Whether you’ll be visiting for a day or longer or if you are already a resident, we’ve designed this resource guide to provide you with useful and timely information to help you take advantage of the many opportunities to enjoy the best Riverside has to offer. Our city leaders, local businesses, the Riverside Convention Center and Visitors Bureau, and the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce are committed to working together to continue making Riverside your destination of choice. Riverside is strategically located at the crossroads in Southern California offering a blend of small-town charm and hospitality with the vision, energy and creativity of a rapidly developing metropolitan area. The city’s commitment to maintaining quality-of-life amenities is demonstrated by the variety of museums, theaters, fine dining options, array of festivals and markets, and unique shopping experiences for visitors and residents alike. Ranked as the sixth-largest city in Southern California and the 12th-largest in California, Riverside is a hub of higher education with four internationally recognized universities and colleges located here serving more than 50,000 students. As the county seat of Riverside County, the city is a vital financial and professional center. Numerous legal, accounting, brokerage, architectural, engineering and technology firms, as well as banking institutions, make Riverside their principal place of business. The city is currently more than half way through a $1.8 billion initiative called “Riverside Renaissance,” which focuses on vital transportation improvements; infrastructure upgrades; and quality-of-life projects including park enhancements, landscaped medians and expansions in the library system. With more than 268 days of sunshine each year, locals and visitors enjoy a variety of outdoor and indoor activities, such as the Boathouse Paddle Boats at Fairmount Park lakes located near downtown Riverside. Population Population (2008) — 296,842* Households — 96,007** Families — 67,402** Average Household Size — 3.06** Median Age — 30.2** Income Average Household Income — $69,611** Higher Education Student Population (est.) — 50,000 Institutions of Higher Learning**** University of California, Riverside; California Baptist University; La Sierra University; and Riverside Community College District New/Existing Home Sales Median Home Price (Jan. 2009) — $201,250***** (resale single-family residences, condos and new homes) Retail Sales Taxable Sales (2007) — $4.8 billion*** Taxable Sales Growth (2003-2007) — 126%*** Taxable Sales (per capita, 2007) — $16,122*** Employment City of Riverside Total Jobs (Q2 2008) — 160,866**** Total Workforce (Q2 2008) — 162,600**** Transportation Corridors & Facilities I-215, 91 (Riverside), and 60 freeways Riverside Municipal Airport BNSF and UPSP railroads UPS (Ontario International Airport) Federal Express Ground (Rialto) Ontario International Airport, Southern California’s second-largest air cargo and second-busiest air passenger facility Climate Winter - Average High — 66 degrees Fahrenheit Summer - Average High — 94 degrees Fahrenheit Sources: * California Department of Finance ** ESRI 2008 *** California Board of Equalization **** State of California Employment Development Dept. ***** Dataquick Community Centers Bobby Bonds Park/Cesar Chavez Center 2060 University Ave. — 951-826-5746 Bordwell Park/Stratton Center 2008 Martin Luther King Blvd. — 951-826-5355 Bryant Park/Arlanza Center 7950 Philbin Ave. — 951-351-6135 Bryant Park/Eric M. Solander Center 7801 Gramercy Place, Suite B — 951-351-2031 Hunt Park/Renck Center 4015 Jackson St. — 951-351-6132 Janet Goeske Center 5257 Sierra Ave. — 951-351-8801 La Sierra Park/La Sierra Center 5215 La Sierra Ave. — 951-351-6131 Lincoln Park/Lincoln Center 4261 Park Ave. — 951-686-3119 Nichols Park/Joyce Jackson Center 5505 Dewey Ave. — 951-351-6130 Orange Terrace Center 20010 Orange Terrace Parkway. — 951-571-0285 Reid Park/Ruth Lewis Center 701 N. Orange St. — .951-826-5654 Villegas Park/Ysmael Villegas Center 7240 Marguerita Ave. — 951-351-6142 Strong cities are built on strong neighborhoods where residents are actively engaged and have opportunities to be involved. Riverside has 26 community neighborhoods, and the city hosts a monthly Mayor’s Night Out, visiting a different neighborhood each month to engage residents in a conversation about particular neighborhood concerns. Volunteerism is a hallmark of life in Riverside. Community groups such as Rotary, Kiwanis, and Keep Riverside Clean and Beautiful contribute thousands of hours to community service projects that support and enhance our way of life. One of the fascinating features about Riverside is that the city is home to four major educational institutions. The city has devoted a great deal of emphasis on quality education and a trained workforce. Currently the city’s workforce exceeds 160,000 workers. Those who visit Riverside or call it home find it to be a unique place of opportunity and a city that captures the true essence of community. Business Services • Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce — 951-683-7100 • Better Business Bureau — 909-825-7280 • Business Tax & License — 951-826-5465 • California Manufacturing Technology Consulting — 951-246-0894 • Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship — 909-537-3708 • Inland Empire Minority Business Enterprise Center — 951-320-7020 • Inland Empire Small Business Development Center — 951-781-2345 • Inland Empire Women’s Business Center — 909-890-1242 • SCORE - Free Business Counseling — 951-683-7100 • Small Business Administration — 714-550-7420 • State Board of Equalization — 951-782-3744 County of Riverside • Assessor’s Office — 951-955-6200 • Board of Supervisors — 951-955-1100 • Economic Development Agency — 951-955-8916 • Treasurer/Tax Collector — 951-955-3900 Ambulance • Emergency — 911 • American Medical Responses — 951-784-5555 City of Riverside • Airport — 951-826-6113 • City Clerk — 951-826-5557 • City Council — 951-826-5991 • City Manager — 951-826-5553 • Community Development — 951-826-5371 • Development Department — 951-826-5649 • Fire — 951-826-5321 • Human Resources — 951-826-5808 • Mayor’s Office — 951-826-5551 • Parks, Recreation and Community Services — 951-826-2000 • Police — 951-826-5700 • Public Utilities — 951-826-5485 • Public Works — 951-826-5341 K-12 Education • Alvord Unified School District — 951-509-5000 • Riverside County Office of Education — 951-826-6530 • Riverside Unified School District — 951-788-7135 Colleges/Universities • California Baptist University — 951-343-5099 • La Sierra University — 951-785-2000 • Riverside Community College — 951-222-8000 • University of California, Riverside — 951-827-1012 Medical Facilities & Services • Kaiser Permanente Medical Center — 951-353-2000 • Parkview Community Medical Center — 951-688-2211 • Riverside Community Hospital — 951-788-3000 • Riverside County Regional Medical Center — 951-486-4000 • Riverside Medical Clinic — 951-683-6370 Visitor Information • Riverside Convention Center & Visitors Bureau — 951-222-4700 Newspapers/Publications • Black Voice News — 951-682-6070 • The Business Press — 909-806-3100 • The Press-Enterprise — 951-684-1200 Senior Services • Office of Aging — 800-510-2020 State Offices & Services • Department of Motor Vehicles — 951-782-4100 • Highway Patrol — 951-637-8000 Ranked among top American cities for the “Playful City USA” award, 2008 Whether you’re in the mood to visit an art museum, see a live performance or enjoy other outdoors activities — the city has something to offer everyone. Through the various quality-of-life amenities, Riverside is an ideal place to raise a family, start your career or visit. Castle Park is Riverside’s premier family amusement park with more than 65 rides and attractions, arcade games, and miniature golf. The Riverside Bicycle Club was founded in 1891. Today, there are approximately 200 members, and collectively, the club puts on more than 400 club rides a year. While the Riverside Bicycle Club is primarily centered upon bicycle riding in and near Riverside, it is open to all members. Riverside is home to 44 parks where families can enjoy outdoor sports, picnics and other recreational activities. Riverside’s higher education institutions offer local businesses many benefits. Qualified graduates work in the new economy, providing intellectual support through research and development collaboration and other special projects. Riverside is proud to be home to these following institutions: • California Baptist University • La Sierra University • Riverside Community College District • University of California, Riverside California Baptist University 951-343-4210 www.calbaptist.edu Since its founding in 1950, California Baptist University (CBU) has set the standard for faith-based educational excellence. Today, CBU offers more than 90 undergraduate majors and concentrations as well as 20 graduate degree and credential programs to more than 3,100 traditional and adult students. CBU has established extension sites in response to the growing demand for CBU’s distinctive working-adult degree programs. La Sierra University 951-785-2000 www.lasierra.edu Named by U.S. News & World Report as the most diverse university in the western U.S. for the past four years, La Sierra University is a Seventh-day Adventist school that offers more than 120 degrees on the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. A unique Service Learning program affirms the university’s 84-year commitment to values-based education. To seek, to know,