Crypto Fast - Day 3 of 33

Day 3 of the crypto fast is underway. Time to talk more real estate. This time we are going to venture over to the City of Alameda, which is actually an island.

The city/island is approximately 23.0 square miles with a population of about 74,774. City boundaries are formed by the San Francisco Bay to the south and west, Oakland to the northeast and San Leandro to the southwest. The Island of Alameda was created in 1902 when a tidal canal (Oakland Estuary) joined Oakland’s harbor with San Leandro Bay.

Alameda is a charter city (one of 82 among the state’s 444 cities) and has the power to make and enforce ordinances and regulations in respect to its municipal affairs subject only to restrictions and limitations provided in its charter.

In 1917, Alameda and six other cities in California pioneered the council-manager form of government. The system proved so effective that virtually all California cities have since adopted this form of government. In 1937, the City adopted its present charter, which was last revised and updated in 1998. It also created Alameda’s Civil Service System.

Today, Alameda’s elected officials, city staff, volunteer boards and commissions and special committees work together to preserve and enhance the quality of life that residents have enjoyed for more than a century. An invigorating climate, manicured parks, historical business districts, and numerous recreational opportunities offer residents a unique place to live.

Much of Alameda's character is a result of a development pattern set during a transit-dominant period. Narrow residential lots and compact shopping districts create a city rather than a suburban feel. The demand for land uses in Alameda has changed over the years.

The city desires to be a home to more industrial uses by retaining industrial land or encouraging alternative uses by redesignating the land for other activities. Some locations will be dedicated for preservation of industry and housing, while and others for redevelopment of underused industrial land to increase the City's housing supply and limit potential traffic increases. Mixed-use areas are designated to encourage creative development and to retain and enhance the diversity that distinguishes Alameda from suburban cities. Commercial uses in downtown Alameda are characterized by one- and two-story structures with ground floor retail and second floor office space.