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Granada Hills is a suburban neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles. The community has a sports program and a range of city recreation centers. The neighborhood has fourteen public and ten private schools.


History

The community began as dairy farm and orchard known as the Sunshine Ranch which grew apricots, oranges, walnuts and beans. Vestiges of former
citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...
groves can still be seen in orange, lemon or grapefruit trees in many residential yards. In 1916, the San Fernando Valley's first oil well was drilled in what is now Granada Hills. The oil well was located at the northern tip of Zelzah Avenue. Granada Hills was founded in 1926 as "Granada;" the "Hills" portion of the name was added 15 years later.


Geography and climate

Granada Hills is located at the foothills of the
Santa Susana Mountains The Santa Susana Mountains are a transverse range of mountains in Southern California, north of the city of Los Angeles, in the United States. The range runs east-west, separating the San Fernando and Simi valleys on its south from the Santa C ...
, north of North Hills, Northridge, west of Mission Hills and Sylmar, and east of the Porter Ranch neighborhoods of Los Angeles. The Ronald Reagan Freeway (
State Route 118 Route 118 or Highway 118 can refer to multiple roads: Argentina * National Route 118 (Argentina), National Route 118 Canada * British Columbia Highway 118 * New Brunswick Route 118 * Nova Scotia Highway 118 * Ontario Highway 118 * Prince ...
) runs through its southern area. Van Norman Reservoir, the southern terminus of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, is located in Granada Hills.


Demographics

The 2000 U.S. census counted 50,535 residents in the 15.11-square-mile neighborhood—or 3,344 people per square mile. In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 53,998, a density of 3,574 people per square mile. In 2000 the median age for residents was 37.
"Granada Hills", Mapping L.A., ''Los Angeles Times''
The neighborhood is ethnically diverse and includes Non-Hispanic Whites, whites, 55.5%;
Latinos Hispanic and Latino Americans ( es, Estadounidenses hispanos y latinos; pt, Estadunidenses hispânicos e latinos) are Americans of Spaniards, Spanish and/or Latin Americans, Latin American ancestry. More broadly, these demographics include a ...
, 20.6%; Asians, 16.3%;
blacks Black is a racialized classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin; in certain countries, often in ...
, 3.4%; and others, 4.2%. Korea (16.0%) and Mexico (13.8%) were the most common places of birth for 29.2% of the residents who were born abroad. The median yearly household income in 2008 was $83,911. Renters occupied 26.4% of the housing stock. The average household size of 2.9 people was considered average for Los Angeles. The percentages of married men (60.4%) and women (58.5%) were among the county's highest. There were 4,032 veterans, or 10.5% of the population, a high proportion compared to the rest of the city.


Arts and culture


Architecture

Granada Hills is composed mostly of Mid-century modern architecture. Of note is the "Balboa Highlands" tract built by iconic developer Joseph Eichler as well as the Knollwood Country Club area and Knollwood Grove tract. Many of these homes, which are North of Rinaldi/West of Balboa, have been featured in movies, commercials, magazine pictorials and appear in books about Eichler or mid-century architecture.


Historical landmarks

White Oak Avenue, between San Fernando Mission and San Jose Street was declared a
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments are sites which have been designated by the Los Angeles, California, Cultural Heritage Commission as worthy of preservation based on architectural, historic and cultural criteria. History The Historic-Cult ...
on August 3, 1966, for the 101
Deodar Cedar ''Cedrus deodara'', the deodar cedar, Himalayan cedar, or deodar, is a species of cedar native to the Himalayas. Description It is a large evergreen coniferous tree reaching tall, exceptionally with a trunk up to in diameter. It has a conic c ...
trees that line the street. The trees are native to the
Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...
and appreciated for their size, beauty and timber. White Oak Avenue trees were used as the back-drop in the flying bicycle scenes in the 1982 film '' E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''.


Sports

Granada Hills Charter High School Granada Hills Charter (often abbreviated to GHCHS/GHC or simply Granada) is an independent charter school consisting of over 4,600 students in grades K–12, located in the Granada Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It i ...
's stadium, the John Elway Stadium (named after the quarterback, an alumnus), is home to the Los Angeles Rampage women's soccer team and formerly home to the San Fernando Valley Quakes. In 1963, the Granada Hills
Little League Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizationLittle League World Championship in baseball.


Parks and recreation

O'Melveny Park, the second largest park in Los Angeles, consists of a large undeveloped area and a much smaller developed section with several dozen citrus trees, a small intermittent stream, and grass and picnic areas. This park includes hiking trails and fire roads, including a grassy promontory from which a view of the northeastern portion of the San Fernando Valley may be seen. Mission Point and its environs are popular mountain biking and hiking areas. The view from the top of Mission Point (called "Mission Peak" by many residents), the highest point in Granada Hills, is striking, taking in most of the San Fernando Valley. In clear weather, one can see the Pacific Ocean and Downtown Los Angeles. The area around the peak is home to
deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the re ...
,
golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds of ...
, bobcats,
mountain lion The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large cat native to the Americas. Its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. ...
s,
raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...
s, and coyotes. The Granada Hills Recreation Center (also known as Petit Park) features an auditorium, baseball diamonds, basketball courts, children's play areas, a gym, picnic tables, tennis courts, classrooms, a dance room and a library. Programs are offered in sports, and arts and crafts. Zelzah Park, an unstaffed park, has a bridle path, a children's play area, and picnic tables.


Government


Local

;City Council
Los Angeles City Council District 12 Los Angeles City Council District 12 is one of the 15 districts of the Los Angeles City Council. It encompasses the northwestern and western section of the San Fernando Valley, in the city of Los Angeles. It is represented by John Lee (California ...
encompasses Granada Hills, with councilmember
John Lee John Lee may refer to: Academia * John Lee (astronomer) (1783–1866), president of the Royal Astronomical Society * John Lee (university principal) (1779–1859), University of Edinburgh principal * John Lee (pathologist) (born 1961), English ...
serving. ;Neighborhood Councils Granada Hills is served by two Neighborhood Councils: *Granada Hills North Neighborhood Council — Representing the area bounded by Los Angeles County line to the north, Aliso Canyon to the west (west of Zelzah),
Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Californi ...
and Interstate 405 to the east and California 118 to the south. Formed in fall, 2002. *Granada Hills South Neighborhood Council — Representing the area bounded by California 118 to the north, Lindsey and Aliso Canyon to the west, Interstate 405 to the east, and Devonshire Street to the south.


County, state and federal

Granada Hills is in California's 30th congressional district as of 2013 and represented by Democrat
Brad Sherman Bradley James Sherman (born October 24, 1954) is an American accountant and politician serving as the U.S. representative for California's 30th congressional district since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he first entered Congress in ...
. It was in the 38th State Assembly district, and the 20th State Senate district until the 2014 redistricting.


Education

Thirty-two percent of Granada Hills residents aged 25 and older have earned a four-year degree by 2000, an average percentage for the city.


Schools

Schools within the Granada Hills boundaries are:


Public

* John F. Kennedy High School, 11254 Gothic Avenue *
Granada Hills Charter High School Granada Hills Charter (often abbreviated to GHCHS/GHC or simply Granada) is an independent charter school consisting of over 4,600 students in grades K–12, located in the Granada Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It i ...
(formerly Granada Hills High School), 10535 Zelzah Avenue * Jane Addams High School (
continuation high school A continuation high school is an alternative to a comprehensive high school. In some countries it is primarily for students who are considered at risk of not graduating at the normal pace. The requirements to graduate are the same, but the sch ...
), 16341 Donmetz Street * North Valley Charter Academy, 16651-A Rinaldi Street * Valley Academy of Arts and Sciences, 10445 Balboa Boulevard * George K. Porter Middle School, 15960 Kingsbury Street * Robert Frost Middle School, 12314 Bradford Place *
Patrick Henry Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736June 6, 1799) was an American attorney, planter, politician and orator known for declaring to the Second Virginia Convention (1775): " Give me liberty, or give me death!" A Founding Father, he served as the first a ...
Middle School, 17340 San Jose Street * El Oro Way Elementary Charter School, 12230 El Oro Way * Knollwood Elementary School, 11822 Gerald Avenue * Danube Avenue Elementary School, 11220 Danube Avenue * Tulsa Street Elementary School, 10900 Hayvenhurst Avenue * Haskell Elementary School, 15850 Tulsa Street * Van Gogh Street Elementary School, 17160 Van Gogh Street * Granada Elementary Community Charter School, 17170 Tribune Street * Rinaldi Adult Center (Adult School), 17540 Rinaldi Street #6


Private

* St. Euphrasia School, Elementary, 17637 Mayerling Street * Jewish Educational Trade School, 16601 Rinaldi Street * Concordia Schools, preschool–8th grade, 16603 San Fernando Mission Boulevard * Granada Hills Baptist Elementary School, 10949 Zelzah Avenue * De La Salle Elementary School, 16535 Chatsworth Street *
Abraham Joshua Heschel Abraham Joshua Heschel (January 11, 1907 – December 23, 1972) was a Polish-born American rabbi and one of the leading Jewish theologians and Jewish philosophers of the 20th century. Heschel, a professor of Jewish mysticism at the Jewish T ...
Day School (elementary), 17701 Devonshire Street * Pinecrest/Northridge School (elementary), 17081 Devonshire Street * Heritage Christian School (formerly Hillcrest) Christian School, 17531 Rinaldi Street (K–8), 10949 Zelzah Street (Preschool) * Heritage Christian School (formerly Los Angeles Baptist High School), 9825 Woodley Ave. * Iqra Elementary School, 11439 Encino Ave, Granada Hills, CA 91344 (preschool–7th)


Infrastructure


Public services

Los Angeles Fire Department The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD or LA City Fire) provides emergency medical services, Fire investigation, fire cause determination, fire prevention, Firefighting, fire suppression, Dangerous goods, hazardous materials mitigation, and Resc ...
Stations 18 (Knollwood/Granada Hills) and 87 (Granada Hills) are in the area. Granada Hills is served by the
Los Angeles Police Department The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...
Devonshire Community Police Station.


Health care

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Pacoima Health Center in
Pacoima Pacoima (Tongva: ''Pacoinga'') is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. Pacoima is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley region of LA. Geography Location Pacoima is bordered by the Los Angeles districts of Mission Hill ...
, serving Granada Hills.


Postal service

The
United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...
Granada Hills Post Office is located at 18039 Chatsworth Street.


Libraries

Los Angeles Public Library The Los Angeles Public Library system (LAPL) is a public library system in Los Angeles, California. The system holds more than six million volumes, and with around 19 million residents in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area, it serves the large ...
operates the Granada Hills Branch and is located in North Hills.


Notable people

* *
Hal Bernson Harold M. Bernson (November 19, 1930July 20, 2020) was a Los Angeles City Council member for 24 years, from 1979 until his retirement in 2003. A conservative Republican, he was a leading proponent of the San Fernando Valley seceding from the rest ...
, Los Angeles City Council member who fought the Sunshine Canyon project in the 1980s and 1990s * Ryan Braun, professional baseball player, Granada Hills High School alumnus *
Jeff Bregel Jeffrey Bryan Bregel (born May 1, 1964) is a former college and professional football who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons during the late 1980s. He played college football for the University of Southern Califo ...
, professional football player, John F. Kennedy High School alumnus *
Chao-Li Chi Chao-Li Chi (; April 5, 1927 – October 16, 2010) was a Chinese-born American actor and dancer who worked extensively in American television, including his best known role as Chao-Li, the faithful majordomo and chauffeur of Jane Wyman's charac ...
, actor * John Elway, Denver Broncos quarterback *
Cuba Gooding Jr Cuba Mark Gooding Jr. (born January 2, 1968) is an American actor. He is the recipient of an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Emmy nomination. After his breakthrough role as Tre Styles in ''Boyz n the Hood'' (1991), he appeared ...
, actor, Kennedy High School alumnus * Stuart Gray, professional basketball player, John F. Kennedy High School alumnus * Maurice Greene, track athlete *
Ashley Judd Ashley Judd (born Ashley Tyler Ciminella; April 19, 1968) is an American actress. She grew up in a family of performing artists: she is the daughter of the late country music singer Naomi Judd and the half-sister of country music singer Wynonna ...
, actress, was born in Granada Hills. * Jim Rodnunsky, technician, inventor of the Cablecam system. * C.J. Sanders, football player at the
University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic university, Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend, Indiana, South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin fo ...
*
Frank Wilcox Frank Reppy Wilcox (March 13, 1907 – March 3, 1974) was an American actor. He appeared in numerous films and television series, as well as Broadway plays. Background Wilcox was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Roger V. Wilcox. He was born in De Soto ...
, actor and "honorary mayor" of Granada Hills in the 1960s. *
Steve Yeager Stephen Wayne Yeager (born November 24, 1948) is an American former professional baseball catcher. Yeager spent 14 of the 15 seasons of his Major League Baseball career, from 1972 through 1985, with the Los Angeles Dodgers. His last year, 1986, ...
(born 1948), Major League Baseball catcher


See also

* List of districts and neighborhoods of Los Angeles


References


External links


Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce

Granada Hills North Neighborhood Council

Granada Hills South Neighborhood Council

Granada Hills History Project
(stopped in 2007) (archived 2014-07-08)
GigaGranadaHills.com, The Granada Hills Blog

Granada Hills crime map and statistics
{{Authority control Communities in the San Fernando Valley Neighborhoods in Los Angeles 1927 establishments in California Populated places established in 1927