Woodland Hills
Woodland Hills encompasses a number of distinct areas in the west San Fernando Valley, including areas known as South of the Boulevard, Vista de Oro, Carlton Terrace, College Acres, Warner Center, West of Valley Circle, Valley Circle Estates & Walnut Acres. The community offers suburban living in fine custom homes and established tract homes. With the exception of some townhome developments and pockets of small developed PUD’s, it is suburban life without the HOA fees.
South of the Boulevard
South of the Boulevard, Woodland Hills was developed early in the early 1920’s a builder named Victor Girard, who originally named the new community after himself and placed ads all over Los Angeles, hoping to entice families to the far west end of the Valley and his new construction. Prospects would have to drive past countless other real estate come-ons along winding Ventura Boulevard to reach Girard, only to reach barren grassland with few trees to block the summer sun or blowing dust. He then started a country club, stable and a newspaper and erected a Moorish-style headquarters at Topanga & Ventura to help sell his lots and weekend cottages. Eventually the Depression and reports of double-selling the same parcels ended the Girard dream. He left, followed by most of the residents. But his legacy was the groves of 120,000 eucalyptus, cypress, acacias, peppers, and Monterey Pines he planted. A few of the old Girard cottages remain South of the Boulevard, but his enduring legacy is the trees, now nicely matured, giving some of the shadiest streets in the Valley.
Walnut Acres
Appropriately renamed Walnut Acres, in Woodland Hills, residents of this neighborhood live in a beautiful enclave with large Estate homes and classic Ranch homes. Originally developed with parcel sizes averaging from a one to two acres, lots have been further subdivided over the years. Longtime residents strive to retain the shady, peaceful, lower density character of the area. Original ranch homes built in the 1940s and 1950s are sought after for their charm and quality wood materials and workmanship. There are wonderful schools in the area. Most people who move in will not move out for decades, even after raising their children in the area. People who live in Walnut Acres take pride in their area and they want to make sure that no one use the name incorrectly. Take care when previewing listings which claim to be in “Walnut Acres” which may actually be just on the outside of the area, or “Walnut Acres adjacent”. The neighborhood line is irregular on the east and west borders, and your future value could be greatly affected if you believe you have purchased in Walnut Acres, but are outside of the area. Please contact me if you would like more information on this, as there is a little trick to the way the streets are to make sure you are in the right neighborhood.
Much of Walnut Acres is zoned Residential Agricultural, and with the appropriate zoning for your parcel you can have horses and wholesale agriculture products. The size as well as the zoning dictates if your parcel will allow horses and agriculture, as well as how many horses you can have. A little known fact is that some of the properties are actually on septic, because sewer lines were not installed by LACity on every street. Contact me for more information. You will love living in the Walnut Acres area of Woodland Hills, as it is a wonderful & peaceful enclave!
West Hills
West Hills is an affluent neighborhood in the west San Fernando Valley. There are multiple moderately sized shopping centers already in the community which support the predominantly residential area, in addition to 3 thriving regional malls. In the Fall of 2015, the addition of The Westfield Village has linked The Topanga Plaza in Canoga Park to The Promenade in Woodland Hills. The Promenade will undergo redevelopment in the next few years with The Promenade 2035 Plan, which will make the area a shopping and entertainment mecca, adding many jobs. As of Spring 2022, that Plan will include The Los Angeles RAMS practice facility on the site!
Although the percentage of residents 35 and older is higher than in other communities in Los Angeles, that indicates that many people actually move here and never decide to move elsewhere. Many young families find the residential suburban feel with ample free parking and little restrictions, to be a fine place to start their families and raise children. I happen to be one of those persons, having lived in the same home in West Hills for over 31 years. The clients I am currently selling real estate to in West Hills are predominantly young families just starting out, with the area seeing its own turnover in demographics.
In early history the area was home to many Native American Indian tribes and during the Spanish & Mexican Era it was part of Mission San Fernando. West Hills was at one time Owensmouth which was renamed Canoga Park in 1930. West Hills was established in the western portion of Canoga Park, with its present name in 1987. The area boundaries are roughly Saticoy Street to the north, Shoup Avenue to the east, Victory Boulevard to the south, and Bell Canyon to the west. The beautiful Santa Susana Mountains are at the far west end of the community, establishing the border between Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. The Santa Susana Mountain Range, including Castle Peak, is highly visible from many vantage points throughout the community, making the views a selling point for area real estate because of its natural beauty, rock outcroppings, wildlife and stunning sunsets.
Historic landmarks, Pierce Community College, and many area parks and hiking trails are to be found within the community, as are a business district and many religious establishments. Malibu Wines with its outdoor courtyard seating opened a few years ago on part of what was the historic Lederer Estate, and has become a West Hills favorite meeting place! Two private high schools are counted among the 13 schools within West Hills. Canoga High School, which was formerly Owensmouth High School, is the oldest public high school in the region. The beaches in Malibu are approximately 12 miles from West Hills through Topanga Canyon, Las Virgenes/Malibu Canyon, or Kanan Dume Road.
Bell Canyon
The gate-guarded community of Bell Canyon is over 40 years old. Bell Canyon is a completely hidden community in the hills and mountains of the west San Fernando Valley, just west of West Hills at Valley Circle Boulevard & Bell Canyon Boulevard, and shares its 91307 zip code. It is bordered by Ventura County to the west, and the area known as Castle Peak to the south. Chumash Indians occupied the area for over 2000 years. In 1967, Bell Canyon was a working cattle ranch where animals roamed freely in the mountains and canyons. In 1968, world renowned architect Cliff May designed the Bell Canyon Equestrian Center. A joint venture between Boise Cascade and Spruce Land Corporation bought the land and developed the area into what was originally named Hidden Hills Country Estates. Properties were sold in 1/2 acre to 40 acre parcels and by 1969, the new property owners took over the community and formed their own homeowners’ association, renaming the area Bell Canyon, after Charles A. Bell, an area lawyer and justice of the peace from the early 1900’s.
Today, Bell Canyon has developed into a wonderful, active community of approximately 800 custom estate homes offering something for everyone. There are parks, hiking trails, the equestrian center, tennis courts, and is one of only a few gated communities in West Hills offering a 24 hour guard gate. Community events for all ages include Snow Day, Halloween Hang, Bell Canyon Broadway, Hot August Nights, and others. Castle Peak is visible from areas inside Bell Canyon, and is very similiar to the jagged sandstone outcroppings and natural inclines throughout Bell Canyon, which still bear markings from the Chumash Indians.
Calabasas
Calabasas is a city in Los Angeles County, California, on the southwestern edge of the San Fernando Valley, and home to over 25,000 residents. The affluent city was formally incorporated in 1991. Many parts of Calabasas are mountains or hills, which have spectacular views of the San Fernando Valley. Most of the neighborhoods in Calabasas are gated communities, with beautiful continuity of design and seamless community spaces. Each of the many gated communities have their own design and feel, and offer a variety of lifestyles. Call me and I would be delighted to provide you with a unique fold-out map, specific to all the gated communities Calabasas has to offer!
Calabasas is ranked as one of the nation’s top ten places to live. Nestled in the oak-filled foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, the upscale community with small town charm has a progressive economy, safe neighborhoods, blue ribbon public and private schools. In addition to its desirable location surrounded by scenic open space, Calabasas is conveniently located near employment opportunities, village type shopping areas with a sense of community, a weekly farmers’ market, canyon and coastal access with hundreds of acres of state preserved lands, and simple freeway access to all of Los Angeles. With its rolling hills and waterfalls, Calabasas attracted Hollywood artists in the late 1920’s and established the bohemian colony of Park Moderne. The city continues to value beauty through its Art in Public Places program. Custom architecture as well as outdoor art blend the city’s past, present and future into an exciting environment. The Calabasas Historical Society preserved a Zigzag Moderne fountain created by the 1920’s artists on a Native American footpath that can still be enjoyed in what are now called the “bird streets”. Calabasas hosts its annual Pumpkin Festival which is a regional draw for surrounding communities every October.
In February 2006, Calabasas placed a ban on smoking in nearly all public places, including sidewalks, parking lots, patios, and even outdoor balconies in apartment complexes if they were near common areas, making it the city with the most strict anti-smoking laws in the United States. Under the new laws, smoking outside in the city is restricted to selected “smoker outposts.” Smoking in undesignated areas under the new law could earn smokers fines of up to $500. The ban went into effect in March 2006, garnering much local and national media attention, and focuses on the city’s healthy lifestyle. It is simply an ideal place to enjoy life.
City of Hidden Hills
The picturesque City of Hidden Hills is nestled between the rolling foothills of the westernmost San Fernando Valley within Los Angeles County. Hidden Hills is a guard-gated residential community through one of three Equestrian-themed gates to the community, and has a publicly accessible elementary school outside the western gate. Nearly 2,000 residents enjoy a rural, country way of life that has nearly vanished from Southern California. The pastoral setting is highlighted by the absence of sidewalks and street lights and by the presence of horses, llamas, ostriches, peacocks, and the occasional cow. The deep setbacks, charming street signage, white three-rail fences, corrals, barns, and rustic equestrian trails tell potential residents that Hidden Hills sustains a western theme and is a truly special place to live.
The predominant architecture is a traditional, Mid-Century Ranch style, set in motion by the founding father of the area, AEHanson in the early 1950’s, as he set out to create a special residential enclave. The Hidden Hills Community Association created an Architectural Committee to oversee review and approval of construction or modification of any of the 648 home sites under strict architectural guidelines. The association is also responsible for maintaining all of the common areas, which include six miles of roads, three charming guard houses, 25 miles of bridle trails, three community riding arenas, four tennis courts, a competition-size pool, recreation center, and a state-of-the-art 99 seat performing arts/movie theater. The city has a total area of slightly less than 2 square miles and is one of the wealthiest cities in the United States, with many celebrities and sports figures calling it home over the course of its 60 years. Hidden Hills shares its 91302 zip code with Calabasas.
Agoura Hills
Agoura Hills was first settled by the Chumash Native Americans around 10,000 years ago. The area was then settled around 1800 by Miguel Ortega, who was granted a Spanish grazing concession called Rancho Las Virgenes. By 1900, the area was being used as a popular stage stop for travelers because of its natural spring. The “Reyes Adobe” ranch headquarters and museum sits today in central Agoura Hills. Nearby historic markers within 5 miles of this ranch marker, include Calabasas Schoolhouse Bell, Morrison Ranch Historical Site, Paramount Ranch filming location, King Gillette Ranch, Century Ranch, M*A*S*H filming location, Peter Strauss Ranch, and the Mulholland Scenic Corridor.
In the 1920s, the community was briefly known as Picture City, as Paramount Studios owned a ranch known as Paramount Ranch which was used for filming Western movies. In 1927 the city chose the shortest name proposed, in order to get a post office. A misspelling of the last name of Pierre Agoure, a local Basque man and French immigrant who had settled in the area in 1871 to live the lifestyle of the Mexican rancher, solidified Agoura as the name. Agoura began to grow in the late 1960s after the Ventura Freeway was built through the area, dividing the community into northern and southern sections. The first housing tracts in Agoura were Hillrise, Liberty Canyon and Lake Lindero. With Morrison Ranch came more rapid growth, continuing during the 1970s and 80s offering subdivided housing tracts. In 1982, the residents of the proposed city voted in favor of cityhood by a majority and Agoura Hills became the 83rd city in Los Angeles County. Along with this development, came the highly coveted Las Virgenes School District.
Natural areas of Agoura Hills are part of the California Chaparral and Woodlands Ecoregion and are covered by hundreds of local plant species, some of which are very rare. The range is host to an immense variety of wildlife, including the Mountain Lion in the Santa Monica and Santa Susana Mountains. Hiking trails embrace the beautiful natural areas of Agoura Hills, sitting under Ladyface Mountain to the south.
Morrison Ranch Estates
An original ranch house, for which this Agoura Hills tract was named, dates back to the late 1800s when Pablo Reyes lived there. Rancher John Morrison and his family occupied the historic ranch house in 1904. The Morrison family lived and worked the land for almost 60 years, clearing it to grow hay and raise horses and cattle for sale. They also built barns, cisterns, and corrals, some of which you can still see nearby. The landscape has changed, but some original trees remain, especially the Oak trees after which much of the Conejo Valley is named.
Established in 1978 and built into the 1980s, Morrison Ranch Estates and Morrison South Meadows is surrounded by gorgeous greenbelts, rolling hills and mature trees. Morrison Ranch Estates is a tract of larger executive type homes on spacious parcels set along lush curving avenues, while Morrison South Meadows is a tract of mid-sized homes on smaller lots also geared to affluent buyers. These single-family homes range from 2,400 to 4,000 square feet and feature open floor plans with three to five bedrooms and two and three car garages. The community is located near parks, restaurants and shopping centers in Westlake Village, with very quick freeway access. Residents are a short drive from Malibu Beach to the south, or Ventura County and Santa Barbara to the north. Morrison Ranch is part of the award-winning Las Virgenes Unified School District, which includes Willow Elementary School, Lindero Canyon Middle School and Agoura High School, as well as The Oaks Christian School.
Thousand Oaks
Thousand Oaks is the oldest and second largest city in Ventura County, California. It is in the northwestern part of Greater Los Angeles approximately 40 miles from Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) and is less than 15 miles from the Los Angeles neighborhood of Woodland Hills. It is named after the many oak trees present in the area, and the city seal is adorned with an oak, and is lovingly referred to by locals as “TO”. The city forms the central core of the Conejo Valley.
Thousand Oaks was incorporated in 1964, but has since expanded to include two-thirds of neighboring Westlake Village to the east, and most of Newbury Park was annexed to the west, during the late 1960s and ‘70s when the city took over servicing the sewer system. Newbury Park, a separate, unincorporated community from 1940s and ’50s, kept its name after annexation. The Los Angeles – Ventura County line crosses at the city’s eastern border with Westlake Village. Its southern borders generally follow the Santa Monica Mountain ridge lines or major land ownership boundaries. On the northern edge, the drainage of Bard Lake, a 230 acre man-made lake created by the Wood Ranch Dam, separates TO and Simi Valley, and the border follows along Santa Rosa Valley. Aside from the Potrero Valley to the west and other apparent geographical barriers, most of Thousand Oaks’ boundaries stem from land ownerships. The Janss Company owned much of the area that became TO.
Westlake Village
About 3,000 years ago the Chumash Indians moved into the region and lived by hunting rabbits and other game, and gathering grains and acorns. Ongoing excavations, archaeological sites, and polychrome rock paintings in the area provide a glimpse into the social and economic complexity of the ancient Chumash world. There remains a Chumash Indian Museum for education in the Lang Ranch and hiking areas to the north, which is frequently visited by elementary schools.
Today, much of Westlake Village is surrounded by open space, including hiking and horse trails, as well as the vast Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The town is in the northwestern Santa Monica Mountains area, and is 9 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. In addition to being a suburban commuting area for Los Angeles, it is also home to many large commercial offices and the headquarters of the Dole Food Company, K-Swiss, JDPower & Associates, and Anheuser-Busch, Inc. The Ventura Freeway is one of three of Westlake’s lifelines to Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. It is a short drive to the Thousand Oaks Mall, Camarillo Outlets, or Malibu Beach via Kanan Road or Malibu Canyon.
Westlake Village offers several municipal golf courses and country clubs. Areas include Westlake Lake, which is a gated residential community set in the middle of the lake on cul de sacs, offering back yard boat slips to residents of these private properties. With the entry gate bisecting the lake, half of the residents are in Los Angeles County and half are in Ventura County. North Ranch, First Neighborhood, Westlake Trails, and Lake Sherwood are but a few of the many affluent local residential planned unit developments (PUDs), both gated or not gated that are offered in the area.
Westlake Canyon Oaks
The development known as Westlake Canyon Oaks is in the city of Westlake Village. Westlake Canyon Oaks was developed between 1978 and 1981 by Watt Industries. At the time of its development, the city of Westlake Village did not exist, as it incorporated in 1981, and the area was governed by the county of Los Angeles. Most of the surrounding area was open space, being remnants of the old Russell Ranch, where cattle were kept for many years. In fact, until the middle 1980’s sheep were still herding in the area, now Kanan Road & Lindero Canyon Road.
The Westlake Canyon Oaks development provided for open space surrounding the perimeter of these homes totaling about 150 acres which offers a great buffer. A majority of the acreage is owned by the Homeowner’s association. Throughout the years, Westlake Canyon Oaks has continued to be a great place to call home. The development is not gated and has a lovely cohesive feel with a wonderful local park nestled in the northern area of the community.
