Atascadero, California
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Atascadero is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, half way between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Atascadero features many community events, including: Colony Days, an annual celebration of city heritage that features an extensive parade; a Wine Festival; Hot El Camino Cruise Nite; and others.
The city is home to the Charles Paddock Zoo at Atascadero Lake Park, which is the only zoo in the Central Coast area, housing over 100 animals including a pair of Bengal tigers.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 69.3 km² (26.8 mi²). 69.3 km² (26.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.15%) is water.
Demographics
According to the 2000 census[Geographic references#2GR2], there were 26,411 people, 9,531 households, and 6,814 families residing in the city. The population density was 381.4/km² (987.8/mi²). There were 9,848 housing units at an average density of 142.2/km² (368.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.79% White, 2.36% African American, 0.94% Native American, 1.27% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 3.19% from other races, and 3.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.54% of the population.There were 9,531 households out of which 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were non-families. 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 106.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $48,725, and the median income for a family was $55,009. Males had a median income of $41,692 versus $29,740 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,029. About 6.9% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.
Atascadero is primarily a residential community. The city has a rural character, and has many residential lots from 1/2 acre to over 5 acres in size. Many city residents keep livestock or grow agricultural crops on their property. The largest employer within city limits is Atascadero State Hospital, an accredited, maximum security state facility for the treatment of persons with psychiatric illness that have been convicted of a crime or have been found incompetent to stand trial. It was previously the only facility in the penal system that dealt with sexually violent predators, but some have been transferred to the new Coalinga State Hospital. Other large employers include retailers and the municipal government.
History
Founded in 1913 by Edward Gardner Lewis and incorporated in 1979, the Atascadero Colony as it was known at the time was originally envisioned as a model community. Little evidence of Atascadero's original architecture and urban design remain, as historic buildings and homes have been torn down to make way for more modern developments and the Sunken Gardens bisected by Highway 101.One of the few surviving examples of original urban design can be found, however, in the Rotunda Building located near the Junior High School on Palma Avenue in what is called the Sunken Gardens. Designed by Walter D. Bliss of San Francisco, construction was completed in 1918 at a cost of $180,000. It served initially as the headquarters of the Atascadero Colony. The historic City Hall is adorned with a 40 foot dome atop the third story, originally intended to house the library. The building was designated a California Historical Landmark. The City Hall was damaged by the magnitude 6.5 San Simeon Earthquake on the morning of December 22, 2003. The building is currently undergoing restoration.
Another fine example of Atascadero's early architecture is The Carlton Hotel, built in 1929, located just west of the Sunken Gardens on El Camino Real, the city's main commercial street. Vacant since 1987, David Weyrich, a local millionaire, helped rejuvinate the derelict building with an approximately 12 million dollar renovation project completed in 2002.
External links
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