The
San Fernando Valley (colloquially known as
The Valley,
818,
Valle or
SFV) is an urbanized
valleyIn geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
located in Southern
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. More than half of the city of
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
' land area lies within the San Fernando Valley. Other cities in the valley include
BurbankBurbank is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The estimated population in 2007 was 107,921.Burbank is located in two distinct areas, with its downtown, civic center and key neighborhoods nestled on the slopes and foothills that rise to the Verdugo Mountains, and other areas...
,
GlendaleGlendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It lies at the eastern end of the San Fernando Valley, is bisected by the Verdugo Mountains, and is a suburb in the Greater Los Angeles Area...
,
San FernandoSan Fernando is a city located in northwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 23,564 at the 2000 census...
, and
CalabasasCalabasas is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California in the western United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 23,123. The city was formally incorporated in 1991....
.
The region is served by the
Los Angeles Daily NewsThe Los Angeles Daily News, also known as the Daily News of Los Angeles, is the second largest circulating daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California...
and
San Fernando Valley Business Journal. The
Los Angeles Times also operates the
Burbank Leader, although offices are in neighboring Glendale.
Two of the region's television network affiliates are based in the valley,
KNBCKNBC, channel 4, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, licensed to Los Angeles, California. Its studios and offices are located within the NBC Studios complex in Burbank, California and its transmitter is based on Mount Wilson...
, in Burbank, and
KCBSKCBS-TV is the West Coast flagship station of the CBS Television Network located in Los Angeles, California. KCBS-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KCAL-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter is located atop Mount...
(with sister station
KCALKCAL-TV, channel 9, is an independent television station in Los Angeles, California, owned by the CBS Corporation. KCAL-TV shares its studio facilities with KCBS-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.-Early...
), in Studio City.
Geography
The San Fernando Valley is about bounded by the
Santa Susana MountainsThe Santa Susana Mountains are a transverse range of mountains in southern California, north of the city of Los Angeles, in the United States. The range runs east-west separating the San Fernando Valley and Simi Valley on its south, from Santa Clara River Valley to the north, and Santa Clarita...
to the northwest, the
Simi HillsThe Simi Hills are a low rocky mountain range in Southern California.-Geography:The Simi Hills are located on the western edge of the San Fernando Valley, United States. They run east-west and they extend 26 miles east-west, and 7 miles north-south. The Simi Hills are part of the Transverse Ranges...
to the west, the
Santa Monica MountainsThe Santa Monica Mountains are a low transverse range in southern California in the United States.-Geography:The range extends approximately 40 mi east-west from the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles to Point Mugu in Ventura County...
to the south, the
Verdugo MountainsThe Verdugo Mountains are a small mountain range located just south of the western San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County, Southern California, USA. The range is commonly known simply as the Verdugos...
to the east, and the
San Gabriel MountainsThe San Gabriel Mountains are located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range forms a barrier between the Greater Los Angeles Area and the Mojave Desert. This Transverse Range lies in and is surrounded by the Angeles National...
to the northeast. The
Sierra Pelona MountainsThe Sierra Pelona Mountains, also known as the Sierra Pelona Range, are a rocky transverse range in Southern California. The mountains extend from Interstate 5 at Gorman, to the Antelope Valley Freeway at Vincent...
(to the north) can be seen in parts of the San Fernando Valley from the gap between the Santa Susana and San Gabriel (Newhall Pass).
The
Los Angeles RiverThe Los Angeles River starts in San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Mountains, and Santa Susana Mountains and flows through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the west end of the San Fernando Valley, 51 miles southeast to its mouth in Long Beach...
begins at the confluence of Calabasas and Bell Canyon creeks behind Canoga Park High School in
Canoga ParkCanoga Park is a section of the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, United States about 25 miles northwest of Downtown Los Angeles....
and flows east along the southern areas of the Valley. One of the river's only unpaved sections can be found at the Sepulveda Basin. Another waterway, the
Tujunga WashTujunga Wash is a stream in Los Angeles County, California. It is a tributary of the Los Angeles River, providing about a fifth of its flow, and drains about . It is called a wash because it is usually dry, especially the lower reaches, only carrying significant flows during and after storms, which...
, drains much of the western San Gabriel Mountains and, after passing through the
Hansen DamHansen Dam in the Los Angeles district of Pacoima in Los Angeles County, California was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District in 1939 and 1940 for flood control...
Recreation Center, winds south through the eastern communities of the Valley before merging with the Los Angeles River in
Studio CityStudio City is a seven-square-mile district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is bounded roughly by Ethel Avenue to the west, Highway 101 to the north and east, and Mulholland Drive and the Santa Monica Mountains to the south.-Origin of...
. Other tributaries of the River include Caballero Creek,
Bull CreekBull Creek is a major tributary of the Los Angeles River in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles County, California.The stream begins in the eastern Santa Susana Mountains and enters a debris basin adjacent to the Los Angeles Reservoir...
,
Pacoima WashPacoima Wash is a major tributary of the Tujunga Wash, itself a tributary of the Los Angeles River, in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles County, California....
, and
Verdugo WashVerdugo Wash is a major tributary of the Los Angeles River, in the Glendale area of Los Angeles County, California.The stream begins just south of Interstate 210 in the Crescenta Valley...
. The elevation of the floor of the valley varies between about 600 and 1,200 ft. above
sea levelMean sea level is the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation.- Measurement :...
.
Most of the San Fernando Valley is within the jurisdictional boundaries of the city of
Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles is the largest city in the state of California and the second largest in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California...
, although several other independent cities are located within the Valley as well;
BurbankBurbank is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The estimated population in 2007 was 107,921.Burbank is located in two distinct areas, with its downtown, civic center and key neighborhoods nestled on the slopes and foothills that rise to the Verdugo Mountains, and other areas...
and
GlendaleGlendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It lies at the eastern end of the San Fernando Valley, is bisected by the Verdugo Mountains, and is a suburb in the Greater Los Angeles Area...
are in the southeast corner of the Valley,
Hidden HillsHidden Hills is an incorporated city, and also a gated development in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 1,875 at the 2000 census. It is located in the westernmost San Fernando Valley...
and
CalabasasCalabasas is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California in the western United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 23,123. The city was formally incorporated in 1991....
are in the southwest corner, and
San FernandoSan Fernando is a city located in northwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 23,564 at the 2000 census...
, which is completely surrounded by Los Angeles, is in the northeast valley.
Universal CityUniversal City is a community in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, that encompasses the 415 acre property of Universal Studios...
, an enclave in the southern part of the Valley, is unincorporated land housing the
Universal StudiosUniversal Studios , a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is one of the six major American movie studios. Its main motion picture production/distribution arm is called Universal Pictures. Its production studios are located at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California...
filming lot.
Mulholland DriveMulholland Drive is a road in Los Angeles, California, United States, named after engineer William Mulholland. A portion of it is also called Mulholland Highway....
, which runs along the ridgeline of the Santa Monica Mountains, marks the boundary between the Valley and the communities of Hollywood and Los Angeles' westside.
Los Angeles' administrative center for the valley is in Van Nuys. The area in and around the Van Nuys branch of Los Angeles City Hall is home to a police station, municipal and superior courts and Los Angeles city and county administrative offices. Northridge is home to California State University Northridge (originally named San Fernando Valley State College).
History
The
TataviamThe Tataviam which means "people facing the sun", also sometimes called the Alliklik which is also a derogatory term used by other tribes, are a Native American group in southern California...
, also known as the Fernandeño, tribe of Indians and the
TongvaThe Tongva are a Native American people who inhabited the area in and around Los Angeles, California, before the arrival of Europeans. Tongva means "people of the earth" in the Tongva language, a language in the Uto-Aztecan family. The Tongva are also sometimes referred to as the Gabrieleño/Tongva...
had inhabited the valley for at least 6,000 years before the
SpanishSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
built the San Fernando Mission in 1797.
The official first rancho and adobe settlement in the southeast part of the San Fernando Valley was occupied by
the Reyes familyJuan Francisco Reyes , soldado de cuero on the 1769 Portola expedition, alcalde of the Pueblo de Los Angeles for three terms, and recipient of the Spanish land grant for Los Encino and later Lompoc.-Juan Francisco Reyes:In 1769 Francisco Reyes, left his home in Mexico to join the Spanish army...
, in what is now Encino, California, but a rancho settlement in the northeast part of the San Fernando Valley was occupied by the Cota Family, near the mission at
San Fernando, CaliforniaSan Fernando is a city located in northwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 23,564 at the 2000 census...
.
The
treatyThe Treaty of Cahuenga. usually called the "Capitulation of Cahuenga," ended the fighting of the Mexican-American War in California in 1847. It was not a formal treaty between nations but an informal agreement between rival military forces in which the Californios gave up...
ending the Mexican-American War in California was signed near the mouth of the
Cahuenga PassThe Cahuenga Pass is a mountain pass through the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains in the Hollywood district of the City of Los Angeles, California....
(at the southeast corner of San Fernando Valley) at an adobe owned by The Verdugo Family at
Campo de CahuengaCampo de Cahuenga in North Hollywood, California, near Cahuenga Pass, was an adobe farmhouse on the Rancho Verdugo where the Treaty of Cahuenga was signed between Lieutenant Colonel John C. Frémont and General Andrés Pico in 1847, ending hostilities in California between Mexico and the United States...
in 1847.
Prior to development, before the arrival of the Los Angeles Owens Valley Aqueduct water, the valley was a bleak semi-desert, too dry for extensive agriculture over more than a small part of the valley. The water brought farming with some major crops including corn, cotton, persimmons, lemons, oranges, and walnuts. The advent of three new industries - motion picture, automobile, and aircraft - spurred urbanization and population growth.
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and a subsequent post war boom accelerated this growth so that by 1960, the valley had a population of well over one million.
After the construction of the
Owens ValleyOwens Valley is the arid valley of the Owens River in southeastern California in the United States. The valley is approximately long, trending north-south, and is bounded by the Inyo Mountains on the east, on the southeast by the Coso Range, on the south by Rose Valley, on the west by the Sierra...
-
Los Angeles AqueductThe Los Angeles Aqueduct system comprising the Los Angeles Aqueduct and the Second Los Angeles Aqueduct, is a water conveyance operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power...
, the mostly rural area was annexed by the city of Los Angeles in 1915, more than doubling the size of the city. A highly fictionalized story based on these events is told in the film
ChinatownChinatown is a American neo-noir film, directed by Roman Polanski. The film features many elements of the film noir genre, particularly a multi-layered story that is part mystery and part psychological drama...
(1974). Los Angeles continued to consolidate its territories in the San Fernando Valley by annexing
Laurel CanyonLaurel Canyon is a canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was first developed in the 1910s, and became a part of the city of Los Angeles in 1923 ....
(1923),
LankershimNorth Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California along the Tujunga Wash. Established by the Lankershim Ranch Land and Water Company in 1887, the town was first named Toluca before being renamed Lankershim in 1896 and North Hollywood in 1927...
(1923),
SunlandSunland is a neighborhood in the Valley section of the city of Los Angeles, California. Often mistakenly said to be part of the nearby San Fernando Valley, Sunland is actually part of the Crescenta Valley....
(1926), Tuna Canyon (1926), the incorporated city of
TujungaTujunga is a district in the far northern reaches of the City of Los Angeles, California.Although Tujunga is commonly perceived as the northeasternmost portion of the San Fernando Valley, it actually is in the Crescenta Valley...
(1932), and
Porter RanchPorter Ranch is an upscale neighborhood in the northwest part of the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California.It is bounded by Chatsworth on the south and west, Northridge on the south, and Granada Hills on the north and east. The Santa Susana Mountains, which separate the...
(1965). The additions expanded the Los Angeles portion of San Fernando Valley from the original to today. Six cities incorporated independent from Los Angeles:
GlendaleGlendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It lies at the eastern end of the San Fernando Valley, is bisected by the Verdugo Mountains, and is a suburb in the Greater Los Angeles Area...
(1906),
BurbankBurbank is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The estimated population in 2007 was 107,921.Burbank is located in two distinct areas, with its downtown, civic center and key neighborhoods nestled on the slopes and foothills that rise to the Verdugo Mountains, and other areas...
(1911),
San FernandoSan Fernando is a city located in northwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 23,564 at the 2000 census...
(1911)
Hidden HillsHidden Hills is an incorporated city, and also a gated development in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 1,875 at the 2000 census. It is located in the westernmost San Fernando Valley...
(1961),
CalabasasCalabasas is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California in the western United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 23,123. The city was formally incorporated in 1991....
(1991).
Universal CityUniversal City is a community in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, that encompasses the 415 acre property of Universal Studios...
is an unincorporated enclave that is home to
Universal StudiosUniversal Studios , a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is one of the six major American movie studios. Its main motion picture production/distribution arm is called Universal Pictures. Its production studios are located at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California...
theme park and
Universal CityWalkUniversal CityWalk is the name given to the entertainment and retail districts located adjacent to the theme parks of Universal Parks & Resorts. Originating as an expansion of Universal's first park, Universal Studios Hollywood, CityWalk serves as an entrance plaza from the parking lots to the...
.
Northridge earthquake
The 1994 Northridge Earthquake (January 17, 1994 which measured 6.7 on the Richter Scale), one of the few major earthquakes to have struck directly under a major city, was epicentered in neighboring Reseda just east of the intersection of Elkwood Street and Baird Avenue.
Secession movement
In 2002, the San Fernando Valley portion of Los Angeles attempted to
secedeSecession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity.-Secession theory:...
from the rest of the city and become an independent city of its own. The movement gained some momentum as many Los Angeles San Fernando Valley residents felt they were not receiving city services on par with the rest of the city. Had the proposal passed, the southern portion of the city would have remained as the City of Los Angeles, with about 2.2 million people. The northern Valley portion would have created a new municipality of with about 1.3 million residents. If the movement had succeeded, the nation's most populous cities, at that time in 2002, would have been:
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
,
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
,
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
, Houston, Philadelphia, and the new Valley city. The measure, however, did not muster the necessary votes for the Valley to secede.
The Valley had attempted to secede in the 1970s as well, but the state passed a law barring city formation without the approval of the City Council. In 1997, Assemblymen
Bob HertzbergRobert Myles Hertzberg is a lawyer, businessman and community activist who served in the California Legislature from 1996-2002. In the State Assembly, he represented more than 400,000 constituents in the San Fernando Valley communities of Los Angeles. Prior to his election, Mr...
and
Tom McClintockThomas Miller McClintock II is a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 4th congressional district...
helped pass a bill that would make it easier for the Valley to secede by removing the City Council veto. AB 62 was signed into law by Governor
Pete WilsonPeter Barton "Pete" Wilson is an American politician from California. Wilson, a Republican, served as the thirty-sixth Governor of California , the culmination of more than three decades in the public arena that included eight years as a United States Senator , eleven years as Mayor of San Diego ...
. Meanwhile, a grassroots movement to split the
Los Angeles Unified School DistrictLos Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California. It is the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. During the 2007-2008 school year, LAUSD served 694,288 students, and had 45,473...
(LAUSD) and create new San Fernando Valley-based school districts became the focal point of the desire to leave the city. Though the state rejected the idea of Valley-based districts, it remained an important rallying point for Hertzberg's mayoral campaign, which proved unsuccessful.
Before secession could come out for a vote, the
Local Agency Formation CommissionA Local Agency Formation Commission is one of several decision making government entities in California with the responsibility to decide boundary issues pertaining to city and county lands, including spheres of influence, and issues about the annexation of county lands into a city or special...
(LAFCO) studied the fiscal viability of the new city and decided that the new city must mitigate any fiscal loss incurred by the rest of Los Angeles. LAFCO concluded that a new San Fernando Valley city would be financially viable, but would need to mitigate the $60.8 million that Los Angeles would lose in revenues. Secessionists took this figure as evidence that the Valley gave more money to Los Angeles than it received back in services. This triggered a petition drive led by Valley VOTE to put secession on the ballot. Measures F and H not only decided whether the valley became a city but voters also got to pick a new name for it. The proposed names on the ballot were as follows: San Fernando Valley, Rancho San Fernando, Mission Valley, Valley City and Camelot. Along with Measures F and H, elections were held for fourteen council members and a mayor.
Valley politicians such as State Senator Richard Alarcon and City Council President
Alex PadillaAlejandro "Alex" Padilla is a California State Senator. He was elected as the state senator for California's 20th State Senate district in November 2006 and was inaugurated in early December. Prior to serving in the Senate he served 7 1/2 years on the Los Angeles City Council representing the 7th...
opposed the initiatives. The leader of the LAUSD breakup and former congresswoman and busing opponent
Bobbi FiedlerBobbi Fiedler is a former U.S. Representative from California who made a name for herself as a strong opponent of forced busing.-Biography:...
also campaigned against secession. Supporters pointed out that the Valley suffered from many of the same problems of poverty, crime, drug and gang activity as the rest of the city.
The proposal passed with a slight majority in the Valley, but was defeated by the rest of Los Angeles voters due to a heavily-funded campaign against it led by former Los Angeles mayor
James HahnJames Kenneth "Jim" Hahn is an American politician from the Democratic Party, best known for having served a single term as the mayor of the city of Los Angeles, California. Elected to that office in 2001, he served until 2005, at which time he was defeated in his bid for re-election...
. Republican Assemblyman
Keith RichmanDr. Keith S. Richman is a California, United States, Republican politician. From 2001 to 2007, he served in the California State Assembly representing the 38th Assembly District based in Northwest Los Angeles County. Elected to the post in November 2000 replacing Republican Tom McClintock. He won...
of Northridge was voted in as mayor of the stillborn city. Richman and other activists behind the secession movement attempted to redirect their civic energies toward influencing Los Angeles city politics, but their efforts largely fizzled. Hertzberg's 2005 mayoral campaign, which received heavy support in the valley, nonetheless finished in third place (only a few percentage points behind incumbent Mayor Hahn), and no secession supporters were elected to positions on the Los Angeles City Council.
Non-political secession
Many neighborhoods of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley have 'seceded' from one another in the form of renaming and reforming known community boundaries. Groups are motivated by the desire to disassociate themselves from undesirable connotations that some communities have inherited and, in the process, increase property values.
Lake BalboaLake Balboa is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California.It is bordered by the following Los Angeles communities: Encino to the south, Van Nuys to the east, Reseda to the west, and Northridge and North Hills to the north.It is named for a artificial lake...
broke away from
Van NuysVan Nuys is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States.-Geography:Van Nuys is located at .-Description:Lot sales began at the new town of Van Nuys on February 22, 1911...
.
Valley VillageValley Village is a district located in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California, north of Studio City, west and south of North Hollywood, and east of Sherman Oaks. Approximately 22,000 residents live within the boundaries of Valley Village, which consists mostly of...
,
Studio CityStudio City is a seven-square-mile district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is bounded roughly by Ethel Avenue to the west, Highway 101 to the north and east, and Mulholland Drive and the Santa Monica Mountains to the south.-Origin of...
and Valley Glen separated from North Hollywood.
West HillsWest Hills is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California.It is surrounded by the Chatsworth Reservoir to the north, Canoga Park to the east, Woodland Hills to the south, the city of Hidden Hills to the southwest, and the Simi Hills to the west...
and
WinnetkaWinnetka is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the County of Los Angeles, California. It is part of the City of Los Angeles.Winnetka is located next to Canoga Park on the west, Woodland Hills on the south, Chatsworth to the north, and Reseda to the east...
separated from
Canoga ParkCanoga Park is a section of the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, United States about 25 miles northwest of Downtown Los Angeles....
.
Porter RanchPorter Ranch is an upscale neighborhood in the northwest part of the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California.It is bounded by Chatsworth on the south and west, Northridge on the south, and Granada Hills on the north and east. The Santa Susana Mountains, which separate the...
seceded from
NorthridgeNorthridge is a community in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States.The 1994 Northridge Earthquake is named for the community based on early estimates of the location of the quake's epicenter; however further refinements showed it to be technically in...
.
ArletaArleta is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. It was considered part of Pacoima until the late 1960s, when the areas of Pacoima west of the Golden State Freeway "seceded" and formed a new community area....
broke off from
PacoimaPacoima is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California.It is bordered by the Los Angeles districts of Mission Hills on the west, Arleta on the south, Sun Valley on the southeast, Lake View Terrace on the northeast, and by the city of San Fernando on the north...
but failed to establish its own
ZIP codeThe ZIP code is the system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service . The letters ZIP, a backronym for Zone Improvement Plan, are properly written in capital letters and were chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
. The separate districts are in name only as none of the communities have actual governmental authority and all of the districts remain part of
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
.
Government and political representation
San Fernando Valley is composed of six incorporated cities, but the bulk of the region is governed by the City of Los Angeles. The unincorporated communities such as Universal City are governed by County of Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles section of the valley is divided into seven city council districts. They are City Council districts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 12. Of the 99 neighborhood councils in the city, 34 are in the Valley. The valley is represented in the
California State LegislatureThe California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
by seven members of the
State AssemblyThe California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
and five members of the
State SenateThe California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 State Senators. The state legislature meets in the state capital, Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
. The valley is divided into five congressional districts. It is represented in Congress by senior figures from both parties including Representative
Henry WaxmanHenry Arnold Waxman is an American politician. He has represented in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1975. Waxman, a Democrat, is considered to be one of the most influential liberal members of Congress. His district includes much of the western part of the city of Los Angeles, as well...
(D), Representative
Howard BermanHoward Lawrence Berman has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1983, representing the 28th District of California...
(D), and Representative
Howard McKeonHoward Philip "Buck" McKeon , an American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1993.-Early and Personal Life:...
(R). In the
Los Angeles County Board of SupervisorsThe Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is the five member non-partisan governing board of Los Angeles County, California. Members of the board of supervisors are elected by district, the current members as of December 2, 2008 are:*District 1: Gloria Molina...
, it is represented by two supervisorial districts.
The San Fernando Valley votes largely
DemocraticThe Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world. In the U.S...
in local and presidential elections. However, it is one of the other region of Los Angeles besides the Harbor area that regularly elects
RepublicansThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...
into office.
Demographics
According to the 2008 San Fernando Valley Census Report the population of the San Fernando Valley is 1.76 million, as of 2007. Of the population 43.4% were
Non-Hispanic WhiteWhite American is an umbrella term officially employed by the United States Census Bureau, Office of Management and Budget and other U.S...
, 40.8% were
Hispanic or LatinoHispanic and Latino Americans are Americans of origins in Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain - "Mexican," "Puerto Rican," or "Cuban" - as well as those who indicate that they are "other Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino." Origin can be viewed as the heritage, nationality group, lineage, or...
, 3.4% were African Americans and 10.1% were Asian. The largest cities located entirely in the valley are
GlendaleGlendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It lies at the eastern end of the San Fernando Valley, is bisected by the Verdugo Mountains, and is a suburb in the Greater Los Angeles Area...
and
BurbankBurbank is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The estimated population in 2007 was 107,921.Burbank is located in two distinct areas, with its downtown, civic center and key neighborhoods nestled on the slopes and foothills that rise to the Verdugo Mountains, and other areas...
. The most populous districts of Los Angeles in the valley are
North HollywoodNorth Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California along the Tujunga Wash. Established by the Lankershim Ranch Land and Water Company in 1887, the town was first named Toluca before being renamed Lankershim in 1896 and North Hollywood in 1927...
and
Van NuysVan Nuys is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States.-Geography:Van Nuys is located at .-Description:Lot sales began at the new town of Van Nuys on February 22, 1911...
. Each of the two cities and the two districts named has more than 100,000 residents. Despite the San Fernando Valley's reputation for sprawling, low-density development, the valley communities of
Panorama CityPanorama City is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California.-Description:It is bordered by Arleta on the north, Sun Valley on the east, Van Nuys on the south, and North Hills on the west. Major thoroughfares include Roscoe Boulevard, Van Nuys Boulevard, and...
, North Hollywood, Van Nuys,
ResedaReseda is a San Fernando Valley district in the city of Los Angeles, California.- History :The area now known as Reseda was originally inhabited by Native Americans of the Tongva tribe that lived close to the Los Angeles River...
,
Canoga ParkCanoga Park is a section of the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, United States about 25 miles northwest of Downtown Los Angeles....
, and
NorthridgeNorthridge is a community in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States.The 1994 Northridge Earthquake is named for the community based on early estimates of the location of the quake's epicenter; however further refinements showed it to be technically in...
, all in Los Angeles, have numerous apartment complexes and contain some of the densest census tracts in Los Angeles.
Latinos and non-Hispanic
whitesWhite people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
are nearly even in numbers. In general, communities in the northeastern, central, and southeastern parts of the Valley have the highest concentration of Latinos. Non-Hispanic Whites live mainly along the communities along the region's mountain rim and in the northwestern and southern sections of the valley. The city of Glendale has a large and influential
ArmenianThe Armenians are a nation and ethnic group which originated in the Caucasus and the Armenian Highland. It is estimated that there are 8 million Armenians around the world. There is a large concentration of Armenians in the Caucasus, especially in Armenia, and there is a significant presence in...
community.
Asian Americans make up 10.7% of the population and live throughout the valley, but are most numerous in the city of Glendale and the Los Angeles communities of
ChatsworthChatsworth is a district of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States in the San Fernando Valley region.-Geography:The district is bordered by the Santa Susana Mountains and unincorporated Los Angeles County lands to the north, Porter Ranch to the northeast, Northridge to the east, West...
, Panorama City,
Porter RanchPorter Ranch is an upscale neighborhood in the northwest part of the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California.It is bounded by Chatsworth on the south and west, Northridge on the south, and Granada Hills on the north and east. The Santa Susana Mountains, which separate the...
and
Granada HillsGranada Hills is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California.It is located just north of the North Hills and Northridge districts, west of the Mission Hills and Sylmar districts, and just east of the Porter Ranch district. It is accessible by the Ronald...
.
African Americans compose 5.1% of the Valley's population, living mainly in the Los Angeles sections of Lake View Terrace,
PacoimaPacoima is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California.It is bordered by the Los Angeles districts of Mission Hills on the west, Arleta on the south, Sun Valley on the southeast, Lake View Terrace on the northeast, and by the city of San Fernando on the north...
,
ResedaReseda is a San Fernando Valley district in the city of Los Angeles, California.- History :The area now known as Reseda was originally inhabited by Native Americans of the Tongva tribe that lived close to the Los Angeles River...
, Valley Village, Van Nuys, and
NorthridgeNorthridge is a community in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States.The 1994 Northridge Earthquake is named for the community based on early estimates of the location of the quake's epicenter; however further refinements showed it to be technically in...
.
Another large ethnic element is the
IranianThe Iranian peoples are an ethnic and linguistic branch of Indo-European peoples, living mainly on the Iranian plateau and beyond in central, southern, and southwestern Asia and southeastern Europe. As a group of people, they are predominantly defined along linguistic lines as speaking the Iranian...
community with 200,000 people living mainly in west San Fernando Valley such as
Calabasas,
Woodland HillsWoodland Hills is the name of various communities in the United States, including:* Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California* Woodland Hills, Kentucky, a city in Jefferson County* Woodland Hills, Utah, a town in Utah CountyOther uses...
, Tarzana, Encino, & Sherman Oaks. The valley is also home to a large and influential Jewish community along the same lines.
Poverty rates in the San Fernando Valley are lower than the rest of the county (15.3% compared to 17.9%). Nevertheless, in eight San Fernando Valley communities, at least one in five residents lives in poverty.
The Pacoima district of Los Angeles is widely known in the region as a hub of suburban blight. Other San Fernando Valley communities, such as the Los Angeles sections of
Mission HillsMission Hills is a suburban community in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California.It is located near the northern junction of the Golden State Freeway and the San Diego Freeway . The Ronald Reagan Freeway bisects the neighborhood. Mission Hills is the northern...
,
ArletaArleta is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. It was considered part of Pacoima until the late 1960s, when the areas of Pacoima west of the Golden State Freeway "seceded" and formed a new community area....
, and
SylmarSylmar is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. It is located east of Interstate 5 and north of the city of San Fernando...
, have poverty rates well below the regional average.
Many wealthy families live in the hills south of Ventura Boulevard.
Municipalities and districts
Cities
- Burbank
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The estimated population in 2007 was 107,921.Burbank is located in two distinct areas, with its downtown, civic center and key neighborhoods nestled on the slopes and foothills that rise to the Verdugo Mountains, and other areas...
- Calabasas
Calabasas is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California in the western United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 23,123. The city was formally incorporated in 1991....
- Hidden Hills
Hidden Hills is an incorporated city, and also a gated development in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 1,875 at the 2000 census. It is located in the westernmost San Fernando Valley...
- San Fernando
San Fernando is a city located in northwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 23,564 at the 2000 census...
- Glendale
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It lies at the eastern end of the San Fernando Valley, is bisected by the Verdugo Mountains, and is a suburb in the Greater Los Angeles Area...
Unincorporated communities
- Bell Canyon
Bell Canyon is a private, guard-gated residential community located near the western San Fernando Valley. Although only minutes from Los Angeles, Bell Canyon is located in neighboring Ventura County.-History:...
- Universal City
Universal City is a community in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, that encompasses the 415 acre property of Universal Studios...
- Calabasas Highlands
- West Chatsworth
- Kagel Canyon
Communities of the City of Los Angeles
+Common usage of the term San Fernando Valley include these communities that are in Crescenta Valley.
Economy
The Valley is home to numerous companies, the most well-known of which are involved in motion pictures, recording, and television production, including
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...
Studio Center, NBC-Universal,
The Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney Company , often simply known as Disney, is the largest media and entertainment conglomerate in the world, known for its family-friendly products...
(and its
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
television network), and
Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. (also known as Warner Bros. Pictures, or simply Warner Bros.—the shortened form of the former official, sometimes still used, formal corporate name: Warner Brothers
The Valley was previously known for stellar advances in aerospace technology by companies such as LockheedThe Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company founded in 1912 which merged with Martin Marietta in 1995 to form Lockheed Martin.-Origins:...
, RocketdynePratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is a United States company that designs and produces rocket engines that use liquid propellants. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is a division of Pratt & Whitney, itself a wholly owned subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation, headquartered in Canoga Park, California...
, and Marquardt.
The Valley became the pioneering region for producing adult films in the 1970s and since then has been home to a multi-billion dollar pornography industryPornography in the United States is a legal term at the federal level, except the generic terms "hardcore pornography" and "child pornography", do not exist after the 1973 Miller v. California case...
earning the monikers "Porn Valley", "San Pornando Valley" or "Silicone Valley" (a play on Silicon ValleySilicon Valley is the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, United States. The term originally referred to the region's large number of silicon chip innovators and manufacturers, but eventually came to refer to all the high-tech businesses in the area; it is now...
and silicone breast implants). The leading trade paper for that field (AVN Magazine) is based in the Northwest Valley, as are a majority of the nation's adult video and magazine distributors. According to the HBO series Porn Valley, nearly 90% of all legally distributed pornographic films made in the United States are either filmed in or produced by studios based in the San Fernando Valley. Most studios based in ChatsworthChatsworth is a district of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States in the San Fernando Valley region.-Geography:The district is bordered by the Santa Susana Mountains and unincorporated Los Angeles County lands to the north, Porter Ranch to the northeast, Northridge to the east, West...
, Van NuysVan Nuys is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States.-Geography:Van Nuys is located at .-Description:Lot sales began at the new town of Van Nuys on February 22, 1911...
and Canoga ParkCanoga Park is a section of the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, United States about 25 miles northwest of Downtown Los Angeles....
.
Transportation
Although most of the valley is part of Los Angeles, its development pattern is almost exclusively suburban, and the automobile is the dominant mode of transportation. Several freewayA freeway is a type of road designed for safer high-speed operation of motor vehicles through the elimination of at-grade intersections. This is accomplished by preventing access to and from adjacent properties and eliminating all cross traffic through the use of grade separations and...
s criss-cross the Valley, most notably, Interstate 405Interstate 405 is a major north-south Interstate Highway in Southern California. It is a bypass of Interstate 5, running along the western areas of the Greater Los Angeles Area from Irvine to near San Fernando...
, U.S. Route 101, State Route 118State Route 118 is a state highway in the United States state of California that begins running west to east through Ventura and Los Angeles counties in southern California. It travels from Saticoy in Ventura County east to Lake View Terrace in Los Angeles...
, and Interstate 5. Most of the major thoroughfares run on a cartographic grid; notable streets include Sepulveda BoulevardSepulveda Boulevard is a street in Los Angeles, California, which stretches some 42.8 miles from Rinaldi Street at the north end of the San Fernando Valley to the city limits of Hermosa Beach, where it "jumps" east and continues on to Long Beach. It generally runs north-south, passing underneath...
, Ventura BoulevardVentura Boulevard is one of the primary east-west thouroughfares in the San Fernando Valley; as it was originally a part of the El Camino Real , Ventura Boulevard is one of the oldest routes in the San Fernando Valley. It was also U.S. Route 101 before the freeway was built and it was also signed...
, Laurel Canyon BoulevardLaurel Canyon Boulevard is a major street in the city of Los Angeles, California. It starts off at Polk Street in Sylmar in the northern San Fernando Valley near the junction of the San Diego and the Golden State Freeways . Laurel Canyon Boulevard bypasses the city of San Fernando to the west,...
, San Fernando RoadSan Fernando Road officially known as Business Loop 5 is a major street in the city and county of Los Angeles. It starts off in Castaic as The Old Road, passing through Santa Clarita and the Newhall Pass, whereupon its intersection with Sierra Highway near the junction of the Golden State and the...
, Victory BoulevardVictory Boulevard is a major east-west arterial road that runs traversing the entire length of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County. Through much of the San Fernando Valley, Victory Boulevard divides the affluent communities at the southern end of the Valley , from the less affluent...
, Reseda BoulevardReseda Boulevard is a major north-south arterial road that runs through the western San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles County, California.Reseda Boulevard runs approximately from the Santa Monica Mountains at the Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park in the south to the Santa Susana Mountains and...
, Riverside DriveRiverside Drive is one of the principal east-west roads connecting the San Fernando Valley to Downtown Los Angeles, California, United States. Its name is derived from the fact that it follows the course of the Los Angeles River from the central San Fernando Valley to Downtown Los...
, Mulholland DriveMulholland Drive is a road in Los Angeles, California, United States, named after engineer William Mulholland. A portion of it is also called Mulholland Highway....
, and State Route 27State Route 27 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that runs from Pacific Coast Highway at Topanga State Beach near Pacific Palisades, through Topanga Canyon including the community of Fernwood Pacific also known as Topanga, and continuing through Woodland Hills, Canoga Park, West...
(Topanga Canyon Boulevard).
Despite the dominance of the automobile, the valley has two MetroThe Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the state chartered regional transportation planning and public transportation operating agency for the county of Los Angeles, and is the successor agency to the former Southern California Rapid Transit District...
subway stations, in Universal CityUniversal City is a community in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, that encompasses the 415 acre property of Universal Studios...
and North Hollywood, which opened in 2000 as an extension of the Metro Red LineThe Metro Red Line of the Los Angeles County Metro Rail is a heavy rail rapid transit line in Los Angeles. It is one of Los Angeles' two rapid transit lines , and also the busiest of the five Metro Rail lines...
Subway connecting the Valley to Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles. The Orange LineThe Metro Orange Line is a dedicated transitway operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority which opened on October 29, 2005. It travels fourteen miles between Warner Center and the North Hollywood Metro Red Line subway station in the San Fernando Valley...
, an east-west Bus Rapid TransitBus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems that use buses to provide a service that is of a higher speed than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
bus-way was opened in October 2005, connecting the North Hollywood Metro station to Warner Center in the west Valley. The new line features "train-like" articulated buses and very high frequency of service. Long-promised daily bus service between Sylmar and Santa ClaritaSanta Clarita is the fourth largest city in Los Angeles County, California, United States and the twenty-sixth largest city in the State of California. The California Department of Finance estimated the city population as of January 1, 2009 at 177,150. Including unincorporated areas of the Santa...
began operating in 2006. Two MetrolinkMetrolink is a regional rail system that serves Southern California.It was established in 1991 as the "Southern California Regional Rail Authority" and service began the following year...
commuter rail lines connect the Valley to downtown Los Angeles, merging into one at Burbank. These operate on a limited schedule serving commuters only during regular work hours. Amtrak's Pacific SurflinerThe Pacific Surfliner is a 350-mile Amtrak passenger train route serving communities on the coast of Southern California between San Diego and San Luis Obispo...
has stations at Burbank Airport, Van Nuys and Chatsworth. Six Metro RapidMetro Rapid is a bus rapid transit system in Los Angeles County, California, mainly operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority with two routes operated by the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus...
bus rapid transit lines (734, 741, 750, 761, 780, and 794) serve the area, with more planned. Metro service is planned and operated by the San Fernando Valley Sector under policies and oversight of its Governance Council.
The California High Speed Rail will have two stations in the valley, one in downtown BurbankBurbank is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The estimated population in 2007 was 107,921.Burbank is located in two distinct areas, with its downtown, civic center and key neighborhoods nestled on the slopes and foothills that rise to the Verdugo Mountains, and other areas...
and one in Sylmar when it opens its initial segment in 2020.
Parks and recreation
The San Fernando Valley is home to several large and many small parks. Griffith ParkGriffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park covers of land, making it one of the largest urban parks in North America. It is the second-largest city park in California, after Mission...
, the largest of Los Angeles' municipal parks, lies at the southeastern end of the valley, straddling the eastern end of the Hollywood Hills. Two large recreation areas occupy the flood control basins behind Sepulveda DamLocated in Los Angeles, California, the Sepulveda Dam is a project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, built in 1941 to control winter flood waters along the Los Angeles River...
and Hansen DamHansen Dam in the Los Angeles district of Pacoima in Los Angeles County, California was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District in 1939 and 1940 for flood control...
. O'Melveny Park above Granada Hills protects the upper reaches of Bee Canyon, at the eastern end of the Santa Susana Mountains. There is also a sizeable recreation area in the northwest valley, Chatsworth Park.
In the past decade, many large tracts of undeveloped or ranch lands in the mountains surrounding the Valley have been acquired for parkland. The Santa Monica Mountains ConservancyThe Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy is an agency of the state of California in the United States founded in 1979 and dedicated to the acquisition of land in the Santa Susana and Santa Monica Mountains and the Simi Hills, north and west of Los Angeles, for preservation as open space and wildlife...
and its affiliated agencies have purchased or otherwise acquired many of these lands, which are maintained as parkland by the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation AreaThe Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area, administered by the National Park Service, located in Los Angeles, California. Most of the park lies in Los Angeles County, while the western third and a small northern extension of it lie in Ventura County to...
, California state parks, or local parks districts. In 2003 the Ahmanson Ranch, a 2,983 acre (12 km2) property in Ventura County at the west end of the valley, was purchased by the State of California, and dedicated as the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space PreserveThe Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve is a large open-space nature preserve owned and operated by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy spanning nearly 3,000 acres in western Los Angeles County and eastern Ventura County...
on April 10, 2004.
House prices
The Valley suffers from California's state-wide housing affordability problems. In August 2005, the medianIn probability theory and statistics, a median is described as the number separating the higher half of a sample, a population, or a probability distribution, from the lower half. The median of a finite list of numbers can be found by arranging all the observations from lowest value to highest...
price of an average one family home in the San Fernando Valley reached $600,000. In 1997, it was only $155,000. In the summer of 2003, it reached $400,000 and by July 2005, it reached $578,500. From July to August (one month) 2005, it rose by $100,000. A cooling off was noted in 2006, when between November 2005 and November 2006, median prices rose by the smallest amount of any 12 month period since mid-1997. Indeed, November prices were lower than October prices, and sales for November had fallen 19.1% compared to a year earlier. The United States housing market correctionA United States housing market correction is a market correction or "bubble bursting" of a United States housing bubble; the most recent began following a national home price peak first identified in July 2006. Because realty trades in illiquid markets relative to financial assets like common...
affected the San Fernando Valley in 2007 making housing significantly more affordable in the area, the median sales price fell from $660,000 at the peak in May 2007, to $500,000 by March 2008, it then fell to $392,500 in September 2008.
Movies about the valley
Several motion pictures about life in the San Fernando Valley were produced by many companies also in the San Fernando Valley, including ChinatownChinatown is a American neo-noir film, directed by Roman Polanski. The film features many elements of the film noir genre, particularly a multi-layered story that is part mystery and part psychological drama...
(1974), Thank God It's FridayThank God It's Friday is a 1978 film directed by Robert Klane and produced by Motown Productions and Casablanca Filmworks for Columbia Pictures...
(1978), Foxes (1980), Fast Times at Ridgemont HighFast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 American coming-of-age teen comedy film and is the brain-child of Cameron Crowe. It was adapted from Crowe's 1981 book where, as a free-lancer for Rolling Stone magazine, he went undercover at a California high school and wrote about his experiences...
(1982), E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Dee Wallace. It tells the story of Elliott , a lonely boy who befriends a friendly...
(1982),Valley GirlValley Girl is a 1983 romantic comedy movie, starring Nicolas Cage, Deborah Foreman, E.G. Daily, Cameron Dye and Joyce Hyser. The movie was the directorial debut of Martha Coolidge, and was the first film in which Nicolas Coppola was billed as Nicolas Cage. The American release of Valley Girl was...
(1983), Private Teacher (1983), La BambaLa Bamba is an American biographical film written and directed by Luis Valdez. The picture features Lou Diamond Phillips, Esai Morales, Rosanna DeSoto, among others...
(1987), Earth Girls Are EasyEarth Girls Are Easy is a 1989 American comedy-musical film directed by Julien Temple. It stars Geena Davis, Jeff Goldblum, Michael McKean, Julie Brown, and hitherto largely unknown comedians Jim Carrey and Damon Wayans. The film is marketed with the tagline "An out-of-this-world, down-to-earth...
(1988), Encino ManEncino Man, released in Europe as California Man, is a 1992 comedy film directed by Les Mayfield and starring Brendan Fraser, Sean Astin and Pauly Shore. The plot revolves around two geeky teenagers from Encino, Los Angeles, California played by Astin and Shore, who discover a caveman in their...
(1992), SafeSafe is a 1995 drama/thriller film written and directed by Todd Haynes, and produced by Christine Vachon...
(1995), 2 Days in the Valley2 Days in the Valley is a 1996 film, directed by John Herzfeld, about 48 hours in the lives of a group of people who are drawn together by a murder. Several parallel story lines overlap one another in the film.-Plot:...
(1996), Boogie NightsBoogie Nights is a American drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Set in Southern California in the late 1970s and early 1980s, during the Golden Age of Porn, the screenplay focuses on a young nightclub dishwasher who becomes the popular star of pornographic films and finds...
(1997), MagnoliaMagnolia is a 1999 American drama film, written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, and starring John C. Reilly, Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, and Jeremy Blackman. It interweaves nine separate yet connected storylines, about the interactions among several...
(1999), some scenes of Mulholland DriveMulholland Drive is a 2001 neo-noir psychological thriller written and directed by David Lynch, and starring Naomi Watts, Laura Elena Harring and Justin Theroux. The surrealist film was highly acclaimed by many critics and earned Lynch the Prix de la mise en scène at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival...
(2001), Punch-Drunk LovePunch-Drunk Love is an American surrealist, romantic comedy-drama written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, starring Adam Sandler and Emily Watson. Anderson regulars Philip Seymour Hoffman and Luis Guzmán appear....
(2002), A Cinderella StoryA Cinderella Story is a teen romantic comedy film starring Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray written by Leigh Dunlap. A modern-day take on the classic story of Cinderella, the plot involves a lost cell phone, rather than the traditional glass slipper. Directed by Mark Rosman, the film also...
(2004), Down in the Valley (2005), The 40-Year-Old VirginThe 40-Year-Old Virgin is a comedy film written and directed by Judd Apatow and co-written by the film's lead star, Steve Carell, though the film itself features a great deal of improvised dialogue...
(2005), some scenes of SuperbadSuperbad may refer to:*Superbad , a 2007 comedy film**Superbad , the soundtrack to the film*Superbad , a website created by Ben Benjamin*"Super Bad" , a 2009 song by Adrienne Bailon...
(2007) and Knocked UpKnocked Up is a 2007 American comedy film, co-produced, written and directed by Judd Apatow. Starring Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, and Leslie Mann, the film follows the repercussions of a drunken one-night stand between Rogen's slacker character and Heigl's just-promoted media...
(2007).
The first and third Karate KidKarate Kid may refer to:*The Karate Kid, a 1984 American movie starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita, followed by three sequels**The Karate Kid , a 1989 animated TV series based on the films...
films (1984 and 1989 respectively) were mostly filmed and about it, while the second entry (1986) starts there but in the six-month flashforward, moves its story to Okinawa.
Alpha DogAlpha Dog is a 2006 crime drama film written and directed by Nick Cassavetes, released on January 27, 2006. The film is based on the true story of the kidnapping and murder of 15-year-old Nicholas Markowitz and related events in 2000. It portrays the involvement of Jesse James Hollywood, a young...
(2007) was based on a true story that happened in the San Fernando Valley in 2000, and it was mostly filmed in the valley in Fall 2004, but, for legal reasons, it was fictionalized within the film to take place in the San Gabriel ValleyThe San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of southern California. It lies to the east of the city of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and west of the Inland Empire. It derives its name from the San Gabriel River that flows...
instead.
In the 1994 movie Pulp FictionPulp Fiction is a 1994 crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who cowrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references...
directed by Quentin TarantinoQuentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s he was an independent filmmaker whose films used nonlinear storylines and aestheticization of violence...
, the valley is referenced by Samuel L. JacksonSamuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor. After Jackson became involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then, films. He had several small roles, before meeting his mentor, Morgan Freeman, and the director Spike Lee...
's character, Jules, as being a place where Marsellus Wallace had no friends. This was in response to John TravoltaJohn Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. He first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
's character, Vincent, accidentally shooting a man point blank in the face there in broad daylight.
During the second Ghostbusters movie (1989) Bill Murray's character (Peter Venkman) mocks a ghost warlord with this statement: "You know, I have met some dumb blondes in my life, but you take the taco, pal! Only a Carpathian would come back to life now and choose New York! Tasty pick, bonehead! If you had brain one in that huge melon on top of your neck, you would be living the sweet life out in Southern California's beautiful San Fernando Valley!"
Songs about the valley
The lifestyles of Valley teensValley Girl is a term originally referring to affluent upper-middle class girls living in the bedroom community neighborhoods of San Fernando Valley....
in the 1980s, and their slang (ValspeakValspeak is a common name for an American sociolect, originally of Los Angeles, Californians, in particular Valley girls. This stereotype originated in the 1970s, but was at its peak in the 1980s and lost popularity in the late 1990s and 2000s...
), were satirized in the Frank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, electronic, orchestral, and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album...
song "Valley Girl." The song featured his daughter, Moon Unit ZappaMoon Unit Zappa is an American actress, musician and author. She goes by the name Moon Zappa; "Unit" is her middle name.-Personal life:...
, performing Valspeak (example: "Like, grody to the max!").
Bing CrosbyHarry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American popular singer and actor whose career stretched over more than half a century from 1926 until his death....
had a #1 hit song in 1944 called "The San Fernando Valley", written by Gordon Jenkins.
The protagonist of Tom PettyThomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
's song "Free Fallin'"Free Fallin" is the opening track from Tom Petty's 1989 solo album, Full Moon Fever. The song was written by Petty and his writing partner for the album, Jeff Lynne. The duo wrote and recorded the single in two days, making it the first song completed for Full Moon Fever...
" has ended a relationship with a valley girl, and mentions various locations and landmarks associated with the area: "It's a long day living in ResedaReseda is a San Fernando Valley district in the city of Los Angeles, California.- History :The area now known as Reseda was originally inhabited by Native Americans of the Tongva tribe that lived close to the Los Angeles River...
," "all the vampires walkin' through the Valley/ move west down Ventura BoulevardVentura Boulevard is one of the primary east-west thouroughfares in the San Fernando Valley; as it was originally a part of the El Camino Real , Ventura Boulevard is one of the oldest routes in the San Fernando Valley. It was also U.S. Route 101 before the freeway was built and it was also signed...
," and "I wanna glide down over MulhollandMulholland Drive is a road in Los Angeles, California, United States, named after engineer William Mulholland. A portion of it is also called Mulholland Highway....
."
Soul CoughingSoul Coughing was a New York-based alternative rock band. The band found modest mainstream success during the mid-to-late 90's. Soul Coughing developed a devout fanbase and have garnered largely positive response from critics. Steve Huey describes the band as "one of the most unique cult bands of...
's song "Screenwriter's Blues" describes a person who is "going to ResedaReseda is a San Fernando Valley district in the city of Los Angeles, California.- History :The area now known as Reseda was originally inhabited by Native Americans of the Tongva tribe that lived close to the Los Angeles River...
to make love to a model."
Randy NewmanRandall Stuart “Randy” Newman is an American singer/songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is notable for his mordant pop songs and for his many film scores....
's song "I Love L.A."I Love L.A." is a satiric song about Los Angeles, California written and recorded by Randy Newman. It was originally released on his 1983 album Trouble in Paradise...
" mentions Ventura Boulevard and Victory Blvd.
Roy Roger's song "Make My Home the San Fernando Valley."
The Sovernty's debut album "Turning The Page", was recorded in Northridge.
Waking AshlandWaking Ashland was a piano rock band from San Diego, California, signed to Tooth and Nail Records and Immortal Records. They formed in 2003 and released two EPs and two full-length albums. Their final lineup consisted of singer/keyboardist Jonathan Jones, guitarist Ryan Lallier, bassist Nate...
has a song named ResedaReseda is a San Fernando Valley district in the city of Los Angeles, California.- History :The area now known as Reseda was originally inhabited by Native Americans of the Tongva tribe that lived close to the Los Angeles River...
.
Bryan FerryBryan Ferry is an English singer, musician, songwriter and occasional actor known for a suave visual and vocal style, earning him the epithet 'The Electric Lounge Lizard'...
mentions that "Canoga ParkCanoga Park is a section of the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, United States about 25 miles northwest of Downtown Los Angeles....
is a straight safe drive" in "Can't Let Go" on The Bride Stripped BareThe Bride Stripped Bare is a 1978 solo album by Bryan Ferry and is his fifth album released independent of Roxy Music. It was recorded after his girlfriend Jerry Hall left him for Mick Jagger in 1977, and appears to contain references to their break-up....
.
"Van Nuys" by Sixx:A.M.Sixx:A.M. is a hard rock band formed in 2007 by Nikki Sixx, DJ Ashba, and James Michael. It is the side-project of Mötley Crüe bass guitarist Nikki Sixx. The group is best known for their song "Life Is Beautiful".Sixx:A.M...
released in 2007 on the album "The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack."
"Van Nuys (Es Very Nice)" by Los AbandonedLos Abandoned is an American alternative rock band from the Los Angeles, California area. The band's lyrics are in Spanish and English, or a combination of the two known as Spanglish....
is a lament about the many immigrants who have left their country for the seemingly mundane and uncomfortable lifestyle in Van Nuys: "The summer's hot, it's hell the bus is always late/ The great big cloud of smog that makes you choke and hate/ Y dejaste tu pais por esto?"
Phantom PlanetPhantom Planet is an alternative rock band from Southern California. The band is best known for its track "California", which became the theme song for the Fox TV series, The O.C..-History:...
sang about the Sherman Oaks GalleriaSherman Oaks Galleria is a shopping mall and business center located in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States, at the corner of Ventura and Sepulveda Boulevards in the San Fernando Valley....
in "The Galleria."
See also
- Crescenta Valley
The Crescenta Valley is a small inland valley in Los Angeles County, California. Its name derives from its crescent-like shape, with the convex portion facing roughly northeast and the concave portion southwest. It lies between the San Gabriel Mountains on the northeast and the Verdugo Mountains...
- San Gabriel Valley
The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of southern California. It lies to the east of the city of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and west of the Inland Empire. It derives its name from the San Gabriel River that flows...
- Santa Clara River Valley
The Santa Clara River Valley is a valley that runs from east to west through Ventura County and northwest Los Angeles County, California...
- Rhondda Valley
Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley , is a former coal mining valley in Wales, formerly a local government district, consisting of 16 communities built around the River Rhondda. The valley is made up of two valleys, the larger Rhondda Fawr valley and the smaller Rhondda Fach valley...
- Rancho Los Encinos
Rancho Los Encinos was a Spanish grazing concession, cattle and sheep ranch, stagecoach stop, wheat farm, and real estate subdivision in the San Fernando Valley of California near Los Angeles...
- Valley girl
Valley Girl is a term originally referring to affluent upper-middle class girls living in the bedroom community neighborhoods of San Fernando Valley....
External links