San Mateo, Montverde

"The Creative Capital of the World"

## San Mateo

**San Mateo**, officially the **City and County of San Mateo**, is a major seaport city surrounding the San Mateo Bay and its tributaries. With an estimated population of 2,705,165 it is the most populous city in the Montverde and the most populous city in Cities Union. San Mateo is located in a large coastal basin surrounded on three sides by mountains reaching up to and over 5,000 feet (1,500 m). The city is the focal point of the much larger San Mateo Bay metropolitan area and the Greater San Mateo metropolitan region, which each contain over five million people as of 2017, making it the most populous and the densest metropolitan area in the world. The city's inhabitants are referred to as San Mateans.

## History

The city was created by steam user **Trxppy.** San Mateo is notably the oldest city to be founded within the Cities Union.

## Geography

San Mateo is situated on the southwestern coast of Montverde. The city lies directly adjacent to the San Mateo Bay where it gradually empties into the Elizabeth Bay. San Mateo borders Emerson County, Vallejo County and Serrano County.

As of 2017, the city proper has a total area of 324 square miles (81 tiles) of which 264 square miles (66 tiles) is land and 60 square miles (15 tiles) is water. The total area is 18.5 percent water.

### **Neighborhoods**

*Main article: Neighborhoods in San Mateo*

The City and County of San Mateo has 39 official designated neighborhoods within the city limits. These neighborhoods are divided into seven regions: Bellemeade, Central City, East San Mateo, East Shore, the Gilded Triangle, Romana Beach and West Shore.

### **Climate**

San Mateo has a Mediterranean-Temperate climate, characterized by warm, dry summers and mild winters with most of the annual precipitation occurring between December and March. Like most of Montverde, climate often varies significantly over short geographical distances resulting in micro-climates. In San Mateo this is mostly because of the city's topography (the Bay, and the numerous hills, mountains, and valleys). Frequently, particularly during Early Spring, a thick "marine layer" cloud cover keeps the air cool and damp within a few miles of the coast, resulting in coastal temperatures as low as 48°F. Sometimes this weather lasts well into Summer, causing cloudy skies over most of San Mateo for the entire day.

### **Cityscape**

San Mateo is divided into 39 officially defined neighborhoods. The city contains three major high-rise districts: Alta Vista, Downtown and Trentwood. Surrounding these high-density districts are dense, suburban neighborhoods, most of which are dominated by single-family homes.

Downtown San Mateo and Trentwood combined contain the most office space in the metro area, much of it occupied by Power500 companies and government entities. Trentwood is the city's second-largest business district, containing the offices of many of the region's law firms. Alta Vista, the city's uptown district, lies across the Elizabeth Bay southwest of Downtown and is the city's third-largest business district. The district is marked by an urbanized core along Jackson Street, surrounded by suburban single-family neighborhoods situated among dense forests and rolling hills.

## Demographics

The city had a population of 2,705,165 according to the 2017 census, distributed over a land area of 324 square miles (81 tiles), making San Mateo the most populous city in the Cities Union. The urban area of San Mateo extends beyond the administrative city limits and had a total population of over 3,000,000, making it the largest urban area in the Province.

The average household median income for San Mateo was estimated to be $106,000, down from $108,500. The San Mateo metropolitan area currently has the highest household income of any urban area in the Cities Union and remains one of the wealthiest cities in the world. San Mateo's unemployment rate was 5% in 2017.

As of 2017, 6.0% of San Mateo residents were under 13, 19% were ages 13-19, 26% were ages 20-30, %36 were ages 30-60 and 13% were 60 and over. Millennials (ages 18 through 34) constitute at least 45% of San Mateo's population, the highest percentage in any major C.U. city.

## Economy

### **Major Employers**

San Mateo has a diversified service economy, with employment spread across a wide range of professional services, including financial services, tourism, and high technology. Technology-related jobs currently account for approximately 85% percent of San Mateo's economy. As the capital of Montverde, many local and state departments are headquartered within the city limits.

The top employers in the city are:

Other notable companies headquartered in the city include Gawker, Two Palms and Raide Labs.

## Arts and Culture

### **Museums**

* Grand Library

* Montverde Sports Hall of Fame

### **Festivals**

San Mateo hosts many events and expos each years, most being held at the San Mateo Expo Center. Each year the city hosts a robotics convention and gaming expo in at the San Mateo Expo Center, with the goal of bringing a higher level of technology education to the San Mateo Bay Area. Other annual events include ComicCon and the San Mateo Aquarium hosts an annual aquarium show where visitors have the opportunity to "swim with the fishes".

## Government

### **Local Government**

San Mateo is a consolidated city-county, a form of government directly under the Province of Montverde that allows the city to exercise jurisdiction as both a city and a county, meaning that it can independently pass its own laws as either entity.

The city of San Mateo has a full-time, elected mayor, a city manager, an elected City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Treasurer, and seven council positions elected in a ward system. The City Manager is responsible for all department heads, except for Fire and Police Departments. Previously, the San Mateo's Municipal Code recognized a City Administrator.

### **State government**

As the Provincial Capital of Montverde, the province's legislature, governor's office, administrative offices, appellate courts and almost all cabinet-level departments are located in and around San Mateo.

### **Public Safety**

The San Mateo Police Department is one of the largest police departments in the Cities Union and patrols all 39 neighborhoods of the city, as well as the unincorporated areas outside of city limits.

The portions of the Sierra Mountain National Park located within the city, including parts of Sierra Cove and Dean Hill are patrolled by Montverde Park Police.

The San Mateo Fire Department provides both fire suppression and emergency medical services to the city.

## Education

The city’s educative system is conformed by the San Mateo Public School District and other private institutions in the area.

### **San Mateo Public School District**

All Public Primary, High Schools are operated and overseen by SMPSD. It is the largest school district in the nation, serving more than 450,000 students and consistently ranking as one of the top school districts in the province.

### **Higher Education**

San Mateo has the most college campuses per capita than any other county. The SMPSD system retains ownership of most of the colleges in the city, but many are still privately owned. The flagship college of SMPSD is Bellemeade College, in Downtown. The college has several campuses in almost every district within the city.

The most notable and largest university in the city is the University of Montverde, San Mateo, the flagship university of the University of Montverde system. The presence of UMSM has made San Mateo a prime research destination and one of the top research cities in the nation. In turn, San Mateo is one of Montverde’s most educated cities and thousands of students relocate to San Mateo to study at UMSM. The university hosts many science and sporting events and has its own waterfront area. UMSM is located just east of Downtown Bellemeade.

The city is home to several major universities and colleges:

#### **Public Universities**

* San Mateo College

* University of Montverde, San Mateo (UMSM)

#### **Private Universities**

* Abajo Valley College (Alta Vista)

* Amelung University (Amelung Estates)
* Balmont College (Garnett)
* Kharrim College of Design (Downtown)
* Lincoln University
* LoRenzo University (Ridgeway)
* Santa Romana University

## Sports

San Mateo is home to four collegiate teams and four professional sports teams, and also hosts many numerous other sports events. All of Montverde's professional sports teams (except the Crimson) are based in Champion Bay.

### **Professional Teams based in San Mateo**

 San Mateo F.C. | Soccer
 San Mateo Knights | Basketball
 Montverde Crimson | Baseball

The San Mateo Knights have won two championships and have a total of 152 wins and only 12 losses, making them one of the most successful basketball franchises in the world.

### **Collegiate Teams based in San Mateo**

 Lincoln Eagles | Lincoln University | Lincoln Field
 LoRenzo Blue Devils | LoRenzo University | LoRenzo Field
 UMSM Grizzlies | University of Montverde, San Mateo | Kharrim Memorial Field
NBAC

## Transportation

### **Highways and Freeways**

As of 2017, several major thoroughfares run through the city. Montverde Route 1 runs north-south and terminates at the confluence of Montverde Route 2, near Trentwood. Montverde Route 1 is one of the busiest inter-provincial highways in the county and has undergone many construction projects. The Sunshine Beltway (HW110) loops around the city and connects local commuters to National Highway 1 and National Highway 2.

### **Mass Transit**

The SMTA Mass Transit Project, which was on course for completion in 2017, was completed several months early. The San Mateo Transit Authority now operates several over 40 bus lines across the city. The SMTA also directly subcontracts private local bus agencies that supply buses for local transit lines.

The SMTA also operates the regional metro system, which covers nearly all of the city limits. The subway has been the fastest growing mass transit service in the city and the city plans to add more lines as the system expands into the valley.

### **Airports**

San Mateo International Airport (SMO) was built in response to the demanding influx of tourists and was designated the official international airport of the San Mateo Metropolitan Area. The airport has a built-in metro station and the areas outside the airport serves consists of a large industrial park.

### **Rail**

SMTA has plans to implement a freight rail line as well as a passenger line in the Upper Valley

### **Taxi**

all Taxi Companies that currently operate in San Mateo are legally subcontracted by SMTA, which controls regulates fares, vehicles and licensing. These companies include:

* Bellemeade Taxi Company
* San Mateo Taxi LLC
* SMO Taxi Company

### **Traffic**

San Mateo is also noted to have one of the worst traffic congestion of any major city, with the average driver spending more than 45 minutes a day in non-rush hour traffic. Since then, the city has implemented new bus routes, metro lines, and has encouraged biking within the city. On the contrary, San Mateo's major freeways and highways are rarely congested, a result of the city's dense nature.

## Image Gallery

Central CityDowntown BellemeadeLas ColinasLas CostasNorth PalominoNewridge BeachTrentwoodLaFayetteSunset HillsChinatownBellemeade GardensChampion Bay