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'Riverside' is the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States and is also a focus city of the Greater Los Angeles Area. The city is named for the nearby Santa Ana River. As of 2006, Riverside had an estimated population of 305,255.^[1] In 2005, Riverside was the largest city in the Inland Empire region, the 61st-largest city in the United States, and by one measure part of the 14th-largest metropolitan area in the nation. (Or part of the second, if Greater Los Angeles is classified as a single metro).

Contents

Geography

Demographics

History

Features

Education

Environment

Gangs and crime

Landmarks

Neighborhoods

Current annexation proposals

Potential annexations

Transportation

Festivals

Notable natives

Sister cities

References

External links

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 203.0 km² (78.4 mi²). 202.3 km² (78.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.7 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.36% water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2005, there were:

★ 294,059 people (305,255 per 2006 estimates)^[2]

★ 98,016 households, of which 93,405 were occupied

★ 66,317 families residing in the city.
The racial makeup of the city was ^[3] :

★ 59.3% White

★ 38.1% Hispanic or Latino of any race

★ 21.0% from other races

★ 7.4% African American

★ 5.7% Asian

★ 5.1% from two or more races.

★ 1.1% Native American

★ 0.4% Pacific Islander
There were 93,405 occupied households out of which 44.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.0% were non-families, 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone 65 or older. The average household size was 3.15 and average family size 3.70.
As of the census of 2000,
The population density was 1,261.5/km² (3,267.2/mi²). There were 85,974 housing units at an average density of 425.0/km² (1,100.8/mi²).
In the city the population was spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,646, and the median income for a family was $47,254. Males had a median income of $36,920 versus $28,328 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,882. About 11.7% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

History

Riverside's downtown area includes the '"Mission Inn District",' after the Mission Inn, a hotel that was modeled after the missions left along the California coast by Franciscan friars in the 18th century. Contrary to popular belief, the Mission Inn Hotel is not a mission, but was built in the mission revival style of the 1930's. Although missionaries of the era actually came as far inland as San Bernardino (San Bernardino Asistencia), east of Riverside, there was no actual Spanish mission in what is now Riverside. After secularization of the missions, the land was designated Rancho Jurupa and was granted to Juan Bandini, who later divided the rancho into two parts and sold them to two Yankees-turned-ranchéros, Benjamin D. "Benito" Wilson and Abel Stearns.
The city was founded in the early 1870s beside the Santa Ana River by John W. North, a staunch temperance-minded abolitionist from Tennessee, who had previously founded Northfield, Minnesota. A few years after, the navel orange was planted and found to be such a success that full-scale planting started. Riverside was temperance minded (few saloons if any were allowed in Riverside proper), and Republican. Investors from England and Canada transplanted traditions and activities adopted by prosperous citizens. As a result, the first golf course and polo field in Southern California were built in Riverside.

The first orange trees were planted in 1871, but the citrus industry Riverside is famous for began two years later when Eliza Tibbets received two Brazilian navel orange trees sent to her by a friend at the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC. The trees thrived in the Southern California climate and the navel orange industry grew rapidly. Within a few years, the successful cultivation of the newly discovered navel orange led to a California Gold Rush of a different kind: the establishment of the citrus industry, which is commemorated in the landscapes and exhibits of the California Citrus State Historic Park and the restored packing houses in the Downtown's Marketplace district. By 1882, there were more than half a million citrus trees in California, almost half of which were in Riverside. The development of refrigerated railroad cars and innovative irrigation systems established Riverside as the wealthiest city per capita by 1895.


As the city prospered, a small guest hotel designed in the popular Mission Revival style, known as the Glenwood Tavern, eventually grew to become the world famous Mission Inn, favored by presidents, royalty and movie stars. Inside was housed a special chair made for the sizeable President Taft. Postcards of lush orange groves, swimming pools and magnificent homes have attracted vacationers and entrepreneurs throughout the years. Many relocated to the warm, dry climate for reasons of health and to escape Eastern winters. Victoria Avenue with its landmark homes serves as a reminder of European investors who settled here.
In 1915 a Japanese immigrant named Jukichi Harada, proprietor for many years of a local restaurant, purchased a home in Riverside in the names of his American-born children in order to provide access for them to the public school system. Neighbors formed a committee and charged him with violating the California Alien Land Law of 1913, which barred aliens ineligible for citizenship from owning land. The case, ''The People of the State of California v. Jukichi Harada'', became a test of the constitutionality of the law and progressed to the state Supreme Court, where the Haradas won. The Metropolitan Museum of Riverside now owns the house, which has been designated a National Historic Landmark.

At the entrance to Riverside from the 60 freeway sits Fairmount Park. This extensive urban oasis was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Slightly fraying around the edges, it still has a lovely, stocked pond, and many species of birds. Nearby, on private land, is the former site of Spring Rancheria, a Cahuilla village.
Riverside used to boast one of the largest Chinatowns in California, but the last resident, Mr. Wong, died in the 1970s and the remaining (decrepit) buildings were razed. Extensive archaeological excavation took place in the 1980s, and many artifacts are housed at the newly re-named Metropolitan Museum across from the Mission Inn Hotel.
To the east of downtown is the originally named "Eastside" which grew out of a ''colonia'' inhabited by Mexican immigrant workers in the Orange groves. Mexican communities were also formed in the barrio of Casa Blanca during the early twentieth century. That tradition continues today, with Oaxacan workers in the place of Spanish speakers. Michael Kearney, an anthropologist at University of California, Riverside, refers to this vast transnational labor space as "Oaxacalifornia."
Settlements of Japanese and Korean immigrants used to exist along the railroad tracks, which would fill with thousands of workers during the citrus harvest. None of these remain, but the Santa Fe depot, like several others in the Inland Empire, has been restored to its turn-of-the-century glory. Today, many of Riverside's Asian Americans live in the sections of Arlington and La Sierra, the majority being Chinese American and Korean American. The largest Korean American church in the city is Riverside Korean Baptist Church near Arlington.
At the intersection of Howard and 12th sits the last remnants of a formerly thriving African-American neighborhood. The old Wiley Grocery store now houses the activities of 'Black' Elks club members. Nearby is the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a pilgrimage site complete with shrine. Built and destroyed three times, the current incarnation dates from the 1920s. And the Bobby Bonds recreation center named for the major league baseball legend.

Riverside was the original home of the Riverside International Raceway, which closed in 1989 to make way for a shopping mall. The raceway was included within the city limits of the city of Moreno Valley upon that city's incorporation in 1984.
Riverside had three minor league baseball teams, one in 1941—the Riverside Reds—and two from the class-A California League: the Riverside Red Wave from 1988–90 and the Riverside Pilots (a Seattle Mariners Class-A minor league affiliate) from 1993–95 at the UC-Riverside Sports Center also known as the Blaine Sports Complex. The Riverside Pilots moved to Lancaster in 1995 to become the Lancaster JetHawks. The move occurred only after a long-standing dispute between the Pilots, the California League, and the city to build a new facility to replace the decrepit Blaine Sports Complex. Today, a semi-pro collegiate team, the Inland Empire Rockets plays some home games in Riverside and Moreno Valley.
In recent years, Riverside has been listed by various research groups as having some of the nation's worst air pollution and congestion. Smart Growth America lists Riverside as the most sprawling city in the nation. ^[4]

Features

Riverside is home to the University of California, Riverside. The UCR Botanic Gardens contains 40 acres (162,000 m²) of unusual plants, with four miles of walking trails. The city prides itself on its historic connection to the navel orange, which was introduced to North America from Brazil by the first settlers to Riverside in 1873. Riverside is home to the three surviving Parent Navel Orange Tree, from which all American West Coast navel orange trees are descended.
There are three hospitals in Riverside.^[5]

★ ''Riverside Community Hospital'' is a General Acute Care Hospital with Basic Emergency Services and a Level II Trauma Center as of 2006.

★ ''Parkview Community Hospital'' Medical Center is a General Acute Care Hospital with Basic Emergency Services as of 2006.

★ ''Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Riverside'' is a General Acute Care Hospital with Basic Emergency Services as of 2006.
Riverside is also home to the Riverside Public Library system.
Branches include: Arlington, La Sierra, Marcy, Main, Eastside Cy-brary, and Casa Blanca.

Education

The city of Riverside is served by several institutions of higher learning:

★ University of California, Riverside

★ California Baptist University

★ La Sierra University

★ Riverside Community College
The Univ. of Cal. Riverside has its basketball teams play their games at the Student Recreation Center located on its campus. It does not have a football team. The CSD-R varsity football team, the Riverside Bears, had an undefeated season which led to an appearance on a May 2006 segment on ABC's ''20/20'' news series.
Riverside has two notable institutions of learning for specified student bodies:

★ California School for the Deaf, Riverside (CSD-R) for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing from 7th to 12th grade has been open since 1934.

★ Sherman Indian School for Native American tribal members from 7th to 12th grade has been open since 1878.
The following high schools in Riverside serve grades 9-12:

★ Rubidoux High School

★ Arlington High School

★ John W. North High School

★ Martin Luther King Jr. High School

★ Riverside Polytechnic High School or Poly High School

★ Ramona High School

★ La Sierra High School

★ Norte Vista High School

★ Abraham Lincoln High School (continuation)

★ Raincross High School (continuation)

★ Alvord High School (continuation)

★ Notre Dame High School (Roman Catholic)

★ Woodcrest Christian School (private)

★ Bethel Christian School (private)

★ Riverside Christian School (private)

★ La Sierra Academy (private)

Environment

The Riverside area is referred to as a "smog belt" because of its above-average level of air pollution. In a comparison by the National Campaign Against Dirty Air Power (2003), the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area was found to be one of the most polluted regions based on year-round particle measurements when compared to other U.S. cities.^[6] [NEJM 2004;351:1057-1067] Despite the smog problems, the city has made tremendous efforts to reduce pollution by incorporating additional means of mass transit (Metrolink) and equipping its entire fleet of buses with natural gas.
A General Plan for the city was prepared in the year 1994 and updated in 2004. This documentation set forth broad planning goals for the city and specifically included housing, transportation, noise, seismic safety, natural resources, and all other State of California mandated elements.

Gangs and crime

Like many urban areas, Riverside has had its problems with street gangs. The three most gang-prone areas are the Casa Blanca, Eastside and Arlanza neighborhoods. Gangs from Corona are also prevalent in the area. Data collected by Project Bridge, an anti-gang program under the City of Riverside’s Park and Recreation Department, shows that the city of Riverside has experienced an increase in gang membership and gang activity since the early 1990s. In 1991, Riverside had approximately 82 gangs with 4,500 active gang members. More recent estimates indicate there are 86 gangs with 8,000 members. Reportedly 2,000 of these members are juveniles, while 10 of these gangs are primarily comprised of minors. The juvenile crime rates did drop dramatically between 1994 and 1997 for these areas. However, juvenile crime rates have exhibited a gradual and steady rise since 1998. In 2000, Casa Blanca, Arlanza and Eastside had crime rates of approximately 40, 18, and 30 per 1000 youths, respectively. Of these three areas, the Eastside’s problems are compounded by the highest unemployment rate in the City, 25.1%. The neighborhood also has the lowest educational attainment in the City, with 32% of the population having less than a 9th grade education. Project Bridge has provided comprehensive services to at-risk and gang-involved youth between the ages of 12 and 22 and their families in for over a decade. Since 1995, the program has served over 500 gang-involved youth with recent enrollment nearing 150 participants. Almost 50 percent of participant enrollment is generated from the Eastside.^[7]
Riverside's Comprehensive Community-Wide Approach to Gang Prevention, Intervention, and Suppression project is focused on two of the high gang-crime neighborhoods, Casa Blanca and Eastside. In these neighborhoods, there are 21 gangs with approximately 3,230 members. The project targets more than 150 gang-involved and high-risk youth. Oversight of the project is handled by a committee consisting of local agencies and organizations, including the Riverside County Juvenile Court, the Riverside County District Attorney's Office, the Riverside and Alvord Unified School Districts, the Youth Service Center, and other agency and community leaders.^[8]
On the 2006 list of safest cities in America by Morgan Quitno Press, Riverside scored a middle-of-the-road 209th out of 371 ranked cities of over 75,000 population.^[9] Riverside ranked much better than comparable-sized California cities like Oakland (364th), San Bernardino (348th), Stockton (336th), Sacramento (322rd) and Bakersfield (236th). Like much of the country, Riverside's crime rate has been steadily dropping since reaching all-time high in the 1970s though the past two years has seen a slight increase in the overall violent crime rate (1,954 crimes in 2005 vs. 1,777 in 2004.) Car thefts and arson are well-above the national average with 2,770 car thefts and 208 arson incidents in 2005 alone.

Landmarks

Riverside is home of the historic Mission Inn, the Historic Riverside County Courthouse (based on the Petit Palais in Paris, France), and the Fox Theater, where the first showing of ''Gone with the Wind'' took place, which was purchased by the city and is now undergoing a complete restoration in order to be used as a 1,600 seat performance art center.
Also it is the home of the "World's Largest Paper Cup" which is over three stories (68.10 feet) tall. There is a warehouse/manufacturing building, Dixie Corporation, right behind it. It is made of painted concrete. The "Dixie Cup" landmark is located on Iowa Street just north of Palmyrita. The manufacturing plant itself is now non-existent.
Three notable hills are in Riverside's scenic landscape: Box Springs Mountain, Evans (Jurupa) Hill and Tecolote Hill; all of which are preserved open spaces. South of Riverside is Lake Mathews. There is also the well-known landmark/foothill, Rubidoux Mountain, which is next to the Santa Ana River and one of the most noticeable landmark in the downtown area. This mountain is the dividing line between the town of Rubidoux and the City of Riverside.
March Air Reserve Base borders Riverside on the east serving as a divider between the City and Moreno Valley. March ARB is the oldest operating Air Force Base west of the Mississippi River being founded in 1918.

Neighborhoods

The City of Riverside has 28 neighborhoods^[10] within city limits.
These neighborhoods include: Airport, Alessandro Heights, Arlanza, Arlington, Arlington Heights, Arlington South, Canyon Crest, Casa Blanca, Downtown, Eastside, Grand, Hawarden Hills, Hunter Industrial Park, La Sierra, La Sierra Acres, La Sierra Hills, La Sierra South, Magnolia Center, Mission Grove, Northside, Orangecrest, Presidential Park, Ramona, Sycamore Canyon Park, Sycamore Canyon/Canyon Springs, University, Victoria, and Wood Streets.

Current annexation proposals

The City Council has also proposed numerous annexations of nearby unincorporated communities which will dramatically increase its population and land area over the next few years. Most notable, the Lake Hills/Victoria Grove area, which would extend its southwestern borders to Lake Mathews.^[11]
'Communities include:'


★ 97 Berry Road

★ 103 Barton/Gem

★ 104 I-215 Corridor

★ 105 Sycamore/Central

★ 106 East Blaine

★ 107 Alta Cresta Remainder

★ 108 Lake Hills/Victoria Grove

★ 111 University City

★ 112 Kaliber

★ 113 Barton/Station

Potential annexations

★ A Center Street

★ B Highgrove

★ C Spring Mountain Ranch (92)

★ D Canyon Ridge

★ E Woodcrest (to be determined)

★ F Gateway

Transportation

Riverside is served by three major freeways, the I-215, the State Route 60, and the State Route 91. These three freeways meet in north-eastern Riverside at the 60/91/215 interchange, which is currently going through a heavy reconstruction, due to be completed in late-2007.
The constant construction on Riverside freeways has taken its toll on Riverside's image. The area near the 215/91 interchange has a reputation as being one of the worst interchanges in the nation due to its location in a turn, continued construction, short exit time, and other factors.
The city contains two Metrolink commuter rail stations, Riverside-Downtown and Riverside-La Sierra. Both are served by the Inland Empire-Orange County and 91 Lines, and the Downtown station is served by the Riverside Line on weekdays, and the San Bernardino Line on weekends.
Local bus service is provided by the Riverside Transit Agency^[12] Service is relatively limited, though this is common for the region. Recently, the agency proposed a new Bus Rapid Transit route to travel along the current Route 1 from the University of California to Corona. The project was due in the summer of 2005, and as of writing is still stalled in the planning stages.
Riverside Municipal Airport (FAA designator: RAL) has a 5,400 foot runway.

Festivals

The Riverside International Film Festival takes place March 2 2007 to March 11 2007. The festival includes directors from around the world.
The Riverside Festival of Lights centers around the historical Mission Inn, in the downtown area. Decoration of this historic structure begins in October and is lighting ceremony takes place the day after Thanksgiving Day. The festival runs through New Years. At the festival, carolers, horse drawn carriage rides, and ice skating all color the event. Restaurants, cafes, and community groups all contribute to the festival which covers several city blocks in the downtown Riverside area.
The Orange Blossom Festival used to take place every year on the third weekend of May. It was suspended in 2007 indefinitely. The festival used to include tasting various oranges grown in the city along with other orange flavored treats such as BBQ sauces and orange kettle corn. There was a parade, carnival, music, dancing, shopping, storytelling, and fireworks. In the later years of the festival, security, crowd, and gang control had become unmanageable and too costly. Community leaders and city officials decided to make Riverside's Festival of Lights the premiere yearly festival each year.

Notable natives

★ Dusty Baker, former professional baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers among others. Former manager of the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs

★ 'Cheri Jo Bates'[2], possible victim of Zodiac killer

★ Barry Bonds, professional baseball player for the San Francisco Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates

★ Bobby Bonds, former professional baseball player for the San Francisco Giants and the California Angels (among others)

★ 'Dino Buenviaje', Historian of the Anglo-American Rapprochement ^{[13] [14]}

★ Jeremy Burkhardt, Busisness Owner (Speakercraft)

★ Jasmine Byrne, Adult Film Actress

★ Larry Christiansen, chess Grandmaster

★ Chris Claiborne, National Football League player for the New York Giants

★ Frank Corral, former National Football League kicker, Los Angeles Rams

★ Allen Cunningham, professional poker player

★ Alvin Davis, former professional baseball player for the Seattle Mariners

★ 'Jody Duncan', editor Cinefex Magazine and author.

★ Ashley Ferl, the "crying girl" from ''American Idol''.^[15]

★ Bubba Franks, National Football League tight end

★ David Gilliland, NASCAR driver for Robert Yates Racing

★ 'Ed Grey', former NBA player for the Atlanta Hawks

★ Barbara Hambly, novelist

★ Duncan Hunter[3], U.S. Representative 52nd House district since 1980, Vice-Chair on the House Armed Services Committee, 2008 Republican Presidential candidate

★ Don Imus, national syndicated radio talk host

★ Dustin Ingram, actor (Sky High) (Unfabulous)

★ Ese Kartune, rapper

★ Hectic Uno, rapper

★ Phil Ivey, professional poker player

★ Reed Johnson, Major League Baseball player for the Toronto Blue Jays

★ Adam Kennedy, Major League Baseball player for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and St. Louis Cardinals

★ Darci Kistler, ballerina

★ Amy Lee, singer (Evanescence)

★ Greg Laurie, evangelist; Pastor of the largest church in Riverside, Harvest Christian Fellowship.

★ J. F. Lawton, screenwriter (''Pretty Woman''), director and producer

★ Jason and Ronnie Martin, of Starflyer 59 and Joy Electric

★ Joker, Chicano rap pioneer (LSD Fully Strapped)

★ Kellie Martin, actress

★ Lil Blackie, rapper

★ ODM, rapper (Lighter Shade of Brown)

★ Chief Meyers, baseball player in early 20th century

★ Cheryl Miller, sports commentator and former professional basketball player and coach

★ 'Darrell Miller', former Major League Baseball player for California Angels

★ Reggie Miller, former National Basketball Association player for the Indiana Pacers

★ Rod Piazza, blues harmonica extraordinaire, Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers.

★ Scarlett Pomers, actress ('', ''Reba'')

★ Skee-Lo, African-American West Coast rapper known for "I Wish".

★ Amber Rain, Porn Star

★ Lindsay Ridgeway, actress, (''Boy Meets World'')

★ Bob Rule, former NBA All Star

★ Patrick Seitz, voice actor, (''Bleach'')

★ Alia Shawkat, actress, (''Arrested Development'')

★ Eric Show, Major League Baseball pitcher, started for San Diego Padres in 1984 season

★ Ryan Shrout, Christian rock guitarist formerly of Kutless (born in Tucson, Arizona, but moved to Riverside with his family when he was three weeks old)

★ 'Jonathan Snipes', singer in Captain Ahab

★ Susan Straight, novelist, National Book Award nominee

★ 'Art Webb', radio air talent/producer, (''The Tom Leykis Show'')

★ Thief Sicario, rapper

★ Tyree Washington, athlete

★ Michael Wittig, AKA "Kalel" the bass player for hard rock band Pillar

★ 'Terry Yee', former National Basketball Association player for the Toronto Raptors

★ Troy Percival, Major League Baseball player for the