Nestled along the east shore of the San Francisco Bay, Albany has the ambiance of a small town with the advantage of being centrally located in a major metropolitan area. There is a strong sense of community with an emphasis on children. Albany has its own excellent public school system. Albany became incorporated in 1908. It is located in the East Bay bordiering the cities of Berkeley and El Cerrito. Albany has a population of around 17,000 people. There is a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station on the Albany El Cerrito border. There is also AC Transit bus service throughout the city.

Historically, Albany was a town with modest 2 and 3 bedroom houses ranging in size from 1000 to 1500 square feet. The houses were predominately California Bungalows or Period Revival, many of which were built by Charles Manning MacGregor, the prolific developer who built over 1500 houses in Albany during the 1920s and 1930s. He is known for having pioneered the practice of building a number of houses at the same time. Unlike other developers, MacGregor didn't make the houses that were being built simultaneously look alike. The floor plans for MacGregor houses are charming and very utilitarian.