Berkley, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Berkley is a city in Oakland County
of the U.S. state
of Michigan
. It is an inner suburb
of Detroit
. As of the 2010 census, the total population was 14,970.
Since Berkley's eastern border is formed by Woodward Avenue, the city is an active participant in the annual Woodward Dream Cruise
, a popular classic car
showcase in the Metro Detroit
area. The Berkley police even patrol the Woodward Dream Cruise using their own custom police vehicle (see photo below).
. The novitiate for the Chicago, Detroit, and Wisconsin provinces of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), Loyola House, is located in Berkley.
of 2010, there were 14,970 people, 6,594 households, and 4,020 families residing in the city. The population density
was 5,757.7 per square mile (2,201.5/km2). There were 6,933 housing units at an average density of 2,666.5 per square mile (1,019.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.25% White, 3.03% African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.31% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races
, and 1.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.84% of the population.
There were 6,594 households out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were married couples
living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 38.2% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $57,620, and the median income for a family was $66,968. Males had a median income of $50,276 versus $36,624 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $27,504. About 2.5% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.
operates in almost all of Berkley, most of Huntington Woods
, and the north section of Oak Park
. The school district includes four elementary schools (Angell, Burton, Pattengill, and Rodgers.), one Kindergarten-8th grade school (Norup International), one middle school (Anderson), and one high school (Berkley High School
). Berkley High School has been named by Newsweek to its 2008 list of "top high schools" and ranked among the top six in the state. Norup became an International Baccalaureate Candidate school this year implementing the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP) for all students. Homeowners in the first block west of Woodward and in the first five streets north of Eleven Mile Road are serviced by the Royal Oak Public Schools
.
A former elementary school, Avery, was converted into the school district office and is now known as Avery Center. Avery is one of three campuses (with Tyndall and Magnolia) housing the Berkley School District's Building Blocks program for infants through pre-school. The program is nationally accredited, one of among only 8% accredited centers in the country.
There is also a Roman Catholic school named Our Lady of La Salette
. The school is a three-year-old preschool through 8th grade facility and has impressive sports teams. The Varsity A (mostly eighth grade) basketball team recently won the Catholic Youth Organization
(CYO) championship. Amazingly, ten boys from the school were on the team, and there are only 22 children total (including girls) in the entire eighth grade at La Salette. The team also had two parishioners, or people that do not go to the school but are active members in the church parish. There are 200 children in the school, including the two pre-school classes and kindergarten.
Oakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It is an inner suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. As of the 2010 census, the total population was 14,970.
Downtown, Dream Cruise, etc.
Berkley's downtown area stretches along 12 Mile Road between Greenfield Road and Coolidge Highway, and along Coolidge Highway between 12 Mile Road and 11 Mile Road. Berkley's municipal offices and public safety headquarters are located on 12 Mile Road just east of Coolidge Highway. The Berkley Parks and Recreation department is located at the community center on Catalpa Drive, just east of Anderson Middle School. This includes the tennis courts, ice arena, baseball diamonds, and a park.Since Berkley's eastern border is formed by Woodward Avenue, the city is an active participant in the annual Woodward Dream Cruise
Woodward Dream Cruise
The Woodward Dream Cruise event is a classic car event held annually on the third Saturday of August in Metropolitan Detroit, along Woodward Avenue. The WDC Event spans much of the avenue, from Pontiac through Ferndale in Oakland County, Michigan, all the way to the State Fair Grounds inside the...
, a popular classic car
Classic car
A classic car is an older car; the exact meaning is variable. The Classic Car Club of America maintains that a car must be between 20 and 40 years old to be a classic, while cars over 45 years fall into the Antique Class.- Classic Car Club of America :...
showcase in the Metro Detroit
Metro Detroit
The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the metropolitan area located in Southeast Michigan centered on the city of Detroit which shares an international border with Windsor, Ontario. The Detroit metropolitan area is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area...
area. The Berkley police even patrol the Woodward Dream Cruise using their own custom police vehicle (see photo below).
Churches
There are many churches, of a variety of denominations, in Berkley. The largest is the Roman Catholic church of Our Lady of La SaletteLa Salette
La Salette is a small mountaintop village near Grenoble, France. It is part of the commune of La Salette-Fallavaux, which is situated in the Isère-département in the Rhône-Alpes-region....
. The novitiate for the Chicago, Detroit, and Wisconsin provinces of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), Loyola House, is located in Berkley.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2010, there were 14,970 people, 6,594 households, and 4,020 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 5,757.7 per square mile (2,201.5/km2). There were 6,933 housing units at an average density of 2,666.5 per square mile (1,019.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.25% White, 3.03% African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.31% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.84% of the population.
There were 6,594 households out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 38.2% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $57,620, and the median income for a family was $66,968. Males had a median income of $50,276 versus $36,624 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $27,504. About 2.5% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.
Schools
The Berkley School DistrictBerkley School District
Berkley School District is a United States school district serving the entirety of Berkley, Huntington Woods, and the northern portion of Oak Park, in the state of Michigan. The superintendent is Michael Simeck. Created in 1840, the district currently serves 4,500 students...
operates in almost all of Berkley, most of Huntington Woods
Huntington Woods, Michigan
Huntington Woods is a city in southern Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,238 at the 2010 census. Huntington Woods is an inner suburb of Detroit and is bounded by Ten Mile and Eleven Mile Roads to the north and south, and by Coolidge Highway and Woodward Avenue to...
, and the north section of Oak Park
Oak Park, Michigan
As of the census of 2000, there were 29,793 people, 11,104 households, and 7,595 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,863.8 persons per square mile . There were 11,370 housing units at an average density of 2,263.9 per square mile...
. The school district includes four elementary schools (Angell, Burton, Pattengill, and Rodgers.), one Kindergarten-8th grade school (Norup International), one middle school (Anderson), and one high school (Berkley High School
Berkley High School
Berkley High School is a public high school in Berkley, Michigan with a 2005-2006 enrollment of 1,348 students. Berkley High's colors are Maroon and Blue and the school's mascot is the Bears. Berkley is well known for its college prep courses, high standardized test scores, and teachers and...
). Berkley High School has been named by Newsweek to its 2008 list of "top high schools" and ranked among the top six in the state. Norup became an International Baccalaureate Candidate school this year implementing the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP) for all students. Homeowners in the first block west of Woodward and in the first five streets north of Eleven Mile Road are serviced by the Royal Oak Public Schools
Royal Oak Neighborhood Schools
Royal Oak Neighborhood Schools is also called ROSD for Royal Oak School District.The official name is School District of the City of Royal Oak...
.
A former elementary school, Avery, was converted into the school district office and is now known as Avery Center. Avery is one of three campuses (with Tyndall and Magnolia) housing the Berkley School District's Building Blocks program for infants through pre-school. The program is nationally accredited, one of among only 8% accredited centers in the country.
There is also a Roman Catholic school named Our Lady of La Salette
Our Lady of LaSalette School
Our Lady of La Salette School is a school in Berkley, Michigan, located on the corner of Coolige Hwy. and Oxford Rd. The school is located next to Our Lady of La Salette Roman Catholic Church. The school's population is about 200, and the school's grades range from Preschool through eighth grade...
. The school is a three-year-old preschool through 8th grade facility and has impressive sports teams. The Varsity A (mostly eighth grade) basketball team recently won the Catholic Youth Organization
Catholic Youth Organization
A Catholic Youth Organization is an organization for young Catholics. Usually each group uses the church for meeting and gathering, although some have their own premises. It was initiated by Bishop Bernard J...
(CYO) championship. Amazingly, ten boys from the school were on the team, and there are only 22 children total (including girls) in the entire eighth grade at La Salette. The team also had two parishioners, or people that do not go to the school but are active members in the church parish. There are 200 children in the school, including the two pre-school classes and kindergarten.
Notable residents
- Curtis ArmstrongCurtis ArmstrongCurtis Armstrong is an American actor best known for his portrayal as Booger in the Revenge of the Nerds movies, as Herbert Viola on Moonlighting, and as famed record producer Ahmet Ertegün in the film Ray.-Early life:...
, a Berkley High School graduate, has appeared in movies and television. Roles have included "Risky Business," "Ray," "Moonlighting," "Revenge of the Nerds," and "American Dad," as well as roles in "Grey's Anatomy," "Reaper," and "That 70's Show." - Marshall CrenshawMarshall CrenshawMarshall Crenshaw is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist best known for his song "Someday, Someway".-Biography:...
, a popular singer and musician, best known for the songs, "Someday, Someway." Crenshaw graduated from Berkley High School in 1971. Crenshaw played the role of the bandleader in the movie "Peggy Sue Got Married." He played the role of Buddy HollyBuddy HollyCharles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
in the movie "La Bamba"La Bamba (film)La Bamba is a 1987 American biographical film written and directed by Luis Valdez. The picture features Lou Diamond Phillips, Esai Morales, Rosanna DeSoto, Elizabeth Peña, Danielle von Zerneck, and Joe Pantoliano...
. - Virginia DalyVirginia DalyVirginia Daly, an American cat breeder from Berkley, Michigan, was the breeder, in 1964, of the original Ocicat....
, the creator of the OcicatOcicatThe Ocicat is an all-domestic breed of cat which resembles a 'wild' cat but has no wild blood. The breed is unusual in that it is spotted like a wild cat but has the temperament of a domestic animal. It is named for its resemblance to the ocelot....
cat breed. - Benjamin Colman, working with Betty N. Robins, created a thin tinfoil pan with an expanding top designed to pop popcorn without the mess of having to clean the pan later. In 1958, his creation would go on to become the popular snack food Jiffy PopJiffy PopJiffy Pop is a popcorn brand of ConAgra Foods. The product combines unpopped popcorn kernels and oil with an aluminum pan and folded aluminum foil lid. As the pan is heated, the popping corn causes the foil to unfold and puff up. Jiffy in the name references the short cooking...
. - Jim StarlinJim StarlinJames P. "Jim" Starlin is an American comic book writer and artist. With a career dating back to the early 1970s, he is best known for "cosmic" tales and space opera; for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock; and for creating or co-creating the Marvel characters...
Comic book artist and novelist, noted for his "cosmic" take on superheroes such as Warlock, Silver Surfer and Captain Marvel. Graduated from Berkley High School in 1967 - Rob Tyner, singer of the famous American rock band the MC5MC5The MC5 is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan and originally active from 1964 to 1972. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson...
lived in Berkley during the later years of his life. He is buried at Berkley's Roseland Park Cemetery.