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Davis is a city in Yolo County, California, United States. As of the local
census, the city had a total population of 64,821 (60,308 in 2000). Davis is
well known in the state of California as being a socially and environmentally
conscious university, bike, and railroad town, home to the University of
California, Davis. In 2006, Davis was ranked as the second most educated city
(in terms of the percentage of residents with graduate degrees) in the United
States by CNN Money Magazine, after Arlington, VA.
History
Davis grew around a Southern Pacific Railroad depot built in 1868. It was then
known as "Davisville," named for Jerome C. Davis, a prominent local farmer.
However, the post office at Davisville shortened the town name to simply "Davis"
in 1907. The name stuck, and the city of Davis was incorporated in March 1917.
From its inception as a farming community, Davis has been known for its
contributions to agriculture along with veterinary care and animal husbandry.
This has especially been true ever since the University of California
established a University Farm there in 1908, which was upgraded into the seventh
UC campus, the University of California, Davis, in 1959. Now the city is also
known for its contributions in the areas of biotechnology, medicine and other
life sciences.
Geography
Location
Davis is located at 38°33′14″N, 121°44′17″W (38.553856, -121.738095)GR1 in Yolo
County, California. The city is 18 km (11 mi) west of Sacramento, 113 km (72 mi)
northeast of San Francisco, 619 km (385 mi) north of Los Angeles, at the
intersection of Interstate 80 and California State Highway 113. Neighboring
towns include Dixon, Winters, and Woodland.
Davis lies in the Sacramento Valley, the northern portion of the Central Valley,
in Northern California, at an elevation of about 16 m (52 ft) above sea level.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 27.1
km˛ (10.5 mi˛). 27.1 km˛ (10.4 mi˛) of it is land and 0.1 km˛ (0.04 mi˛) of it
(0.19%) is water.
The topography of Davis is very flat, which has helped Davis to become known as
a haven for bicyclists.
Climate
The climate in Davis resembles that of nearby Sacramento. Davis is also close to
San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento River Delta, which moderate the more
extreme temperatures found elsewhere in the Sacramento Valley and nearby San
Joaquin Valley. The dry, hot summers and mild, wet winters are typical of a
Mediterranean climate.
Neighborhoods
Davis is internally divided by two freeways (Interstate 80 and California State
Route 113), a north-south railroad, and several major roads. The city is
unofficially divided into five main neighborhoods:
* North Davis, north of Fifth Street and Russell Boulevard, east of Anderson
Road, and west of the railroad tracks running along G Street.
* Downtown Davis, roughly the numbered-and-lettered grid north of I-80, south of
Fifth Street, east of A Street, and west of the railroad tracks.
* East Davis, north of I-80 and east of the railroad tracks.
* South Davis, south of I-80. El Macero, California, although outside the city
limits, is sometimes considered part of South Davis.
* West Davis, north of I-80 and west of Anderson Road. West Davis includes
Stonegate (west of Lake Boulevard) and the eco-friendly Village Homes
development, known for its solar-powered houses.
The University of California, Davis is located south of Russell Boulevard and
west of A Street.
Demographics
As of the United States 2000 CensusGR2, there were 60,308 people, 22,948
households, and 11,290 families residing in the city. The population density was
2,228.2/km˛ (5,769.2/mi˛). There were 23,617 housing units at an average density
of 872.6/km˛ (2,259.3/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city was 70.07% White,
2.35% Black or African American, 0.67% Native American, 17.5% Asian, 0.24%
Pacific Islander, 4.26% from other races, and 4.87% from two or more races.
9.61% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[1]
There were 22,948 households out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18
living with them, 38.3% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female
householder with no husband present, and 50.8% were non-families. 25.0% of all
households were made up of individuals and 5.2% had someone living alone who was
65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average
family size was 3.00.
In the city the population was spread out with 18.6% under the age of 18, 30.9%
from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65
years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there
were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $42,454, and the median income
for a family was $74,051. Males had a median income of $51,189 versus $36,082
for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,937. About 5.4% of
families and 24.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8%
of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.
Demographics are unusual, even among "college towns". This city of approximately
65,000 people is home to a university campus of 31,000 students.
Transportation
Bicycling
With its flat terrain and temperate climate, Davis is naturally a very good
place for bicyclists and has had a very high cyclist per capita ratio since the
1960s. The town has taken advantage of this. From its early history, the streets
have been built wide. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Davis became a pioneer
in the implementation of cycling facilities, particularly bike lanes and bike
paths. As the city expands, new facilities are usually mandated. As a result,
Davis residents today enjoy an extensive network of bike lanes and bike paths,
and the city has the highest mode share for bicycling in the U.S.[2] Biking
remains one of the more common types of transportation, used especially by UC
Davis students because of bicycling's relative affordability and the expansive
area of the university campus. In 2005 the Bicycle-Friendly Community program of
the League of American Bicyclists recognized Davis as the first Platinum Level
city in the U.S.[3] In March 2006, Bicycling magazine named Davis the best small
town for cycling in its compilation of America's Best Biking Cities.[4] In 1994,
2001, and 2006 the UC Davis "Cal Aggie Cycling" Team won the national road
cycling competition. The team also competes off-road and on the track; the team
has also competed in the national competitions of these disciplines.
Public Transportation
The city of Davis is served by two public bus systems, Unitrans, with routes
servicing the city and university campus, and Yolobus, which services Davis,
Woodlan, West Sacramento, and other areas in Yolo County. In addition to these
bus services, Amtrak offers rail service on the Capitol Corridor to Sacramento
and the Bay Area from the Davis Amtrak station, as well as connecting bus
service to the San Joaquin line.
Air Travel
The nearest airport with regularly scheduled passenger flights is Sacramento
International Airport, located approximately 13 miles north east of the city. In
addition, there are two general aviation airports in the immediate area; Yolo
County Airport, which is about 4 miles west of town, and the UC Davis airport,
located on the UC Davis campus just south of Russell Blvd. and west of CA-113.
Sights and Culture
Farmers Market
Every Wednesday evening and Saturday morning, families and friends flock to the
Central Park (on 4th and C street) in Davis to buy fresh produce, a healthy meal
or baked goods at the Davis Farmers Market. Open rain or shine, this event
allows the participation of independent farmers, non-profit organizations,
craftspeople and local businesses in a communal atmosphere.
The times for the year-round Saturday market, as of 2006, are 8:00 a.m.-1:00
p.m. while the Wednesday market changes times with the season. During the months
of April to October the popular Picnic in the Park runs from 4:30-8:30 p.m.
while October through March the market is from 2:00-6:00 p.m.
Available products at the Farmer's Market include fruits (including local citrus
fruit) and vegetables that are currently in season, baked goods, and dairy and
meat products, often from certified organic farms. Other goods that may be
available include locally-produced olive oil, crafts, plants and flowers, and
food from various restuarants. The available stands and overall atmosphere,
including musicians or events, depend on each particular market. For example
Picnic in the Park is geared towards family attendance during dinner time
because of the presence of a band and multiple restaurant stands. During the
fall and winter months the Wednesday market becomes smaller and more geared
towards weekly shoppers.
Toad Tunnel
Davis' Toad Tunnel is a wildlife crossing that was constructed in 1995 and has
drawn much attention over the years, including a mention on The Daily Show.
Because of the building of an overpass, animal lovers worried about toads being
killed by cars commuting from South Davis to North Davis, since the toads hopped
from one side of a dirt lot (which the overpass replaced) to the reservoir at
the other end. After much controversy, a decision was made to build a toad
tunnel, which runs beneath the Pole Line Road overpass which crosses Interstate
80. The project cost $14,000. The tunnel is 21 inches wide and 18 inches high.
The tunnel has created problems of its own. The toads originally refused to use
the tunnel and so the tunnel was lighted to encourage its use. The toads then
died from the heat of the lamps inside the tunnel. Once through the tunnel, the
toads also had to contend with birds who grew wise to the toad producing hole in
the ground. The exit to the toad tunnel has been decorated by the Post-Master to
resemble a toad town.
Whole Earth Festival
The Whole Earth Festival (WEF) is a three-day music and education festival in
the Spring, which usually takes place during Mother's Day Weekend on UC Davis'
main quadrangle. It is considered by many to be a must-see Davis event. Every
year, thousands of environmentally conscious, politically active and/or
music-loving people make the pilgrimage to Davis for this event, for which the
UCD quad is filled with hundreds of craft booths, music acts, education booths,
and food booths.
A continuous stream of bands, speakers and various workshops occurs throughout
the weekend on each of WEF's three stages and other specialty areas. The
majority of the festival is solar powered.
WEF is organized primarily by UC Davis students, in association with the
Associated Students of UC Davis (ASUCD) and the university.
UC Davis Arboretum
The UC Davis Arboretum is a fine arboretum and botanical garden. Plants from all
over the world grow in different sections of the park. There are notable Oak and
native plant collections and a small redwood grove. A small waterway spans the
arboretum along the bed of the old North Fork of Putah Creek. You can
occasionally see herons, kingfishers, and cormorants around the waterways, as
well as the ever present ducks. Tours of the arboretum led by volunteer
naturalists are often held for grade school children.
Picnic Day
Picnic Day is an annual event held on the University of California, Davis
towards the end of the month of April and is the largest student-run event in
the US. Picnic Day starts off with a parade, which features the California Aggie
Marching Band, and runs through campus and around downtown Davis and ends with
the Battle of the Bands, which lasts until the last band stops playing
(sometimes until 2 am). There are over 150 free events and over 50,000 attend
every year. Other highlights include: the Dachshund races, aka the Doxie Derby,
held in the Rec Hall; the Davis Rock Challenge, the Chemistry Magic Show, the
sheep dog trials, and of course the wonderful food made by student groups. Many
departments have exhibits and demonstrations, such as the Cole Facility, which
until recently showed a fistulated cow (a cow that has been fitted with a
plastic portal (a "fistula") into its digestive system to observe digestion
processes). Unfortunately, the cow is no longer on display.
Media
Davis has one daily newspaper, the Davis Enterprise, founded in 1897. UCDavis
also has a daily newspaper called the California Aggie which covers campus,
local and national news. There is a community television station (DCTV), along
with numerous commercial stations broadcasting from nearby Sacramento. There are
also two community radio stations: KDVS 90.3 FM, on the University of California
campus, and KDRT 101.5 FM, a subsidiary of DCTV and one of the first low-power
FM radio stations in the United States. DavisWiki claims to be the biggest City
Wiki in the world, with over 7000 pages.
Notable Davisites
* Sara Albert - Contestant on America's Next Top Model
* Peter S. Beagle - Author (The Last Unicorn)
* Tony Cline Jr. - NFL Tight End
* Jason Fisk - NFL Defensive Tackle
* Karen Joy Fowler - Author
* Michael Franti - Musician
* Nyjah Huston - Professional Skateboarder
* John Lescroart - Author
* Barry Melton - Musician
* Paul Moller - Inventor and professor
* Kim Stanley Robinson - Author
* Stephen Robinson - Astronaut (received Bachelor's degree from UC Davis, 1978)
* Paul Scheuring- Screenwriter (Prison Break, A Man Apart)
* Dave Scott - Triathlete
* DJ Shadow - Turntablist musician (born Josh Davis)
* G. Ledyard Stebbins - Botanist
* Sean Stewart - Author
* Charles Tart - Parapsychologist
* Alan Taylor - Pulitzer Prize-winning author and professor of history
* Jessica Utts - Professor of Statistics
* Gary Lee Yoder - Musician
Education
University of California
The University of California, Davis, or UCD, a campus of the University of
California, had an enrollment of 30,065 students as of Fall 2004, and is a major
research university. UCD provides a major influence on the social and cultural
life of the town.
Also known as Deganawidah-Quetzalcoatl University and much smaller than UC
Davis, D-Q University is a two-year institution located on Road 31 in Yolo
County 6.7 miles west of California State Route 113. This is just west of Davis
near the Yolo County Airport. About four miles to the west, the Road 31 exit
from Interstate 505 is marked with cryptic signage, "DQU." The site is about 100
feet above mean sea level (AMSL). NAD83 coordinates for the campus are
38°34′02″N, 121°53′12″W
The curriculum is said to include heritage and traditional American Indian
ceremonies. The 643 acres and 5 buildings were formerly a military reservation
according to a National Park Service publication, Five Views. The full name of
the school is included here so that readers can accurately identify the topic.
According to some tribal members, use of the spelled-out name of the university
can be offensive. People who want to be culturally respectful refer to the
institution as D-Q University. Tribal members in appropriate circumstances may
use the full name.
Other colleges
An off-campus branch of Sacramento City College is located in Davis.
Public schools
The city has nine public elementary schools (North Davis, Valley Oak, Birch
Lane, Pioneer Elementary, Patwin, Cesar Chavez, Robert E. Willet, Marguerite
Montgomery, and Fairfield Elementary, which is technically outside the city
limits but opened in 1866 and is Davis Joint Unified School District's oldest
public school). Davis has one school for independent study (Davis School for
Independent Study), three public junior high schools (Ralph Waldo Emerson,
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Harper), one main high school (Davis Senior High School),
an alternative high school (Martin Luther King High School), and a small
technology-based high school (Leonardo da Vinci High School). Cesar Chavez is a
Spanish immersion school, with no English integration until the third grade. The
junior high schools contain grades 7 through 9. Due to a decline in the
school-age population in Davis, several of the elementary schools may be closed.
At one time, Chavez and Willet were incorporated together to provide elementary
education K-6 to both English-speaking and Spanish immersion students in West
Davis. Cesar Chavez served grades K-3 and was called West Davis Elementary, and
Robert E. Willet (named for a long-time teacher at the school, now deceased)
served grades 4-6 and was known as West Davis Intermediate. Willet now serves
K-6 English speaking students, and Chavez supports the Spanish immersion program
for K-6.
City services
The Davis Fire Department, founded in 1930 after a series of devastating fires,
has three stations. Two of the existing stations, downtown and in south Davis,
were built in 1960; the third, in west Davis, was built in 1980. The UC Davis
Fire Department is a separate organization working in cooperation with the city.
Only two UC campuses have fire departments: Davis and Santa Cruz.
The Davis Public Library is located in Community Park, and is a branch of the
Yolo County Public Library system.
Some Things to Consider When Looking for an Apartment...
When searching for a new apartment make sure to take your time to think
through what are the most important things to you in an apartment and plan your
search based on those priorities. Here are some things to consider when planning
your move:
1. Consider the areas where you would like to live
* What is the crime rate?
* If you have children - what rating does the local school system have?
* Is there area convenient shopping, health and recreation services in the area?
2. Make a list of your housing priorities
* Do you have pets?
* Do you need parking?
* Do you need to be on the ground floor?
* What amenities are important to you - swimming pool, fitness room, in unit
laundry?
3. Evaluate the building
* What is the condition of the unit and building?
* Are the grounds maintained?
* Are windows, steps, and railings in good condition?
* View the property at night. Is it safe and well lit?
4. The security of the property
* Are there security service? When is the guard on duty?
* Does the building have controlled access?
* Does each unit have secure door and window locks?
5. Talk to the neighbors
* Ask other residents whether they are satisfied with the building.
6. Amenities
* Who is allowed to use the amenities?
* When are they open?
* Are the fees charged to use those facilities included in rent?
7. Ask about Utilities
* Does the owner or tenant pay the utility bills?
* Are any utilities included with monthly rent?
* Do units have separate thermostats to control heat and air conditioning?
8. Review the lease
* How much notice must you give before moving out?
* Can the rent be increased? If so, by how much and how often?
* Are pets allowed?
* What is the security deposit and cleaning costs upon move out?
* What is the responsibility of tenants for damage to property?
* Is there a penalty for breaking a lease?
9. Information too bring to a lease signing
* Credit Report
* Pay stubs/tax returns
* Reference
* Application
More Apartment Information
An apartment (or flat in Britain and most other Commonwealth countries) is a
self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building. Apartments
may be owned (by an owner-occupier) or rented (by tenants).
Some apartment-dwellers own their apartments, either as co-ops, in which the
residents own shares of a corporation that owns the building or development; or
in condominiums, whose residents own their apartments and share ownership of the
public spaces. Most apartments are in buildings designed for the purpose, but
large older houses are sometimes divided into apartments. The word apartment
connotes a residential unit or section in a building. Apartment building owners,
lessors, or managers often use the more general word units to refer to
apartments. Units can be used to refer to rental business suites as well as
residential apartments. When there is no tenant occupying an apartment, the
lessor is said to have a vacancy. For apartment lessors, each vacancy represents
a loss of income from rent-paying tenants for the time the apartment is vacant
(i.e., unoccupied). Lessors' objectives are often to minimize the vacancy rate
for their units. The owner of the apartment typically transfers possession to
the occupant by giving him/her the key to the apartment entrance door and any
other keys need to live there, such as a common key to the building or any other
common areas, and an individual unit mailbox key. When the occupant move out,
these keys should typically be returned to the owner.
Apartments can be classified into several types. Studio, efficiency, bed-sit, or
bachelor apartments tend to be the smallest apartments with the cheapest rents
in a given area. These kinds of apartment usually consist mainly of a large room
which is the living, dining, and bedroom combined. There are usually kitchen
facilities as part of this central room, but the bathroom is its own smaller
separate room. Moving up from the efficiencies are one-bedroom apartments where
one bedroom is a separate room from the rest of the apartment. Then there are
two-bedroom, three-bedroom, etc. apartments. Small apartments often have only
one entrance/exit. Large apartments often have two entrances/exits, perhaps a
door in the front and another in the back. Depending on the building design, the
entrance/exit doors may be directly to the outside or to a common area inside,
such as a hallway. Depending on location, apartments may be available for rent
furnished with furniture or unfurnished into which a tenant usually moves in
with his/her own furniture. Permanent carpeting is often included in an
apartment.
Laundry facilities are usually kept in a separate area accessible to all the
tenants in the building. Depending on when the building was built and the design
of the building, utilities such as water, heating, and electric may be common
for all the apartments in the building or separate for each apartment and billed
separately to each tenant (however, many areas in the US have ruled it illegal
to split a water bill among all the tenants, especially if a pool is on the
premises). Outlets for connection to telephones are typically included in
apartments. Telephone service is optional and is practically always billed
separately from the rent payments. Cable television and similar amenities are
extra also. Parking space, air conditioner, and extra storage space may or may
not be included with an apartment. Rental leases often limit the maximum number
of people who can reside in each apartment. On or around the ground floor of the
apartment building, a series of mailboxes are typically kept in a location
accessible to the public and, thus, to the letter-carrier too. Every unit
typically gets its own mailbox with individual keys to it. Some very large
apartment buildings with a full-time staff may take mail from the mailman and
provide mail-sorting service. Near the mailboxes or some other location
accessible by outsiders, there may be a buzzer (equivalent to a doorbell) for
each individual unit. In smaller apartment buildings such as two- or
three-flats, or even four-flats, garbage is often disposed of in trash
containers similar to those used at houses. In larger buildings, garbage is
often collected in a common trash bin or dumpster. For cleanliness or minimizing
noise, many lessors will place restrictions on tenants regarding keeping pets in
an apartment.
In some parts of the world, the word apartment is used generally to refer to a
new purpose-built self-contained residential unit in a building, whereas the
word flat means a converted self-contained unit in an older building. An
industrial, warehouse, or commercial space converted to an apartment is commonly
called a loft.
When part of a house is converted for the ostensible use of a landlord's family
member, the unit may be known as an in-law apartment or granny flat, though
these (sometimes illegally) created units are often occupied by ordinary renters
rather than family members. In Canada these suites are commonly located in the
basements of houses and are therefore normally called basement suites.
Staying in privately owned apartments rather than in a hotel is quickly becoming
popular with travelers.