where their homes are located, residents of Belvedere enjoy views of San Francisco, Angel Island, Sausalito, the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco and Richardson Bays, and Mount Tamalpais.
Houses on Belvedere and Corinthian Islands encompass a range of periods and architectural styles from Victorian to Mediterranean to post-and-beam "mid-century modern". Many are "cliff-hangers". Houses on the Belvedere Lagoon were designed by architects in the 1950s and 1960s. Houses on the lagoon have their own boat docks. Many of the homes on Belvedere and Corinthian Islands have docks with access to San Francisco Bay.
A number of Belvedere homes are listed on the National Register of Historic Places; e.g., the Valentine Rey House designed by Willis Polk and built in 1893. Notable designers of homes in Belvedere have included Joseph Esherick, Albert Farr, who designed the Belvedere Land Company building and cottages, Henry Gutterson, and Charles Warren Callister.
New construction has become a contentious issue as residents have become frustrated with large projects that they believe are negatively affecting the character of the community. thumb|right|San Francisco Yacht Club House
Belvedere is a residential community. The nearby town of Tiburon provides services, shops and eateries.
Two yacht clubs are located in Belvedere: the San Francisco Yacht Club and the Corinthian Yacht Club.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Belvedere had a population of 2,126. The population density was . The median age was 52.9 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18, 4.9% were aged 18 to 24, 11.2% were aged 25 to 44, 28.8% were aged 45 to 64, and 33.6% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 85.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 82.6 males age 18 and over. The whole population lived in households.
There were 1,060 housing units at an average density of , of which 898 (84.7%) were occupied. Of occupied units, 71.8% were owner-occupied and 28.2% were occupied by renters. Overall, 15.3% of housing units were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.5%.
Politics
As of January 2, 2018, Belvedere had 1,425 registered voters. Of these, 587 (41.2%) were registered as Democrats, while 416 (29.2%) were registered as Republicans. 371 (26.0%) declined to state. 51 were registered with other parties.
Twin City
- Portofino, Liguria, Italy
Education
Belvedere is in Reed Union School District and the Tamalpais Union High School District.
Notable people
- Les Crane (1933–2008), radio announcer and television talk show host.
See also
- List of people from Marin County, California