Studio City is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, United States, in the southeast San Fernando Valley, just west of the Cahuenga Pass. It is named after the studio lot that was established in the area by film producer Mack Sennett in 1927, now known as Radford Studio Center.

History

Originally known as Laurelwood, the area that Studio City occupies was formerly part of Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando. Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando was a Mexican land grant in present-day Los Angeles County, California, granted in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to Eulogio F. de Celis. This land changed hands several times during the late 19th century, and eventually passed into the ownership of James Boon Lankershim (1850–1931) and eight other developers, who organized the Lankershim Ranch Land and Water Company. In 1899, the area lost most water rights to Los Angeles, so subdivision and sale of land for farming became untenable.

Construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct began in 1908, and water reached the San Fernando Valley in November 1913. Real estate boomed, and a syndicate led by Harry Chandler, business manager of the Los Angeles Times, with Hobart Johnstone Whitley, Isaac Van Nuys, and James Boon Lankershim acquired the remaining of the southern half of the former Mission lands—everything west of the Lankershim town limits and south of present-day Roscoe Boulevard excepting the Rancho Encino. Whitley platted the area of present-day Studio City from portions of the existing town of Lankershim, as well as the eastern part of the new acquisition.

In 1927, Mack Sennett began building a new studio on donated by the land developer. The area around the studio was named Studio City.

In 1955, Studio City's Station 78 became the first racially integrated station in the Los Angeles City Fire Department.

A house fire that soon spread to surrounding homes broke out in Studio City on January 8, 2025 as part of the January 2025 Southern California wildfires.

Geography The Los Angeles River and Tujunga Wash flow through Studio City. The two concrete-lined channels merge just west of Colfax Avenue and north of Ventura Boulevard adjacent to Radford Studio Center.

Demographics The 2000 U.S. census counted 34,034 residents in the Studio City neighborhood—5,395 people per square mile, among the lowest population densities for the city but about average for the county. In 2008, the city estimated that the resident population had increased to 37,201.

In 2000, the median age for residents, 38, was considered old for city and county neighborhoods; the percent of residents age 19 and older was among the county's highest.

The ethnic breakdown was White, 78%; Latino, 8.7%; Asian, 5.4%; Black, 3.7%; and others, 4.1%. Iran (7%) and the United Kingdom (6.7%) were the most common places of birth for the 21.1% of the residents who were born abroad—a low percentage for Los Angeles.

The median yearly household income in 2008 dollars was $75,657, considered high for the city. The percent of households earning $125,000 and up was high for Los Angeles County. The average household size of 1.9 people was low when compared to the rest of the city and the county. Renters occupied 55.9% of the housing stock and house- or apartment-owners held 44.1%.

In 2000, there were 837 families headed by single parents, the rate of 11.2% being low for the city of Los Angeles. There were 2,591 veterans, 8.8% of the population, a high figure for the city.

Arts and culture

Notable places Radford Studio Center North Valleyheart Riverwalk Exterior of Brady Bunch house Campo de Cahuenga Several buildings by Rudolph Michael Schindler Studio City Theatre Studio City Walk of Fame

Library The Studio City branch of the Los Angeles Public Library is at the corner of Moorpark Street and Whitsett Avenue"Studio City Branch Library." Los Angeles Public Library. Retrieved on March 19, 2010.

Parks and recreation The Studio City Recreation Center (commonly known as Beeman Park) is in a residential neighborhood on Rye Street at Beeman Avenue. It has an auditorium, barbecue pits, a lighted baseball diamond, an outdoor running and walking track, lighted outdoor basketball courts, a children's play area, picnic tables, unlighted tennis courts, and many programs and classes including the second-largest youth baseball program in the public parks."Studio City Recreation Center." City of Los Angeles. Retrieved on March 19, 2010.

Moorpark Park, an unstaffed pocket park at the corner of Moorpark Street and Laurel Canyon Boulevard, has a children's play area and picnic tables."Moorpark Park." City of Los Angeles. Retrieved on March 19, 2010.

Woodbridge Park, on Elmer Avenue at Moorpark Street, on the eastern border of Studio City has a children and toddler's play area.

Wilacre Park, a 128-acre natural mountain park with the lower trailhead for the Betty B Dearing hiking trail, is on Fryman Road at Laurel Canyon Boulevard. It has a large parking lot, restrooms and a picnic area. It is part of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and is managed by the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority.

Fryman Canyon Park is a 122-acre nature park accessed via the Nancy Hoover Pohl Overlook on Mulholland Drive with the upper trailhead of the Betty B Dearing hiking trail. The park is part of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and is managed by the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority.

Coldwater Canyon Park is a nature park adjacent to Wilacre Park and Fryman Canyon Park. It contains an amphitheater and the headquarters for the conservation group TreePeople. It can be accessed via a parking lot near the corner of Mulholland Drive and Coldwater Canyon Avenue and via the Betty B Dearing Trail. The park is managed by the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks (LA Parks). This park is not to be confused with an unrelated park with the name Coldwater Canyon Park, three miles to the south on North Beverly Drive in the city of Beverly Hills.

In addition, Studio City has the Studio City Mini-Park, an unstaffed pocket park."Studio City Mini-Park." City of Los Angeles. Retrieved on March 19, 2010.

North Valleyheart Riverwalk is a linear park that abuts the Los Angeles River.

Government The northeast part of Studio City is in City Council District 2, represented by Adrin Nazarian, and the southwest section is in District 4, represented by Nithya Raman. The community is represented within the city of Los Angeles by the Studio City Neighborhood Council.

The area is represented by Los Angeles County District 3 Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and District 5 Supervisor Kathryn Barger, State Senator Henry Stern, California Assemblyman Nick Schultz, and U.S. Representative Brad Sherman.

Education

Almost half of Studio City residents aged 25 and older (49.4%) had earned a four-year degree by 2000, a high percentage for both the city and the county. The percentage of those residents with a master's degree was also high for the county.

Schools

Schools within the Studio City boundaries are: "Studio City: Schools," Mapping L.A., Los Angeles Times

Bridges Academy, private, 4–12, 3921 Laurel Canyon Boulevard Campbell Hall School, private, K–12, 4533 Laurel Canyon Boulevard Carpenter Community Charter School, LAUSD, K–5, 3909 Carpenter Avenue Harvard-Westlake School, private, 10–12, 3700 Coldwater Canyon Avenue Walter Reed Middle School, LAUSD, 6–8, 4525 Irvine Avenue Oakwood School, private, K–6, 11230 Moorpark Street Rio Vista Elementary School, LAUSD, K–5, 4243 Satsuma Avenue St. Charles Borromeo School, private, K–8, 10850 Moorpark Street

Notable people

Film and television

Leon Ames, film and television actor Ernie Anderson, television and radio announcer/voiceover artist Paul Thomas Anderson, film director Dana Andrews, film actor and past president of the Screen Actors' Guild R. G. Armstrong, actor and playwright Ed Asner, film, television, stage, and voice actor, past president of the SAG Gene Autry, actor, singer-songwriter, businessman and owner of the California Angels baseball team Elizabeth Banks, actress and director Joe Barbera, animator, director and co-founder of Hanna-Barbera studios Bonnie Bartlett, television and film actress Ed Begley Jr., actor and environmentalist Joseph Benti, television news anchor Mayim Bialik, film and television actress Robert Blake, actor Julie Bowen, actress Clancy Brown, actor Smiley Burnette, comedic actor, singer-songwriter and inventor George Clooney, actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter Gary Cole, actor Marisa Coughlan, actress Barry Crane, television producer and director Jon Cryer, actor William Daniels, actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild Whitney Cummings, actress and comedian Brad Davis, actor Jimmy Dore, comedian and political commentator Yvonne De Carlo, actress of film, television, and theater Zooey Deschanel, actress Leonardo DiCaprio, actor and producer Charles S. Dutton, stage, film, and television actor and director Zac Efron, actor Erik Estrada, actor Clark Gable, actor Betty Garrett, actress, singer and dancer Jennie Garth, actress Alice Ghostley, actress Vince Gironda, movie star trainer and bodybuilder Meagan Good, actress, film producer Cuba Gooding Jr., actor Ryan Gosling, actor Gary Graver, film director and cinematographer Tom Green, actor, comedian Earl Holliman, Golden Globe winning film and television actor. Lucy Hale, actress and singer Neil Patrick Harris, actor, singer, writer and magician Laurel Holloman, actress Vanessa Hudgens, actress and singer Josh Hutcherson, actor Allison Janney, actress Mila Kunis, actress Tom Kenny, voice actor, voice director, comedian Lucy Lawless, actress Lucy Liu, actress Seth MacFarlane, actor, singer, comedian and producer Jennette McCurdy, actress Roddy McDowall, actor and photographer Kevin McKidd, film and television actor Alyssa Milano, actress Dennis Miller, TV host and comedian Chloë Grace Moretz, actress Bill Nye, science educator, comedian, television host, actor, and mechanical engineer Jack Osbourne, reality show star Patton Oswalt, actor and comedian Russell Peters, comedian Jason Priestley, television actor" Lance Reddick, actor Michael Richards, actor, comedian, writer and television producer Alex Rocco, actor Aaron Seltzer, director and screenwriter William Shatner, actor, musician, recording artist, and author"William Shatner." The Biography Channel. Retrieved on September 21, 2009 Melville Shavelson, film director, producer, screenwriter, and author Mason Shefa, director of experimental films" Anna Nicole Smith, model, actress and television personality Sage Stallone, actor and producer Jonathan Stark, actor, writer, producer Linda Stirling, actress, showgirl, model and college professor Lyle Talbot, film, TV and stage actor; a founder of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG); honorary mayor of Studio City in the 1960s Stephen Talbot, child actor; PBS Frontline documentary producer Alex Trebek, game show host Renee Valente, producer, former president of the Producers Guild of America Sofía Vergara, actress Nancy Walker, actress, comedian and director Anton Yelchin, actor

Music

Literature Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey, journalist and playwright Jerry Pournelle, science-fiction author and blogger Israel Regardie, occultist

Sports Zack Greinke, Major League Baseball pitcher Joc Pederson, Major League Baseball outfielder Justin Turner, Major League Baseball player Jrue Holiday, National Basketball Association player

Other David Burtka, chef and actor Cara Delevingne, actress and model Peter Hurkos, allegedly manifested extra-sensory perception James B. Potter Jr., Los Angeles City Council member Jerome Vered, record-setting contestant on the game show Jeopardy! Joel Wachs, Los Angeles City Council member Sam Yorty, mayor of Los Angeles

References

External links