- Assuming I read this correctly and I am not hung over from last night, the fine folks at chatsworth.patch.com have just published an article stating that the Federal Court overturned the cleanup of Rocketdyne's Santa Susana Field Lab (SSFL) up in the Simi Hills near Chatsworth. It was almost one month ago that I talked about the SSFL here on this site (with cool links to videos and cleanup sites) in response to the Fukushima disaster in Japan which has become probably worse than Three Mile Island and Chernobyl.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
ValleyBites: Rocketdyne Cleanup Ruled Unconstitutional, Granada Hills Charter High School in National Decathlon
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Back To The Future Series #3: First McDonald's Restaurant in the San Fernando Valley
[Update February 1, 2012]: The site historicaerials.com contains historical satellite images going back to the 50's (these images are available for purchase on the site without the watermarks and at a higher resolution). For the McDonald's location, the earliest year available was from 1953 shown below (click to enlarge) with a red arrow to show the McDonalds site. Since this image is a top down satellite view, its hard to see any arches but its also possible no arches were present at the time this image was taken because McDonald's opened in October 1953.
The next available year was 1972 shown below which is difficult to determine the architecture type at that time. Also, there appears to have been something constructed on the sides of the buildings which was previously parking as shown in the 1953 image. By the late 60's, the golden arches were removed to transition to the low profile mansard roof and brick and shingle textures which is common today so its possible that this image does not contain the golden arches. On the very left side of this image, you can see the old Victory Drive In which I discussed in another BTTF post here.
This next image is from 1978 which you can see some kind of building transformation which definitely looks like the McDonalds today. So based on the comment from "Valley Guy", it appears that there was never a demolition as McDonalds simply built around the existing site probably to avoid lengthy downtimes and increased costs. This also explains why the restrooms are always accessed on the right side of the restaurant in a majority of the existing McDonald's location. I didnt bother with the other years available because there are obviously no differences. You can also see that the Victory Drive In is no longer present and has been converted into a strip mall. This has unfortunately become a stereotype of the Valley as this was way back in the 70's!
[Update August 31, 2011]: I received the following info in an email from "SJM" regarding the McDonalds site:
So I received a request for what was/is the first McDonald's in the San Fernando Valley. I was unsure and had to do some major researching. So here it is as requested:
The next available year was 1972 shown below which is difficult to determine the architecture type at that time. Also, there appears to have been something constructed on the sides of the buildings which was previously parking as shown in the 1953 image. By the late 60's, the golden arches were removed to transition to the low profile mansard roof and brick and shingle textures which is common today so its possible that this image does not contain the golden arches. On the very left side of this image, you can see the old Victory Drive In which I discussed in another BTTF post here.
This next image is from 1978 which you can see some kind of building transformation which definitely looks like the McDonalds today. So based on the comment from "Valley Guy", it appears that there was never a demolition as McDonalds simply built around the existing site probably to avoid lengthy downtimes and increased costs. This also explains why the restrooms are always accessed on the right side of the restaurant in a majority of the existing McDonald's location. I didnt bother with the other years available because there are obviously no differences. You can also see that the Victory Drive In is no longer present and has been converted into a strip mall. This has unfortunately become a stereotype of the Valley as this was way back in the 70's!
[Update August 31, 2011]: I received the following info in an email from "SJM" regarding the McDonalds site:
The “golden arches” on Victory Blvd, just west of Coldwater Canyon back in the 50s actually was not called McDonalds. It was called Peak’s. It looked exactly like McDonalds, and likely was the franchisee. But it had a different name. I remember the 11 cent burgers and 15 cent fries, or the other way around, and the milkshakes. It was next door to the Victory Drive in, where we’d go as little kids in the back of the station wagon. It was many years before it changed names. (and, as a throw away, there was a popular swim school across the street – and I could go on and on).[Original Post]
So I received a request for what was/is the first McDonald's in the San Fernando Valley. I was unsure and had to do some major researching. So here it is as requested:
Back To The Future Series #3: First McDonald's Restaurant in the San Fernando Valley
So where is the first McDonald's restaurant in the San Fernando Valley? If you are thinking logically, it should be closer to L.A. than say in the West Valley as the population migrated west over the years. If you were thinking North Hollywood, that is correct!Wednesday, April 27, 2011
ValleyBites: Paris Hilton Attacked at Van Nuys Courthouse, Kardashians Earn $65 million in 2010, Three Calabasas Students Arrested for Vandalism, Big Royal Wedding and Valley Plans, Carpool Construction Begins on 5 in Burbank
- Paris Hilton and Boyfriend attacked at Van Nuys Courthouse by stalker.
- Kardashian clan earn $65 million in 2010. Wow, how, and why? How long will this last?
Celebrity Real Estate: Scott Baio Purchases in Woodland Hills
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
San Fernando Valley Itinerary
The L.A. Times ran an article over the weekend titled, San Fernando Valley: 11 Micro Itineraries. Its a great piece by Christopher Reynolds presenting almost a mini history of the Valley while discussing things to do. I was thinking about writing something similar in response to the high gasoline prices. Essentially, my point was going to be, you can still have fun in the Valley and reduce your gas consumption. Well, the L.A. Times beat me but nonetheless, they did a better job than I probably would have. At any rate, I reproduced the article below highlighting some key points. This is a long article so read when you have free time. Also, check out the video in the link to the article above.
Monday, April 25, 2011
ValleyBites: LAPD Copter Shot in Van Nuys, Panorama City Resident Shot, Sylmar Police Officer Dies in Crash, Man Shot in Van Nuys Motel, Burbank Receives Award, Easter Celebrated in Porter Ranch Tent
- An LAPD Helicopter was shot in Van Nuys near Saticoy and Densmore. The fuel tank was hit which started to leak and required an emergency landing at Van Nuys airport. One suspect was arrested and the second escaped. Really! Are we in Iraq? Whats with all the violence lately?
- A man in Panorama City was shot, suspects flee in a truck at the corner of Woodman Avenue and Community Street.
The Oldest and Second Oldest Homes in the San Fernando Valley
[Update August 1 2011]: My internet browsing skills suck because I came across an article at la.curbed.com published in January 17, 2011 discussing the second house below for sale. As the commenter suggested, this house was moved to Reseda to make way for the Hollywood freeway. So it seems that this property is not an original SF Valley home. On a separate note, this property sold in July 13 for $380,000 which is $14,000 less than the original list price. Hopefully the new owners can share any stories or findings from this historical gem.
[Original Post]:
[Original Post]:
The L.A. Times ran an article over the weekend about the Valley's oldest (and still standing) house in the Sunland-Tujunga-Lake View Terrace area. Its a wood frame folk Victorian built in 1896 and occupied by Raymond Shelly whose grandpa built the home. Its amazing that this house is still standing after earthquakes, storms, etc. What's the maintenance like on a home this old? Friday, April 22, 2011
Celebrity Real Estate: Taye Diggs Purchases Home in Studio City
Thursday, April 21, 2011
ValleyBites: Burbank Baseball Coach Gives Players Beer, Later Fired, Click and List Realty Owner in Granada Hills Arrested for Home Fraud, Richard C. Dunn, Dies, Leading Broker in Valley
- Baseball Varsity coach, John Schwer, of John Burroughs High School in Burbank was fired for giving his students beer on a recent trip to Arizona. Three assistant coaches were also fired as well as the remainder of the season canceled. As a player, whats better, drinking beer on the road or losing your season? On a separate note, someone always finds out in the end. You cant hide this stuff.
ValleyBites: Sherman Oaks Man Steals $13.6 Million from Medicare, Glendale Cops take Joyride to Vegas, Later Fired, Chatsworth High Student Killed in Hit and Run
- Eduard Aslanyan, 37, of Sherman Oaks plead guilty to stealing $13.6 million from Medicare. Now you know why healthcare is so expensive.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
ValleyBites: Survivor host Jeff Probst Buys Gene Autry Estate in Studio City, CA Budget Crisis Might Impact Valley Transportation Projects, 3 Shot Outside Reseda Bar, Caregive Allegedly Rapes Autistic Child in Northridge
- Your Mama at the RealEstalker has written that Survivor Host Jeff Probst recently purchased the Gene Autry Estate in Studio City. The estate was purchased for $5 million which consists of 7,893 sqft, 5 Bed/7Bath. The home is situated in the Fryman canyon area which is home to numerous celebrities.
Monday, April 18, 2011
[Update: 26 May 2011] Is Housing Making A Comeback in Chatsworth?
Update: the home discussed in this post at the bottom finally sold on May 25, 2011 for $610,000. This was $240,000 less than the original listing from 1 year and 8 days ago. Additionally, the sale price was $19,000 lower than the last asking price. I am sure the homeowners are relieved this is over.
The fine folks at chatsworth.patch.com have asked the question, Is Chatsworth’s Housing Market Finally on the Upswing? I will start off by saying NO with my rationale below.
The fine folks at chatsworth.patch.com have asked the question, Is Chatsworth’s Housing Market Finally on the Upswing? I will start off by saying NO with my rationale below.
The publication of this article seems suspect as this is the time of the year when the home buying season begins. Typically the weather is better for open house visits (well in SoCal, its good year-round but in the snow states, its a different story) and families tend to move in the summer to avoid transferring into the middle of the school year. With that said, I expect activity to pick up naturally. The question becomes, is the housing market getting better in Chatsworth in terms of pricing and overall health.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
ValleyBites: Chatsworth Is On Fire (Not Literally)
There were two separate fire related incidents in Chatsworth on Saturday and Sunday.
Read More
- The first incident occurred when two people in a townhome were awaken to a fire in their living room due to candles left burning. They tried to extinguish the fire themselves but that didnt work and they narrowly escaped. The LAFD responded quickly and were able to douse the fire causing about $25K in damages.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
ValleyBites: Man dies in Granada Hills Crash, Watch Royal Wedding in Woodland Hills, Lenny Dykstra arrested in Encino, 100 Cats in North Hills Home, and Another Universal Studios Fire
- Unfortunately, a 24 year old man died driving down Balboa Blvd when his vehicle lost control on Firday night. Dont know cause of accident, but remember to slow down as cops are on the look out in the valley.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Back To The Future Series #2: Valley Music Theatre (60s-70s), Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall (80s - 2004)
[Update: October 15, 2012]: Found the two pics and a flyer below from the internet that I thought might be of interest.
[Update: March 11, 2012]: I recently acquired a ticket from the Woody Allen show in 1972. I hope this thing is real because I paid a good amount of money for it.
[Update: June 09, 2011]: see an updated post here discussing plans for a mixed use apartment dwelling targeting senior citizens and commercial space.
[Original Post]:
So what do Bob Hope, Michael Jackson, and God all have in common in Woodland Hills? Continue reading to find out.(Check here for the first BTTF series on Clem Ruh Chevrolet)
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| Above images courtesy Greg Gorski Facebook |
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| Image courtesy MSFV |
[Update: June 09, 2011]: see an updated post here discussing plans for a mixed use apartment dwelling targeting senior citizens and commercial space.
[Original Post]:
So what do Bob Hope, Michael Jackson, and God all have in common in Woodland Hills? Continue reading to find out.(Check here for the first BTTF series on Clem Ruh Chevrolet)
This site was originally called Chalk Hill which was between Taft High School and St. Mels Catholic Church at 20600 Ventura Blvd Woodland Hills. In 1963, Bob Hope (he loved investing in SFV R.E.), Cy Warner, and Art Linkletter built the Valley Music Theatre by pouring tons of concrete over a rounded-off hill. When the cement hardened, dirt beneath the dome was excavated which became known as the "theatre in the round" seen in the postcard picture to the left. It first opened in 1964 with a production of the Sound of Music. According to an online petition site to keep it from being demolished, this theatre played to the following acts:
Latest Newsbites: LAPD Targeting Speeders in Sherman Oaks, Another School Campus Shutdown, and Luke Perry Protesting Against LAUSD Cuts
Another crazy day in the Valley:
- This is unfortunately going to be old news but cops are cracking down on speeding in Sherman Oaks, 67 speeding tickets were issued this morning with one driver caught doing 71 in a 40 mph zone. This is near Notre Dame high school so be on the lookout. Its probably too late now, but maybe its best to not rush in the morning. Who knows you might save some gas too. L.A. Daily News Article
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Nicolas Cage Finds His Stolen Comic Book in the SFV worth $1 million
I couldnt believe this when I read it, but a Superman comic book that Nicolas Cage (remember him from the movie, Valley Girl, might have been his best performance) bought 11 years ago was found in a storage locker in the San Fernando Valley. The comic book was stolen from his house 10 years ago which is estimated at a value of $1 million.
The moral of this story is if you need to hide something for 10 years, the SFV is a good spot.
Meet Former Dodger Great Steve Yeager at Jersey Mike's Subs in Granada Hills
The LA Daily News has an article out about former Dodger catcher and World Series co-MVP Steve Yeager. You can apparently meet him everyday for lunch at Jersey Mike's Subs in Granada Hills which he started about 18 months ago with his wife, Charlene and Gillian Armenta. In other unrelated news, did you know Steve posed for Playgirl. I unfortunately came across that in the article, talk about TMI. Something tells me that Steve lives in the Valley and probably in Granada Hills.
Anyways, the store is located on Chatsworth between Zelzah and Lindley. You can also connect with their Facebook page.
[Update December 2, 2011]: Celebrity Real Estate: Good News, Tori Spelling Leaving Encino
[Update December 2, 2011]: This home sold for $2,500,000 on December 1, 2011 representing a massive loss of $445,000 in less than three years. Additionally, this home took 9 months to sell and was reduced $699,000 from original list price.
According to the hilarious Your Mama at the Real Estalker, Tori Spelling has listed her Encino Mansion (6,718 sqft, 6 BD/6.5BA) on the Market with a list price of $3,199,000. She purchased this property with her husband, Dean McDermott, in October 2008 for $2,945,000. Based on today's lousy market, she might even take a loss when you factor commissions.
Most people probably remember her from the Beverly Hills, 90210 Series in the 90's. I think she does some reality shows today. Dont think it matters as she is probably set for life from her deceased father, Aaron.
Rumor has it that she is heading back over the hill to probably live in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, or Holmby Hills.
Real Estalker
Property Listing
Property Records
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Back To The Future Series #1: Clem Ruh Chevrolet
Back To The Future Series #1: Clem Ruh Chevrolet 21100 Sherman Way Canoga Park
[Paragraph edited on 12/22/2011 based on comment below from Anonymous]
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Welcome to the first Back to the Future Series (not the movie). The goal of this series like you may have seen in Then And Now books is to show how a location, site, place, etc from the past has changed when compared to today. This should be a lot of fun as this may get those faded memory cells thinking again about a location that might have had an effect on your life way back then(obviously this isnt for the children).
So for the first BTTF series, I picked something random that was sitting in front of me at the time (the old picture that is) so there is nothing special about this one being the first. Check back often for more exciting BTTF series updates.
[Paragraph edited on 12/22/2011 based on comment below from Anonymous]
Clem who? How many remember Clem Ruh Chevrolet on Sherman Way in Canoga Park. It was started by Ruh in the early 60's through the 70's. This dealership was later transferred to Jim Bess sometime after Ruh's death in the mid 70's. I visited this dealership with my Dad in the late 80's which was presumably under the ownership of Jim Bess. I cant recall exactly what happened but my Dad walked away without a car purchase. However, my Dad did eventually purchase from Galpin Ford. I have no idea how many lost deals similar to my Father's took place at the former Clem Ruh/Jim Bess Chevy dealership but I can imagine that the changes in the auto industry, foreign competition, and changing demographics of the West Valley might explain why they are no longer present as a Chevy dealership. This is also symbolic of the demise of the Big 3 automakers as the market share has been dwindling for decades to foreign competitors due to lack of cost control (Big Unions with Big Demands) and reduction in quality. Dont get me wrong, Chevy makes good cars and trucks and their Corvettes are real bargains compared to European counterparts. At any rate, this is what happens when you get complacent and fail to keep up industry changes.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Small Creek Threatened near Topanga Mall
Over at the LA Creek Freak, Jim Anderson has reported that a small creek near the Topanga Mall on the corner of Victory and Owensmouth will possibly be converted to a pipe thus destroying the natural habitat. This is due to expansion plans of the Village at Westfield Topanga to make way for a Costco service station.
There is also an article in the L.A. Daily News.
I guess time will tell on what eventually happens.
Friday, April 1, 2011
World's First Partial Nuclear Meltdown in the San Fernando Valley
You are probably wondering how this relates to the Valley. Well, it doesn't. What does relate, is that unfortunately, the Valley suffered the worlds first partial Nuclear Meltdown back in 1959. Yes, the world's first, right in the backyard of the SFV.
