Alameda, Charter city in San Francisco Bay Area, United States
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, United States, located on several islands in the East Bay, including Alameda Island, Bay Farm Island, and Coast Guard Island. Bridges connect these islands to Oakland and provide access to the surrounding region, with water surrounding most of the urban area.
The area was originally part of Rancho San Antonio, a Spanish land grant held by the Peralta family, before becoming a city on June 6, 1853. Later, a major shipyard industry developed here, building many vessels for the Navy during World War II.
The name comes from Spanish, meaning tree-lined avenue or poplar grove, a reminder of early settlement by Spanish-speaking pioneers. Visitors see signs of shipbuilding tradition everywhere, as many buildings along the shoreline recall the dockyard work and residents often walk by the water.
A water taxi connects the islands to San Francisco and offers travelers an alternative to the bridges into the metropolis. Most visitors get around best by car or bicycle, as the flat terrain is well suited for cycling.
Neptune Beach was an amusement park that operated from 1917 to 1939 and is credited as the birthplace of the American snow cone and popsicle. Today only a few reminders of this place remain, which once attracted thousands of visitors.
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