Van Nuys, Los Angeles

Van Nuys is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California.

History
The town was founded in 1911, and named for, one of its developers. It was annexed by Los Angeles on May 22, 1915.

It was annexed by Los Angeles on May 22, 1915, after completion of the, providing it with the water required for further growth. Van Nuys was the first new stop on the San Fernando Line of the Pacific Electric Railway red cars system, which boosted its early land sales and commercial success.

Van Nuys became the Valley's satellite Los Angeles municipal civic center, with the 1932 Valley Municipal Building (Van Nuys City Hall), a visual landmark and Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument starting the present day Government Center complex of government services buildings.

In 1991, Marvin Braude, a member of the Los Angeles City Council, redesignated a 45-block area from being a part of Van Nuys to being a part of Sherman Oaks. This redesignated area included the community of Magnolia Woods. Some area residents had presented a petition and several original deeds that stated "Sherman Oaks" to Braude. They argued that the area was originally a part of Sherman Oaks until the 1960s, when labeling the area as Van Nuys were established..

In 2014, A "Great Streets" project was introduced by Mayor Eric Garcetti with Van Nuys Blvd. to be redesigned between Victory Blvd. and Oxnard Street. Also, Sepulveda Blvd. was resurfaced between Victory Blvd and Oxnard Street in May 2014. A new Los Angeles County services building is under construction on the southwest corner of Van Nuys Blvd. and Saticoy Street in 2014.

On February 14, 2016, some 170 firefighters battled a fire at the abandoned Voyager Motel at 6500 N. Sepulveda Blvd.

Geography
Van Nuys is bordered on the north by North Hills, on the northeast by Panorama City, on the east by Valley Glen, on the south by Sherman Oaks, on the southwest by the Sepulveda Basin, on the west by Lake Balboa and on the northwest by Northridge. Its street and other boundaries are Roscoe Boulevard on the north, Sepulveda Boulevard, the Tujunga Wash, Woodman Avenue and Hazeltine Avenue on the east, Oxnard Street on the south, the Sepulveda Basin on the southwest and Odessa and Hayvenhurst avenues and Balboa Boulevard on the west.

Population
The 2000 U.S. census counted 103,770 residents in the 8.99-square-mile Van Nuys neighborhood—or 11,542 people per square mile, about an average for the city.

In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 110,747. In 2000 the median age for residents was 28, considered young for city and county neighborhoods, and the percentages of residents aged 10 or younger and 19 to 34 were among the county's highest.

The neighborhood was considered "moderately diverse" ethnically within Los Angeles. The breakdown was, 60.5%; , 23.1%; , 6.4%; , 6%; and others, 4%. Mexico (41.5%) and El Salvador (17.3%) were the most common places of birth for the 49.8% of the residents who were born abroad—a high percentage for Los Angeles. There were 4,917 families headed by single parents, or 21.3%, considered high for both the city and the county.

The median yearly household income in 2008 dollars was $41,134, considered average for the city but low for the county. The percentages of households that earned $40,000 or less were high for the county. Renters occupied 73.9% of the housing stock, and house- or apartment-owners held 26.1%.

Notable locations

 * Van Nuys Airport
 * Van Nuys Boulevard
 * Metro Orange Line bicycle path
 * Van Nuys FlyAway Bus service
 * Galpin Auto Sports — "Pimp My Ride" (seasons 5 and 6).
 * theme park (1964–1979), demolished.

Parks
The Van Nuys Recreation Area is in Van Nuys. The area has an auditorium and gymnasium with a capacity of 420 people, and a multipurpose/community room with a capacity of 20–25 people. The area has barbecue pits, lighted baseball diamonds, lighted outdoor basketball courts, a children's play area, a community room, lighted handball courts, an indoor gymnasium with no weights, picnic tables, a lighted soccer field, and lighted tennis courts.

Delano Park in Van Nuys has an auditorium, barbecue pits, a lighted baseball diamond, lighted outdoor basketball courts, a children's play area, a lighted football field, lighted handball courts, an indoor gymnasium with no weights, picnic tables, and a lighted soccer field.

The Van Nuys adjacent Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area to the west is a large open space park behind Sepulveda Dam. The Metro Orange Line bicycle path connects Van Nuys to it and other valley destinations. It has numerous recreation facilities and natural areas, including a wildlife preserve, cricket complex, and archery range at.

The Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Park is in Sherman Oaks, near Van Nuys. The park has an auditorium, two lighted baseball diamonds, six unlighted baseball diamonds, lighted indoor basketball courts, lighted outdoor basketball courts, a children's play area, a 60-person community room, a lighted football field, an indoor gymnasium without weights, picnic tables, a lighted soccer field, and lighted tennis courts. Located in the same place as the park, the Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Pool is a seasonal outdoor heated swimming pool. The Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Senior Citizen Center (a.k.a. Bernardi Center), also on the park grounds, has an auditorium and multi-purpose room. The senior community hall also has two community/meeting rooms, two kitchens, a play area, a shuffle board area, a stage, and two storage rooms. The Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Tennis Courts facility in the Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Park has eight courts.

Air
Van Nuys Airport, the busiest general aviation airport in the world, the 25th busiest airport in the United States, and among the 20 busiest airports in the world by aircraft movements, is located in Van Nuys.

The closest airport with commercial airline service is Bob Hope Airport in Burbank.

The community includes a terminal for the Van Nuys FlyAway Bus service, which travels from Van Nuys to.

Public transit
Van Nuys has two Metro Orange Line stations, the Van Nuys (Los Angeles Metro station), and the Sepulveda (Los Angeles Metro station).

The Orange Line connects to the Metro Red Line subway at the North Hollywood (Los Angeles Metro station), for access to, , and other Los Angeles Metro lines.

The Metro Liner also uses the Van Nuys station. All stations, and the neighborhood's major streets, are served by Metro Local, Metro Rapid, and/or other bus lines and systems.

The Metro Orange Line bicycle path and pedestrian walkway runs in a landscaped zone alongside the entire route, to Pierce College, Canoga Park, and the Chatsworth Station on the west, and North Hollywood on the east.

Freeways
Van Nuys is directly served by the passing through it.

Other nearby freeways include: the, the Route 170 (Hollywood Freeway), the Route 118 (Simi Valley Freeway), and the section of.