Menlo Park is a city on the eastern side of San Mateo County, San Francisco Bay Area in the State of California. The city was founded in the 1850s by Dennis Oliver and D.C. McGlynn who bought a 1,700 acre piece of land and placed a wooden arch with the name “Menlo Park” as the name of the property. The current town grew up from a railway station under the same name and it became popular with businessmen in San Francisco. The city was incorporated in 1874. It borders Redwood City, Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, North Fair Oaks and Stanford.
Going by the 2010 census, the city had a population of 32,000 people. The city is predominantly white with Caucasians forming 70% (22, 400) of the population, Asians form about 10% (3, 200) of the population, African Americans 5%, Native American and Alaskan Natives form 5% and the rest being mixed races at 8% among others. The population density of the area is 3,271 people per square mile.
Menlo Park has one of the highest literacy rates with 86% of the residents being high school graduates or higher. About 70% of the adult population has acquired degrees according to the 2010- 2014 American Community Survey.
Menlo Park has ample housing with 13, 046 housing units. 34.4% of the houses are 2-person households, 28.3% are 1-person households while 23.1% of the houses are occupied by 4 or more people.
Menlo Park City is relatively a quiet city with less bustling commercial activity taking place in storeyed buildings. The city has numerous public tennis courts, a skate park, and public parks such as Bedwell Bayfront Park, Burgess Park, Kelly Park, Marketplace Park and Nealon Park among others.
The city is adequately served by water from the Municipal Water District which serves approximately 16,000 residents. The residents of Menlo Park are assured of water which contributes to better hygiene and overall good health and a comfortable life.
Menlo Park follows most of the health indications for San Mateo County where 10% of the adults have diabetes. Low-income adults (18%), African Americans (15%) and those with less than high school education (15%) have all shown high prevalence of diabetes. The average life span in Menlo Park and the larger San Mateo County is 77 years with whites having the highest life expectancy at 79 years and pacific islanders the least at 61 years.
In addition, 77% of the residents in Menlo Park are overweight or obese with the low-income adults and those living below the 200% of the federal Poverty Level (FPL) being overweight or obese. Minority groups such as Latino, African Americans and adults with less than high school education have also shown high prevalence for being overweight or obese.
The high prevalence of obesity and diabetes is compounded by the fact that about 54% of the adults in Menlo Park and the larger San Mateo County do not engage in regular physical exercise. Low income earners and those with minimal education are the hardest hit by irregular or non-existent physical activity.
Another disease troubling the residents of Menlo County and those in the San Mateo County by extension is asthma where 18% of all adults suffer from the condition. As in other health conditions, the percentages of people suffering from asthma are higher among the minority groups, low income earners and those with minimal education. For instance, about 20% of black adults and low-income earners in San Mateo County suffer from 20%.
The entire San Mateo County has a nutrition program for older adults. The nutrition programs provide nutritious meals at group dining sites such as senior centers and some home deliveries for those who are homebound provided they are aged more than 60 years and are eligible. In some cases, people with disabilities are catered for by the program. Some sites funded through the Older Americans Act (OAA) are found in Menlo Park. They include Menlo Park Senior Center and Peninsula Volunteers, Inc. Little House. The OAA funded sites have been approved by the Registered Dietitians and meet the US Dietary Reference Intakes whereby they are low in sodium, fat and cholesterol. Other facilities such as the Nazareth Classic Care in Menlo Park offer care for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease for the elderly people.
There are numerous recreational facilities in Menlo Park such as the Onetta Harris Community Center, Arrillaga family Recreation center and some gymnastics center which encourage residents to interact more and have a vibrant social life away from their busy work schedules. A vibrant social life and numerous exciting places for people to visit throughout the city helps to curb mental health issues among many residents because of strong support teams with family and friends.
Menlo Park residents enjoy ample venues not only for play, fun and celebration but the community organizes several community events. For instance, in summer 2016, the city organizes the Fourth of July Parade & Celebration, and a Summer Concert Series at Fremont Park. These community activities serve to offer memorable moments for the community and better interaction in a manner that promotes better, secure, loving and healthier communities.
References
County of San Mateo Health System . (2016). Nutrition Programs for Older Adults. Retrieved July 7, 2016, from http://smchealth.org/node/1031
Health Data. (2016). Retrieved July 7, 2016, from http://www.gethealthysmc.org/health-data-0
United States Census Bureau. (2016). Menlo Park city, California. Retrieved July 7, 2016, from http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/community_facts.xhtml
