Northridge, Los Angeles
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Northridge is a neighborhood in the
San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County, California. Situated to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it comprises a large portion of Los Angeles, the Municipal corpo ...
region of the City of Los Angeles. The community is home to
California State University, Northridge California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge), is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. With a total enrollment of 36,848 students (as of Fall 2024), it has the ...
, and the Northridge Fashion Center. Originally named Zelzah by settlers in 1908, the community was renamed North Los Angeles in 1929 but the appellation sometimes caused confusion between North Hollywood and Los Angeles. In 1938, civic leader Carl S. Dentzel decided to rename the community to Northridge Village, which morphed into modern-day Northridge. The Northridge area can trace its history back to the
Tongva The Tongva ( ) are an Indigenous peoples of California, Indigenous people of California from the Los Angeles Basin and the Channel Islands of California, Southern Channel Islands, an area covering approximately . In the precolonial era, the peop ...
people and later to Spanish explorers. It was sold by the Mexican governor
Pío Pico Don (honorific), Don Pío de Jesús Pico IV (May 5, 1801 – September 11, 1894) was a California politician, ranchero, and entrepreneur, famous for serving as the List of governors of California before 1850, last governor of Alta California und ...
to Eulogio de Celis, whose heirs divided it for resale.


Population

The 2000 U.S. census counted 57,561 residents in the Northridge neighborhood—or , among the lowest population densities for the city. In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 61,993. In 2000 the median age for residents was 32, about average for city and county neighborhoods; the percentage of residents aged 19 to 34 was among the county's highest."Northridge"
Mapping L.A., ''Los Angeles Times''
The neighborhood was considered "highly diverse" ethnically within Los Angeles, with a high percentage of Asian people for the county. The breakdown was
whites White is a racial classification of people generally used for those of predominantly European ancestry. It is also a skin color specifier, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, ethnicity and point of view. De ...
, 49.5%;
Latinos Hispanic and Latino Americans are Americans who have a Spanish or Latin American background, culture, or family origin. This demographic group includes all Americans who identify as Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race. According to th ...
, 26.1%;
Asians "Asian people" (sometimes "Asiatic people")United States National Library of Medicine. Medical Subject Headings. 2004. November 17, 200Nlm.nih.gov: ''Asian Continental Ancestry Group'' is also used for categorical purposes. is an umbrella term ...
, 14.5%; blacks, 5.4%; and others, 4.6%. Mexico (24.7%) and the Philippines (9.8%) were the most common places of birth for the 31.8% of the residents who were born abroad—an average figure for Los Angeles. The median yearly household income in 2008 dollars was $67,906, considered high for the city. Renters occupied 46.4% of the housing stock, and house- or apartment-owners held 53.6%. The average household size of 2.7 people was considered average for Los Angeles. In 2000 there were 3,803 military veterans, or 8.5% of the population, a high percentage compared to the rest of the city.


Geography

Northridge touches Porter Ranch and Granada Hills on the north, North Hills on the east,
Van Nuys Van Nuys ( ) is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1 ...
on the southeast,
Lake Balboa Lake Balboa is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. The area was previously part of Van Nuys.Reseda on the south, and Winnetka and Chatsworth on the west.Colored map, Mapping L.A., ''Los Angeles Times (PDF)
/ref>


History


Tongva

The Northridge area was first inhabited over 2,000 years ago by the
Tongva The Tongva ( ) are an Indigenous peoples of California, Indigenous people of California from the Los Angeles Basin and the Channel Islands of California, Southern Channel Islands, an area covering approximately . In the precolonial era, the peop ...
. The village of Totonga was located in the Northridge area. The Tongva lived in dome-shaped houses and are sometimes referred to as the "people of the earth". They spoke a
Takic The Takic languages are a putative group of Uto-Aztecan languages historically spoken by a number of Indigenous peoples of California, Indigenous peoples of Southern California. Takic is grouped with the Tübatulabal language, Tubatulabal, Hopi la ...
Uto-Aztecan The Uto-Aztecan languages are a family of native American languages, consisting of over thirty languages. Uto-Aztecan languages are found almost entirely in the Western United States and Mexico. The name of the language family reflects the common ...
(Shoshonean) language. Many of their
pictographs A pictogram (also pictogramme, pictograph, or simply picto) is a graphical symbol that conveys meaning through its visual resemblance to a physical object. Pictograms are used in systems of writing and visual communication. A pictography is a wri ...
were destroyed by the development of
Greater Los Angeles Greater Los Angeles is the most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. state of California, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino County and Riverside County in the eas ...
.


Mexican land sale

In the late 1840s, Mexican Governor
Pio Pico Pio or PIO may refer to: Places * Pio Lake, Italy * Pio Island, Solomon Islands * Pio Point, Bird Island, south Atlantic Ocean People * Pio (given name) * Pio (surname) * Pio (footballer, born 1986), Brazilian footballer * Pio (footballer, ...
broke with the tradition of "granting" land and, instead, sold it, without the usual area limitations, to Eulogio de Celis, a native of Spain. By 1850, de Celis was in the Los Angeles census as an agriculturist, 42 years old, and the owner of real estate worth $20,000.


Land division

A few years later, the land was split up. The heirs of Eulogio de Celis sold the northerly half – – to Senator George K. Porter, who had called it the "Valley of the Cumberland" and Senator Charles Maclay, who exclaimed: "This is the Garden of Eden." Porter was interested in ranching; Maclay in subdivision and colonization. Francis Marion ("Bud") Wright, an Iowa farm boy who migrated to California as a young man, became a ranch hand for Senator Porter and later co-developer of the Hawk Ranch, which is now Northridge land.


Early community

In 1908, the
Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Railroad classes#Class I, Class I Rail transport, railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was oper ...
lays tracks through the Hawk Ranch property; following this and continuing the pattern of railroad boom towns, the Hawk Ranch was sold for subdivision and was renamed ''Zelzah'' in 1910. The name is derived from a
biblical name Names play a variety of roles in the Bible. They sometimes relate to the nominee's role in a Books of the Bible, biblical narrative, as in the case of Nabal, a foolish man whose name means "fool". Names in the Bible can represent human hopes, d ...
for an oasis as a reference to a water well located in the area. The Zelzah Train Station or Depot was built on the site that is now the northwest corner of Parthenia Avenue and Reseda Boulevard, across the street from the water well. Also in 1910, on January 13, the large balloon America landed on the so-called ''Zelzah ranch'' after a trip from
Huntington Park Huntington Park is a city located in the South Central region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The area includes the separate communities of Florence, California, Florence, Firestone Park, California, Firestone Park, Graham, ...
. By April, The Scandia Land and Loan Company was advertising ''Zelzah Acres'' with land going for $250 per acre. The company advertised the acres as the "cream of the San Fernando valley, the richest soil in California," describing the ease of transportation provided by the station, the lack of
alkali In chemistry, an alkali (; from the Arabic word , ) is a basic salt of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. An alkali can also be defined as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a soluble base has a pH greater than 7.0. The a ...
, adobe or
hardpan In soil science, agriculture and gardening, hardpan or soil pan is a dense layer of soil, usually found below the uppermost topsoil layer. There are different types of hardpan, all sharing the general characteristic of being a distinct soil layer ...
soil, and stating that water for domestic purposes could be welled from 35 to 65 feet and at 140 to 300 feet for general irrigation; water would later become a major selling point for land in the valley after the arrival of the
Los Angeles Aqueduct The Los Angeles Aqueduct system, comprising the Los Angeles Aqueduct (Owens Valley aqueduct) and the Second Los Angeles Aqueduct, is a water conveyance system, built and operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The Owens Valley ...
. The initial growth in the region was so marked that discussions of the creation of new school districts were being forwarded to the county school superintendent Mark Keppel, one of these districts being named Zelzah which would benefit 15 children of school age living nine to ten miles from a schoolhouse. By the beginning of 1912, a post office had been established in Zelzah. By April 1913, sales agents E. O. Hanson & Sons were advertising that only 300 of the original 1100 acres were left for sale, by then at $325 an acre. The first church built in Northridge, the Faith Bible Church, was built in 1917. By the 1920s, the town became a shipping center for agricultural products and continued to be a rural community for many years. Residents of Zelzah voted to change the community's name to ''North Los Angeles'' in 1929. Reseda Boulevard, the main thoroughfare of the community, was paved in 1930. In 1938, the community's name was changed to the more popular ''Northridge Village'' at the suggestion of local resident and director of the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles Carl Denzel; it would later be shortened to just ''Northridge''.


Post-war years

The community began to develop rapidly after World War II and agricultural lots were subdivided into suburban housing tracts to meet the demand for single-family homes by veterans and their families. Commercial development began to take place in the 1950s; the San Fernando Valley State College was opened in 1956. Light industry moved into the area and spurred a building boom. The train depot was torn down in 1961 and underpasses were constructed below the railway over Reseda Boulevard and Parthenia Street.


Education

Thirty-four percent of Northridge residents aged 25 and older had earned a four-year degree by 2000, an average percentage for the city but high for the county. The percentages of the same-age residents with a
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
and a
master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
or higher were high for the county.


Primary and secondary schools

In 1962, Nobel Junior High School in Northridge became the first air-conditioned school in the
Los Angeles Unified School District Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is a State school, public school district in Los Angeles County, California, United States of America. It is the largest public school system in California in terms of number of students and the List ...
. In 1982 the board considered closing Prairie Street Elementary School in Northridge.Faris, Gerald. "." ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
''. April 17, 1983. South Bay SB2. Retrieved on January 16, 2012
See clipping
at
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.
It was located on the
California State University, Northridge California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge), is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. With a total enrollment of 36,848 students (as of Fall 2024), it has the ...
campus, and that university used Prairie as a laboratory school.Savage, David G. "." ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
''. February 7, 1984. Part II C2. Retrieved on January 16, 2012.
In April 1983 an advisory committee of the LAUSD recommended closing eight LAUSD schools, including Prairie Street School. In August 1983 the board publicly considered closing Prairie, which had 280 students at the time. In 1984 the board voted to close the Prairie Street School. In 1985 some parents were trying to have Prairie Street School reopened. Secondary and lower-grade schools within the Northridge boundaries are:


Public

* Andasol Avenue Elementary School, 10126 Encino Avenue * Alfred Bernhard Nobel Middle School, 9950 Tampa Avenue * Topeka Drive Elementary School, 9815 Topeka Drive * Balboa Gifted / High Ability Magnet Elementary School, alternative, 17020 Labrador Street * Northridge Academy High School, 9601 Zelzah Avenue * Oliver Wendell Holmes Middle School, 9351 Paso Robles Avenue * Dearborn Street Elementary School, 9240 Wish Avenue * Calahan Street Elementary School, 18722 Knapp Street * Napa Street Elementary School, 19010 Napa Street * Northridge Middle School, 17960 Chase Street * Parthenia Street Elementary School, 16825 Napa Street * Granada Hills Charter TK-8, 17081 Devonshire St


Private

* Casa Montessori, 17633 Lassen Street *
Our Lady of Lourdes Our Lady of Lourdes (; ) is one the Marian devotions, devotional names or titles under which the Catholic Church venerates the Mary, mother of Jesus, Virgin Mary. The name commemorates a series of Lourdes apparitions, 18 apparitions reported by ...
, 18437 Superior Street *
Highland Hall Waldorf School Highland Hall Waldorf School is an independent alternative school located on a campus in Northridge, Los Angeles, California. It serves children from nursery through grade twelve with additional Parent and Child classes. Established in 1955, th ...
,
K-12 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993 by karateka Kazuyoshi Ishii. Originally under the ownership of the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), K-1 was considered to be the largest Kickboxing organization in the world. ...
, 17100 Superior Street * Art of Learning Academy, 9535 Alden Avenue * St. Nicholas School, elementary, 9501 Balboa Boulevard * First Presbyterian Church of Granada Hill, elementary, 10400 Zelzah Avenue * Cornerstone Christian Academy, 11031 Yolanda Avenue * East Valley Academy, K-12, 20212 Londelius Street * Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School, Elementary and Middle, 17701 Devonshire Street


Colleges

California State University, Northridge California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge), is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. With a total enrollment of 36,848 students (as of Fall 2024), it has the ...
, or CSUN, part of the
California State University The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a Public university, public university system in California, and the List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, largest public university system in the United States ...
system, offers bachelor's and master's degrees in a number of disciplines. The school is a major producer of K-12 teachers in the region and the nation as a whole. CSUN also has engineering, business, and film programs. CSUN had its beginnings as a college on
Nordhoff Street Nordhoff Street is a major east–west arterial road that runs for in the northwest San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California. Name Nordhoff Street was named after Charles Nordhoff, a 19th-century a journalist whose writings about Califo ...
and Etiwanda Avenue and officially opened in 1956 as San Fernando Valley Campus of Los Angeles State College of Applied Arts and Sciences. Two years later it separated from its parent and became San Fernando Valley State College. By the early 1970s, however, this institution became known as California State University, Northridge. By fall of 2016, CSUN had reached enrollment of almost 40,000 students. A 2004 study revealed that CSUN is a major contributor to the local economy: between $663 million and $686 million annually. Additionally, CSUN employs 5,800 people directly through the university and adds another 5,700 to 6,000 jobs into the local economy.


Entertainment


Motion pictures and television

Silent star
Janet Gaynor Janet Gaynor (born Laura Augusta Gainor; October 6, 1906 – September 14, 1984) was an American actress. She began her career as an extra in shorts and silent films. After signing with Fox Film Corporation (later 20th Century-Fox) in 1926, she ...
and her costume-designer husband Adrian were the first owners of a spacious estate in Northridge, which was later sold to
Barbara Stanwyck Barbara Stanwyck (; born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career, she was known for her strong, realistic screen p ...
and Robert Taylor. Later, actor
Jack Oakie Jack Oakie (born Lewis Delaney Offield; November 12, 1903 – January 23, 1978) was an American actor, starring mostly in films, but also working on stage, radio and television. He portrayed Napaloni in Chaplin's ''The Great Dictator'' (1940) ...
owned the property and lived on it. The Oakie house was set for the wrecking ball, but in 2010 the city agreed to buy the Tudor-style stone landmark and its ranch estate. Marion Marx, wife of
Zeppo Marx Herbert Manfred "Zeppo" Marx (February 25, 1901 – November 30, 1979) was an American comedic actor. He was the youngest, and last survivor, of the five Marx Brothers. He appeared in the first five Marx Brothers feature films from 1929 to 1933 ...
, and Barbara Stanwyck started Marwyck Ranch as a horse breeding farm. The original house and a small portion of the ranch still exist, and is managed by the city as Oakridge Estate Park. Northridge was known as the "Horse Capital of the West," with regular Sunday horse shows, annual stampedes, and country fairs.


Devonshire Downs

In the late 1960s,
Devonshire Downs Devonshire Downs, sometimes informally called The Downs, was a horse racing track and multipurpose event facility in Northridge, California. It was located at the southwest corner of Devonshire Street and Zelzah Avenue, east of Reseda Boulevard. ...
was the site of two major rock music festivals. The little-known two-day 1967 ''Fantasy Faire and Magic Music Festival'' (at "Devonshire Meadows") featured
The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, comprising vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and controversial rock acts ...
,
Jefferson Airplane Jefferson Airplane was an American Rock music, rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1965. One of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the San Francisco Bay Area, ...
,
Country Joe and the Fish Country Joe and the Fish was an American psychedelic rock band formed in Berkeley, California, in 1965. The band was among the influential groups in the San Francisco music scene during the mid-to-late 1960s. Much of the band's music was writ ...
,
The Grass Roots The Grass Roots are an American rock band that charted frequently between 1965 and 1975. The band was originally the creation of Lou Adler and songwriting duo P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri. In their career, they achieved two gold albums and ...
,
Canned Heat Canned Heat is an American blues rock band that was formed in Los Angeles in 1965. The group has been noted for its efforts to promote interest in blues music and its original artists. It was launched by two blues enthusiasts, Alan Wilson and ...
,
Iron Butterfly Iron Butterfly was an American rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 1966. They are best known for the 1968 hit " In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", providing a dramatic sound that led the way towards the development of hard rock and heavy metal m ...
and several other bands. The better-known but confusingly named 1969 ''
Newport Pop Festival The Newport Pop Festival was a rock festival held in Costa Mesa, California, on August 3–4, 1968. It was the first music concert ever to have more than 100,000 paid attendees. Its sequel, billed as Newport 69, was held in Northridge, Californi ...
'' was a massive three-day event that featured
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...
and many other top acts. It took place in June and was briefly the largest music festival ever held before losing that distinction to
Woodstock The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held from August 15 to 18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. Billed as "a ...
the following August. Like its famous successor, it had problems with large numbers of gate-crashers, and some young attendees far from home camped out nearby in sleeping bags. Unlike Woodstock, "nearby" included parts of suburban Northridge, where most of the local residents were horrified to find their neighborhoods invaded by "hippies". A ban on rock music festivals soon followed.


Earthquakes

The
1994 Northridge earthquake The 1994 Northridge earthquake affected Greater Los Angeles, California, on January 17, 1994, at 04:30:55 PST. The epicenter of the moment 6.7 () blind thrust earthquake was beneath the San Fernando Valley. Lasting approximately 8 seconds ...
was named for Northridge based on early estimates of the location of the quake's
epicenter The epicenter (), epicentre, or epicentrum in seismology is the point on the Earth's surface directly above a hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or an underground explosion originates. Determination The primary purpose of a ...
; however, further refinements showed it to be technically in neighboring Reseda. The earthquake, which occurred on a
blind thrust fault A thrust fault is a break in the Earth's crust, across which older rocks are pushed above younger rocks. Thrust geometry and nomenclature Reverse faults A thrust fault is a type of reverse fault that has a dip of 45 degrees or less. If ...
, was one of the strongest ground motions ever recorded in North America. Freeways collapsed, and many buildings suffered irreparable damages. Vertical and horizontal accelerations lifted structures off their foundations. During the 1994 quake, the Northridge Hospital Medical Center remained open and treated more than 1,000 patients who came to the facility during the first few days after the magnitude 6.7 quake. This was the second time in 23 years that the area had been affected by a strong earthquake. On February 9, 1971, the San Fernando earthquake (also known as the Sylmar earthquake) struck, having a magnitude of 6.5.


Points of interest

* Brent's Deli, famous deli in Northridge * CSUN Botanic Garden *
California State University, Northridge California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge), is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. With a total enrollment of 36,848 students (as of Fall 2024), it has the ...
(CSUN) * Donald E. Bianchi Planetarium at CSUN * Northridge Fashion Center, Regional shopping mall. *
Northridge Hospital Medical Center Northridge Hospital Medical Center is a hospital in the Reseda district of Los Angeles, California, US. It is currently operated by Dignity Health. History The hospital was founded in 1955 by Dr. Frederick Gruneck as a 49-bed hospital with ...
* Studio 606 West, the recording studio of rock band
Foo Fighters The Foo Fighters are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Initially founded as a one-man project by former Nirvana (band), Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, the band comprises vocalist/guitarist Grohl, bassist Nate Mendel, gu ...
* The
US Metric Association The US Metric Association (USMA), based in Windsor, Colorado, is a non-profit organization that advocates for total conversion of the United States to the International System of Units (SI). Founded on 27 December 1916 at Columbia University i ...
is based in Northridge.


Hospital

Northridge Hospital Medical Center consists of a 411-bed hospital and serves 2 million residents of the Valley. The hospital is one of only two facilities in the Valley certified as a trauma center for treating life-threatening injuries.


Parks, recreation and sports

The Northridge Recreation Center, located at 18300 Lemarsh St., has an indoor gymnasium, without weights, which may also be used as an auditorium. Its capacity is 400. The park also has barbecue pits, a lighted baseball diamond, lighted indoor basketball courts, lighted outdoor basketball courts, a children's play area, a community room, picnic tables, a lighted soccer field, and lighted tennis courts.Northridge Recreation Center
. City of Los Angeles. Retrieved on March 23, 2010.
The Northridge Pool, on the recreation center grounds, is an outdoor heated seasonal pool. Dearborn Park, located at 17141
Nordhoff Street Nordhoff Street is a major east–west arterial road that runs for in the northwest San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California. Name Nordhoff Street was named after Charles Nordhoff, a 19th-century a journalist whose writings about Califo ...
, is an unstaffed, unlocked park has lighted outdoor basketball courts, a children's play area, picnic tables, and lighted tennis courts. Vanalden Park, located at 8956 Vanalden Ave., is an unstaffed pocket park, has a horseshoe pit, a jogging path, and picnic tables.


Government and infrastructure


Local government

Los Angeles Fire Department The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD or LA City Fire) provides firefighting services and technical rescue services, hazardous materials services, and emergency medical services to the residents of the city of Los Angeles, California, United ...
Station 70 (Northridge) and Station 103 (Northridge/CSUN) serve the community. City of Los Angeles neighborhood councils that cover Northridge: * Northridge East Neighborhood Council * Northridge West Neighborhood Council * Northridge South Neighborhood Council The
Los Angeles Police Department The City of Los Angeles Police Department, commonly referred to as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is the primary law enforcement agency of Los Angeles, California, United States. With 8,832 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the th ...
operates two police stations that serve Northridge: * Devonshire Community Police Station serves residents north of
Roscoe Boulevard Roscoe Boulevard is a major east–west arterial road that runs for across the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California. Name There are two theories as to how Roscoe Boulevard got its name. The first is that it is named after a Southern ...
. * West Valley Community Police Station serves residents south of Roscoe Boulevard.


County, state, and federal representation

The
Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Health Services Los Angeles County, officially the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, operates the public hospitals and clinics in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County and is the United States' second largest municip ...
operates the Pacoima Health Center in
Pacoima Pacoima (Tataviam language: ''Pakoinga'', meaning "entrance") is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley region of LA. Geography Location Pacoima is bordered by the Los Angele ...
, serving Northridge. The
United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...
Northridge Post Office is located at 9534 Reseda Boulevard. * Northridge is represented in the
United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
by California's Senators
Dianne Feinstein Dianne Emiel Feinstein (; June 22, 1933 – September 29, 2023) was an American politician who served as a United States senator from California from 1992 until her death in 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as the 38th ...
and
Alex Padilla Alejandro Padilla (born March 22, 1973) is an American politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from California, a seat he has held since 2021. A member of the Democrati ...
. * In the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
, Northridge is located within
California's 32nd congressional district California's 32nd congressional district is a List of United States congressional districts, congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County. The 32nd district takes in the city ...
represented by
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...
Brad Sherman Bradley James Sherman (born October 24, 1954) is an American accountant and politician serving as the U.S. representative for California's 32nd congressional district. A member of the Democratic Party, he first entered Congress in 1997. Sher ...
. * In the
State Assembly State Assembly is the name given to various legislatures, especially lower houses or full legislatures in states in federal systems of government. Channel Islands States Assembly is the name of the legislature of the Bailiwick of Jersey. The Baili ...
, Northridge is located within
California's 45th State Assembly district California's 45th State Assembly district is one of 80 California California State Assembly, State Assembly districts. It is currently represented by California Democratic Party, Democrat James Ramos of Highland, California, Highland. Distri ...
represented by
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...
Jesse Gabriel Jesse Samuel Gabriel (born September 25, 1981) is an American constitutional rights attorney and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, Gabriel represents California's 46th State Assembly district, which includes much of the southeaster ...
. * In the
California State Senate The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature (the lower house being the California State Assembly). The state senate convenes, along with the state assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. ...
, Northridge is split between
California's 18th State Senate district California's 18th senatorial district is one of 40 California State Senate districts. It is currently represented by Democrat Steve Padilla of Chula Vista. District profile The district stretches along the Mexico–United States border and p ...
represented by Democrat
Robert Hertzberg Robert Myles Hertzberg (born November 19, 1954) is an American politician who previously served in the California State Senate. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, he represented the California's 18th State Senate district, 18th Senate D ...
, and
California's 27th State Senate district California's 27th senatorial district is one of 40 California California State Senate, State Senate districts. It is currently represented by of . District profile The district straddles the Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles–Ve ...
represented by Democrat Henry Stern. * Northridge is located within the City of Los Angeles' 12th City Council District represented by Councilmember
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.


Notable people

*
Brooke Abel Brooke Abel (born February 15, 1988) is an American synchronized swimmer who competed in the women's team event at the 2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded ...
, Olympic synchronized swimmer *
Ariane Andrew Ariane Andrew (born November 3, 1987) is an American professional wrestler, singer, and dancer. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Cameron. Andrew participated in the 2011 season of ''WWE Tough Enough ...
, professional wrestler * Aleks Berkolds, soccer player *
Hal Bernson Harold M. Bernson (November 19, 1930July 20, 2020) was an American politician who was a member of the Los Angeles City Council for 24 years, from 1979 until his retirement in 2003. A conservative Republican, he was a leading proponent of the San ...
, Los Angeles City Council member, 1979–2003Los Angeles Public Library reference file
/ref> *
Bob Brunner Robert Brunner (August 3, 1934 – October 28, 2012) was an American screenwriter, film producer, and television producer. He frequently collaborated in film and television with Garry Marshall, the creator of ''Happy Days''. Brunner is credited ...
, producer and screenwriter *
Champ Butler Champ Clark Butler (December 21, 1926 – March 8, 1992) was an American popular music singer who had several ''Billboard'' singles chart hits in the 1950s, and recorded primarily for Columbia Records.Original data: Social Security Applications ...
, singer *
Matt Cassel Matthew Brennan Cassel (born May 17, 1982) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He was a member of seven NFL teams, most notably the New England Patriots and Ka ...
, professional football *
Jarron Collins Jarron Thomas Collins (born December 2, 1978) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected in the second round ...
, professional basketball *
Jason Collins Jason Paul Collins (born December 2, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who was a center for 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal, where he wa ...
, professional basketball * Jim Davis, actor *
Bobbi Fiedler Roberta Frances "Bobbi" Fiedler ( Horowitz; April 22, 1937 – March 3, 2019) was an American politician who served three terms as a Republican U.S. Representative from California from 1981 to 1987. Early life and education Born in Santa Monic ...
, Congress member *
Linda Fratianne Linda Sue Fratianne (born August 2, 1960) is an American former figure skater known for winning two world-championship titles (1977, 1979), four consecutive U.S. championships (1977–1980) and a silver medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics. Caree ...
, figure skater at the 1980 Winter Olympics *
Brian Grazer Brian Thomas Grazer (born July 12, 1951) is an American film and television producer. He founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard. The films they produced have grossed over $15 billion. Grazer was personally nominated for four Acad ...
, film and television producer * Cole Guttman, ice hockey player *
Jackie Earle Haley Jack Earle Haley (born July 14, 1961) is an American actor and director. His earliest roles included Moocher in '' Breaking Away'' (1979) and Kelly Leak in '' The Bad News Bears'' (1976), '' The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training'' (1977) and '' ...
, actor * Mike Houghton, professional football *
Travis Kalanick Travis Cordell Kalanick (; born August 6, 1976) is an American businessman best known as the co-founder and former chief executive officer (CEO) of Uber. Previously he worked for Scour, a peer-to-peer file sharing application company, and was th ...
, Co-founder of
Uber Uber Technologies, Inc. is an American multinational transportation company that provides Ridesharing company, ride-hailing services, courier services, food delivery, and freight transport. It is headquartered in San Francisco, California, a ...
*
Ryan Kalish Ryan Michael Kalish (born March 28, 1988) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox in 2010 and 2012 and for the Chicago Cubs in 2014 and 2016. A standout high schoo ...
, professional baseball *
Antonia Lofaso Antonia Marie Lofaso (born November 23, 1976) is an American celebrity chef and restaurateur. She has appeared on the reality television shows ''Top Chef'', '' Chopped'', ''Cutthroat Kitchen'' and ''Restaurant Startup'', among others. Lofaso ow ...
, celebrity chef *
Casey Matthews Casey Christopher Matthews (born January 16, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football linebacker. He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL draft. He played college football at Ore ...
, professional football * Kyle, entertainer * Clay Matthews, professional football player *
John H. Meier John H. Meier (born September 28, 1933) is an American financier and business consultant now living in Vancouver, Canada. He is known for his association with billionaire Howard Hughes and claims of involvement in events preceding President Richar ...
, business adviser to Howard Hughes * Lynn Carey Saylor, singer, guitarist and composer *
Niecy Nash Carol Denise Betts (previously Nash, née Ensley; born February 23, 1970) (), known professionally as Niecy Nash, is an American actress. Her career began in the late 1990s, with appearances in the films '' Boys on the Side'' (1995) and '' Cooki ...
, actress, comedian * Bob Skube, professional baseball * Malcolm Smith, professional football * Chad Steelberg, Entrepreneur *
Eric Steelberg Eric Wesley Steelberg (born April 1, 1977) is an American cinematographer, known for his collaboration with director Jason Reitman. Early life Steelberg was born in 1977 in the Northridge suburb of Los Angeles. His father was a lawyer while his ...
, cinematographer *
Brian Vranesh Brian Vranesh (born October 26, 1977) is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and Web.com. Early life and amateur career Vranesh was born in Northridge, California. He attended the College of the Canyons. Profession ...
, professional golfer *
Duffy Waldorf James Joseph "Duffy" Waldorf Jr. (born August 20, 1962) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour Champions. He was previously a member of the PGA Tour, where he won four times. Early life and amateur career Waldorf was born ...
, professional golfer *
Jeff Weaver Jeffrey Charles Weaver (born August 22, 1976) is an American former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher. During his career, he pitched for the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, St. Loui ...
, Major League Baseball *
Jered Weaver Jered David Weaver (born October 4, 1982) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres. Weaver was drafted in the first round (12th overall ...
, Major League Baseball * Danny Worth, professional baseball


See also

*
Reseda Boulevard Reseda Boulevard, named Reseda Avenue until May 1929, is a major north–south arterial road that runs through the western San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Route Reseda Boulevard runs approximately from the Santa Monica ...


References


External links


North Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce

Northridge East Neighborhood Council

Northridge West Neighborhood Council

Northridge South Neighborhood Council
*
Comments about living in Northridge

Northridge crime map and statistics
{{Authority control Communities in the San Fernando Valley Neighborhoods in Los Angeles Populated places established in 1910