Granada Hills, Los Angeles

Granada Hills
Neighborhood of Los Angeles

A welcome sign at Chatsworth Street and Zelzah Avenue
Motto: "The Valley's Most Neighborly Town"[1]

Boundaries of Granada Hills as drawn by the Los Angeles Times
Granada Hills

Location within Los Angeles/San Fernando Valley

Coordinates: 34°17′N 118°30′W / 34.283°N 118.500°W / 34.283; -118.500
Elevation 292 m (959 ft)
Time zone PST (UTC-8)
 • Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)
Area code 818

Granada Hills is a lightly populated, highly diverse and high-income neighborhood. It is a suburban residential community in the San Fernando Valley portion of the city of Los Angeles.

There is an active sports program and a range of city recreation centers. The neighborhood has fourteen public and seven private schools.

History

The community began as dairy farm and orchard known as the Sunshine Ranch which grew apricots, oranges, walnuts and beans. Vestiges of former citrus groves can still be seen in orange, lemon or grapefruit trees in many residential yards. In 1916, the San Fernando Valley's first oil well was drilled in what is now Granada Hills. The oil well was located at the northern tip of Zelzah Avenue. Granada Hills was founded in 1926 as "Granada;" the "Hills" portion of the name was added 15 years later.

Geography

Granada Hills is located at the foothills of the Santa Susana Mountains, north of the North Hills, Northridge, west of Mission Hills and Sylmar, and east of the Porter Ranch neighborhoods of Los Angeles. The Ronald Reagan Freeway–Route 118 runs along its southern side.

Demographics

The 2000 U.S. census counted 50,535 residents in the 15.11-square neighborhood—or 3,344 people per square mile. In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 53,998. In 2000 the median age for residents was 37,[2]

The neighborhood is ethnically diverse and includes whites, 55.5%; Latinos, 20.6%; Asians, 16.3%; blacks, 3.4; and others, 4.2%. Korea (16.0%) and Mexico (13.8%) were the most common places of birth for 29.2% of the residents who were born abroad[2]

The median yearly household income in 2008 was $83,911. Renters occupied 26.4% of the housing stock. The average household size of 2.9 people was considered average for Los Angeles. The percentages of married men (60.4%) and women (58.5%) were among the county's highest. There were 4,032 veterans, or 10.5% of the population, a high proportion compared to the rest of the city.[2]

Arts and culture

Architecture

One of the Eichler Homes

Granada Hills is composed mostly of Mid-Century modern architecture. Of note is the "Balboa Highlands" tract built by iconic developer Joseph Eichler.[3] Many of these homes, which are North of Rinaldi/West of Balboa, have been featured in movies, commercials, magazine pictorials and appear in books about Eichler or mid-century architecture.

Historical landmarks

Deodar trees on White Oak Ave.

White Oak Avenue, between San Fernando Mission and San Jose Street was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument on August 3, 1966 for the 101 Deodar Cedar trees that line the street. The trees are native to the Himalayas and appreciated for their size, beauty and timber. White Oak Avenue trees was used as the back-drop in the flying bicycles scene in the 1982 film "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial".[4]

Sports

Granada Hills Charter High School's stadium, the John Elway Stadium (named after the quarterback, an alumnus), is the home of the Los Angeles Rampage women's soccer team and the former home of the San Fernando Valley Quakes.

In 1963, the Granada Hills Little League won the Little League World Championship in baseball.[5]

Parks and recreation

O'Melveny Park, the second largest park in Los Angeles, consists of a large undeveloped area and a much smaller developed section with several dozen citrus trees, a small intermittent stream, and grass and picnic areas. This 672-acre (2.72 km2) park includes hiking trails and fire roads, including a grassy promontory from which a view of the northeastern portion of the San Fernando Valley may be seen.[6][7] Mission Point and its environs are popular mountain biking and hiking areas. The view from the top of Mission Point (called "Mission Peak" by many residents), the highest point in Granada Hills, is striking, taking in most of the San Fernando Valley. In clear weather, one can see the Pacific Ocean and Downtown Los Angeles. The area around the peak is home to deer, golden eagle, bobcats, mountain lions, raccoons, and coyotes.[8][9]

The Granada Hills Recreation Center (also known as Petit Park) is located at 16730 Chatsworth Street, at Petit Avenue. It features an Auditorium, four Baseball Diamonds that are lighted, Indoor and outdoor Basketball Courts, two Children's Play Area, an Indoor Gym, many Picnic Tables, Tennis Courts that are lighted, Classrooms, and a Dance Room. The sports it offers during the fall season is, Youth Soccer, Youth Baseball, Basketball for Adults and Youth, Youth Flag Football, Gymnastics, Youth Softball, Sports Clinics. Other programs included is Arts & Crafts, Dance classes, Kick Boxing, Music, Pre-School, Spring Day Camp, Summer Day Camp, Winter Day Camp. Hours of operation for this park are Monday-Friday 9am-9pm and Saturday 9:00-5:00pm. It is closed on Sundays and on Holidays. .[10]

Zelzah Park, an unstaffed park, has a bridle path, a children's play area, and picnic tables.[11]

Government

Local

City Council

Los Angeles City Council District 12 encompasses Granada Hills, with councilmember Mitchell Englander serving..

Neighborhood Councils

Granada Hills is served by two Neighborhood Councils:

County, state and federal

Granada Hills is in California's 30th congressional district as of 2013 and represented by Democrat Brad Sherman.[14] It was in the 38th State Assembly district, and the 20th State Senate district until the 2014 redistricting.[15]

Education

Thirty-two percent of Granada Hills residents aged 25 and older have earned a four-year degree by 2000, an average percentage for the city.[2]

Schools

Granada Hills Charter High School
John F. Kennedy High School

Schools within the Granada Hills boundaries are:[16]

Public

Private

Infrastructure

Public services

Los Angeles Fire Department Stations 18 (Knollwood/Granada Hills) and 87 (Granada Hills) are in the area.

Granada Hills is served by the Los Angeles Police Department Devonshire Community Police Station.[18]

Health care

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Pacoima Health Center in Pacoima, serving Granada Hills.[19]

Postal service

The United States Postal Service Granada Hills Post Office is located at 18039 Chatsworth Street.[20]

Libraries

Los Angeles Public Library operates the Granada Hills Branch.

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce". Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Granada Hills," Mapping L.A., Los Angeles Times
  3. ↑ "Eichler Homes of Balboa Highlands - Welcome". Balboa Highlands Neighborhood Website. Retrieved 2014-07-03.
  4. ↑ "No. 41 - 114 Deodar Trees". Big Orange Landmarks. 2007-07-04. Retrieved 2014-08-03.
  5. ↑ "Little League Baseball: Past Champions". Littleleague.org. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
  6. ↑ "The Quiet Majesty of O'Melveny Park". The Trust for Public Land.
  7. ↑ "O'Melveny Park". Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.
  8. ↑ "Mission Point: Mission Point Trail". Trails.com. Retrieved July 24, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Neon Way – Granada Hills – Los Angeles County". socalmtb.com. Retrieved July 24, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Granada Hills Recreation Center". City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. Retrieved July 24, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Zelzah Park". City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. Retrieved July 24, 2010.
  12. ↑ Granada Hills North Neighborhood Council
  13. ↑ Granada Hills South Neighborhood Council
  14. ↑ "California's 30th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map - GovTrack.us". Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Project Vote Smart information for 91344". Votesmart.org. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Granada Hills: Schools," Mapping L.A., Los Angeles Times
  17. ↑ North Valley Service Area - Rinaldi Adult Center
  18. ↑ "Citywide Division Map". Los Angeles Police Department. Retrieved March 7, 2010.
  19. ↑ "Pacoima Health Center." Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Retrieved on March 17, 2010.
  20. ↑ "Post Office Location – GRANADA HILLS." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
  21. ↑ Gabe Fuentes, "Official Orders Dump to Make Changes, but Won't Close It," Los Angeles Times, September 2, 1988
  22. ↑ Mulhern, Tom, "Brewers: Braun's start a smashing success", Wisconsin State Journal, July 21, 2007
  23. ↑ Elling, Steve, "FOOTBALL : 49ers' Bregel Gives Money to Hospital, USC and Old Neighborhood, "Los Angeles Times", July 24, 1987
  24. ↑ "Chao-Li Chi obituary". Los Angeles Times. 2010-10-24.
  25. ↑ Reilly, Rick (May 10, 1983). "Elway's 'just one of the boys'". Eugene Register-Guard. (Denver Post). p. 1C.
  26. ↑ Cuba Gooding, Jr at the Internet Movie Database
  27. ↑ EISENHAMMER, FRED, "NBA Finds It Hard to Get Gray Out", "Los Angeles Times", January 7, 1990.
  28. ↑ http://www.adidas.com/athlete/Maurice_Greene.asp
  29. ↑ Ashley Judd at the Internet Movie Database
  30. ↑ Farmer, Sam (2011-06-16). "Jim Rodnunsky dies at 54; developer of Cablecam system used in sporting events, Hollywood films". Variety. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  31. ↑ "Cablecam developer Jim Rodnunsky dies". Variety. 2011-06-16. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  32. ↑ "C.J. Sanders". UND.com. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  33. ↑ "Biography of Frank Wilcox". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Granada Hills, Los Angeles.


Coordinates: 34°17′N 118°30′W / 34.28°N 118.5°W / 34.28; -118.5

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/30/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.