A town in San Mateo County in the northern San Francisco Bay are of California, Atherton, California, is home to a population of just over 7,000 mostly affluent residents. The city’s high-priced real estate market has struggled in the past couple of years, as the economic crisis in the U.S. has brought about job losses and decreased residents values, both of their homes and of other financial assets.

Last year, end-of-year figures showed there were 69 sales in Atherton, an improvement on 2008′s total of 63 sales. In 2009, Atherton homes for sale spent an average of 109 days on the market before selling, compared with just 49 days in 2008, showing that inventory piled up and sales were not brisk enough to keep homes off the market for long.

Prices in Atherton showed signs of a struggle too. In 2009, the average sales price was just over $3.3 million, down from over $4 million in 2008. The median price was $2.79 million in 2009, also down from the previous year’s price, which was $3.38 million. Total sales volume for the year fell as well, down by more than $15 million.

In February, prices showed improvement over 2009, however, giving signs for potential optimism for the upcoming year. The median price in February was $4.97 million, although that figure is based on just four closed sales for the month, but the figures were up as compared with January figures. In February, there were 32 homes on the market, and homes were spending an average of 229 days on the market before selling. Of homes sold in February, Atherton real estate sold received nearly 92% of listing prices.

The city is about 175 square miles and perfectly situated in northern California. It’s the third largest in the state of California and the 11^th largest in the nation with over 912,000 residents. San Jose is located in the Santa Clara Valley and nearby city neighbors Buena Vista and Burbank. After a 14.2% increase in population from 1990 to 2000, the number of people heading over to San Jose slowed down in recent years. Based from the 2005 statistics of the U.S. Census Bureau, the median age of city residents was 34.7 years. Three parts make nearly the whole population of San Jose with 32% of White

non-Hispanic, 32% Asian and 31% Hispanic races. Accounting for 73% of city households is the average of 3.1 people per home. English is not the primary language for 55% of city homes because 38% of San Jose’s residents are foreign-born.

San Jose has low unemployment and poverty; their earnings are among the best in California. People going to San Jose are finding well-paying jobs with a median household income of $70,921, as of 2005. Management, professional and other related occupations, which make up 40% of the workforce, are among the most common in the city. Also in 2005 study, poverty was 3% below the national average of 10%, only 4.9% for White non-Hispanic residents. A large part of the city’s economy is Agriculture with wine production and food processing and distribution among the leading industries. However, it is technology that has made San Jose what it is today. At the heart of the city is Silicon Valley, known for its prominence in semiconductor and computer-related technology. In Silicon Valley, you’ll find some of the industry giants’ headquarters, like Adobe Systems, Cisco and eBay. Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Hitachi also have bases in the city.

San Jose real estate has some high property values that have risen greatly since 2000, when the median home was marked at a value of $427, 800. The value went up to 625,400 in 2005. This is a very moderate increase in a state with surging home values. Still, new home construction is in decline. The number of building permits has dwindled from 2329 building built in 1997 to 602 permits in 2006. Home ownership in San Jose is high compared to the rest of California with 62% of homes occupied by owners. The average age of city dwellings is below the state average with 18% of housing units built since 1990. The median housing costs of mortgaged owners was $2409, non-mortgaged owners $439, and renters $1,153.

San Jose is one of the safest places to live in America, especially for its size. Morgan Quitno ranked it #1 among the big cities for 3 years in a row. Stolen reports, however, have been on the rise from 2615 thefts in 1999 to over 5,500 in 2005. The FBI Crime Rate dropped during the same period to 236.8 compared to the U.S. average of 325.2. In San Jose, 36% of its citizens hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, which is high compared to the national average. One big college in the city is San Jose State University having full-time enrollment of 20,861 students.

San Jose also has a good climate. Residents enjoy mild but semi-arid weather with about 15 inches of annual precipitation. The average temperature in January is 48.7 while July sees high temperatures averaging 84 degrees. With 300 sunny days per year, the average annual temperature is 70 degrees.

Cranium Inc., named San Jose as the Most Fun City in America. This is due to several things like a number of popular beaches on the Pacific Ocean are 20 minutes away from San Jose. Nearby Santa Cruz is a popular hangout for surfers. Residents can also access nearby mountain ranges for summer hiking and water skiing. The city is also a short distance from the topnotch golf courses, including the popular Pebble Beach. One major sports franchise, the NHL’s San Jose Sharks makes their home on the ice at the HP Pavilion, known as the “Shark Tank”. Commuters seldom use public transportation. In 2005, 78% of workers drove to work alone while only 3% used mass transit. Those who commuted to work took an average of 25 minutes to arrive at their respective jobs. There are also three international airports in the area, with Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International being the closest, followed by Oakland and San Francisco. Amtrak also offers its services to San Jose.

Located about an hour north of San Francisco, the city of Santa Rosa lies at the northern end of the Bay Area. Despite the real estate struggles faced by many real estate markets throughout California since 2007, the economic recession that began in the fall of 2008 only worsened the situation, causing foreclosure rates to rocket upwards, median prices to slide, and real estate activity to stall. The financial stability of California and the concern for job security have also been major obstacles slowing the recovery of the Santa Rosa real estate, as well as that of the entire Bay Area real estate market. However, real estate experts have seen promising signs over the past few months with increasing median prices and a pick up in home sales, providing optimistic views of the Santa Rosa real estate market and suggesting that recovery is near.

According to DQNews.com, the Bay Area real estate has posted major improvements over the past several months, resulting in the first year over year gains in home sales and median prices seen in months. The median price for new and resale houses posted during the month of November was $387,000, a slight drop from the $390,000 level posted during the previous months, but still up 10.6 percent from the $350,000 seen during November of 2008. Home sales also rose over the past several of months, with a total of 6,878 new and resale houses and condos sold in November, down 13.3 percent from the previous month, but up 19.5 percent from the previous year. Real estate experts aren’t worried about the slight drop between October and November though, because historical data trends have shown the decline to be normal. Experts believe that the dwindling inventory of foreclosed or distressed properties have been the major cause for the increase in median sales prices, and the federal tax credit is believed to have played a major role in the recent uptick in home sales.

The North Bay Business Journal has also reported that there are promising signs for the commercial real estate market in the North Bay area. Many real estate experts believe the market has already hit bottom, so the only direction it can go in is up. The affordability of office space has allowed vacancy rates to stabilize as landlords take extra measures to keep their tenants happy. Experts have also noted that stabilizing unemployment rates have also played a major role in the recent improvements made in the commercial real estate market.

Although California is home to major global cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and San Jose, it is often the smaller, less known communities and suburbs that offer the best living experiences.  One of the most popular places to live in California is Riverside, which is located between Moreno Valley and San Bernardino in the heart of California’s Inland Empire.  The community is known for the Festival of Lights, which is held during the winter holidays in downtown and features the nation’s second largest lighting display and an outdoor ice skating rink.  Riverside is a technology-friendly community with convenient access to ports, rail transportation, and freeways, making Riverside a leader in Southern California’s international trade economy.

Temecula is another one of the most popular places to live in California.  This suburban city is conveniently located within an hour drive of San Diego and LA counties and offers a historic Old Town, excellent dining and shopping complexes, affordable housing, beautiful parks, and an excellent school system.  Temecula is especially popular for its annual Balloon and Wine Festival, thanks to the community’s wine country home to 22 award winning wineries.

Home to nearly 97,000 residents Vacaville is another popular Californian community founded as an agricultural and rail shipping center.  Currently, the community has also experienced much growth and development that has established substantial retail and commercial activity in the region.  Vacaville also boasts an extremely low unemployment rate, excellent schools, a stable housing market, beautiful parks, exciting community events and activities, and a eco-friendly atmosphere.

San Francisco is a great city home to thousands of restaurants representing ethnic cuisines from around the world.  With everything from that hole-in-the-wall coffee shop to that elegant, upscale, fine-dining restaurant, any person in San Francisco will be able to find a more that satisfying meal.

One of the highest rated restaurants in San Francisco is Restaurant Gary Danko.  Restaurant Gary Danko features a contemporary French Cuisine in a beautiful restaurant with a romantic atmosphere.  With a diverse menu and exquisite wine list, Restaurant Gary Danko is one of the top 40 restaurants in the nation.  However, be ready to spend about $90 for a complete meal.

The Blue Bottle Cafe is one of the most popular coffee shops in San Francisco, with frequent customers coming not only for the excellent coffee, but also the cozy atmosphere.  Customers have also rated the New Orleans style iced coffee and oatmeal very highly.

Another extremely popular restaurant in San Francisco is Frascati, which is a mid-priced restaurant with a romantic atmosphere.  Frascati features a diverse menu featuring cuisines including American, French, Italian, Mediterranean, and Contemporary.  The restaurant is known for its excellent waiting staff, great priced food, and overall positive experience.  However, it is highly recommended to call ahead for reservations because the restaurant is popular but small.

San Francisco is a beautiful city filled with a lively atmosphere and diverse array of cultures.  Home to numerous districts with roots in a particular ethnicity, such as Chinatown, the Italian community of North Beach, Japantown, the Russian community along Clement Street, and the Mission District, which is home to those of Spanish influence, San Francisco’s pop culture relies on the city’s restaurants, bars, and hotels located in the various “cultural divisions” of San Francisco.

However, one of San Francisco’s most memorable pop culture era’s is that of the past.  In the late 1960’s, San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury District became a haven for “hippies” and “flower children” who were fleeing from established society and preached the benefits of peace, love, and hallucinogens.  By the 1970’s though, Haight-Ashbury had become a dangerous and ugly district filled with drugs and vice.  Recently, with the raise in real estate prices all over San Francisco, a gentrification of the city has taken place, with Haight-Ashbury now containing primarily a middle-class population with specialty boutiques, used bookstores, coffeehouses, and upscale restaurants.

California has long been associated with the media industry, especially the film, music, and art industries.  California has a rich music history dating all the way back to music created by the Native Americans who lived in the region before it was settled by European explorers.  California has given birth to numerous world-famous musicians, and many new genres of music such as third wave ska originated in California.  Other genres such as hardcore punk, hip hop, country, and heavy metal have all gained popularity after becoming their appearance in California.

Although traditional Native American music may not be widely established in California, many California musicians have been known to incorporate Native American music into their works.  In San Francisco, Carlos Troyer created several compositions such as Apache Chief Geronimo’s Own Medicine Song, as well as two Zuni songs.  Because numerous Spanish missions were established in California, the state also has a lot of music with Spanish-influences.  In the 1950’s and 60’s, California gave rise to several types of music known as Bakersfield sound, surf rock, and psychedelic rock.  In the 70’s and 80’s glam metal, skacore, alternative rock, thrash metal, hip hop, and hardcore and pop punk became widely established genres of music in California.  Over the past two decades newer styles of hip hop, indie rock, hardcore, and nu metal began to gain popularity out of California.

If you’re planning a trip to California, it can be quite overwhelming when considering what to do while you’re there.  California is an extremely large state with millions of activities, attractions, and events that will make anyone’s vacation a memorable one.  Here is a brief summary of some of the possible things to do in California.

Of course, one of the first attractions in California that come to mind is Disneyland.  Located in Anaheim, Disneyland California is one of the top family tourist destinations in the nation and is home to the Disneyland theme park, as well as Disney hotels, shops, and restaurants.  Another extremely popular attraction similar to that of Disneyland is Six Flags Magic Mountain.  This amusement is park filled with roller coasters and other scary rides that cater more to the teenagers than does Disneyland.  The Monterey Bay Aquarium in San Francisco is a popular aquarium home to more than 35,000 marine animals.  Some of the other popular things to do in California include visiting the Hollywood Bowl, Warner Bros. Studio, Golden Gate Bridge, San Diego Zoo, Union Square San Francisco, and Chinatown San Francisco.

Located on the west coast of the United States, California is the third largest state by land area and most populous state with a population of about 36.8 million residents.  In fact, California is the second most populous sub-national division behind Sao Paulo, Brazil.  California is bordered by Oregon to the North, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and the Mexican state of Baja California to the south.  The Pacific Ocean borders the west coast of California.  Some of the largest cities in the state include Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose, although the state is home to eight of the nation’s fifty largest cities.

Although the California Gold Rush is what brought many people to California in the 19^th century, the major industries supporting California’s economy today include aerospace, petroleum, and information technology.  However, despite the fact that California has one of the largest gross domestic products in the world, being larger than all but eight countries, California has suffered from a budget deficit for the past couple of years, causing many legislations being made in an attempt to alleviate the problem.  California is a state known especially for its car culture, resulting in cities with some of the worst traffic congestion in the nation.  However, the state is still served by public transportation options including Amtrak California, Metro subway and light rail networks, and trolley and bus lines.  Major airports in California include the Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport.

Although California maintains a vital role in the foodie world, one of the most important food contributions California, primarily Napa Valley, makes is wine.  Considered one of the premier wine regions in California, Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area located just north of the San Francisco Bay region.  With its wine history dating back to the nineteenth century, Napa Valley has the ideal Mediterranean climate, geography, and geology that is conducive to growing high quality wine grapes.  Currently, Napa Valley is a top tourist destination in California, second only to Disneyland.  The wine region attracts about 4.7 million visitors each year.

In 1858, John Patchett was the first man to establish a commercial vineyard.  In 1861, the first commercial winery in St. Helena was established by Charles Krug.  Although Napa Valley’s wine industry suffered greatly from a vine disease, phylloxera, outbreak in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, as well as the effects of Prohibition and the Great Depression, the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 played an important role in restoring Napa Valley to its former glory as a excellent wine region capable of producing world-class wine.