Sherman Oaks

Sherman Oaks is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California located in the San Fernando Valley, founded in 1927. 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. In the 2010 census, Sherman Oaks had a population of 52,677 people and 25,255 households. The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 82% non-Hispanic white, 5% Asian American and 3% African American; 11% were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Iran (14.1%) and Mexico (8.8%) were the most common places of birth for the residents who were born abroad. In 2000, the percentages of residents aged 19 to 49 and 65 and older were among the county's highest. The percentage of households that earned $125,000 and up was high for Los Angeles County. The percentages of divorced residents and of widows were also high. The average household size of two people was low when compared to the rest of the city and the county. In 2008, the city estimated that the resident population had increased to 65,436. The median household income was $69, which was high in 2008, but about average for the city for a whole. In addition to the police department, which operates 78, which serves Sherman Oaks, the Los Angeles Community Fire Department operates the nearby Van Nuy's Community Fire Station 88 and South Nuys/Valley Glen Station 102.

History

Sherman Oaks is the primary city name, but also Van Nuys are acceptable city names or spellings. In 1991, a group of homeowners living in the Chandler Estates area successfully petitioned former L.A. City Councilmember Zev Yaroslavsky to re-draw the boundaries of Sherman Oaks. In 2009, the Los Angeles City council voted to redraw neighborhood boundaries again to allow an area of about 1,800 homes in Van Nuys to be included. The 1994 Northridge earthquake caused damage in the surrounding area. The homeowners in the Sherman Oaks area later won a lawsuit to prevent the Community Redevelopment Agency from managing the rebuilding efforts. The company had subdivided 1,000 acres (400 ha) of land that would become Sherman Oaks in 1927. In 1927, each acre was sold for $780. Sherman Oaks was named after Gen. Moses Hazeltine Sherman, who was a partner of the Los Los Angeles Suburban Homes Company. Sherman's other major venture was the L.L.P.R. Railroad, which was built in the late 1800s and early 1900s in the San Fernando Valley. He died in a car accident in 1929. He is survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter. The family has lived in Sherman Oaks since the early 1950s, when it was named for him. It is one of the most affluent neighborhoods in Los Angeles, with a population of more than 1.5 million people. The city of Los Angeles is home to many affluent neighborhoods, such as the Beverly Hills neighborhood of Santa Monica and the San Diego neighborhood of San Diego.

Geography and climate

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. The neighborhood is home to the Beverly Hills Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and the California Department of Health and Human Services. It is also known as "Beverly Hills" because of its proximity to the city's famous Beverly Hills neighborhood, which is located on the west side of the city. It was named after Beverly Hills, California, where it was founded in the early 20th century. It has been home to many celebrities, including George Clooney, Robert Redford, George W. Bush, Tom Hanks, George Lucas, and Oprah Winfrey. It also has been known to be a hotbed of crime, particularly in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when a string of murders occurred in the area. The area was also known for its hot springs, particularly the San Fernando Valley, which are located in the north and west of the neighborhood. In the late 1980s and 1990s, the neighborhood was known as the "West Side" because it was home to a number of high-rise apartment buildings, including one that was built in the 1970s. The West Side was also the site of the notorious "LAPD" burglaries, which took place in the mid-1990s and 2000s. In 2008, the city was the subject of a documentary, "The West Side of Beverly Hills", which focused on the crime and drug problems in the West.

Demographics

Sherman Oaks had a population of 52,677 people and 25,255 households as of the 2010 census. The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 82% non-Hispanic white, 5% Asian American and 3% African American. Iran (14.1%) and Mexico (8.8%) were the most common places of birth for the 26.2% of the residents who were born abroad. The neighborhood had a median household income of $69,651 in 2008, which was high for the city of Los Angeles but about average for the county as a whole. The percentages of divorced residents and of widows were among the county's highest. The average household size of two people was low when compared to the rest of the city and the county. In 2008, the city estimated that the resident population had increased to 65,436. In 2000, the percentages of residents aged 19 to 49 and 65 and older wereamong the county’s highest. It was considered "not especially diverse" ethnically within Los Angeles, with a high percentage of white residents. The breakdown was whites, 73.8%; Latinos, 11.8; Asians, 5.7%; blacks, 4.4%; and others, 4,4%. The percentage of households that earned $125,000 and up was highfor Los Angeles County and the average household income in the city was $68,000. It had 6,687 people per square mile, among the lowest population densities for theCity.

Government and infrastructure

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 United States Postal Service Sherman Oaks Post Office is located at 14900 Magnolia Boulevard. In 1978 the neighborhood played a key role in the drive for Proposition 13 and in 2002 was the epicenter of an unsuccessful San Fernando Valley secession movement. The Los Angeles Police Department operates the nearby Van nuys Community Police Station at 6240 Sylmar Avenue, 91401, serving the community. The neighborhood is located in Los Angeles County, California, near the San Fernando River and the Los Angeles River. The community is home to the Santa Catalina Mountains, which can be easily seen from the city's downtown area. It is also home to Los Angeles City Hall, which is located on the west side of the Santa Monica Mountains, on the north side of Los Angeles. The city is also the site of the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, which was built in the 1950s and 1960s. The area is also known as the Santa Clara Valley, and is located near the Santa Ana River and Los Angeles Lake, which are both on the east side. The Santa Clara River is the source of the San Gabriel River, which runs through the city and into the Santa Cruz Mountains. The San Gabriel Valley is also a major source of water resources for the city, including the Santa Barbara River and San Diego River.

Education

Forty-five percent of Sherman Oaks residents aged 25 and older had earned a four-year degree by 2000, a high percentage for both the city and the county. Los Angeles Public Library operates the Sherman Oaks Branch. The library was renamed in 1970, as a tribute to Martin Pollard, owner of the nearby Casa de Cadillac. Some residents do not have school-age children, and many others send their children to private schools. Portions of the community are zoned to Van Nuys High School. Other portions are zoning to Grant High School in Valley Glen. The Sherman Oaks area is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. LAUSD schools within the boundary include: Vehicle Nuys Middle School, Kester Avenue Elementary School, and Dixie Canyon Avenue Elementary. Private schools include: Notre Dame High School, The Buckley School, Village Glen School and Community Harvest Charter School, which closed in 2012. The city of Los Angeles operates a public library, also known as the Sherman Oaks Branch, which was named in 1970. The branch is located in the Magnolia Woods area of the city. It is located on the corner of Magnolia Woods and Riverside Canyon Avenue in Sherman Oaks. It was named after the nearby Casa de Cadillac, which is owned by the Martin Pollard family. It has a branch in the Westlake area of Los Angeles County, where it is known as The Martin Pollard Branch.

Parks and recreation

The Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Park is in Sherman Oaks. The park has an auditorium, two lighted baseball diamonds, and lighted indoor basketball courts. It also has a lighted American football field, an indoor gymnasium without weights, and picnic tables. The city operates the Sherman Oaks Castle Park with arcade, batting cages, and miniature golf facilities, in the same place as the park. There is also a seasonal outdoor heated swimming pool in the park, which is open to the public during the summer months. It is located on the same grounds as the senior center, which has a banquet capacity of 200 and an assembly capacity of 300. The pool is also open during the winter months, and has a capacity of 1,000 people. It has eight tennis courts and two outdoor basketball courts, as well as picnic tables and a children's play area. The senior center also has two kitchens, a play area, a shuffle board place, a stage, and two storage rooms. It was built in the 1960s. It opened in the former home of the former owner of the Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Hotel, which was located in the area. In the 1970s, the city bought the hotel and converted it into a senior center. The center is located in a former home, and was also used as a senior citizen center in the 1980s and 1990s. There are two kitchens in the center, one for cooking and one for cleaning. The Senior Citizen Center has two community/meeting rooms.

In popular culture

The TV series Sherman Oaks appeared on the USA network from 1995 to 1997. It followed plastic surgeon Dr. Sanford Baker and his family as they were filmed by a young documentary filmmaker. The series Never Have I Ever, and Black-ish are set in Sherman Oaks. The town is also the setting for the TV series The Hills, which is set in the 1950s and 1960s. It was also the inspiration for the film "Sherman Oaks," which was shot in the town in the 1970s and 1980s. In the film, Dr. Baker was a plastic surgeon who treated patients at a local hospital. He was the subject of the movie "Shermer Oaks", which was based on the book "The Surgeon's Daughter" by David Bianculli. The movie was released in 1989, and the book was published in 1989. The film was directed by Robert Redford, who also directed the film version of "The Shining" and "The Godfather," among other films. The TV series "The Hills" was filmed in the same town and aired on the U.S. network in the 1990s and early 2000s. The show was set in a fictional town called Sherman Oaks, California. It is set during the early years of the 20th century, and follows the life of Dr.  Sanford Baker, a surgeon who treats patients at the same hospital in the area. The first episode of the series, "Sher Sherman Oaks," aired on September 14, 1995, at 9 p.m.