Welcome to Belvedere
Location, History, and Architecture
Marin's smallest incorporated community is also one of the most exclusive. Situated on the Tiburon Peninsula at the southeastern base of Ring Mountain, between Richardson Bay and the Town of Tiburon, Belvedere consists of two "islands" and the lagoon (Belvedere Lagoon) between them. The larger of the two islands is Belvedere Island, and the smaller one is Corinthian Island, which is shared with Tiburon. Narrow, winding roads circle the two islands, with hedges and lush foliage along the route, and momentarily opening onto spectacular water views. Belvedere, which translates in Italian to 'beautiful view' is renowned for its spectacular views of the Bay Area, Angel Island, San Francisco, Sausalito, the Golden Gate Bridge and Mount Tamalpais.
The first settlers arrived in the late 1800s, then the railroad came and Tiburon was the last stop for passengers and cargo heading to San Francisco and beyond. Although both Belvedere and Tiburon have become very much alike, with their premier real estate prices motivated by spectacular views, they grew up differently. There were distinct differences between the towns; while Belvedere was home to the rich; Tiburon, in its days as home base for a railroad, was considered 'the other side of the tracks.' The Belvedere Lagoon was partially filled after World War II to provide building sites for tract houses and to improve access to Belvedere Island. It was also once the home to a 9 hole golf course. Belvedere incorporated in 1896. The first post office opened in 1897. The City Hall was formerly a Presbyterian Church and was moved to its present location on San Rafael Avenue in 1949. Originally a fishing based community, Belvedere has grown into a sailing community where the San Francisco Yacht Club is located. Belvedere celebrated its 100th year as a city in 1996.
Belvedere is a treasure trove of different architectural styles; from the tremendous Queen Anne and Mission Revival homes of the late 1800's to more modern Japanese-style and Mediterranean villas. The two elementary schools and one middle school in the local Reed Union School District are rated in the top one percent among California schools.
No restaurants or stores are allowed in Belvedere, and the city enforces strict rules regarding house design and setbacks in order to preserve trees, views, and the town's spacious, wooded character. The adjacent town of Tiburon, however, is home to a wide range of services, shops, and eateries.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,125 people, 956 households, and 656 families residing in the city. There were 956 households out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% were married couples living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.68.
The median income for a household in the city was $130,796, and the median income for a family was $185,590. The per capita income for the city was $113,595. About 2.9% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
It is the only town in Marin County to have more registered Republicans than Democrats, the former outnumbering the latter by 8 people
Schools
Two public school districts serve Belvedere. Elementary and middle school students attend schools in the Reed Union School District, and most high school students attend Redwood High School, which is in the Tamalpais Union High School District.
Reed Union School District serves the elementary schools in the communities of Belvedere, Tiburon, and a portion of East Corte Madera.
Tamalpais Union High School District provides secondary school education to students coming from ten elementary districts in Marin County, including the Reed Union School District. It includes three comprehensive high schools, all of which have been designated as California Distinguished Schools, and two alternative schools.
