Alameda Arts Competitors

Long Beach, with a population of approximately 465,000, covers 52 square miles in Southwest Los Angeles County and is the seventh largest city in California. It has some of the best shoreline, marinas and beaches in Southern California, and a superb climate moderated by pleasant ocean breezes. The City of Long Beach is recognized as the home of the Queen Mary, the Aquarium of the Pacific, the Long Beach Grand Prix, America's cargo gateway to the Pacific Rim through the Port of Long Beach (the Nation's second business container port), one of the world's most environmentally safe off-shore oil operations and numerous major business and commercial enterprises.

The City of Berkeley is distinguished by its diversity, community engagement, and activism. Home to the University of California’s flagship campus, Berkeley’s population is highly educated, diverse, and engaged. The City lies on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay and is sheltered by rolling hills on its eastern border. Berkeley spans 10 square miles with 124,000 residents. Our climate is mild year-round, with cool summers. An outdoor focus is demonstrated with acres of open space, parks, and an abundance of bike lanes on City streets. Public transportation is well developed and reliable, with three Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations in Berkeley. All of these factors translate to an outstanding quality of life for Berkeley residents, with an abundance of outdoor, recreational, and cultural activities. The City of Berkeley lies in Alameda County and operates under a Council-Manager form of government. The City is divided into eight districts, and each district elects one representative to the City Council. The eight-member City Council serves four-year terms, and a mayor is elected at large – also on a four-year term. The City Council appoints a City Manager, who serves as the Chief Executive of the City. Berkeley provides a comprehensive range of municipal services to its population, many of which are not typically provided by cities. In addition to the customary city services, the City of Berkeley operates its own Health, Housing and Community Services Department, providing public health, mental health, and environmental health services to the community. The City also provides its own residential and commercial solid waste collection, recycling, and disposal service. In addition, the City’s Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront Department offers a number of summer camps and operates a 1,000-berth marina. Join the City of Berkeley team. Apply for open positions on our jobs page.

The City of Alameda, California is a unique island community of approximately 76,000 residents in the San Francisco Bay Area. With connections to the East Bay mainland by four bridges, two underwater tubes, and highly-desirable ferry service to San Francisco, we are within minutes of numerous cultural activities in San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley. People are drawn to Alameda for our safe and inviting residential communities with distinguished neighborhood schools, boutique shopping, and a broad mix of destination restaurants. Alameda takes pride in being a vibrant community with a rich maritime history and small-town charm. We offer a diverse mix of housing, including multi-family units and historic Victorian homes along tree-lined streets. According to Money Magazine, the City of Alameda compares favorably to the “best places to live” in America. Alameda was incorporated in 1854 and became a charter city in 1916 with a Council-Manager form of government. The five-member Mayor/Council serves four-year terms, staggered at even numbered years. The City is a full-service organization providing residents with a range of municipal services including police and fire protection; construction and maintenance of streets, storm drains, and other infrastructure; a state-of-the-art library system; economic development; an active planning and building permit center; and over 400 acres of parks and recreational facilities including multi-use athletic fields, picnic sites, a skate park, a swim center, and a full service senior center. The city employs approximately 500 full-time employees in the departments of the City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk, Finance, Information Technology, Human Resources, Fire, Police, Community Development, Base Reuse, Public Works, Recreation & Parks, Library, and Alameda Municipal Power.