WELCOME TO FOSTER CITY

Foster City is an affluent planned city located in San Mateo County, California, 94404. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 28,803. Foster City is sometimes considered to be part of Silicon Valley for its local industry and its neighboring Silicon Valley cities.

Foster City was founded in the 1960s on engineered landfill in the marshes of the San Francisco Bay, on the east edge of San Mateo. The city was named after T. Jack Foster, a real estate magnate who owned much of the land comprising the city and who was instrumental in the initial design. His successor firm, Foster Enterprises, run by his descendants, is still active in real estate affairs throughout the San Francisco Bay area.

RECREATION

Foster City boasts 19 parks occupying more than 100 acres (0.4 km2), including many public tennis courts, baseball and soccer fields, basketball courts, and rollerblading/biking trails along the San Francisco Bay. Foster City has more parks per capita than any other city in California.

Foster City also boasts:

• World Class Windsurfing A world-class windsurfing spot in the San Francisco Bay can be found within the city limits of Foster City. It is located adjacent to Mariners Point.
• A Golf course and driving range There is one 9-hole golf course, and driving range Mariners' Point, on land owned by the City, and operated by VB Golf.
• Dragon Boating The Bay Area Dragons and Ho'okahi Pu'uwai Outrigger Canoe clubs operate in the lagoon. In an attempt to preserve the city's waterways and reduce noise levels, only electric, wind, or man-powered watercraft are permitted in the Lagoon.
• Teen Activities Center A newly constructed $4 million dollar center for teens that that will provide access to: TV’s, computers, video games, art rooms, homework rooms, a kitchen and outdoor basketball courts.
• Public Amphitheatre Located in Leo J. Ryan Memorial Park, is a newly constructed Amphitheatre. It serves as the location for the Foster City Summer concerts. Adjacent to the park is a boardwalk with boat tie-up facilities.

In addition, Foster City maintains an extensive 218-acre (0.9 km2), man-made enclosed lagoon system.

ITENS OF INTEREST

Foster City is one of the nation's safest cities. There is an average of one murder per decade.

Foster City's Werder Pier is a remainder of the original expanse of the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge. It is also one of the state's longest and oldest piers in existence. Unfortunately, due to much needed repair, the once popular fishing pier is no longer in operation.

World renowned architect and father of Modernism, Le Corbusier, was commissioned to design a living complex for the city in the late 60's. It was never built. The only Le Corbusier structure in North America is the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts in Cambridge, Mass.

A number of San Francisco professional athletes have called Foster City home. Former San Francisco Giants players Kevin Mitchell and Jeff Kent won the National League Most Valuable Player award while they were residents of Foster City.

The movie "Over the Edge" is based upon events occurring in Foster City, chronicled in a 1974 article titled "Mouse Packs: Kids on a Crime Spree" in the San Francisco Examiner. The writer of the article, Charles S. Haas, co-wrote the screenplay for the film.

The music video for "Super Hyphy", a song by Bay Area rapper Keak Da Sneak, was filmed at Bowditch Middle School. R&B singer Keyshia Cole was also featured in the music video which was produced by Half-White Productions.

Sought after waterfront developments like "Bayporte" and "Whalers Island" often draw in great interest for their perfectly manicured lawns and the suburbia-type atmospheres so closely associated with Foster City.

Foster City TV broadcasts a variety of programs related to operation of and life in Foster City. Foster City TV provides programming through a dedicated public access channel, and by streaming through a website.