Monterey, California

For other uses, see Monterey (disambiguation).

Monterey, California
Old Fisherman's Wharf, Monterey, California nickname = The Cradle of History, Language Capital of the World, California's "First" City
Flag
Location of Monterey, California
County	Monterey
Government
• Mayor	Chuck Della Sala
Area
• Total	30.4 km2 (11.7 sq mi)
• Land	21.9 km2 (8.4 sq mi)
• Water	8.5 km2 (3.3 sq mi)
Population  (2005)
• Total	30,641
• Density	1,402/km2 (3,630/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
Median Home Value	US$775,000[1] (Sept. 2007)
Website	http://www.monterey.org/

The City of Monterey is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in central California. As of 2005, the city population was 30,641. The city is noted for its rich history of resident artists beginning in the late 1800s and its historically famed fishery. Monterey is home to the Naval Postgraduate School, the Defense Language Institute, the Monterey Institute of International Studies, the former Fort Ord, part of which is now the site of California State University Monterey Bay; Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Monterey American Viticultural Area; Cannery Row, Fisherman's Wharf and a Marine Mammal Center field station located in the area. It is from Monterey that the semi-hard cheese known as Monterey Jack originated.

History

The Customs House

In prehistoric times the Rumsen Ohlone tribe, one of seven linguistically distinct Ohlone groups in California, inhabited the area now known as Monterey. They lived a subsistent life of hunting, fishing and gathering in what has been deduced as a biologically rich Monterey Peninsula. The most prominent archeological resources extant here are shell middens, the garbage dumps of these early peoples. We can infer from midden contents that the Rumsen Ohlone consumed mussel and abalone as the chief marine staples. The principal archaeological sites that have been mapped are located between the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Naval Postgraduate School, within about 2000 feet (610 m) of the coastline.

First established in 1770 by Father Junípero Serra and Gaspar de Portolà, Monterey served as the capital of California from 1777 to 1849, under the flags of Spain and Mexico. Portola erected the Presidio of Monterey to defend the port against expected Russian invasion. It was also the site of the July 7, 1846, Battle of Monterey during the Mexican-American War. It was on this date that John D. Sloat, Commodore in the United States Navy, raised the U.S. flag over the Monterey Customs House and claimed California for the United States.

Night life along the old Cannery Row

In addition, many California "firsts" occurred in Monterey. These include California's first theater, brick house, publicly funded school, public building, public library, and printing press. California's first constitution was also drafted here in October 1849.

Monterey had long been famous for the abundant fishery in Monterey Bay. That changed in the 1950s, when the local fishery business collapsed due to overfishing. A few of the old fishermen's cabins from the early twentieth century have been preserved as they stood along Cannery Row (photo below). The famous Cannery Row has now been turned into a tourist attraction, with restaurants and shops in the historical site. It is also the location of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. In June 1967 the city was the venue of the Monterey Pop Festival. Some have dubbed Monterey "the cradle of history."

Monterey has a noteworthy history as a center for California painters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Such painters as Arthur Frank Mathews, Armin Hansen, Xavier Martinez, Rowena Meeks Abdy and Percy Gray lived or visited to pursue painting in the style of either En plein air or Tonalism.

In addition to painters many noted authors through the years have also lived in and around the Monterey area such as John Steinbeck, Robinson Jeffers, Robert A. Heinlein, Henry Miller, Ed Ricketts, and Robert Louis Stevenson.

Attractions

Colton Hall

The city is famed for its abundant sea habitat, including kelp seaweed forests, sea otters and sea lions. The large diversity of sealife draws thousands of scuba divers each year to Monterey, which is considered one of the best regions for the sport in California.

Monterey is also the location of one of the largest aquariums in North America, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and hosts several important marine science laboratories. Monterey's geographic location gives scientists access to the deep sea within hours. Just miles off the shores of Monterey is Monterey Canyon, an underwater canyon two miles (3.2 km) deep.

The Larkin House, a part of the Monterey State Historic Park and a National Historic Landmark, was built in the Mexican period by Thomas Oliver Larkin and is an early example of Monterey Colonial architecture. The old Custom House, the town historic district and the Royal Presidio Chapel are also National Historic Landmarks. The Cooper-Molera Adobe is a National Trust Historic Site.

Colton Hall, built in 1849 by Walter Colton, was originally a public school and government meeting place. It also hosted California's first constitutional convention. Today it houses a museum, while adjacent buildings serve as the seat of local government.

Beach walkway along Monterey Bay coastline.

Other well known attractions close to the city of Monterey are:

• Carmel-by-the-Sea
• 17 mile scenic drive
• Pebble Beach golf resort
• Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Monterey is the location of the Naval Postgraduate School, Presidio of Monterey, Monterey Institute of International Studies and Monterey Peninsula College. Monterey is served by Monterey Peninsula Airport and local bus Service is provided by Monterey Salinas Transit.

Environmental features and geography

birds along a rock sea wall near the Coast Guard Station

The city is situated on the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, a Federally protected ocean area extending 276 miles (444 km) along the coast. Sometimes this sanctuary is confused with the local bay which is also termed Monterey Bay. In the local Monterey Bay marine environment can be found the California sea otter, a protected species. A field station of the Marine Mammal Center is located in Monterey to support sea rescue operations in this section of the California coast. Endangered bird species in Monterey are: California clapper rail, found in salt marshes; California brown pelican and Yuma clapper rail, both found at dunes and rocky headlands. One rare mammal, the San Joaquin kit fox, is found here in oak forest and chaparral habitats. The chaparral habitat is general located on the drier slopes at the eastern part of the city and hosts such plants as manzanita, chemise and ceanothus. Additional species of interest (that is, possible candidates for endangered species) are the Salinas kangaroo rat and the silver-sided legless lizard.

A variety of natural habitats are manifested within the city: littoral zone and sand dunes; closed cone pine forest; and Monterey Cypress habitat. During the early 1900s, Willis L. Jepson characterized the forests on the Monterey Peninsula as the "most important silva ever", and encouraged Samuel F. B. Morse of the Del Monte Properties Company to explore the possibilities of preserving the unique forest communities. The dune area is also important, as it hosts the endangered species such as the vascular plants Seaside birds beak, Hickman's potentilla and Eastwoods Ericameria. The closed cone pine forest habitat is dominated by Monterey pine, Knobcone pine and Bishop pine, contains the rare Monterey manzanita; rare plants inhabiting chaparral habitat in Monterey are: Hickman's onion, Yadon's piperia (Piperia yadonii) and Sandmat manzanita. Other rare plants within Monterey are: Hutchinson's delphinium, Tidestrom lupine; Gardner's yampah and Monterey Knotweed, the latter of which may be extinct.

Looking south from Cannery Row toward Fisherman's Wharf

The city of Monterey sits over Quaternary Alluvium soil and is in a moderate to high seismic risk zone, the principal threat being the active San Andreas Fault, which is approximately 26 miles (42 km) east. The active Monterey Bay fault which traces three miles (4.8 km) to the north and the active Palo Colorado fault resides seven miles (11.3 km) to the south. More minor potentially active faults nearby are the Berwick Canyon, Seaside, Tularcitos and Chupines faults. There is a considerable undeveloped area subject to high landslide and erosion potential in the northwestern part of the city. A maximum credible tsunami for a 100 year interval has been calculated for Monterey Bay as a nine foot (2.7 m) high wave. Sand deposits in the northern coastal area comprise the sole known mineral resources. Annual rainfall in Monterey is only 15 inches (38 cm).

Environmental Noise has been mapped in the city of Monterey to define principal sources and extent of population exposed to significant levels. The principal sources of noise are the Monterey Peninsula Airport, State Route 1 and major arterial streets such as Munras Avenue, Freemont Boulevard, Del Monte Boulevard, and Camino Aguajito. While most of Monterey is a quiet residential city, there are a moderate number of people exposed to aircraft noise at sound levels in excess of 60 CNEL in the northern part of the city. The most intense source is California State Highway 1 , such that the total number of residents exposed to sound levels greater than 65 CNEL live near California State Highway 1 or one of the principal arterial streets; that exposed population above 65 CNEL is approximately 1600 people.

Monterey is located at 36°36′0″N 121°53′26″W (36.600010, -121.890605)Template:GR. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 30.4 km² (11.7 mi²). 21.9 km² (8.4 mi²) of it is land and 8.5 km² (3.3 mi²) of it (28.05%) is water.

Climate

The climate of Monterey is regulated by its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, particularly the California Current that brings cool ocean water down the coast from the north. As a result, Monterey's average high temperature ranges from around 10° Celsius (50° Fahrenheit) in winter to 24° Celsius (75° Fahrenheit) during the summer months. Average annual precipitation is around 15 inches (380 mm), with most rainfall occurring during California's wet season between November and April, while little or no precipitation falls during the summer months. During winter, snow occasionally falls in the higher elevations of the Santa Lucia Mountains and Gabilan Mountains that overlook Monterey, but snow in Monterey itself is extremely rare. A few unusual events in February 1976, March 1998, and February 2007, brought a light coating of snow to Monterey.

Demographics

Monterey Harbor

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 29,674 people, 12,600 households, and 6,476 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,357.5/km² (3,516.9/mi²). There were 13,382 housing units at an average density of 612.2/km² (1,586.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.83% White, 2.52% African American, 0.57% Native American, 7.43% Asian, 0.29% Pacific Islander, 3.91% from other races, and 4.45% from two or more races. 10.86% of the population were Hispanic.

There were 12,600 households out of which 21.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.5% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.6% were non-families. 37.0% of all households consist of individuals and 11.0% have a lone dweller who is over 64. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.82. The age distribution is as follows: 16.6% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $49,109, and the median income for a family was $58,757. Males had a median income of $40,410 versus $31,258 for females. The per capita income for the city was $27,133. About 4.4% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

Arts

Monterey has a strong arts community. Museums abound in the city as do local and internationally known artists. Most notable is John Steinbeck, who lived in Monterey, nearby Pacific Grove and the city of Salinas, California. He immortalized Monterey with his novels "Cannery Row", "Tortilla Flats" and "East of Eden". Among Steinbeck's friends are some of the city's more colorful characters, including Ed Ricketts, a marine biologist and Bruce Ariss artist and theatre enthusiast.

Among the great patrons of the arts is Virginia Stanton who is immortalized for her contributions with her name on the Museum of Maritime History near Old Fisherman's Wharf. Monterey is also the home of the Thomas Kinkade National Archive. Many of Kinkade's original works can be viewed there.

Media

The Monterey/Salinas metro area is served by a variety of local television stations, and is the 124th largest designated market area (DMA) in the U.S. with 222,900 homes:

• Channel 2: KOTR - (MNT) - Monterey/Salinas/Santa Cruz (Comcast Cable 11)
• Channel 7 (cable-only): ABC 7 - (ABC) - Del Rey Oaks
• Channel 8: KSBW - (NBC) - Salinas
• Channel 15: KMUV - (Telemundo) - Monterey/Salinas/Santa Cruz (Simulcast of KSTS 48)
• Channel 25: KCAH - (PBS) - Watsonville (Simulcast of San Jose's KTEH)
• Channel 33: KDJT - (Telefutura) - Monterey
• Channel 35: KCBA - (Fox Broadcasting Company) - Salinas
• Channel 43: KMCE - (Azteca América) - Monterey/Salinas
• Channel 46: KION - (CBS) - Salinas
• Channel 67: KSMS - (Univision) - Monterey

The Monterey/Salinas area lost its American Broadcasting Company broadcast affiliate in 2000, when KNTV was purchased, and then became the NBC station for the San Francisco Oakland San Jose metropolitan area. KNTV, now known as NBC11, later moved its tower from Loma Prieta Peak to San Bruno Mountain, ceasing its coverage in Monterey. At that time, ABC reached an agreement with Comcast Cable to provide a slightly-customized feed of San Francisco ABC O&O KGO-TV for the Monterey area, branded simply as ABC 7 and occasionally referred to by the mock call letters AABC.

Education

Primary and Secondary

The Monterey Peninsula Unified School District includes schools such as:

• Colton K-8 School
• Fitch Middle School
• Martin Luther King, Jr. School
• Monterey High School
• Seaside High School

College and Postgraduate

• Monterey Institute of International Studies
• Monterey Peninsula College, part of the California Community Colleges system
• Naval Postgraduate School

Notable Residents

• Mike Aldrete, a former American baseball player and current hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks
• Pete Incaviglia, a former American baseball player who holds the single-season NCAA home run record at 48 and RBI record at 143
• Leon Panetta, a former American politician
• Kirsten Carlson, illustrator of "The Giraffe that was Afraid of Heights"
• Jackie Greene, singer-songwriter and blues musician

References

• Augusta Fink, Monterey: The Presence of the Past, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, California (1972) ISBN 0877010723

• City of Monterey Parks and Recreation Master Plan, City of Monterey Parks and Recreation Department (1986)

• Environmental Hazards Element, city of Monterey, A part of the General Plan, February, 1977

• Flora and Fauna Resources: City of Monterey General Plan Technical Study, prepared for City of Monterey by Bainbridge Behrens Moore Inc., Nov. 2, 1977

• General Plan, City of Monterey, (1980)

• Helen Spangenberg, Yesterday's Artists of the Monterey Peninsula, Monterey museum of Art (1976)

• Prehistoric Sources Technical Study, prepared for the city of Monterey by Bainbridge Behrens Moore Inc., May 23, 1977

Gallery

• 
  Fountan sculpture near Cannery Row, Monterey California
• 
  Beach walkway along Monterey Bay coastline.
• 
  Cannery Row at night
• 
  Sea wall with bird life
• 
  Brandt's Cormorant at San Carlos Beach
• 
  A sea lion rookery at the marina
• 
  A scene from Ocean View Boulevard
• 
  Museum interior with ship models and equipment
• 
  Kelp forest display at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Historic fishermen's cabins at Cannery Row
  Historic fishermen's cabins at Cannery Row
• 
  View of Monterey Bay and its kelp
• 
  Frontal view of Colton Hall with holiday decorations
• 
  Side view of Colton Hall
• 
  Heermann's Gull
• Harbor Seal, Pt. Lobos
  Harbor Seal, Pt. Lobos
• Diver and Harbor Seal, Pt. Lobos
  Diver and Harbor Seal, Pt. Lobos
• Scuba diver in kelp forest
  Scuba diver in kelp forest
• 
  Blue Rockfish in kelp forest
• Tube Anemone at the Breakwater
  Tube Anemone at the Breakwater
• Hermissenda sp. nudibranch
  Hermissenda sp. nudibranch
• Egg Yolk jellyfish adrift in Monterey Bay
  Egg Yolk jellyfish adrift in Monterey Bay
• 
  Large ocean sunfish (Mola mola) at Monterey Bay Aquarium

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1420/1272480544_9ba152f98a_m.jpg

External links

• City of Monterey Official Municipal Web Site
• Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association
• Monterey travel guide from Wikitravel
• National Trust for Historic Preservation on the Cooper-Molera Adobe
• Monterey Custom House
• Monterey Peninsula College Theatre