GRANADA HILLS, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

'Granada Hills' is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California.
It is located just north of the North Hills district, west of the Mission Hills and Sylmar districts, and just east of the Northridge and Porter Ranch districts. It is accessible by the Ronald Reagan (CA-118), San Diego (Interstate 405), and Golden State (Interstate 5) Freeways. Major thoroughfares include Balboa Boulevard, Woodley, Hayvenhurst, and Haskell Avenues, as well as Rinaldi Street, San Fernando Mission Boulevard, Chatsworth Street, and Devonshire Street.
Granada Hills was founded in 1927 (as "Granada;" the "Hills" was added 15 years later) and started out as a dairy farm and orchard known as the Sunshine Ranch. Among the crops harvested here as the nation prepared for the Roaring '20s were apricots, oranges, walnuts and beans. Vestiges of former citrus groves can still be seen as small groups of orange, lemon or grapefruit trees in some residential yards. A more detailed history can be found via the Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce.
According to the 2000 San Fernando Valley Almanac, Granada Hills has a population of 68,748 and 16,268 households. As of June 2007, the median home price is $642,200 (more information on recent market conditions can be found on Realty Times' Granada Hills page). The population demography is 45.2% Caucasian, 33% Latino, 17.1% Asian, and 4.3% African American. The community spans 15.5 square miles.
A pictorial history of Granada Hills, written by former resident Jim Hier, is being published by Arcadia Publishing in 2007. More information about the book Granada Hills (ISBN-10: 0738547719) can be found at the web site for the Granada Hills History Project.

Contents

Public Services

Fire service

Police service

Schools

Libraries

Parks

Sports

Architecture

Historical Landmarks

Filming location

Notable residents

References

External links

Public Services

Fire service

Los Angeles Fire Department Station 18 (Knollwood/Granada Hills) and Station 87 (Granada Hills) are in the area.

Police service

Granada Hills is served by two separate police stations [1]:

★ Residents north of 118 and west of Bull Creek Wash, residents south of 118 and west of Balboa are served by the Devonshire Community Police Station [2]

★ Residents south of 118 and east of Bull Creek Wash, residents north of 118 and east of Balboa are served by the Mission Community Police Station [3]

Schools

Granada Hills is served by the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Granada Hills Charter High School, also known as "Granada Hills High School" or simply "Granada," is located at 10535 Zelzah Avenue, Granada Hills, California 91344.
John F. Kennedy High School, teaching 9th grade through 12th grade, is located at
11254 Gothic Avenue, Granada Hills, California 91344. "Kennedy", as it is called by its students and faculty, is part of District 1 of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Granada Hills is also home to Robert Frost Middle School, George K. Porter Middle School, Patrick Henry Middle School, El Oro Way Elementary, Van Gogh Elementary, and Knollwood Elementary.

Libraries

Los Angeles Public Library operates the Granada Hills Branch.

Parks

O'Melveny Park, immediately adjacent to the more rustic Limekiln Canyon Park, has several dozen citrus trees, a small intermittent stream, and a grassy promontory from which a view of the northeastern portion of the San Fernando Valley may be seen. Hiking trails and fire roads invite exploration of this 672-acre park. O'Melveny Park is the second largest park in Los Angeles, with Griffith Park being the first.
In 1927, when the California Legislature established the State Park Commission,^[1] Henry W. O'Melveny (the namesake for this park), became one of the original commission members along with:^[2] Major Frederick R. Burnham, W. F. Chandler,
William E. Colby (Secretary), and Dr. Ray Lyman Wilbur.
Limekiln Canyon Park has wild areas, canyon trails, and trail access to nearby Mission Point. Mission Point is the highest point in Granada Hills. The area around the peak is home to quails, bobcats, mule deer, mountain lions and rattlesnakes.
'Mission Point' and its environs are popular mountain biking and hiking areas. The view from the top of Mission Point is striking, taking in most of the San Fernando Valley. In clear weather, one can see the Pacific Ocean and Downtown Los Angeles.

Sports

Granada Hills High School's stadium, the John Elway Stadium (named after the quarterback, an alumnus), is the home of the San Fernando Valley Quakes. When used
for Quakes games, the stadium is known as the Re/Max Epicenter.
In 1963, the Granada Hills Little League won the Little League World Championship in baseball^[3].

Architecture

Granada Hills is a hot spot of mid-century architecture which returned to vogue in the 1990's, known as mid-century modern. The most notable tract is "Balboa Highlands," a small tract designed by iconic architect Joseph Eichler. Many of these homes, which are North of Rinaldi/West of Balboa, have been featured in movies, commercials, magazine pictorials and often pop up in books both on Eichler and classic examples of mid-century architecture.
While the Eichler homes are the most famous examples of MCM in this North Valley suburb many areas of Granada Hills feature the aesthetic style that includes pitched roofs and beam ceilings including numerous homes surrounding the Knollwood golf course to the east of Balboa, Knollwood Grove to the west of Balboa (behind the Eichler tract) and dotted throughout the areas south of Rinaldi.

Historical Landmarks

White Oak Avenue, between San Fernando Mission and San Jose Street was declared a Historical Landmark on August 3, 1966 for the 101 Deodar Cedar Trees that line the street (which has been dubbed "Christmas Tree Lane"). The trees are native to the Himalayas and valued for their size, beauty and timber.

Filming location

★ The actual location of the cul-de-sac in the primetime soap opera ''Knots Landing'' was on Crystalaire Place in the Knollwood Country Club Estates area of Granada Hills.

★ In the of season 6 of the television show 24, Jack Bauer visits Granada Hills and rescues a man from a crashed helicopter.

★ Many locations along Chatsworth Street in Granada Hills were filmed in ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' and in ''My Tutor''.

★ ''My Name Is Earl'' is frequently filmed in Granada Hills.

Notable residents

★ Garret Anderson, star for the Los Angeles Angeles of Major League Baseball,

★ Ryan Braun, 5th overall pick in 2005 MLB Draft (Milwaukee Brewers), major leaguer, Granada Hills High School alumnus

★ Darren Daye, professional basketball player, Kennedy High School alumnus

★ Gustavo Diaz, actor/director and businessman who co-founded Project One Source; attended Granada Hills High School and Kennedy High.

★ John Elway, Super Bowl winner and MVP, Quarterback for the Denver Broncos, went to Granada Hills High School

★ Jon Garland, star pitcher for MLB's Chicago White Sox, is also a Kennedy alumnus.

★ Cuba Gooding, Jr, actor, attended Kennedy High School^[4]

★ Stuart Gray, professional basketball player, Kennedy High School alumnus

★ Ashley Judd, actress, was born in Granada Hills.^[5]

★ Gary Matthews, Jr., centerfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball, attended Granada Hills High School.

★ Jeff Suppan, pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers and member of the 2006 World Series Champions St. Louis Cardinals

References

1. Climb the mountains and get their good tidings: A History of the Sierra Club
2. Borrego Desert Park, , William E., Colby, Sierra Club Bulletin, 1933
3. Little League Baseball: Past Champions
4. Cuba Gooding, Jr on IMDB
5. Ashley Judd on IMDB

See Knollwood County Club Estates [4]
chris warren- frost middle school

External links

★ Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce

★ Granada Hills North Neighborhood Council

★ Granada Hills South Neighborhood Council

★ Old Granada Hills Residents Group

★ Granada Hills History Project

★ Balboa Highlands - Eichler tract