Woodland Hills is a community within the City of Los Angeles. It is located in the southwestern area of the San Fernando Valley, northeast of Calabasas and west of Tarzana. To the north Woodland Hills is bordered by West Hills, Canoga Park, and Winnetka. Running east-west through the community is U.S. Route 101 (Ventura Freeway) and Ventura Boulevard, which starts in Woodland Hills.

History

Victor Girard Kleinberger (later known as simply Victor Girard) bought 2,886 acres (12 km²) in the area and founded Girard in 1922. He sought to attract residents and businesses by developing the land, advertising in newspapers, and planting 120,000 trees. Although much of his development provided a dubious facade of economic activity in Girard (local lore has it that in order to attract development he erected false store fronts on Ventura Blvd., for which he spent time in jail), the Girard Golf Course completed in 1925 continues to operate today as the Woodland Hills Country Club, and his scheme was successful in attracting interest in the community. * The town suffered through the Great Depression yet survived. In 1941, the community was renamed Woodland Hills, an appropriate name owing to all the trees that Girard had planted years earlier. Harry Warner came along in the 1940s and bought 1,100 acres (4.5 km²) in the area for a horse ranch. The modern Warner Center commercial zone is named for Harry and features several high-rise buildings, hotels, and shopping centers in Woodland Hills. A major transit hub ? the western end of the Orange Line ? opened here in October 2005.

The population living in Woodland Hills nears 70,000.

Education

Schools serving Woodland Hills are operated by the Los Angeles Unified School District. The schools include Lockhurst Elementary School, Woodlake Elementary School, Woodland Hills Elementary School, Calabash St. Elementary School, Hale Middle School, Parkman Middle School, and Louisville High School (on the Calabasas border). El Camino Real High School and William Howard Taft High School are multiple United States Academic Decathlon winners.

Los Angeles Pierce College is also located in Woodland Hills.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 61,092 people. 74.8% White, 3.4% African American, 7.2% Hispanic/Latino, 5.9% Asian, and 6.8% Two or more races. Median age: 40.8 Average household size: 2.66 Median household income (1999): $70,411.

Famous Residents

Born and raised in Woodland Hills: Brad Garrett, actor who played Robert on Everybody Loves Raymond Janel Moloney, actress on The West Wing Jan Smithers, actor on WKRP in Cincinnati Hanshi Frank W Dux-Renowned Ninjutsu master

Prior to being convicted of fraud, teenage entrepreneur Barry Minkow bought a mansion in Woodland Hills.

Many Hollywood notables spent their later years at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital.

Jamal Anderson, NFL football player

Ted Cassidy, actor who played Lurch on The Addams Family lived here until he died in 1979 (his ashes were supposedly buried in his yard)

Lisa Kudrow, actress on Friends graduated from William Howard Taft High School Paige Hurd, actress who played Vanessa in Beauty Shop

Sara Paxton, actress Will Smith, actor, R&B singer

Xzibit, hip-hop artist

Noel Webb, violinist and composer.

Val Lauren, Actor

Businesses

Fry's Electronics (store #8) Health Net, Inc. headquarters Information Technology Channel main office Panavision headquarters United Online headquarters Westfield Shoppingtown Promenade Westfield Shoppingtown Topanga Plaza (borders Canoga Park) 21st Century Insurance is headquartered in Woodland Hills

Posted by Tim Reid on December 13, 2008 at 12:00 AM

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