Granada Hills? Thoughts? (Los Angeles, Santa Clarita, San Fernando: crime, houses, neighborhood)

[RandomMusing]

Hello everyone.
My husband took a job in Sun Valley last year and we've finally sold our house in Chicago so I went looking for a house in the San Fernando Valley. We mainly looked in Granada Hills and Northridge and after seeing many houses over a week we bought a house in Granada Hills.

The house is lovely, although smaller than we're use to out in the midwest, but we'll get use to it. The neighborhood looks nice and we have a great view from our backyard, but I am a bit worried about the quality of living in Granada Hills. I really haven't read too many things about it.

The house is North of 118 and Rinaldi, far up Balboa off of Westbury Dr.

What's life like in Granada Hills? Is it safe and friendly? How's the shopping? I've found a nice looking shopping area off of Rinadi, but didn't go in any of the stores. We move in in 2 weeks and I am both nervous and excited.

I'd love to hear more about Granada Hills.

Thanks

[Charles]

Originally Posted by RandomMusing

we bought a house in Granada Hills.




I am a bit worried about the quality of living in Granada Hills. I really haven't read too many things about it.


What's life like in Granada Hills? Is it safe and friendly? How's the shopping? I've found a nice looking shopping area off of Rinadi, but didn't go in any of the stores. We move in in 2 weeks and I am both nervous and excited.

You bought a house and now you are asking these questions?

Depending on you interests and family situation, Granada Hills will be fine. It's suburbia. Some people don't like that. You can take the 405 or 5 freeways south, that's an advantage. It's windy.

I've played golf at Knollwood a few times.

Schools look OK.

California School Performance Maps

[desertdawgx]

Very nice area however the Los Angeles dump is just over one hill from you and depending on wind direction you should get a very nice aroma of the millions of tons of trash put their every year.

[jdavid93225]

Originally Posted by desertdawgx

Very nice area however the Los Angeles dump is just over one hill from you and depending on wind direction you should get a very nice aroma of the millions of tons of trash put their every year.

Unfortunately, this is true, but the dump is actually called Sunshine Canyon. In the many times I've been in the area, I've never actually noticed the smell from the dump, but I also don't live there. My work does take me into that neighborhood pretty regularly, though, so I don't think it will really be too much of an issue.

That area of Granada Hills is actually one of the nicest parts. I think you will find that it is a very nice area to live. The thing you'll want to keep an eye on, though, is where you shop. Because of the poverty and crime in some of the areas adjacent to Granada Hills, you are likely to find that the places to shop are not up to the same standards as the community in which you live, though most of them are decent. For this reason, I've known several Valley residents that drive over the hill into Santa Clarita to shop, where the stores are generally a little nicer and cleaner (though not always). Personally, with the price of gas and the congestion in Santa Clarita, I don't think it's worth doing that.

Target just remodeled their store at Balboa and San Fernando Mission, and there's a Trader Joe's right across the street from it. There are also a couple of big name grocery stores nearby, as well as pharmacies, banks, sporting goods stores, clothing stores, etc., so for all your basic needs, you don't have far to go. There's an OSH store (for your hardware/houseware needs) about a mile or two west of there, along with an Office Depot, more stores, and more restaurants.

The Northridge Fashion Square is only a little ways further (3 to 5 miles more), for your basic mall needs (if you have them), as well as more restaurants, anchor stores, book stores, etc.

I think you will find that this area offers you a nice area to live, as well as decent places to shop nearby. Your husband's work in Sun Valley is only about 15 minutes away in good traffic (depending on the part he drives to), and generally no more than 30 minutes on the bad days.

As I said, I regularly work right in that area, so if you have any other questions I can help with, I'd be glad to answer them for you.

[debbie at bouontiful]

You are in my children playground. I grew up near the house you bought on Index Street. I went to Danube elementry, Porter Junior High and Granada Hills High School. Then college to Northridge. I lived in that area until my upper 20s then my husband job took us to different parts ofthe States and oversees. My family still lives in Granada Hills. When I grew up it was so nice and clean, kids could walk the streets and play. I visit every few years but it seems so much more run down now. My brother lives in up the Hill in Knollwood and that was supppose to be "upper prices", the last time I was there it didn't look like I remember. Most of my friends seem to live in Stevenson Ranch now including my step son. He just didn't like the moving we were doing and went back to CA.