Editing San Lorenzo, California

{{Short description|Unincorporated community in California, United States}}
{{For|the San Lorenzo Valley, a region of Santa Cruz County, California|San Lorenzo Valley}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}

{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = San Lorenzo
|settlement_type          = [[Census-designated place]]
|image_skyline            = IMAG3071-san-lorenzo.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = 
|image_seal               = 
|image_map                = Alameda_County_California_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_San_Lorenzo_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Alameda County, California|Alameda County]] and the state of [[California]]
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
| pushpin_map = USA
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in the United States
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = {{USA}}
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = {{flag|California}}
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in California|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Alameda County, California|Alameda]]
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = [[California's 10th State Senate district|State Senate]]
|leader_name              = {{Representative|casd|10|fmt=sleader}}<ref>{{Cite web
 |url=http://senate.ca.gov/senators 
 |title=Senators 
 |access-date=March 18, 2013
 |publisher=State of California}}</ref>
|leader_title1            = [[California's 20th State Assembly district|State&nbsp;Assembly]]
|leader_name1             = {{Representative|caad|20|fmt=sleader}}<ref>{{Cite web
 |url=http://assembly.ca.gov/assemblymembers
 |title=Members Assembly
 |access-date=March 18, 2013
 |publisher=State of California}}</ref>
|leader_title2            = [[California's 14th congressional district|U. S. Congress]]
|leader_name2             = {{Representative|cacd|14|fmt=usleader}}<ref>{{Cite GovTrack|CA|14|access-date=March 13, 2013}}</ref>
|established_date         = 
<!-- Area------------------>
|area_magnitude           =
| unit_pref               = US
| area_footnotes          = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_06.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 30, 2021}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi        = 3.067
| area_land_sq_mi         = 3.046
| area_water_sq_mi        = 0.021
| area_water_percent      = 0.68
| area_note               = 
|elevation_ft             = 36
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref>{{Cite GNIS|1659583|San Lorenzo}}</ref>
|population_as_of         = 2020
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="CensusQuickFacts">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: San Lorenzo CDP, California|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/sanlorenzocdpcalifornia|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 26, 2021}}</ref>
|population_total         = 29581
|population_metro         = 
|population_density_sq_mi = auto
|timezone                 = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific (PST)]]
|utc_offset               = -8
|coordinates              = {{coord|37|40|52|N|122|07|28|W|region:US-CA|display=inline,title}}
|timezone_DST             = PDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -7
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 94580
|area_code                = [[Area codes 510 and 341|510, 341]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = {{FIPS|06|68112}}
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature IDs
|blank1_info              = {{GNIS4|232433}}, {{GNIS4|1659583}}, {{GNIS4|2409260}}
}}
'''San Lorenzo''' ([[Spanish language|Spanish]] for "[[Saint Lawrence|Saint Laurence]]") is a [[census-designated place|census-designated place (CDP)]] located in the [[East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)|East Bay]] of the [[San Francisco Bay Area]] in [[Alameda County, California|Alameda County]], [[California]], United States. The population was 29,581 at the 2020 census.<ref name="CensusQuickFacts" /> It is an [[Unincorporated area|unincorporated community]], located at the banks of [[San Lorenzo Creek]]. It was originally named ''Squattersville'' in 1851, but later renamed to San Lorenzo.<ref>Capace, Nancy (1999). ''Encyclopedia of California''. North American Book Dist LLC. Page 414. {{ISBN|9780403093182}}.</ref>

In 1944, under contract to the U.S. Navy, The David D. Bohannon Company began construction of San Lorenzo Village, which was one of the nation's first planned communities, with parcels designated for schools, churches, parks, and several retail centers. Bohannon's pioneering pre-cutting techniques, referred to as the "California method,"<ref name=nps>{{cite journal|last=Hope|first=Andrew|date=Summer 2005|title=Evaluating the Significance of San Lorenzo Village, A Mid-20th Century Suburban Community|url=https://www.nps.gov/crps/CRMJournal/Summer2005/Summer2005.pdf|journal=CRM: The Journal of Heritage Stewardship |volume=2|issue=2|pages=53|access-date=2024-03-02}}</ref> were used in later developments, such as the more famous Levittown, Pennsylvania.

== History ==
[[File:Don Guillermo Castro (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|upright|San Lorenzo is named after [[Rancho San Lorenzo (Castro)|Rancho San Lorenzo]], a vast estate granted in 1841 to Don [[Guillermo Castro (soldier)|Guillermo Castro]], a noted [[Californio]] ranchero.]]
San Lorenzo is located on the route of [[El Camino Viejo]] on land of the former [[Rancho San Lorenzo (Castro)|Rancho San Lorenzo]], a Mexican land grant given to [[Guillermo Castro (soldier)|Guillermo Castro]] in 1841, and the former [[Rancho San Leandro]], granted to [[José Joaquin Estudillo]] in 1842.<ref>Ogden Hoffman, 1862, ''Reports of Land Cases Determined in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California'', Numa Hubert, San Francisco</ref>

Early residents during the [[California Gold Rush]] era lived here as [[squatter]]s along the border between Rancho San Lorenzo and Rancho San Leandro.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~21348~630074:-Contents-to--Official-and-historic|title=Contents: Alameda County atlas map. - David Rumsey Historical Map Collection|website=www.davidrumsey.com|access-date=2018-01-08}}</ref> The informal name given to the area was Squatterville.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sanlorenzoheritage.org|title=San Lorenzo, California History|website=www.sanlorenzoheritage.org|access-date=2018-01-08}}</ref>

The first post office opened in San Lorenzo in 1854.<ref name=CGN>{{California's Geographic Names|696}}</ref>

Many of the early inhabitants are buried in San Lorenzo Pioneer Cemetery, including Moses Wicks, who brought [[San Leandro Oyster Beds|oysters to San Leandro Bay]] from Patchogue, Long Island.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/ListedResources/Detail/824|title=SAN LEANDRO OYSTER BEDS|last=California|first=California State Parks, State of|website=CA State Parks|language=en|access-date=2018-01-08}}</ref> The cemetery is maintained by the county and the [[Hayward Area Historical Society]].

San Lorenzo was mostly farmland, a significant center of production of fruit and flowers, from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century.

In 1944, under contract to the U.S. Navy, The David D. Bohannon Company began construction of San Lorenzo Village, a tract of two- and three-bedroom homes for workers in the East Bay's war industries. San Lorenzo Village was one of the nation's first planned communities, with parcels designated for schools, churches, parks, and several retail centers. Bohannon's pioneering pre-cutting techniques, referred to as the "California method," were used in later developments, such as the more famous [[Levittown, Pennsylvania]]. Home construction continued into the 1950s to accommodate the region's booming population.

San Lorenzo Village housing project launched as the largest privately financed housing project on the West Coast during WWII.  San Lorenzo Shopping Center became one of the country's first planned community shopping centers and was home to the first Mervyn's Department Store.

=== Segregation ===
The original San Lorenzo Village homes were restricted to white owners, and re-sale of homes were limited to white owners through racially restrictive covenants on property deeds.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Rothstein|first=Richard|title=The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America|year=2017|isbn=978-1-63149-285-3|edition=First|location=New York|pages=115–116|oclc=959808903}}</ref> "Sales brochures in the early to mid-1950s [...] assured prospective buyers that the village was "a safe investment" because "farsighted protective restrictions ... permanently safeguard your investment."" <ref name=":0" /> These restrictions, among others around fencing and house colors, were enforced by the San Lorenzo Village Association.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stiles|first=Elaine B.|date=2015|title=Every Lot a Garden Spot: "Big Dave" Bohannon and the Making of San Lorenzo Village|url=http://www.sanlorenzoheritage.org/history/stiles.htm|access-date=2020-09-07|website=www.sanlorenzoheritage.org}}</ref>

Legal enforcement of such covenants was deemed to violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by the Supreme Court in ''[[Shelley v. Kraemer]]'' (1948), meaning that while parties could choose to abide by the covenants, they could no longer be legally used to prevent non-white persons from buying properties with such restrictions. As a general note, without specific reference to San Lorenzo, after ''Shelley'', homeowners associations still would bar non-white owners by requiring membership in the association before buying property, and federal and state governments refused to enforce the ''Shelley'' decision.<ref>Moore, Eli, et al. Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society, 2019, ''Roots, Race, and Place: A History of Racially Exclusionary Housing in the San Francisco Bay Area'', https://escholarship.org/content/qt2j08r197/qt2j08r197_noSplash_eecbec55456f21df8cb302a7b292855a.pdf?t=qc30qt</ref> In San Lorenzo, the black population remained under one-half percent in the early 1970s.<ref>Terry Link, “The White Noose: How Racist Federal Policies Put a Stranglehold on the City,” San Francisco, November 1971, 26-56.</ref>

The language of these restrictions, even if not enforceable, may still be on property deeds.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-02-26|title=For whites only: Shocking language found in property docs throughout Bay Area|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/02/26/for-whites-only-shocking-language-found-in-property-docs-throughout-bay-area/|access-date=2020-09-07|website=The Mercury News|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:William Roberts house San Lorenzo, California.jpg|thumb|left|William Roberts House]]
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the CDP has a total area of {{convert|3.07|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|3.05|sqmi|km2}} is land and 0.68% is water. San Lorenzo Creek runs along its northern border. It is located between the incorporated cities of [[San Leandro]] to the north and [[Hayward, California|Hayward]] to the south.

==Demographics==
The [[2020 United States Census]] reported that San Lorenzo had a population of 29,581. The population density was {{convert|9711.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of San Lorenzo was 24.9% [[White Americans|White]], 5.2% [[African Americans|African American]], 1.6% [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]], 28.2% [[Asian Americans|Asian]], 1.2% [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]], 24.9% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 14.0% from two or more races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] of any race were 42.2% of the population.<ref name=DP1>{{cite web |title=San Lorenzo CDP, California; DP1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics - 2020 Census of Population and Housing |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?g=160XX00US0668112 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=March 20, 2025}}</ref>

The Census reported that 99.0% of the population lived in households, 0.6% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.3% were institutionalized.<ref name=DP1/>

There were 8,991 households, out of which 37.0% included children under the age of 18, 54.4% were married-couple households, 5.8% were [[cohabitation|cohabiting]] couple households, 24.7% had a female householder with no partner present, and 15.1% had a male householder with no partner present. 17.1% of households were one person, and 9.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.26.<ref name=DP1/> There were 6,884 [[family (U.S. Census)|families]] (76.6% of all households).<ref name=P16>{{cite web |title=San Lorenzo CDP, California; P16: Household Type - 2020 Census of Population and Housing |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDHC2020.P16?g=160XX00US0668112 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=March 20, 2025}}</ref>

The age distribution was 21.3% under the age of 18, 8.9% aged 18 to 24, 27.4% aged 25 to 44, 27.3% aged 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65{{nbsp}}years of age or older. The median age was 39.4{{nbsp}}years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males.<ref name=DP1/>

There were 9,198 housing units at an average density of {{convert|3,019.7|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}, of which 8,991 (97.7%) were occupied. Of these, 64.1% were owner-occupied, and 35.9% were occupied by renters.<ref name=DP1/>

In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 37.9% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 43.1% spoke only English at home, 29.9% spoke [[Spanish language|Spanish]], 2.6% spoke other [[Indo-European languages]], 23.4% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 1.0% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 82.3% were high school graduates and 25.4% had a bachelor's degree.<ref>{{cite web |title=San Lorenzo CDP, California; CP02: Comparative Social Characteristics in the United States - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSCP5Y2023.CP02?g=160XX00US0668112 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=March 20, 2025}}</ref>

The median household income was $110,495, and the [[per capita income]] was $41,279. About 4.0% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line.<ref>{{cite web |title=San Lorenzo CDP, California; DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDP5Y2023.DP03?g=160XX00US0668112 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=March 20, 2025}}</ref>

== Government ==
San Lorenzo is an unincorporated community and thus is governed directly by the County of Alameda. The area is policed by the [[Alameda County Sheriff's Office]].  The San Lorenzo Village Homes Association, home to 5767 single-family homes, has been in place since 1945.  The Homes Association Board is made up of five volunteer homeowners.  The San Lorenzo Village Homes Association is the master association to four sub homeowners associations.

==Public education==
San Lorenzo is served by the [[San Lorenzo Unified School District]], established in 1865.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://aclibrary.org/locations/SLZ/ San Lorenzo Library]
* [http://sanlorenzoexpress.com/ San Lorenzo Express (local news)]
* [http://www.slvha.com/ San Lorenzo Village Homes Association]
* [http://friendsofsanlorenzocreek.org/ Friends of San Lorenzo Creek]
* [http://sanlorenzoheritage.org/ San Lorenzo Area History]
* [http://www.haywardareahistory.org/ Hayward Area Historical society]

{{SF Bay Area}}
{{Alameda County, California}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Populated places established in 1944]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Alameda County, California]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in California]]
[[Category:Unincorporated communities in Alameda County, California]]
[[Category:Unincorporated communities in California]]
[[Category:1944 establishments in California]]