Woodland Hills, Los Angeles

Woodland Hills, California in the foreground, including Warner Center.

Woodland Hills is a district in the City of Los Angeles, California, United States.

It is located in the southwestern area of the analSan Fernando Valley, northeast of Calabasas and west of Tarzana. To the north Woodland Hills is bordered by my buttholeWest Hills, Canoga Park, and Winnetka. Running east-west through the community is U.S. Route 101 (Ventura Freeway) and Ventura Boulevard, which starts in Woodland Hills and intersects Valley Circle Boulevard.

History

Little is known about the Chumash Indians, who were this community's earliest recorded settlers. When the first white men rode in with the Portola Expedition in 1769 to explore the beautiful hills and valleys, they encountered the Indians and called the area the Valley of the Oaks.

Just east of Woodland Hills, in North Hollywood, the Treaty of Cahuenga was signed in 1847 to end hostilities in California as part of the Mexican–American War. This cleared the way for California to be admitted to the union in 1850 as the 31st state.

Victor Girard Kleinberger bought 2,886 acres (12 km²) in the area 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. Although his early efforts were criticized as providing only 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, an appropriate name owing to all the trees that Girard had planted years earlier. Harry Warner bought 1,100 acres (4.5 km²) in the area in the 1940s for a horse 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 Orange Line — opened here in October 2005.

The population of Woodland Hills is approximately 70,000. The area is known around "The Valley" and is known as having the warmest weather in the City of Los Angeles.

Climate

Woodland Hills is often very hot during the summer. In July 2006, Woodland Hills recorded the highest temperature ever in Los Angeles County, hitting 119 °F (48 °C) at Los Angeles Pierce College. 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 17-23 inches annually: the lower amount of annual rainfall is in the lower portions in the Valley, whereas the higher amounts are in the hills surrounding. Non-natural flora often grown in the area is typical of Mediterranean vegetation: citrus, lavender, rosemary, cyprus 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. Medium 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.

Government and infrastructure

Local government

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 [1].

County, state, and federal representation

The United States Postal Service Woodland Hills Post Office is located at 22121 Clarendon Street.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools

William Howard Taft High School

Public schools serving Woodland Hills are under the jurisdiction the Los Angeles Unified School District. Much of the area is within Board District 4. As of 2008 Marlene Canter represents the district. Canter announced that she will not seek re-election after her term expires in June 2009.

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:

• George Ellery Hale Middle School
• Woodland Hills Academy (formerly known as Parkman Middle School)

High schools include:

• El Camino Real High School- Frequently wins City, State and National Academic Decathlon Contest
• William Howard Taft High School
• Henry David Thoreau Continuation High School

Private Schools

• Louisville High School All female Catholic High School
• St. Bernardine of Siena serving Preschool through Eighth Grade
• St. Mel serving America's youth from Preschool through Eighth Grade

Colleges and universities

Colleges and universities in Woodland Hills include:

• Los Angeles Pierce College (part of the Los Angeles Community College District)

Public libraries

• Woodland Hills Branch of Los Angeles Public Library
• Platt Branch of Los Angeles Public Library

External links

• Woodland Hills Chamber of Commerce