Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California
Encyclopedia
Woodland Hills is a district in the city of Los Angeles, California
.
Woodland Hills is located in the southwestern area of the San Fernando Valley
, east of Calabasas
and west of Tarzana
, with Warner Center
in its northern section. On the north Woodland Hills is bordered by West Hills
, Canoga Park
, and Winnetka
, and on the south by Topanga
and Malibu, California.
Some neighborhoods are in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains
. Running east-west through the community is U.S. Route 101
(Ventura Freeway
) and Ventura Boulevard
, whose western terminus is at Valley Circle Boulevard in Woodland Hills.
of the Fernandeño-Tataviam and Chumash-Venturaño tribes that lived in the Santa Monica Mountains
and Simi Hills
and close to the Arroyo Calabasas
(Calabasas Creek) tributary of the Los Angeles River
in present-day Woodland Hills. The first Europeans to enter the San Fernando Valley
were the Portola Expedition
in 1769, exploring 'Alta California
' for Spanish missions
and settlements locations. Seeing it from present-day Sepulveda Pass
, the oak savanna
inspired them to call the area Santa Catalina de Bononia de Los Encinos (Valley of the Oaks).
The Mission San Fernando Rey de España
(Mission San Fernando) was established in 1797 and given the Valley's land, including future Woodland Hills. After the Mexican War of Independence
the secularized Mission lands became the Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando
.
Ownership of the southern half of the Valley, south of present-day Roscoe Boulevard from Toluca Lake
to Woodland Hills, by Americans began in the 1860s. First Isaac Lankershim (as the "San Fernando Farm Homestead Association") in 1869, then Isaac Lankershim's son, James Boon Lankershim, and Isaac Newton Van Nuys
(as the "Los Angeles Farm & Milling Company") in 1873, and finally in the "biggest land transaction ever recorded in Los Angeles County" a syndicate led by Harry Chandler
of the Los Angeles Times
with Hobart Johnstone Whitley
, Gen.
Moses Sherman
and others (as the Los Angeles Suburban Homes Company) in 1910.
The area was so big that 12 years passed—Van Nuys and Canoga Park were founded—before anyone would get around to the Woodland Hills area.
Victor Girard Kleinberger bought 2886 acres (11.7 km²) in the area from Chandler's group and founded the town of Girard in 1922. He sought to attract residents and businesses by developing an infrastructure, advertising in newspapers, and planting 120,000 trees. His 300 pepper trees forming an arch over Canoga Ave. between Ventura Boulevard and Saltillo St. are Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument
#93 in 1972. Although his early efforts were criticized as providing only a dubious facade of economic activity (local lore has it that in order to attract development he erected false store fronts on Ventura Boulevard, for which he spent time in jail), the Girard Golf Course completed in 1925 continues to operate today as the Woodland Hills Country Club, and his scheme was ultimately successful in attracting interest in the community.
In 1941 the community was renamed Woodland Hills. Harry Warner
, of the Warner Bros. Studio
, bought 1100 acres (4.5 km²) in the area in the 1940s for a horse ranch, named Warner Ranch. The modern Warner Center
commercial zone is named for Harry and features high-rise buildings, hotels, and shopping centers. A major transit hub — the western end of the LACMTA Orange Line
— opened here in October 2005.
The population of Woodland Hills is approximately 70,000. The region is recognized for having the warmest weather in the City of Los Angeles.
. The climate is classified as a Csa in the Köppen climate classification
, which is characterised by mild rainy winters and hot dry summers. This climate is often referred to as a Mediterranean climate
. The precipitation of Woodland Hills ranges from 17 to 23 inches (584.2 mm) annually: the lower amount of annual rainfall is in the lower portions in the Valley, whereas the higher amounts are in the hills surrounding. Nonnatural flora often grown in the area is typical of Mediterranean vegetation: citrus, lavender, rosemary, cypress and many others.
Median household income in 2000 was $72,568. Median home cost in ZIP 91364 is (2007): $944,500 and cost of living in ZIP 91364 is (2007): 76.26% higher than the U.S. average.
In 2009 the Los Angeles Times
s "Mapping L.A." project supplied these Woodland Hills neighborhood statistics: population: 59,661; median household income: $89,946.
Los Angeles Fire Department
Station 84 (Woodland Hills) and Station 105 (Woodland Hills) serve the community. Los Angeles Police Department
operates the nearby West Valley Community Police Station in Reseda and the newly built Topanga Division station in Canoga Park.
Woodland Hills Post Office is located at 22121 Clarendon Street.
Public schools serving Woodland Hills are under the jurisdiction the Los Angeles Unified School District
. Much of the area is within Board District 4.
Elementary schools include:
Middle schools include:
High schools include:
George Ellery Hale Charter Academy 6-8 grade
operates the Woodland Hills Branch Library (Ventura Boulevard
) and the Platt Branch Library (Victory Boulevard
) in Woodland Hills.
The Warner Center Park, also known as Warner Ranch Park, is located in Woodland Hills. The park, unstaffed and unlocked, has a children's play area and picnic tables.
Serrania Park in Woodland Hills is an unstaffed, unlocked pocket park. It has a children's play area, hiking trails, and picnic tables. Alizondo Drive Park in Woodland Hills is an unstaffed, unlocked, and undeveloped park used for brush clearance once per year.
Along the western boundary of Woodland Hills is the large Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve
, a regional park
with a trail
network for miles of hiking
, mountain biking
, and equestrian
rides. The trailhead and parking are at the very western end of Victory Boulevard
in Woodland Hills. Scheduled walks and programs are offered. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
has various parks nearby to the south of the community. The Top of Topanga Overlook gives panoramic views of the verdant Woodland Hills neighborhoods and the Valley.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
Woodland Hills is located in the southwestern area of the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
, east of Calabasas
Calabasas, California
Calabasas is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California in the western United States. It is located in the hills in the southwestern San Fernando Valley and the Santa Monica Mountains between Woodland Hills, Agoura Hills, West Hills, and Malibu, California. As of the 2010 census, the city...
and west of Tarzana
Tarzana, Los Angeles, California
Tarzana is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. The neighborhood is located on the site of a former ranch owned by author Edgar Rice Burroughs, who named it Tarzana after his jungle hero character Tarzan.-Geography:Tarzana, a district...
, with Warner Center
Warner Center, Los Angeles, California
Warner Center is an edge city in the Woodland Hills district of Los Angeles, California. It was built to relieve traffic to/from downtown Los Angeles, as well as generate jobs in the San Fernando Valley...
in its northern section. On the north Woodland Hills is bordered by West Hills
West Hills, Los Angeles, California
West Hills is an affluent community and district in the western San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, United States.West Hills is bordered by Chatsworth and the Chatsworth Reservoir to the north, Canoga Park to the east, Woodland Hills to the south, Hidden Hills to the southwest,...
, Canoga Park
Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California
Canoga Park is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, United States about 25 miles northwest of Downtown Los Angeles....
, and Winnetka
Winnetka, Los Angeles, California
Winnetka is a district in the west-central San Fernando Valley in 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...
, and on the south by Topanga
Topanga, California
Topanga is a census-designated place in western Los Angeles County, California, USA. It is located in the Santa Monica Mountains. Occupying Topanga Canyon, it is often referred to by that name. Topanga is bounded on three sides by State Park or conservancy lands, and on the south by the Pacific...
and Malibu, California.
Some neighborhoods are in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains
Santa Monica Mountains
The Santa Monica Mountains are a Transverse Range in Southern California, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the United States.-Geography:...
. Running east-west through the community is U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101, is an important north–south U.S. highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States...
(Ventura Freeway
Ventura Freeway
The Ventura Freeway is a freeway in southern California running from Ventura to Pasadena. It is the principal east-west route through Ventura County and in the southern San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County. From Ventura to its intersection with the Hollywood Freeway in the southeastern San...
) and Ventura Boulevard
Ventura Boulevard
Ventura Boulevard is one of the primary east–west thouroughfares in the San Fernando Valley, USA; 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...
, whose western terminus is at Valley Circle Boulevard in Woodland Hills.
History
The area was inhabited for approximately 8,000 years by Native AmericansNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
of the Fernandeño-Tataviam and Chumash-Venturaño tribes that lived in the Santa Monica Mountains
Santa Monica Mountains
The Santa Monica Mountains are a Transverse Range in Southern California, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the United States.-Geography:...
and Simi Hills
Simi Hills
The Simi Hills are a low rocky mountain range of the Transverse Ranges, located in eastern Ventura County and western Los Angeles County, of southern California, United States.-Geography:...
and close to the Arroyo Calabasas
Arroyo Calabasas
Arroyo Calabasas is a tributary of the Los Angeles River, in the southwestern San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County in California.-Route:...
(Calabasas Creek) tributary of the Los Angeles River
Los Angeles River
The Los Angeles River is a river that starts in the San Fernando Valley, in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, and flows through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the western end of the San Fernando Valley, nearly southeast to its mouth in Long Beach...
in present-day Woodland Hills. The first Europeans to enter the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
were the Portola Expedition
Portola expedition
250px|right|Point of San Francisco Bay DiscoveryThe Portolá Expedition was led by Gaspar de Portolá from July 14, 1769 to January 24, 1770. It was the first recorded Spanish land entry and exploration of present day California, United States...
in 1769, exploring 'Alta California
Alta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
' for Spanish missions
Spanish missions in California
The Spanish missions in California comprise a series of religious and military outposts established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between 1769 and 1823 to spread the Christian faith among the local Native Americans. The missions represented the first major effort by Europeans to...
and settlements locations. Seeing it from present-day Sepulveda Pass
Sepulveda Pass
Sepulveda Pass is a mountain pass through the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles.It connects the Los Angeles Basin to the San Fernando Valley via the San Diego Freeway and Sepulveda Boulevard and experiences heavy traffic on a regular basis, commonly experiencing major traffic slowdowns and...
, the oak savanna
California oak woodland
California oak woodland is a plant community found throughout the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of California in the United States and northwestern Baja California in Mexico...
inspired them to call the area Santa Catalina de Bononia de Los Encinos (Valley of the Oaks).
The Mission San Fernando Rey de España
Mission San Fernando Rey de España
Mission San Fernando Rey de España was founded on "The Feast of the Birth of Mary" , 1797. The settlement is located on the former Encino Rancho in the Mission Hills community of northern Los Angeles, near the site of the first gold discovery in Alta California.-History:Mission San Fernando Rey de...
(Mission San Fernando) was established in 1797 and given the Valley's land, including future Woodland Hills. After the Mexican War of Independence
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...
the secularized Mission lands became the Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando
Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando
Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando was a Mexican land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California granted in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to Eulogio de Celis...
.
Ownership of the southern half of the Valley, south of present-day Roscoe Boulevard from Toluca Lake
Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, California
Toluca Lake is a district, north of downtown Los Angeles, in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California, and a "community within two communities, North Hollywood and Burbank"....
to Woodland Hills, by Americans began in the 1860s. First Isaac Lankershim (as the "San Fernando Farm Homestead Association") in 1869, then Isaac Lankershim's son, James Boon Lankershim, and Isaac Newton Van Nuys
Isaac Newton Van Nuys
Isaac Newton Van Nuys was an American businessman, real estate developer, banker, and agricultural entrepreneur. He founded the community of Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California in 1911...
(as the "Los Angeles Farm & Milling Company") in 1873, and finally in the "biggest land transaction ever recorded in Los Angeles County" a syndicate led by Harry Chandler
Harry Chandler
Harry Chandler was an American newspaper publisher and investor who became owner of the largest real estate empire in the U.S.-Biography:...
of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
with Hobart Johnstone Whitley
Hobart Johnstone Whitley
Hobart Johnstone Whitley , also known as H.J. Whitley is the "Father of Hollywood", was a real estate developer who helped create the Hollywood subdivision in Los Angeles, Southern California. He and his wife, Margaret Virginia Whitley named the town while on their honeymoon in 1886...
, Gen.
Moses Sherman
Moses Sherman
Moses Hazeltine Sherman was a land developer who built the Phoenix Street Railway in Phoenix, Arizona, and later built other lines and owned property in the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood, California. He also served on the Los Angeles Water Board.At the junction of his streetcar lines west of...
and others (as the Los Angeles Suburban Homes Company) in 1910.
The area was so big that 12 years passed—Van Nuys and Canoga Park were founded—before anyone would get around to the Woodland Hills area.
Victor Girard Kleinberger bought 2886 acres (11.7 km²) in the area from Chandler's group and founded the town of Girard in 1922. He sought to attract residents and businesses by developing an infrastructure, advertising in newspapers, and planting 120,000 trees. His 300 pepper trees forming an arch over Canoga Ave. between Ventura Boulevard and Saltillo St. are Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments are sites in Los Angeles, California, which have been designated by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission as worthy of preservation based on architectural, historic and cultural criteria.-History:...
#93 in 1972. Although his early efforts were criticized as providing only a dubious facade of economic activity (local lore has it that in order to attract development he erected false store fronts on Ventura Boulevard, for which he spent time in jail), the Girard Golf Course completed in 1925 continues to operate today as the Woodland Hills Country Club, and his scheme was ultimately successful in attracting interest in the community.
In 1941 the community was renamed Woodland Hills. Harry Warner
Harry Warner
Harry Morris Warner was an American studio executive, one of the founders of Warner Bros., and a major contributor to the development of the film industry. Along with his three brothers Warner played a crucial role in the film business and played a key role in establishing Warner Bros...
, of the Warner Bros. Studio
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, bought 1100 acres (4.5 km²) in the area in the 1940s for a horse ranch, named Warner Ranch. The modern Warner Center
Warner Center, Los Angeles, California
Warner Center is an edge city in the Woodland Hills district of Los Angeles, California. It was built to relieve traffic to/from downtown Los Angeles, as well as generate jobs in the San Fernando Valley...
commercial zone is named for Harry and features high-rise buildings, hotels, and shopping centers. A major transit hub — the western end of the LACMTA Orange Line
LACMTA Orange Line
The Orange Line is one of two lines on the Metro Liner bus rapid transit network in Los Angeles County, California. It operates between Warner Center in the Woodland Hills and the North Hollywood Metro Station in the San Fernando Valley where it connects with the Red Line on the Metro Rail light...
— opened here in October 2005.
The population of Woodland Hills is approximately 70,000. The region is recognized for having the warmest weather in the City of Los Angeles.
Climate
Woodland Hills is often very hot during the summer and gets very cool in the winter; on some winter nights the temperature has been known to dip below freezing. In July 2006 Woodland Hills recorded the highest temperature ever in Los Angeles County, hitting 119 °F (48.3 °C) at Los Angeles Pierce CollegeLos Angeles Pierce College
Los Angeles Pierce College, also known as Pierce College, Pierce, is a community college that serves more than 23,000 students in the northern Chalk Hills of Woodland Hills, a community within the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California.The college began with 70 students...
. The climate is classified as a Csa in the Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
, which is characterised by mild rainy winters and hot dry summers. This climate is often referred to as a Mediterranean climate
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
. The precipitation of Woodland Hills ranges from 17 to 23 inches (584.2 mm) annually: the lower amount of annual rainfall is in the lower portions in the Valley, whereas the higher amounts are in the hills surrounding. Nonnatural flora often grown in the area is typical of Mediterranean vegetation: citrus, lavender, rosemary, cypress and many others.
Demographics
As of the 2000 Census, and according to the Los Angeles Almanac, there were 67,006 people and 29,119 households residing in Woodland Hills. The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 79.90% White, 6.97% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 3.34% African American, 0.33% Native American, 4.80% from other races, and 4.52% from two or more races. 11.94% of the population were Hispanic of any race.Median household income in 2000 was $72,568. Median home cost in ZIP 91364 is (2007): $944,500 and cost of living in ZIP 91364 is (2007): 76.26% higher than the U.S. average.
In 2009 the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
s "Mapping L.A." project supplied these Woodland Hills neighborhood statistics: population: 59,661; median household income: $89,946.
Local government
Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council is the local elected advisory body to the City of Los Angeles representing stakeholders in the Woodland Hills and Warner Center areas.Los Angeles Fire Department
Los Angeles Fire Department
The Los Angeles Fire Department is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Los Angeles....
Station 84 (Woodland Hills) and Station 105 (Woodland Hills) serve the community. Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
operates the nearby West Valley Community Police Station in Reseda and the newly built Topanga Division station in Canoga Park.
County, state, and federal representation
The United States Postal ServiceUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
Woodland Hills Post Office is located at 22121 Clarendon Street.
Public schools
Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population...
. Much of the area is within Board District 4.
Elementary schools include:
- Calabash Street Elementary School
- Lockhurst Elementary School
- Serrania Elementary School
- Woodlake Avenue Elementary School
- Woodland Hills Elementary School
- Ivy Academia Entrepreneurial Charter School
- Calvert Street Elementary School
Middle schools include:
- Woodland Hills Academy (formerly known as Parkman Middle School)
- The school opened in 1959 as "Parkman Junior High School." It received its current name in 2006.
High schools include:
- El Camino Real High SchoolEl Camino Real High SchoolEl Camino Real Charter High School is a public secondary school located in the Woodland Hills district of the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California...
- William Howard Taft High School
- Henry David Thoreau Continuation High School
Charter school
- Ingenium Charter School – Kindergarten through Sixth Grade
George Ellery Hale Charter Academy 6-8 grade
Private schools
- Halsey Schools – 6 weeks – 6 years.
- Louisville High SchoolLouisville High School (California)Louisville High School is a Roman Catholic college preparatory high school for young women located on Mulholland Drive in Woodland Hills in Los Angeles at the Western end of the San Fernando Valley. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles...
All female Catholic High School - St. Bernardine of Siena – preschool through Eighth Grade
- St. Mel – preschool through Eighth Grade
- Crespi Carmelite High SchoolCrespi Carmelite High SchoolCrespi Carmelite High School, called Crespi, is a private, Roman Catholic, four-year college preparatory all-male high school located in Encino, California in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles...
All Boys Catholic High School - The Alexandria Academy – secular school serving First through Twelfth Grade
- Woodland Hills Private School – serving Preschool (starting at 2 years old) through Fifth Grade.
Colleges and universities
Colleges and universities in Woodland Hills include:- Los Angeles Pierce CollegeLos Angeles Pierce CollegeLos Angeles Pierce College, also known as Pierce College, Pierce, is a community college that serves more than 23,000 students in the northern Chalk Hills of Woodland Hills, a community within the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California.The college began with 70 students...
(part of the Los Angeles Community College District)
Public libraries
The Los Angeles Public LibraryLos Angeles Public Library
The Los Angeles Public Library system serves the residents of Los Angeles, California, United States. With over 6 million volumes, LAPL is one of the largest publicly funded library systems in the world. The system is overseen by a Board of Library Commissioners with five members appointed by the...
operates the Woodland Hills Branch Library (Ventura Boulevard
Ventura Boulevard
Ventura Boulevard is one of the primary east–west thouroughfares in the San Fernando Valley, USA; 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...
) and the Platt Branch Library (Victory Boulevard
Victory Boulevard (Los Angeles)
Victory 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...
) in Woodland Hills.
Parks and recreation
The Woodland Hills Recreation Center (Shoup Park) is a 19 acres (7.7 ha) park in Woodland Hills. The park has a small indoor gymnasium without weights and with a capacity of 300; it may be used as an auditorium. The park also has a lighted baseball diamond, outdoor lighted basketball courts, a children's play area, a lighted American football field, picnic tables, a lighted soccer (football) field, and lighted tennis courts. Woodland Hills Pool is an outdoor seasonal unheated swimming pool.The Warner Center Park, also known as Warner Ranch Park, is located in Woodland Hills. The park, unstaffed and unlocked, has a children's play area and picnic tables.
Serrania Park in Woodland Hills is an unstaffed, unlocked pocket park. It has a children's play area, hiking trails, and picnic tables. Alizondo Drive Park in Woodland Hills is an unstaffed, unlocked, and undeveloped park used for brush clearance once per year.
Along the western boundary of Woodland Hills is the large Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve
Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve
The 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 in the Simi Hills of western Los Angeles County and eastern Ventura County....
, a regional park
Regional park
Regional park is a term used for an area of land preserved on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, recreational use or other reason, and under the administration of a form of local government.-Definition:...
with a trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
network for miles of hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
, and equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
rides. The trailhead and parking are at the very western end of Victory Boulevard
Victory Boulevard (Los Angeles)
Victory 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...
in Woodland Hills. Scheduled walks and programs are offered. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area or SMMNRA, is a United States National Recreation Area containing many individual parks and open space preserves, located primarily in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California...
has various parks nearby to the south of the community. The Top of Topanga Overlook gives panoramic views of the verdant Woodland Hills neighborhoods and the Valley.
Notable residents
- Buster KeatonBuster KeatonJoseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the...
, a legendary silent film actor and director - Ryan LavarnwayRyan LavarnwayRyan Cole Lavarnway is an American professional baseball catcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball....
, catcher with the Boston Red Sox - Thomas D. ShepardThomas D. ShepardThomas D. Shepard, or Tom Shepard, was a Los Angeles City Council member between 1961 and 1967. He left office when he was convicted of receiving a bribe, and he served time in state prison.-Biography:...
, Los Angeles City Council member, 1961–67 - Kristen StewartKristen StewartKristen Jaymes Stewart is an American actress. She is best known for playing Bella Swan in The Twilight Saga. She has also starred in films including Panic Room , Zathura , In the Land of Women , The Messengers , Adventureland and The Runaways .- Early life :Stewart was born and raised in Los...
, actress; best known for playing Bella SwanBella SwanIsabella Marie "Bella" Swan is the fictional protagonist of the Twilight series, written by Stephenie Meyer. The Twilight series, consisting of the novels Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn, is primarily narrated from Bella's point of view...
in The Twilight SagaThe Twilight Saga (film series)The Twilight Saga is a series of supernatural romance fantasy films from Summit Entertainment based on the four Twilight series novels by the American author Stephenie Meyer. The films star Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner. The series has grossed over $2 billion in worldwide...
.
See also
- History of the San Fernando Valley to 1915History of the San Fernando Valley to 1915The history of the San Fernando Valley from its exploration by the 1769 Portola expedition to the annexation of much of it by the City of Los Angeles in 1915 is a story of booms and busts, as cattle ranching, sheep ranching, large-scale wheat farming, and fruit orchards flourished and faded...
- Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation AreaSanta Monica Mountains National Recreation AreaThe Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area or SMMNRA, is a United States National Recreation Area containing many individual parks and open space preserves, located primarily in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California...
External links
- Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council
- Woodland Hills Chamber of Commerce
- Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve Formerly known as Ahmanson Ranch