San Mateo CA Moving Companies

San Mateo, California

Situated at the crossroad of three major freeways, San Mateo, California provides a link with San Francisco to the north, San Jose to the south, and the East Bay to the east. Maintaining the quality of life remains a key goal for the community and the city's strategic business plan for economic development is designed to achieve economic goals. With a population of about 92,000, and its low crime, dramatic scenery and valuable land, those moving to San Mateo will discover a very attractive place to live.

History:
San Mateo was once a prized camping ground and village for the original inhabitants, the Native Americans of the Ohlone tribe. The temperate weather and the fishing resources of the freshwater creek (later named Laurel Creek) drew the Ohlone to this Northern California area, where they lived as a hunter-gatherer society for thousands of years. The Ohlone’s way of life would change with the arrival of Spanish explorers in 1776. As time progressed, Rancho San Mateo was sold to an American mercantile firm, and the land was broken up into smaller parcels. In 1849, a new transportation system became available when Nicolas de Peyster engineered a stagecoach stop on land where the old mission once stood, and built a main road through the town. In 1861, Charles Polhemus supervised the construction of a railway system that would connect San Francisco and San Jose. San Mateo would be a stop on this route, and with the addition of a train station, the town’s development continued at a fast pace. Improvements continued and spurred San Mateo’s progress toward becoming a thriving community. Clean water for the residents was realized in 1888 when the Crystal Springs dam was built on San Mateo Creek. The establishment of a newspaper, “The Leader,” brought current events to the residents, and the paper’s founders, Richard H. Jury and Charles N. Kirkbride, pushed for the town’s incorporation. Under this initiative, San Mateo officially became a town on September 3, 1894, with a majority vote of its citizens. In 1906, the population of San Mateo grew due to the effects of a natural disaster. A devastating earthquake occurred on April 18, 1906, and San Francisco, near the quake’s epicenter, sustained severe damage. Many San Franciscans migrated to San Mateo in search of a place to live.

Economy:
Today, the largest job sector is within the managerial and professional occupations, which employs 43 percent of the population, next was sales and clerical, followed by service occupations, production and transportation, construction and farming, fishing and forestry. Retail and wholesale trade are an important source of revenue in the city, with retail (products such as automobile and recreational vehicles, furniture, building materials and electronics) generating the largest portion of sales. Sixty-seven percent of San Mateo’s population is currently employed, making 50,000 people in the local labor force. To promote growth and assist existing companies, the city created Business Resource Center in 2007. Situated in the downtown area, the Business Resource Center offers a range of financial information, training, and instruction on obtaining permits to encourage economic development in San Mateo. WIth so many opportunities, it's no wonder why San Mateo movers are so busy.

Tourism:
Start by heading over to Allied Arts Guild. This unique historical garden offers a restaurant and shopping and is a showplace for artisans. The building itself was designed after the famous Alhambra and Generalife gardens of Granada, Spain. Next, the Arts Council of San Mateo County is a gallery featuring mixed-media artwork and exhibits which change on a monthly basis. Or, check out the Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia. An icon of American pop culture, over 550 unique Pez dispensers have been produced since 1950, and the Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia is the only place in the world to see them all. The Malibu Grand Prix is fun for the entire family. The facility offers go-kart racing, miniature golf, and arcade and much more. For out door fun, the California Canoe and Kayak provides a day on the water learning how to paddle a sea kayak with expert instructors. Graduates of this class are qualified to rent closed-deck sea kayaks and participate in more advanced classes and trips. Finally, the Barterra Winery offers guided tours through this celebrated winery. A treat for all of the adults in the group, the Barterra Winery is a relaxing and tasteful way to spend any afternoon.

Colleges and Universities:

• College of San Mateo

Interesting Facts:

• About 3.8 percent of families are below the poverty level, which is lower than the U.S. average of 9.8 percent.
• As of May 2009, San Mateo unemployment was at 6.7 percent, considerably lower than the California unemployment rate of 11.2 percent.