El Monte, California

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"El Monte" redirects here; for the city in Chile, see El Monte, Chile.

City of El Monte, California
Seal
Location of El Monte in the County of Los Angeles
Country	United States
State	California
County	Los Angeles County, California
Government
- Mayor	Ernest Gutierrez
Area
- City	9.7 sq mi (25.1 km²)
- Land	9.6 sq mi (24.7 km²)
- Water	0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
Population (2000)
- City	115,965
- Density	12,142.9/sq mi (4,688.4/km²)
Time zone	PST (UTC−8)
- Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC−7)

El Monte is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city's slogan is "the end of the Santa Fe Trail" and "Welcome to Friendly El Monte." As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 115,965. As of 2002, El Monte is the 191st largest city in the United States. It was also the 44th largest city in California. The city's name is translated from the Spanish word for "the mount," or the place where settlers mounted and dismounted after the long trail. Longo Toyota, located in El Monte, claims to be the largest Toyota dealership in the world.

Sister Cities

El Monte has three sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):

• Marcq-en-Barœul, France
• Zamora, Mexico
• Yung Kang City, Taiwan

 

The economy grew at a 3.4% pace in the second quarter, a big improvement over the 0.6% showing in the first three months of 2007 and better than the 3.2% growth rate economists were expecting, the Commerce Department reported July 27. Also in the second quarter, core prices -- excluding food and energy -- rose at a rate of just 1.4%, sharply down from a 2.4% pace in the first quarter and the smallest increase in four years.

Meanwhile, consumer sentiment registered 90.4 in July, a shade below the median forecast of 91.2, but well ahead of June's reading of 85.3, a 10-month low. The gain was tied to consumers' favorable outlook about the economy, particularly regarding future employment and income prospects, the Reuters/University of Michigan Survey of Consumers said July 27.

Orders for durable goods -- manufactured to last three years or more -- increased by 1.4% in June, the best performance in three months, the Commerce Department reported July 26. Soaring demand for commercial airplanes helped fuel the rise.

Sales of new single-family homes dropped by 6.6% last month, a decline more than triple what analysts had expected, the Commerce Department reported July 26. New home sales are 22.3% below the level of a year ago.

Sales of existing homes fell 3.8%, a decline about twice what had been anticipated. Yet the median price of an existing home edged up to $230,100, 0.3% more than a year ago, the National Association of Realtors said July 25.

This week look for updates on personal income on July 31 and the unemployment rate on August 3.

 Alhambra is a city of change. Please take a look at these figures:

Population (year 2000): 85,804. Estimated population in July 2006: 87,506 (+2.0% change)
 

Males: 40,418	(47.1%)
Females: 45,386	(52.9%)

Los Angeles County

Median resident age:	35.0 years
California median age:	33.3 years

Zip codes: 91801, 91803.

Alhambra	$47,340
California:	$53,629

Alhambra	$440,200
California:	$477,700

Alhambra, CA residents, houses, and apartments details

List your B&M business here for free. Over a million visitors/week. Get a huge advantage over your competition

Races in Alhambra:

Heather Boerner, Special to The Chronicle

Sunday, July 15, 2007

The first shock to Kealoha Yoshioka's system after he signed the papers to buy his first house last month was that he'd have to cut back on buying Xbox games.

The 27-year-old Apple employee is a computer and gaming buff, with a large flat-screen TV and a lot of high-definition media components. He admits that limiting his purchases after a young adulthood where he could have -- and did get -- everything he wanted is hard. Since he and his fiancee, Christine Migita, 25, bought the two-bedroom condo, Migita and her accountant mother put him on an allowance and took away his credit cards.

But he says it was worth it to get a house with granite countertops, his-and-hers sinks in the master bath, a home near restaurants and bars and, new for him, an in-home washer and dryer. It even has crown moulding. "I had no idea what crown molding was 'til we bought this place," he chuckled. Living in Silicon Valley, he said he wants to be "in the know about all the latest and greatest."

"Learning to live within my means is a problem," said Yoshioka, whose fully renovated condo is in Campbell. "All my friends don't own a home -- they own cars, but they're struggling to make payments. Living within our means is something our generation needs to get a grip on. We're making a lot more than our parents, and it makes us feel good, but also I guess we feel a little cocky."

That "cockiness" means Yoshioka and his contemporaries often insist on a new home with all the designer details, and are willing to spend to get them. This is a generation that, according to demographers and market researchers, spends more on itself than any other generation; that expects all the high-end finishes and appliances that equip their parents' houses; and that expects a few tech bells and whistles thrown in besides.

Builders, suddenly struck by a downturn in the market, are scrambling to accommodate them.

Rochelle Barcellona, a real estate marketing consultant in Sacramento, has a client that includes an iPod docking station in its kitchens. Lennar Homes, a national builder with two projects aimed at first-time home buyers in Mountain House, the new town sprouting up near Tracy, includes, as standard, granite in the kitchen and bath and pre-wiring for audio and Internet throughout the house. At other developments, builders are instructing salespeople to be extra accommodating and thorough in helping people in their 20s, who are both new to home buying and are used to being coddled by adults.

"Everyone got a trophy" when they were growing up, one marketer said.

"There are a lot of twentysomethings looking now, and the ones who are buying are doing it in lofts and condos," Barcellona said. "That's very different from previous generations. This is a generation that expects higher-end appliances, granite countertops, high-end lighting, lofts with lots of architectural elements. It's not oak cabinetry. It's high style and feel. Builders are realizing that the majority of home buyers are not the family of four with two kids and a dog. So they need to build products that reach those other audiences -- twentysomethings included. It's a viable market that has the money to spend on itself."

And it's a trend that's somewhat new. In the past few years, developments focused on those in their 20s have popped up in Nashville, New York and Atlanta. Perhaps influenced by the ubiquitous house flippers and home design programs, experts say there are more people that age with a priority of buying a home now.

"A dozen years ago, I would have said that, because of the price points in San Francisco, the home buyers are in their 30s and up. But starting with the Yerba Buena Lofts, the Beacon and now the Potrero, we're seeing a lot more people 25 to 30 who are buying," said Alan Mark, president of the Mark Co., a real estate marketing firm in San Francisco that is marketing part of the Potrero toward people in that age group, with prices starting in the $400,000s.

"When we marketed our first building in this neighborhood (Potrero Hill) 10 years ago, we found that people in their 20s, the first thing they did was go buy a car and have major car payments. That was their goal. Today, a lot more twenty-somethings want to get their foot in real estate."

In seminars at the Pacific Coast Builders' Conference, held in San Francisco in May, speakers lectured on topics such as "Buyer Preferences: What Are They Thinking Now?" And "Nouveau Buyer Behavior: What Are They Thinking?"

To that last question, Shyam Kannan, senior consultant at the Washington firm RCLCO, profiled the average young home buyers: They spend $172 billion per year and their spending and earning power is growing. They eat out 24 times a month. They shop at trendy stores -- Abercrombie & Fitch, not the Gap. They are less likely to have kids. Architect Jonathan Watts of Cuningham Group in Los Angeles found that younger buyers want to live in places with a "sense of place, where you can meet neighbors if you want to."

All of this proved true for Bevan Lew, a 28-year old real estate agent who was among the first to buy into the Potrero, landing a one-bedroom with stainless steel appliances. He's determined to have the best or buy nothing. "The way I see myself is I want the best of whatever I have. It's all about quality and not quantity," Lew said. "I'll sacrifice size for location. It forces me to buy what I absolutely love. I don't buy anything disposable."

He likes that his new home is a low rise with a lot of greenery. He likes that there's a real neighborhood there. He likes that there's an internal walkway and places to meet his neighbors. Because he eats every meal out, he likes that there are lots of restaurants he can ride his bike to. And he likes that the building has modern lines.

"I think we live in a time in which everything is very much coming from a design perspective: a tissue box, a sippy cup, absolutely everything we own comes from a creative person," he said. "Nothing we own is utilitarian. It's a statement. Of course our homes have to be that, too. That should be the ultimate expression of who we are."

Things to do in Monterey Park

Monterey Park's diversity is reflected in its wide varieties of dining, shopping, and special events. The Chinese New Year Lantern Festival celebrates the arrival of the Chinese New Year and heralds the beginning of spring with elaborate floral arrangements, lively entertainment, and delicious food. April's Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates Japanese and Japanese American culture with traditional Japanese dancing and music, martial arts demonstrations, hand-made crafts, Asian food, and cultural displays. The Cinco de Mayo Celebration is a Mexican festival with Folklorico Dancers, Mariachis, and samplings of Mexican cuisine. Harmony Festival, an October celebration of Monterey Park's cultural diversity, features several events including a Car Show, a City Hall Open House, tours of the Police Station, a petting zoo, theatrical performances, food, music, and much more. Cultural sites to visit in the city include the Monterey Park Historical Museum, which offers free weekend tours. In addition, Monterey Park's central location within the San Gabriel Valley puts it in close proximity to Los Angeles, home to its own abundance of places to visit and sights earby Cities and Towns

Map data ©2007 Tele Atlas - Terms of Use

Location	Pop.	Median Family Income (2000)
Monterey Park	60,051	$43,507
Alhambra	85,804	$43,245
East Los Angeles	124,283	$29,755
Montebello	62,150	$41,257
Rosemead	53,505	$36,552
San Gabriel	39,804	$45,287
South Pasadena	24,292	$72,039

Profile of Monterey Park, CA

Comparing Monterey Park to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in California (State):

Ratings range from (lowest) to (highest).

 

The People

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Racial Diversity
Senior Citizens
Age of the Population
Female Share of the Population
Male Share of the Population
Children Under 5 Years Old

 

 

Families

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Average Household Size
Portion of People Married

 

 

Wealth

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
College Educated Adults
People Above Poverty

 

 

Commute & Sprawl

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Public Transportation Use
Short Commute Times

 

 

Housing

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals
Affordability of Property Taxes
Seasonal and Vacation Housing
Affordability of Rents
Housing Recently Built
People Living Alone

 

 This city has a real nice downtown where I love to just stroll and browse into.People are friendly,great place to just sit and watch people. I have been to the guided walking tour.

5. Claremont, Calif.

Population: 35,900
Typical single-family home: $700,000
Estimated property taxes: $7,800
Pros: Tight-knit community with topnotch schools
Cons: Poor air quality, high home prices

A lot of Southern California suburbs are defined by trendy retail chains and cookie-cutter developments. Claremont is defined by a rich history, spectacularly tall trees and a mix of Victorian and Spanish colonial architecture. Thirty miles east of Los Angeles at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, the city came into its own in the early 20th century after the founding of Pomona college. Streets were named after prestigious east coast schools, and residents were encouraged to plant trees.

Today, Claremont is called the city of trees and Ph.D.s. That's no exaggeration. The city has won the National Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA award for 19 straight years, and Pomona College is part of a prestigious seven-school consortium known as the Claremont Colleges. The downtown, or "the village," is a mix of hip boutiques and old school businesses. And the historic College Heights Lemon Packing House is now home to the Claremont Art Museum, restaurants, a jazz bar and artists' lofts. "There is no other place like this in Southern California," says Jason Annigian, 32, an attorney who moved from Newport Beach with his wife Katharine, 28, in October. "It has a small-town feel, but it's also artsy and eclectic."

And relative to much of California, it's affordable (emphasis on "relative"). The Annigians, who are expecting their first child in August, sold their Newport Beach condo for more than they paid for their 2,200-squarefoot home near The Village.

With 3,000 employees, the colleges are the largest local employers. Ties to academe have rubbed off on Claremont's primary schools, which are among the state's best. "I don't know of a better place to bring up kids," says Jeff Stark, 45, a financial adviser who was raised here and moved back after college.

As for the grown-ups, "in the winter you can surf in the morning," says Stark, "and ski in the afternoon."

by Kate Ashford, Asa Fitch, Stephen Gandel, Josh Hyatt, Sarah Max, Jennifer Merritt
Monday, July 16, 2007provided by

 I have been visiting this nursery for so many years. They really take good care of these wonderful plants and flowers. It is very well known. Just ask anyone,they would tell you that too. Looking for something rare? You will find it there

             San Gabriel Square
                                    140 W. Valley Blvd. 
                                  San Gabriel, CA 91776

If you ever wonder when to eat,shop or just stroll around,you should come to this multi-level mega-mall. some people cal it the San Gabriel Square, some call it the Focus Mall. Whatever you want to call it, it is big enough to make you forget that you are actually in America.This sprawling  12 - acre,220,000 - square -foot multi-level mega mall is on the corner of Valley Blvd.or Del Mar in San Gabriel.There is a Ranch 99 Market.

It is the only Asian Mall in the U.S. to be anchored by a department store (Focus) and an Asian Supermarket (Ranch 99) the only thing that suggest that your are still in America is the pastel mall's California-mediterranean architecture. Boutiques,herbal medicine shops,professional offices and orver a dozen restaurants and cafes fill the four levels,with the gigantic Sam Woo Seafood Restaurant occupying the top level. You will find a Jewelry Mart on the third floor.My friend,Mr Wang has a antique store.He has anything from Bolivia to China.Great place to buy gifts