Northridge, Los Angeles, California

Northridge is a community in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States.

The 1994 Northridge Earthquake is named for the community based on early estimates of the location of the quake's epicenter; however further refinements showed it to be technically in neighboring Reseda. The area was also heavily damaged in the 1971 Sylmar earthquake.

In 1994, the Northridge Little League Baseball team won the United States Little League Championship game, but lost the World Series game to the international team from Coquivacoa-Maracaibo, Venezuela.

Location and geography

Northridge is 17 square miles in area and is approximately 807 feet above sea level. Located within the San Fernando Valley, adjacent neighborhoods with Northridge include Granada Hills, Chatsworth, North Hills, Reseda, Porter Ranch, and Winnetka. Major streets in the area include Roscoe Boulevard, Devonshire Street, Nordhoff Street, Corbin Avenue, Tampa Avenue, and Reseda Boulevard. The major freeway running through the northern region of the city is the Ronald Reagan Freeway (State Route 118). The area code is 818 and zip codes are 91324 through 91330 and 91343.

History

The community was founded in 1910 as Zelzah station, a Southern Pacific depot town at the Colonel Henry Hubbard & "Bud" Wright Hawk Ranch north of Los Angeles.

Shortly after the Los Angeles City Aqueduct opened in 1913 Henry Hubbard became a member of Aqueduct Board. The following year Zelzah Grammar School opened and citizens formally voted for annexation to the City of Los Angeles and Owens River water rights in 1915. William Mulholland, engineer of the mammoth project, lived nearby and maintained one of many large rancho tracts remaining from the Spanish, Mexican and Californio land grant days.

Zelzah Acres became the name of one of those early housing tracts carved from the former enormous Ex-Mission Rancho San Fernando lands joining nearby towns of Chatsworth Park, Lankershim, Owensmouth, San Fernando and Van Nuys. The post office and train depot were renamed North Los Angeles in 1929 and finally Northridge in 1938.

Demographics

The current population is estimated to be 84,195.

Points of interest

* Faith Bible Church, Northridge, California, built in 1917, is the oldest church in Northridge
* California State University, Northridge (CSUN).
* California State University Northridge Botanical Garden
* Balboa Magnet School, one of the top elementary schools in the area.
* Northridge Fashion Center, a large shopping mall.
* Northridge Hospital Medical Center
* [http://www.csun.edu/phys/announcements_and_planetarium/planetarium.html Donald E. Bianchi Planetarium at CSUN]
* Studio 606 West, The recording studio of rock band Foo Fighters

Emergency services

Fire service

Los Angeles Fire Department [http://lafd.org/fs70.htm Station 70] (Northridge) and [http://lafd.org/fs103.htm Station 103] (Northridge/CSUN) serve the community.

Police service

Los Angeles Police Department operates two police stations that serve Northridge [http://www.lapdonline.org/our_communities/content_basic_view/23944] :
* Devonshire Community Police Station serves residents north of Roscoe Boulevard [http://www.lapdonline.org/devonshire_community_police_station] .
* West Valley Community Police Station serves residents south of Roscoe Boulevard [http://www.lapdonline.org/west_valley_community_police_station] .

Education

Residents are zoned to schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, though the local high school, Granada Hills High School became a charter school and is no longer working with LAUSD.

The area is also served by several private schools, including:
* Chatsworth Hills Academy

Famous residents

*David Draiman, lead singer of the band Disturbed
*Patty Andrews, The Andrews Sisters
*Jack Cassel, pitcher for the Houston Astros
*Matt Cassel, quarterback for the New England Patriots
*Lori Beth Denberg, actress,(cheerleader in & cast member in All That)
*Jarron Collins, Utah Jazz Center
*Jason Collins, Memphis Grizzlies Center
*Jenilee Harrison, actress on Three's Company
*Josh Klinghoffer, musician
*Alphonse Mouzon, jazz musician, Composer
*Nancy Cartwright, voice of Bart Simpson
* John H. Meier, former business adviser to Howard Hughes, involved with Watergate ["" written by Gerald Bellett, 1995, Voyageur North America, ISBN 0-921842-42-2]
*Vicki Peterson,rock band The Bangles
*Debbi Peterson, rock band The Bangles
*Richard Pryor, the comedian lived here during his infamous burn injury as a result of freebasing cocaine
*Jeff Weaver, Major League Baseball pitcher, grew up in Simi Valley
*Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher, grew up in Simi Valley

ee also

* Reseda Boulevard

References

External links

* [http://nvrcc.com/ North Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.northridgecouncil.org/ Northridge Neighborhood Council]