Community Information

POST OFFICE

The Foster City branch is located at 1050 Shell Blvd. (Charter Square Shopping Center) and is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to

5 pm, Saturday 9:00 am until 2 pm. Zip code: 94404

VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Available at the Chamber of Commerce, City Hall, Recreation Center, Library and Post Office.

BUSINESS (INCLUDING HOME BASED) FIRMS:

2,003 as provided in October 2007 by Foster City City Hall.

INDUSTRIAL/COMMERCIAL

Separate from the residential area of the city but near enough to be convenient for residents to work and live in the same community, Foster City’s 392-acre commercial district lies north of East Hillsdale Blvd. It is an ideal place for businesses to locate because of its excellent climate, relatively clean air, mid-Peninsula location between the San Francisco and San Jose airports and easy access to the East Bay by way of the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge.

METRO CENTER

This planned corporate community houses many shops, restaurants, an elegant central park, a 144 room San Mateo - Foster City Courtyard Marriott and is home to VISA, Inc. & Sony Computer Entertainment. Anchor stores are Safeway and COSTCO Wholesale.

VINTAGE PARK/Gilead Sciences

A 132-acre commercial development located between State Highway 92 and the San Francisco Bay, the Vintage Park project features a campus environment that contains 750,000 square feet of commercial space (office and R & D), a 356-room Crowne Plaza hotel, and several restaurants. The buildings are surrounded by lush landscaping that includes a five-acre lake and several water features. Businesses located at Vintage Park include Gilead Sciences, one of the leading biopharmaceutical companies, as well as Honeywell and the corporate offices of Entelos. The unique PC/computer-shaped Electronics for Imaging (EFI) building is a landmark on East Third Avenue.

LINCOLN CENTRE

Located at the east end of Third Avenue, the Lincoln Center buildings are home to one of the technology leaders in the life science marketplace, Applied Biosystems, and Legacy Partners, Inc., specialists in the acquisition, development, and management of commercial and residential.

TRANSPORTATION

Schedules for the various bus and shuttle routes that service Foster City as well as CalTrain are available at the Foster City Chamber of Commerce, City Hall, Library, Recreation Center, most Foster City supermarkets and www.fostercity.org.

AC TRANSIT LINE M provides weekday commute hour service between Hayward BART and Hillsdale CalTrain, with several stops in Foster City.

COMMUTE HOUR SHUTTLES provide weekday service to Hillsdale CalTrain and Millbrae BART. The North Foster City Shuttle stops at various employers north of Highway 92 and connects to the Millbrae Intermodel Station. The Lincoln Centre Shuttle stops at various employers north of Highway 92 and connects to Hillsdale CalTrain.

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT is 20 minutes to the north off Highway 101, and has major airlines serving all parts of the country and world daily.

CALTRAIN in San Mateo, from which north-south commuter trains run, is only 10 minutes away.

SAMTRANS provides direct commuter service to San Francisco from Foster City and provides surface transportation serving San Mateo County, including connections to CalTrain.

THE PENINSULA TRAFFIC CONGESTION RELIEF ALLIANCE has in-depth public transportation information on their website - www.commute.org.

FOSTER CITY CONNECTIONS SHUTTLE provides weekday service around Foster City, including local shopping centers and Bridgepointe Center as well as connection to CalTrain. Hours of operation are 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, along two different routes.

SMALL PLANE FACILITIES, including air taxi and charter services, are available at the county-operated San Carlos Airport and at the San Francisco International Airport.

FREEWAYS

Bayshore Freeway (U.S. 101) extends through San Francisco in the north to Los Angeles in the south, and lies adjacent to Foster City. It serves as a popular commute and travel route as does State Highway 92, known as the J. Arthur Younger Freeway. Highway 92 bisects Foster City to the east and continues over the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge, joining with Interstate Highway 880 in the East Bay and intersects Highway 280 to the west.

CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS

Many civic organizations, fraternal orders, service clubs and patriotic, social, cultural and youth groups are active in Foster City. Whatever your interest, it is easy to become involved in the community. Contact the Chamber office for a list of these organizations and contact information.

PUBLIC ARTS PROGRAM

Foster City’s Arts & Culture Committee, established in 1974, is one of the Peninsula’s first city-funded art committees. Active volunteers present a full calendar of events throughout the year, offering artistic programs of interest to Bay Area residents. These include a writer’s contest, a photography contest, cultural events in the park, a winter classical concert series, and monthly showings in the Art Gallery of the William Walker Recreation Center, 650 Shell Blvd. For information, call 286-3380.

ART GALLERY

Foster City Art Gallery, William Walker Recreation Center, 650 Shell Blvd., 286-3380. The Gallery displays monthly showings of Bay Area artists featuring mixed media, ceramics and glass. Call the Recreation Center at 286-3380 for hours of operation.

HILLBARN THEATRE AND CONSERVATORY

Hillbarn Theatre, which had its beginnings in a San Mateo “barn on a hill” in 1941, is the sixth oldest continuously operating community theatre in the United States! Since 1968, Foster City has been home to this 175 seat peninsula jewel. Hillbarn, celebrating its 68th continuous season of productions, is the 6th oldest community theatre in the United States! The moment you enter the lobby you feel the warmth and sense of community in this special gathering place. We transform the theatre experience; Hillbarn Theatre’s hallmark is award-winning productions in an intimate setting. Hillbarn Theatre has received special recognition from The City of Foster City and awards which, in recent years, include three prestigious Dean Goodman Awards in both 2002 and 2005.

In addition to the theatre, the Conservatory supports the mission of Hillbarn Theatre by building a solid foundation for aspiring artists and arts appreciation in the next generation; over 300 children each year have the unique experience of working together to recreate life on a stage. All that Hillbarn does on its MainStage, with its Conservatory, and through its Community Outreach Initiative is reflected in their Spirit Line: Hillbarn Theatre – Redefining Community TheatreTM .

For information, call the Box Office (650) 349-6411 or check out the website at www.hillbarntheatre.org.