Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles

Sherman Oaks
—  District of Los Angeles  —
The Citibank (l) and City National Bank (r) Buildings in Sherman Oaks
Sherman Oaks Location within Los Angeles/San Fernando Valley
Coordinates: 34°09′04″N 118°26′54″W
Country	United States
State	California
County	Los Angeles
City	Los Angeles
Area
• Total	8.1 sq mi (21 km2)
Population (2000)
• Total	52,677
Time zone	PST (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP code	91401, 91403, 91411, 91413, 91423, 91495
Area code(s)	818

Sherman Oaks is a 8.1-square-mile (21 km²) district in the San Fernando Valley area of the city of Los Angeles, California. In contrast to much of the Valley, the area is relatively urbanized, with commercial skyscrapers along Ventura Boulevard as well as scattered throughout. In addition, residential densities are highly mixed, with apartment and condominium neighborhoods alongside single-story residential ones. The area is a local hub for regional transportation, business, and shopping.

Geography

Village of Sherman Oaks - Van Nuys Boulevard at Ventura Boulevard

The neighborhood is roughly bounded by Studio City to the east, Van Nuys to the north, Encino to the west, Bel Air and Beverly Hills Post Office to the south.

Sherman Oaks is situated along the Los Angeles River, Ventura Freeway, San Diego Freeway, Beverly Glen Boulevard, and Sepulveda Boulevard.

The southern boundary has always been Mulholland Drive. The western boundary is Firmament as it crosses Ventura Blvd. The current northern boundary is Oxnard Street and the eastern boundary is Coldwater Canyon Avenue from Burbank south to Magnolia Boulevard where it jogs west so as to reach Fulton Avenue at Ventura Boulevard. The line then follows Longridge Avenue south to Mulholland.

On July 14, 2009, the Los Angeles City Council approved a request to extend portions of the northern boundary of Sherman Oaks from Burbank Blvd. to Oxnard St.

Demographics

As of the 2010 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 82% non-Hispanic white, 5% Asian American, and 3% African-American; 11% are Hispanic or Latino of any race. Other races make up less than 1%. The median single family housing value as of August 2009 is $575,000.

In 2009, the Los Angeles Times's "Mapping L.A." project supplied these Sherman Oaks neighborhood statistics: population: 61,166; median household income: $69,651.

History

La Reina Theatre, although closed, still stands on Ventura Blvd. "La Reina" means "The Queen" in Spanish. Parts of the space have been converted for retail use.

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).

Government

Sherman Oaks is part of the city of Los Angeles and is represented in the Los Angeles City Council by Second District City Councilman Paul Krekorian and Fifth District City Councilman Paul Koretz. 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 Carol Liu, and 23rd District state Senator Fran Pavley. 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. Representing all of California, including Sherman Oaks, in the U.S. Senate are U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein.

Economy

Many financial corporations, including banks and brokerage houses, are located in the area.^{[citation needed]} Sunkist Growers, an agricultural cooperative, has its headquarters in Sherman Oaks, near the Westfield Fashion Square Mall. Premiere Radio Networks is also based in Sherman Oaks.

Government and infrastructure

Local government

Los Angeles Fire Department operates Station 88 Sherman Oaks and Station 102 South Van Nuys/Valley Glen in Sherman Oaks. In addition the department operates Fire Station 78, which serves Sherman Oaks, in Studio City.

The Los Angeles Police Department operates the nearby Van Nuys Community Police Station at 6240 Sylmar Avenue, 91401, serving the community.

County, state, and federal representation

The United States Postal Service Sherman Oaks Post Office is located at 14900 Magnolia Boulevard.

Parks and recreation

The Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Park is in Sherman Oaks. The park has an auditorium, two lighted baseball diamonds, six unlighted baseball diamonds, lighted indoor basketball courts, lighted outdoor basketball courts, a children's play area, a 60 person community room, a lighted American football field, an indoor gymnasium without weights, picnic tables, a lighted soccer (football) field, and lighted tennis courts. Located in the same place as the park, the Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Pool is a seasonal outdoor heated swimming pool. The Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Senior Citizen Center (a.k.a. Bernardi Center), also on the park grounds, has an auditorium and multi-purpose room; its banquet capacity is 200 and its assembly capacity is 300. The senior center also has two community/meeting rooms; one can hold 50 people and one can hold 30 people. The senior center has two kitchens, a play area, a shuffle board place, a stage, and two storage rooms. The Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Tennis Courts facility in the Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Park has eight courts. In addition the city operates the Sherman Oaks Castle Park, with arcade, batting cages, and miniature golf facilities, in Sherman Oaks.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools

Van Nuys Middle School

Sherman Oaks' primary and secondary public schools are part of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

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:

• Millikan Middle School (Sherman Oaks)
• Van Nuys Middle School (Sherman Oaks)
• U. S. Grant High School (Valley Glen)
• Van Nuys High School (Van Nuys)

The Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies is actually located in Reseda (between 5-10 miles north-west of Sherman Oaks).

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
• Ferrahian Armenian High School
• St.Cyril of Jerusalem

Colleges and universities

Also located in Sherman Oaks is a learning center campus for National University and Devry University has a campus in the Sherman Oaks Galleria.

LAVC or Los Angeles Valley College is located in nearby Valley Glen.

Libraries

Los Angeles Public Library operates the Sherman Oaks Branch.

Culture

Sherman Oaks Ventura Boulevard Shopping District

Sherman Oaks is an affluent neighborhood, with several high-end fashion boutiques, and features many upscale houses and restaurants. One of the city's main claims to fame is the presence of the Sherman Oaks Galleria, a shopping mall identified as a meet-up place for 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. After being damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the Galleria eventually was torn down and replaced by an open-air retail and office complex that bears little resemblance to the original mall. Other local shopping options include the Westfield Fashion Square (formerly known as Sherman Oaks Fashion Square), and an assortment of boutiques and restaurants located along Ventura Boulevard. Aerobics and Fitness Association of America operates in Sherman Oaks.

Every third Sunday 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 actress Melissa Joan Hart, Coach John Wooden, actor/child-safety advocate Bryan Cranston (KidSmartz), Joe Mantegna, Billy Blanks, and Olympic Gold Medalist Rafer Johnson.

Media

Sherman Oaks has significant references in television.^{[citation needed]}

• The short-lived 1990s sitcom, Sherman Oaks, centered on 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.
• On several occasions Scrubs has filmed throughout Sherman Oaks.
• Video game developer Spark Unlimited is based in Sherman Oaks.
• Premiere Radio is based out of Sherman Oaks.
• Sherman Oaks is also the home of Fox Sports Radio.
• A flower shop on Ventura Blvd. was filmed frequently for the HBO hit Six Feet Under.
• Sherman Oaks is where Alan Harper's ex-wife Judith and son Jake live in the sitcom Two and a Half Men.
• Virtual Instruments Magazine is published and edited in Sherman Oaks.
• Segments of Terminator 2: Judgement Day were filmed in Sherman Oaks, in particular the ATM scene with John Connor.
• The mall scenes from Fast Times at Ridgemont High were filmed at the Sherman Oaks Galleria.
• Scenes from Crash were filmed in Sherman Oaks.
• The character Jazz in Michael Bay's movie Transformers drops down from the roof of the Casa de cadillac dealership, located on Ventura and Tyrone/Beverly Glen.
• Richard Pryor stayed at the Grossman Burn Center in Sherman Oaks in 1980, after lighting himself on fire when he was freebasing cocaine.
• 2 Decepticon Assassains are set to murder humans in a scene of Transformers 3.
• In the movie Commando, Gov. Arnold Schwartzenegger battles his daughter's kidnappers and flies on a cable above the then 'new' Galleria
• Oxygen's Reality TV Show Bad Girls Club Season 6 will be filmed in Sherman Oaks.
• The 1980s sitcom It's Garry Shandling's Show was set in Sherman Oaks and Shandling made frequent references to it.

Notable people

• Paula Abdul
• Jennifer Aniston
• Christian Bale
• Wayne Brady
• Chris Broderick
• LeVar Burton
• David Caruso
• Justin Chambers
• Michael Chiklis
• Don Cornelius
• Shane Dawson
• Harlan Ellison
• Paris Hilton
• Michael Jackson's two eldest children, Prince Michael Jackson I and Paris Katherine Jackson attend the Buckley School in Sherman Oaks.
• Jackson DeForest Kelley
• Shia Labeouf
• Stephen Root
• Maurice LaMarche
• Demi Lovato
• Bridget Marquardt
• Matt Moore
• Shaquille O'Neal
• Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen
• Bill Paparian
• Carina Round
• Tom Selleck
• Charlie Sheen
• J. Michael Straczynski
• Jack Starrett
• Tiny Tim
• Daniel Van Meter
• Neil Patrick Harris

External links

• Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council
• Sherman Oaks Chamber of Commerce
• AboutShermanOaks.com - Top Sherman Oaks Area Resource
• The Neighborhood Project: Sherman Oaks