San Bernardino is a city in the Inland Empire in California.
San Bernardino is the largest city of San Bernardino County. The 2000 census shows the population to be 185,401. Of this, 45.2% are white and 16.4% are African-American. 27.1% is cited as "some other race", the majority of which is most likely Hispanic. The city, along with its outlying areas, has a large Hispanic and Spanish-speaking population. 40.4% of the population speaks a language other than English at home.
Recent decades have not been kind to San Bernardino. The closure of the Kaiser Steel facility in nearby Fontana in the 1980s and the closure of Norton Air Force Base in 1994 were cataclysmic to the economy of the city. Repeated attempts at downtown revitalization have been mostly unsuccessful. In 2012 the city declared bankruptcy in the wake of a stubborn economic decline. The city was further devastated by a mass shooting by terrorists that took place in 2015.
- Site of the first McDonald Brothers Hamburger Stand, 1398 North 'E' St (N 'E' St & 14th St, +1 909 885-6324. M-F 9AM-5PM and Sa-Su 10AM-5PM. Location of the world's first McDonald's, now an unofficial museum. The original building no longer exists, but look for the huge red sign advertising 15 cent hamburgers which can't be purchased in the adjoining museum.
- Downtown San Bernardino. Definitely a neat place to check out. Recently revamped with angled parking, festivals, new stores, lower speed (vehicles) and more street appeal, this place is a hit! It is a very lively core with all kinds of stuff to do and lots of parking despite not being shown. It incorperates beautiful, generous wall to wall structures along with scenic landmarks.
Site of the first McDonald Brothers Hamburger Stand, 1398 North 'E' St (N 'E' St & 14th St, +1 909 885-6324. M-F 9AM-5PM and Sa-Su 10AM-5PM. Location of the world's first McDonald's, now an unofficial museum. The original building no longer exists, but look for the huge red sign advertising 15 cent hamburgers which can't be purchased in the adjoining museum.
Downtown San Bernardino. Definitely a neat place to check out. Recently revamped with angled parking, festivals, new stores, lower speed (vehicles) and more street appeal, this place is a hit! It is a very lively core with all kinds of stuff to do and lots of parking despite not being shown. It incorperates beautiful, generous wall to wall structures along with scenic landmarks.
- Happy Family Vegetarian Restaurant, 2150 South Waterman Ave (south of the I-10 freeway. It specializes in vegetarian and vegan meals, and is often packed.
- Lotus Garden, 111 E Hospitality Lane. It has exceptionally good Chinese and Cantonese cuisine, with a fancy sit-down atmosphere, lots of vegetarian options for relatively low prices (most meals under $15).
- Mitla Café, 602 N. Mt. Vernon Ave. (Along N Mt Vernon Ave just north 6th Ave, +1 909 888-0460. Tu-Th 9AM-2:30PM & 4:30PM-8PM; F 9AM-9PM; Sa-Su 9AM-8PM.
Happy Family Vegetarian Restaurant, 2150 South Waterman Ave (south of the I-10 freeway. It specializes in vegetarian and vegan meals, and is often packed.
Lotus Garden, 111 E Hospitality Lane. It has exceptionally good Chinese and Cantonese cuisine, with a fancy sit-down atmosphere, lots of vegetarian options for relatively low prices (most meals under $15).
Mitla Café, 602 N. Mt. Vernon Ave. (Along N Mt Vernon Ave just north 6th Ave, +1 909 888-0460. Tu-Th 9AM-2:30PM & 4:30PM-8PM; F 9AM-9PM; Sa-Su 9AM-8PM.
Most of the foreign consulates are located along Wilshire Blvd in/around the Wilshire neighborhood and West Los Angeles, between downtown and Santa Monica in Los Angeles. The following countries maintain consulates in downtown San Bernardino:
- Guatemala Guatemala, 333 N 'D' St (Along N 'D' St between W Court & 3rd St, next to Chase Bank, +1 909 572-8800. M-F 8AM-4PM. They also have another consulate in Los Angeles.
- Mexico Mexico, 293 N 'D' St (SE of intersection of N 'D' St & 3rd St, across 'D' Street from the city hall building, +1 909 889-9836, +1 909 889-9837, +1 909 633-1982 (emergencies only). M-F 8AM-7PM. They also have consulates in Calexico, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Santa Ana and San Diego.
Guatemala Guatemala, 333 N 'D' St (Along N 'D' St between W Court & 3rd St, next to Chase Bank, +1 909 572-8800. M-F 8AM-4PM. They also have another consulate in Los Angeles.
Mexico Mexico, 293 N 'D' St (SE of intersection of N 'D' St & 3rd St, across 'D' Street from the city hall building, +1 909 889-9836, +1 909 889-9837, +1 909 633-1982 (emergencies only). M-F 8AM-7PM. They also have consulates in Calexico, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Santa Ana and San Diego.
San Bernardino is a good launching point for Joshua Tree National Park.