Riverside (USA)

The city, located around 100 km south-east of Los Angeles, was founded in 1870 by John North, a friend of Abraham Lincoln, on the site of a former Spanish ranch. Just one year later, the first orange trees were planted here, laying the foundations for the rapid growth of the city, which today has 300,000 inhabitants. Riverside was soon able to afford the first polo field and the first golf course in Southern California.

The citrus plantations - especially the navel orange imported from Brazil - led to a veritable gold rush, which is commemorated in the Citrus State Historic Park. As early as 1895, the inhabitants of Riverside had the highest per capita income in the USA thanks to modern cooling systems for the fruit and ingenious irrigation for the trees.

As the town blossomed, the Mission Inn, a unique eclectic-style hotel, became a magnet for presidents, royalty and movie stars from nearby Hollywood. The mild weather, the nearby mountains and the hospitality of the people of Riverside have made the town a popular destination, especially for visitors from the east of the USA.

Riverside has succeeded in preserving its historic buildings in their entirety; there is even an entire street with architecturally very attractive residential buildings from the 1920s. More than one hundred buildings are listed. And everything in the town center is within easy walking distance. But the countryside around Riverside also invites you to linger: Hiking, cycling, mountain climbing, even skiing in winter, all possible in the surrounding area.

The Fox Theater, where the film "Gone with the Wind" premiered, now stages musicals, and the museums and galleries in the town center are evidence of a rich cultural life. The many cultures that come together here, from indigenous tribes and Mexicans to Indians, Chinese and Koreans, give Riverside a special character. A city of many languages, open to the world and with partners in Asia, Africa, Latin America - and now probably soon also with Erlangen in Europe.

Ideas for establishing a civic partnership with Riverside are very welcome!