Sun Valley | |
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Coordinates: 34°13′03″N118°22′10″W / 34.2175°N 118.36944°W | |
Country | United States |
State | California |
County | Los Angeles |
City | Los Angeles |
Population (2008) | |
• Total | 81,788 |
Sun Valley is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California in the San Fernando Valley region. The neighborhood is known for its overall youthful population and moderate racial diversity. There are three recreation centers in Sun Valley, one of which is a historic site. The neighborhood has thirteen public schools—including John H. Francis Polytechnic High School and Valley Oaks Center for Enriched Studies (VOCES)—and four private schools.
The former Tongva/Fernandeño (Native American) village in this area was called Wixánga, which comes from the word wixár (or "thorn" or "prickle" in English) in the Fernandeño dialect of the Tongva language. [1] Hence, Wixánga meant something like "place/canyon of the thorns" in English, in reference to the abundant prickly pear cacti naturally found in the area. This was later reflected in the Spanish name for the area, or Cañada de las Tunas ("canyon of the thorns" in English). Finally, this became La Tuna Canyon, and now Sun Valley.
In 1874, California State Senator Charles Maclay (for whom Maclay Street in San Fernando is named) acquired 56,000 acres (230 km2) of land across the San Fernando Valley. The area extended from Sunland Blvd. all the way west to the Chatsworth Hills. East of Sunland was Rancho San Rafael, a large land grant to José María Verdugo by the Spanish Crown.
By 1876, the Southern Pacific Railroad was constructed through the eastern San Fernando Valley, linking Southern and Northern California. A general store named Roberts Store was used as a post office and water-tank station; later the area's name was changed to Roscoe, reportedly after the name of a railroad crew member. The current name of Sun Valley was chosen in 1950 by residents. [2] [3]
Sun Valley is bordered on the northeast by Shadow Hills, on the southeast by Burbank, on the south by North Hollywood and Valley Glen, on the west by Panorama City and on the northwest by Pacoima, Hansen Dam and Lake View Terrace. [4]
Situated at the base of the Verdugo Mountains, Sun Valley is prone to flash floods, and one such flood on Sunday, February 20, 2005 at 22:37 (10:37 p.m. PST) destroyed a portion of the 8000 block of Tujunga Avenue and killed a Los Angeles City civil engineer when a sinkhole 30 feet (9.1 m) deep opened. [5]
The 2000 U.S. census counted 75,848 residents in the 9.42-square-mile Sun Valley neighborhood—or 8,048 people per square mile, about an average population density for the city. In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 81,788. In 2000 the median age for residents was 28, considered young for city and county neighborhoods; the percentage of residents aged 10 or younger was among the county's highest. [6]
The neighborhood was considered "moderately diverse" ethnically within Los Angeles, with a high percentage of Latinos. The breakdown was Latinos, 69.4%; whites, 17.9%; Asians, 8.1%; blacks, 1.9%; and others, 2.7%. Mexico (54.5%) and El Salvador (11.9%) were the most common places of birth for the 51.9% of the residents who were born abroad—a high percentage for Los Angeles. [6]
The median yearly household income in 2008 dollars was $51,290, considered average for the city but low for the county. The percentages of households that earned $20,000 to $60,000 were high for the county. Renters occupied 46.1% of the housing stock, and house or apartment-owners held 53.9%. [6]
Old Trapper's Lodge | |
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Location | Woodland Hills, Los Angeles |
Built | 1951 to 1981 |
Architect | John Ehn |
Reference no. | 939 |
Old Trapper's Lodge, California Historical Landmark No. 939, an outsider art environment that pays homage to the pioneer upbringing of its creator, John Ehn (1897–1981), was situated in Sun Valley. It represented the life work of the self-taught artist who wished to pass on a sense of the Old West, derived from personal experiences, myths, and tall tales. From 1951 to 1981, using his family as models, and incorporating memorabilia, he followed his dreams and visions to create the lodge and its "Boot Hill." The artwork was moved from the original site in Sun Valley, CA, and relocated to Pierce College in Woodland Hills. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19]
The Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants is located in Sun Valley; it is dedicated to helping people discover the beauty of California native plants.
The Sun Valley Recreation Center in Sun Valley includes a public swimming pool, [20] lighted baseball diamond, lighted outdoor basketball courts, a children's play area, a football field, picnic tables, a lighted soccer field, lighted tennis courts, and a lighted volleyball court. [21]
The Fernangeles Recreation Center in Sun Valley includes a public swimming pool, [22] an auditorium, barbecue pits, a lighted baseball diamond, lighted indoor basketball courts, lighted outdoor basketball courts, a children's play area, a lighted football field, an indoor gymnasium with weights, picnic tables, and a lighted soccer field. [23]
The Stonehurst Recreation Center in Sun Valley is a historic site. The center has an indoor gymnasium and auditorium with a capacity of 400 people, barbecue pits, a lighted baseball diamond, lighted outdoor basketball courts, a children's play area, a community room, a lighted football field, an indoor gymnasium with weights, picnic tables, a lighted soccer field, and volleyball courts. [24]
Sun Valley is part of the City of Los Angeles. Los Angeles Fire Department Fire Station 77 [25] is located in the Sun Valley area. The station is in the Battalion 12 district.
The United States Postal Service Sun Valley Post Office is located at 10946 Ratner Street. [26]
One of every ten of Sun Valley residents aged 25 and older had earned a four-year degree by 2000, a low percentage for both the city and the county. The percentage of the same-age residents with less than a high school diploma was high for the county. [6] [27]
Schools within the Sun Valley boundaries are: [28]
The Los Angeles Public Library operates the Sun Valley Branch. [30]
Northridge is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles. The community is home to California State University, Northridge, and the Northridge Fashion Center.
Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, United States.
Van Nuys is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley.
Canoga Park is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. Before the Mexican–American War, the district was part of a rancho, and after the American victory it was converted into wheat farms and then subdivided, with part of it named Owensmouth as a town founded in 1912. It joined Los Angeles in 1917 and was renamed Canoga Park on March 1, 1931, after Canoga, New York.
Arleta is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California. It contains a high percentage of Latino residents and of people born outside the United States.
Wilmington is a neighborhood in the South Bay and Harbor region of Los Angeles, California, covering 9.14 square miles (23.7 km2).
Winnetka is a neighborhood in the west-central San Fernando Valley in the city of Los Angeles. It is a highly ethnically diverse area, both for the city and for Los Angeles County, with a relatively large percentage of Hispanic and Asian people and a small percentage of Arabic people.
Tarzana is a suburban neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Tarzana is on the site of a former ranch owned by author Edgar Rice Burroughs. It is named after Burroughs' fictional jungle hero, Tarzan.
North Hollywood is a Los Angeles, California neighborhood, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North Hollywood Metro Rail station is the northern terminus of the B Line subway on the Los Angeles Metro.
Sylmar is a suburban neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley and is the northernmost neighborhood within the city of Los Angeles. Historically known for its profusion of sylvan olive orchards, Sylmar can trace its past to the 18th century and the founding of the San Fernando Mission. In 1890, olive production was begun systematically. The Sylmar climate was also considered healthy, and so a sanitarium was established, the first in a series of hospitals in the neighborhood. There are fourteen public and eight private schools within Sylmar.
Panorama City is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, in the San Fernando Valley. It has a generally young age range as well as the highest population density in the Valley. More than half of the neighborhood's population was born abroad, the majority being from Mexico. Known as the Valley's first planned community after a transition from agriculture to a post-World War II housing boom, it has been home to several notable residents. It is now a mixture of single-family homes and low-rise apartment buildings.
West Hills is a neighborhood in the western San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California. It is bordered by mountain ranges to the west and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Chatsworth to the north, Canoga Park to the east, and Woodland Hills to the south.
Granada Hills is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles. The community has a sports program and a range of city recreation centers. The neighborhood has fourteen public and ten private schools.
Mar Vista is a neighborhood on the Westside of Los Angeles, California. In 1927, Mar Vista became the 70th community to be annexed to Los Angeles. It was designated as an official city neighborhood in 2006.
West Los Angeles is an area within the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. The residential and commercial neighborhood is divided by the Interstate 405 freeway, and each side is sometimes treated as a distinct neighborhood, mapped differently by different sources. Each lies within the larger Westside region of Los Angeles County.
Lake View Terrace is a suburban neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California.
Lake Balboa is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. The area was previously part of Van Nuys.
Shadow Hills is a neighborhood in the Verdugo Mountains and northeastern San Fernando Valley, within the city of Los Angeles, California.
Sunland-Tujunga is a Los Angeles city neighborhood within the Crescenta Valley and Verdugo Mountains. Sunland and Tujunga began as separate settlements and today are linked through a single police station, branch library, neighborhood council, chamber of commerce, city council district, and high school. The merging of these communities under a hyphenated name goes back as far as 1928. Sunland-Tujunga contains the highest point of the city, Mount Lukens.
The Old Trapper's Lodge is a California Folk Art display started in 1951 in the United States. It was designated a California Historical Landmark on March 25, 1985. The Old Trapper's Lodge art work is located in Los Angeles Pierce College's Cleveland Park at 6201 Winnetka Avenue in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles in Los Angeles County. The folk art is a life-size sculpture made by John Ehn (1897-1981), a self-taught artist who loved Old West culture. Ehn used his family as models and turned them into life-size outsider art Old West characters.