Sherman Oaks is a leafy and exclusive suburb of Los Angeles, located in the San Fernando Valley. The community is perhaps best known as the home of the Sherman Oaks Galleria at the corner of Ventura and Sepulveda Boulevards, considered by many to be the undisputed residence of the Valley Girl, a cultural label popularized by the song and 1983 movie of the same name. Two large shopping malls in the area, as well as numerous boutiques and plazas, line Ventura Boulevard, providing residents and visitors with endless window-shopping opportunities. Sherman Oaks is also home to the Westfield Fashion Square, a very popular Los Angeles mall which boasts one of the few Bloomingdale’s on the West Coast. The neighborhood is also home to Casa De Cadillac, which has been in many films and continues to lead California in new car sales for its Cadillac division.
Many financial corporations, including banks and brokerage houses, are located in the area. Sunkist Growers, one of the country’s oldest and largest agricultural cooperatives, has been rooted in Sherman Oaks for almost 30 years. Sherman Oaks also has many upscale houses. Additionally, it has many excellent restaurants, such as Café Bizou, which is well-known throughout the city.
Sherman Oaks is bordered by Studio City, Van Nuys, Encino, and the Santa Monica Mountains. It can be easily accesed using the 101 and 405 freeways.
Sherman Oaks was one of the first Valley communities to experience intensive real estate development. Anticipating the development of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913, Los Angeles Suburban Homes Company purchased 47,500 acres of the southeast Valley in 1910. In 1911, a subdivision map called Tract 1000 was filed with Los Angeles County. From that parcel, one of the partners in the company, General Moses Hazeltine Sherman, bought 1,000 acres for himself. In 1927, Sherman subdivided the property and sold the land for $780 an acre.
Over the years, many celebrities have lived in Sherman Oaks, including Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, Lou Costello, Marsha Hunt, Burt Kennedy, Hector Elizondo, Lily Tomlin, and David Caruso. A lot of celebrities can often be seen in Sherman Oaks, whether it is at the gas station, the cleaners, or at the local Starbucks. Harry Hamlin, of L.A. Law, and Linda Gray own a clothing store there and are residents of the neighborhood.
Sherman Oaks is home to Fire Station #88, the first Urban Search and Rescue Task Force to respond following the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Marilyn Monroe’s first home as a 16-year-old newly-wed was on Vista del Monte.
Liberace, a famous musician, lived on Valley Vista Boulevard and had a piano-shaped pool complete with black keys.
The term “Valley Girls” was popularized by musician Frank Zappa and his daughter, Moon Unit, and was inspired by Moon’s dinner table mocking of schoolmates’ syntax and incessant shopping at the Sherman Oaks Galleria shopping center.
Some popular areas of Sherman Oaks include Chandler Estates, Hidden Estates, Royal Woods, and Longridge Estates.
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