Studio City, Los Angeles, California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Studio City is a four-square-mile district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. It is bounded roughly by Ethel Avenue to the west, Highway 101 to the north and east, and Mulholland Drive and the Santa Monica Mountains to the south.
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[edit] Origin of Name
Studio City earned its name in the 1920s when Mack Sennett moved his studios from a neighborhood known as Edendale (near Echo Park) to a property near Colfax Avenue and Ventura Boulevard. His soundstages, Mack Sennett Studios, were later renamed Republic Pictures Studio, MTM Enterprises Studios and today are known as the CBS Radford Studios.[1]
[edit] Geography
Studio City is connected to Los Angeles's vast network of freeways by the 101. Access to other parts of the city is also provided by Laurel Canyon Boulevard, Coldwater Canyon Avenue, and Ventura/Cahuenga Boulevards. Its main thoroughfare is Ventura Boulevard, where the bulk of its commercial activity resides.
The area, like many parts of L.A., has seen a great deal of tear-down building, with large condominiums replacing single family homes, and a surge in retail. A local golf and tennis facility is in danger of being displaced by a senior residential complex. A few blocks over, the historic Sportsman Lodge hotel/restaurant is dealing with similar issues.[citation needed] Parking problems, like traffic, have worsened, and the construction of parking structures has not made a visible improvement.
Residents "south of the boulevard" are insulated from the non-stop development and have seen their home values soar in recent years.
[edit] Population
According to the 2000 San Fernando Valley Almanac[2], Studio City has a population of 25,841 and 13,086 households. The median home price is $464,000. The population demography is 84% Caucasian, 8% Latino, 5% Asian, and 3% African American. True to the city's name, many residents work in film, television and media.
Like its neighbor Sherman Oaks, Studio City has seen a surge in restaurants of note in past decades[3], including a number of high quality sushi bars, two top delis and many restaurants known for fine dining (such as Louise's, Firefly, Spark and La Loggia). There are relatively few fast-food restaurants.
The area is served by two publications with local content. The Studio City Sun (part of a regional chain) covers issues such as development and traffic, and keeps up with local celebrities. Studio City Lifestyle, an advertiser-friendly glossy magazine, is partial to profiles and pieces on merchants.
[edit] Landmarks
- CBS Studio Center
- Ventura/Laurel Canyon shopping districts
- Fryman Canyon Park
- Los Angeles River walk
- Exterior of Brady Bunch house [4]
- Exterior of the Wilkersons House (Malcolm in the Middle) - 12334 Cantura Street
[edit] Local Government Officials
Studio City is part of the 2nd City Council District of Los Angeles, represented by Councilwoman Wendy Greuel. The area is also represented by Los Angeles County District 3 Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, District 23 California state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, California state Assemblyman Paul Koretz and US Rep. Howard Berman.The district is also represented by the Studio City Neighborhood Council.
[edit] Education
Studio City is zoned to Los Angeles USD schools [5].
Carpenter Avenue Elementary School (located within the neighborhood), Walter Reed Middle School (in Studio City), and North Hollywood High School (in North Hollywood) serve the community.
Studio City is home to Bridges Academy, a private middle and high school for gifted students with learning disabilities.
Los Angeles Public Library operates the Studio City Branch.
[edit] Notable Studio City Residents
- Nathan Fillion
- P.T. Anderson
- Alex Trebek
- William Shatner[6]
- Steve Carell
- Kristen Bell
- Jason Alexander
- David Anthony Higgins
- Mark Risley
- Ed Begley
- Donyelle Jones
- Janet Ritz
- Britney Spears
- Ed Asner
- Regine Nehy
- Robert Tapert
- Gary Stromberg
- Lucy Lawless
- Keith Moon
- Bill Nye
- Ben Neumann
- Jerry Pournelle
- George Clooney
- Suzanne Rogers
- Teri Hatcher
- Jennifer Morrison
- Elfi von Dassanowsky
- Seth MacFarlane
- Robert Blake
- Bonnie Lee Bakley
- Laurence Juber
- Vin Diesel
- Brendan Cravitz
- Sabrina Sloan
- Jenna Fischer
- James Gunn
[edit] Trivia
The district is served by a Los Angeles Public Library branch.[7]
A farmers market is held each Sunday on Ventura Place.
In September 2004, Britney Spears married Kevin Federline in a private house in Studio City.
Bonnie Lee Bakley, wife of actor Robert Blake, was found murdered near Vitello's Restaurant on Tujunga Avenue in Studio City in May 2001. [8]
On March 4, 1952, actor Ronald Reagan married Nancy Davis at the Little Brown Church in Studio City.[9]
[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
- Studio City Chamber of Commerce
- Ventura Blvd on the Web
- Studio City Sun newspaper
- Tujunga Village Blog
- Los Angeles Times, Real Estate section, Neighborly Advice column: "That's why it's called Studio City" (20 Mar 2005)
- LA Valley Pride - event held in Studio City
