Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sherman Oaks is an 8.1-square-mile district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California.
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[edit] Geography
The neighborhood is roughly bounded by Studio City to the east, Van Nuys to the north, Encino to the west and the Santa Monica Mountains to the south.
Sherman Oaks is situated along the Los Angeles River, Ventura Freeway, San Diego Freeway, Beverly Glen Boulevard, and Sepulveda Boulevard.
[edit] Demographics
As of the 2000 census, and according to the San Fernando Valley Almanac, Sherman Oaks has a population of 52,677 people and 25,255 households. The racial makeup of the neighborhood is 3% African American, 5% Asian American, 11% Latino, and 82% Caucasian. Other races make up less than 1%. The median housing value is $458,000.
[edit] History
Sherman Oaks was one of the first Valley communities to experience intensive real estate development. Anticipating the development of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913, Los Angeles Suburban Homes Co. purchased 47,500 acres (192 km²) of the southeast Valley in 1910. In 1911, a subdivision map called Tract 1000 was filed with Los Angeles County. From that parcel, one of the partners in the company, General Moses Hazeltine Sherman, bought 1,000 acres (4 km²) for himself. In 1927, Sherman subdivided the property and sold the land for $780 an acre ($0.19/m²).
[edit] Government
Sherman Oaks is part of the city of Los Angeles and is represented in the Los Angeles City Council by Second District City Councilwoman Wendy Greuel and Fifth District City Councilman Jack Weiss. The local neighborhood council is the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council. For county, Sherman Oaks is represented by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Third District county Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. For state, representatives of Sherman Oaks are California State Assembly 40th District state Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, 42nd District state Assemblyman Michael Feuer, 21st District state Senator Jack Scott, and 23rd District state Senator Sheila Kuehl. For the Federal level, Sherman Oaks is represented by United State House of Representatives 27th District U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman and United State House of Representatives 28th District U.S. Rep. Howard Berman.
[edit] Economy
Many financial corporations, including banks and brokerage houses, are located in the area. Sunkist Growers, one of the country's oldest and largest agricultural cooperatives, has been rooted in Sherman Oaks for almost 30 years.
[edit] Education
Sherman Oaks' primary and secondary public schools are part of the Los Angeles Unified School District [1].
[edit] Public schools
Public elementary schools in the area are:
- Chandler Elementary School
- Dixie Canyon Elementary School
- Kester Avenue Elementary School
- Riverside Drive Elementary School
- Sherman Oaks Elementary School
Public secondary schools in the area are:
[edit] Private schools
Private and parochial schools in the area are:
- The Buckley School
- Church of the Chimes
- Notre Dame High School
- Emek Hebrew Academy
- St. Francis DeSales
- Sherman Oaks Lutheran
- Sherman Oaks Presbyterian
- The Nurtury
- Armenian Evangelical Schools of California
- Bridges Academy
- Cambridge School
[edit] Colleges and universities
Also located in Sherman Oaks is a learning center campus for the National University.
[edit] Libraries
Los Angeles Public Library operates the Sherman Oaks Branch.
[edit] Culture
Sherman Oaks is a fairly affluent area, with several high-end fashion boutiques in the area, and features many upscale houses and restaurants. Sherman Oaks' main claim to fame is as home of the Sherman Oaks Galleria, a shopping mall identified as a meet-up place for the Valley girls, a 1980s cultural label which became widely known because of the 1983 movie Valley Girl and a song of the same name by Frank Zappa. In addition, a portion of the 1982 movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High was filmed there. As time went on though, the Galleria became less prominent, and was closed in 1999 and later re-developed into an office complex. Today, many go shop at two other malls in the area, including the Westfield Fashion Square (formerly known as Sherman Oaks Fashion Square), as well as an assortment of boutiques and restaurants located throughout Ventura Boulevard. Aerobics and Fitness Association of America operates in Sherman Oaks.
Annually in October, the Chamber of Commerce produces a popular Street Fair, closing down a half-mile stretch of busy Ventura Boulevard for booths, food, and entertainment (including rides for the kids). Upwards of 100,000 visitors stop by each year. Grand Marshals have included Coach John Wooden and actor/child-safety advocate Bryan Cranston (KidSmartz).
[edit] Media
Sherman Oaks has significant references in television.
- The Brady Bunch television series is said to take place in Sherman Oaks.
- The short-lived 1990s sitcom, Sherman Oaks, centered around a wealthy plastic surgeon living with his family in Sherman Oaks.
- Parts of the television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer were filmed at the Sherman Oaks Galleria.
- Scenes from the popular show Desperate Housewives are periodically filmed in Sherman Oaks, most often at Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Park and Maxson's Drug Store.
- The final scenes of the film Escape from New York were filmed in Sherman Oaks.
- The Internet website Comics101.com operates out of Sherman Oaks.
- Video game developer Spark Unlimited is based in Sherman Oaks.
- Sherman Oaks is also the home of Fox Sports Radio.
- A flower shop on Ventura Blvd. was filmed at frequently for the HBO hit Six Feet Under.
[edit] Notable residents
Over the years, many notable people have lived in Sherman Oaks, including:
- Paula Abdul, singer/choreographer
- Jennifer Aniston, actress
- Steve Badger, poker player
- Jillian Barberie, actress
- Rachel Bilson, actress
- Wayne Brady, comedian
- James Brolin, actor
- Ryan Cabrera, pop singer
- David Caruso, actor
- Lou Costello, comedian
- Elisha Cuthbert, actress
- Tony Danza, actor
- James Dean, actor
- Kirsten Dunst, actress
- Bret Easton Ellis, writer
- Harlan Ellison, writer, in a house named "Ellison Wonderland"
- Hector Elizondo, actor
- Lucas Grabeel, actor
- Andrew Seeley, actor
- Vanessa Anne Hudgens, actress/singer
- Tom Green, comedian
- Oliver Hardy, comedian
- Eloise Klein Healy, poet
- Marsha Hunt, actress
- Rachel Hunter, model/actress
- Stan Laurel, comedian
- Jerry Mathers, actor
- Jenny McCarthy, actress
- Matthew McGrory, actor
- Kristy McNichol, actress
- Katharine McPhee, American Idol finalist
- Marilyn Monroe, actress
- Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, actresses
- Dave Navarro, rock musician
- P!nk, pop singer
- Brian Posehn, comedian
- Michael Reagan, political pundit
- John Ritter, actor
- Barbara Streisand singer
- Nikki Sixx, rock bassist
- Slash, rock musician
- J. Michael Straczynski, producer/writer
- Mr. T, actor
- Lily Tomlin, actress
- Michelle Trachtenberg, actress
- Natalie Wood, actress
- Christina Vidal, actress, singer
- Britney Spears, singer (former resident)
- Robbie Kiger, Actor
- Ike Eisenman, actor
- Andre Gower, actor
- John P. Navin Jr., actor
- Jon Palos, Crooks & Castles [2]
Actress Lisa Rinna and her husband, actor Harry Hamlin, own a clothing boutique on Ventura Boulevard called Belle Gray and are also residents of the neighborhood.
Martial artist and Tae Bo creator Billy Blanks runs a fitness center on Ventura Boulevard called the Billy Blanks World Training Center.
[edit] Trivia
- Sherman Oaks is home to Fire Station #88, the first Urban Search and Rescue Task Force to respond following the September 11, 2001 attacks
- Marilyn Monroe's first home as a 16-year-old newly-wed was on Vista del Monte
- Liberace lived on Valley Vista Boulevard and had a piano-shaped pool complete with black keys
- One of the shortest streets in Los Angeles (Fiume Walk) is in Sherman Oaks
- Britney Spears got a tattoo in Body and Soul, a Sherman Oaks Tattoo parlor, after shaving her head in Tarzana on February 17, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council
- Sherman Oaks Chamber of Commerce
