Sherman Oaks
Sherman Oaks may seem like a suburban paradise fabricated on a Hollywood backlot. The low-key presence of celebs – emphasis on the “low-key”—adds to the livable magic. But this is no illusion: it’s home.
This San Fernando Valley city takes its name from a wealthy land-developer who built the Phoenix Street Railway in Arizona before pushing further west to build streetcar lines that connected downtown Los Angeles with Hollywoodland, as it was then called (“those 13 unlucky letters,” as they came to be known), Pasadena and Santa Monica. General Moses Hazeltine Sherman’s name—including the Hazeltine—lives on today in the form of street signs around the Valley, notably Sherman Way. The original Sherman Way was the Valley’s first thoroughfare, renamed Van Nuys Boulevard in 1926. At the time, there was also an East Sherman Way that was rechristened Chandler Boulevard, reflecting the influence of Isaac Van Nuys and Harry Chandler, fellow kingpins. West Sherman Way carried on the railroad mogul’s legacy, with Sherman Oaks taking his name in 1927.
The southern end of the community borders Bel Air and the Beverly Hills Post Office at Mulholland, with Encino to the west, and Studio City to the east. With part of the city extending into the Santa Monica Mountains, much of the area is hilly and ideal for hikes. And, the altitude often makes for dazzlingly elevated residential views.
Sherman Oaks is divided into several distinct areas – south and north of Ventura Boulevard, the especially elite Longridge Estates with extra large lots, Royal Woods, Chandler Estates, and Hidden Woods. The gated community of Mulholland Estates, located in the Santa Monica Mountains, is identified by the United States Post Office as falling within the Beverly Hills 90210 zip code, and although much of its land is within the Sherman Oaks district, the zip code adds cachet to this guarded enclave. The community’s main entrance is located at Beverly Glen Boulevard and the north side of Mulholland Drive next to Fossil Ridge Park. Many residences in Sherman Oaks, especially those south of Ventura Boulevard, including those in Mulholland Estates, look out over the vast expanse of the San Fernando Valley which is especially enticing and glittering by night.
And yes, there really are fossils at Fossil Ridge Park, which is a public park owned by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. Located at the corner of Mulholland Drive and Beverly Glen Boulevard, the private Buckley School occupies the northern end, with the gated Mulholland Estates to the east. The park is adjacent to Oak Forest Canyon Natural area, also owned by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. The 110-acre park contains large deposits of fossils in sandstone dating from the Middle to Late Miocene Modelo Formation (16 to 5.30 million years ago). The delicate impressions of small fish captured in ancient stone remind us that much of what is now the North American continent was submerged in salt water as part of the Western Interior Seaway. All fossils and other natural treasures which may be spotted in the park are protected by law, and their removal is prohibited.
In addition to Buckley, Sherman Oaks is home to two other prestigious private schools: Notre Dame, and St. Francis de Sales. This is simply one indication of the importance placed on education by the residents of Sherman Oaks.
Public schools in the area include Sherman Oaks Elementary and Dixie Canyon Elementary School. In one of the many instances where reality and entertainment overlap in Sherman Oaks, Dixie Canyon was attended by Bobby and Cindy Brady in their roles in the iconic late-sixties-mid-seventies sitcom “The Brady Bunch.” Along the same lines, the Sherman Oaks Galleria, a massive shopping destination visible from the busy 405 and 101 freeways by its large, lower-case “g,” was the setting for the 1982 film “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” the hilarious snapshot of life among suburban teens that introduced the (“Gn-n-n-a-a-a-arly!”) young Sean Penn in his unforgettable role as ultimate stoner-surfer dude Jeff Spicoli.
There’s subtle star-power everywhere we look in Sherman Oaks, including 20-acre Dixie Canyon Park that was a gift to the people of California by Warren Beatty, donated in 1986. Beatty initially purchased the parcel in 1977 to prevent the land from being bulldozed for the construction of 32 planned luxury homes on the ridge.
Although Sherman Oaks is far from rural, its constituency has consistently maintained an appreciation for nature, and abundant greenery offsets the concrete and asphalt to keep the community comfortable and appealing. Mature shade trees offer respite from the summer heat in most of the area. The hiking trails here offer abundant opportunities for shinrin yoku (“forest bathing”), and parks are abundant in the area. The Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks Recreation Center provides a pool, playground and lighted sports fields and courts, while Sherman Oaks Castle Park entertains families with miniature golf, a gaming arcade, and batting cages.
Eternally sunny Jennifer Aniston grew up in Sherman Oaks, and notables including Drew Barrymore, Paula Abdul, Maya Rudolph, Raven Simone, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the Olsen twins are among the celebs who have called Sherman Oaks home. Proximity to the Studio City and Burbank studios continues to make Sherman Oaks a desirable location for entertainment professionals, while the area’s inviting mix of safety, outdoor recreation and family-friendly convenience attracts a prosperous and affluent cross-section of Southern Californians who enjoy a relaxed backyard barbecues as much as designer power-shopping (Juvenile Shop sets the gold-standard for deluxe baby-registry and gifting) on the Boulevard.
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