Home to the NoHo Arts District and easily one of the nation’s top performance art spots, North Hollywood is an exciting place to live. There are more good theaters, comedy clubs, nightclubs and outdoor venues here than just about anywhere, and North Hollywood is close to downtown LA, the Pacific Ocean beaches, and the Angeles National Forest. Universal Studios and Paramount call North Hollywood home, and numerous television production houses are based here. Exciting shopping, dining, nightlife and entertainment is at your doorstep in North Hollywood, but the numerous parks and quiet neighborhoods give locals a sense of belonging in the midst of the hustle and bustle.
Location
North Hollywood is in Los Angeles, just north of Studio City and Cahuenga Boulevard and south and west of Griffith Park and Burbank. North Hollywood is about 8 miles from downtown Los Angeles, and only 5 from Burbank and Glendale. San Diego is about 120 miles to the south and Ventura is about 60 miles north
Geography/Terrain
North Hollywood is a charming community above Hollywood. Mostly flat, the community has quaint neighborhoods filled with art deco and Spanish Revival houses and apartments, and shady tree-lined streets. The Pacific Coast is about 15 miles west and the Angeles National Forest is about the same distance inland (east).
Jobs
North Hollywood’s flourishing local economy is built on a long established media and entertainment industry. Both Paramount Pictures and Universal have their studios there and Warner Brothers, NBC, CBS Studio Center, Nickelodeon Animation and Disney are all within minutes away in Burbank. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (home of the Emmy) is also in North Hollywood (or NoHo as it is locally known). Supportive local government programs and policies ensure ongoing development in this area, in liaison with the Entertainment Industry Development Corporation, and the California Film Commission is also on hand to support local movie making.
You don’t just have to be an actor or someone involved in movie making; North Hollywood is a great place for artists of all kinds to find work. The NoHo Arts District developing arts center is a big draw for public, artists, and businesses alike.
Art and movies combine with the fantastic climate to bring many visitors to North Hollywood, and the hospitality industry is thriving. Hotels, restaurants, cafes, touring companies, retail workers and the like do very well here.
NoHo’s workforce is highly educated as well as creative and multi-media, communications and biotechnology businesses are also doing well.
Housing
Affordable housing and a central location makes NoHo an attractive choice for families and people pursuing artistic fields. Houses are selling for a median price of $548,000 and prices are fairly stable, not having risen much in the last few years. Buyers have a lot to choose from and there is a good range in styles, from deco to Spanish Revival, modern, ranch, and more.
Recreation
There are plenty of community parks and nice green places to relax in vibrant NoHo; these are administered by the Los Angeles Department of Parks, who also coordinate a range of activities and events for local residents.
The De Bell golf course in nearby Burbank is an excellent facility with three courses and a driving range.
The Los Angeles Zoo is nearby in Griffith Park. This gorgeous park is the region’s largest and also houses the superb Los Angeles Equestrian Center, which offers classes and camps for all ages and skill levels. Pony rides are also offered at the park.
The Pacific Coast is a short drive from NoHo, you may go skating along the boardwalk, swimming in the ocean or boating.
Special Attractions/Events
Home to the NoHo Arts District, North Hollywood is one of the nation’s top entertainment destinations. Great local theatres include the Actors Forum Theatre, the El Portal Theatre, and Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre to name just a few, and the yearly NoHo Theater and Arts Festival is a big draw. The Hollywood Film Festival is world famous and the annual MECDA Cairo Carnivale reflects the area’s diversity. There are a number of outdoor venues in NoHo, including the Starlight Bowl, an historic structure in the Verdugo foothills.
Paramount and Universal are both based in NoHo and have studio tours. Millions visit Universal’s exciting interactive rides and exhibits every year. The renowned Academy of Television Arts and Sciences also has its home here.
NoHo is known for its galleries and live-in art studios, and many community members are artists, actors, or other creative people. This is reflected in local dining and shopping, which is known for its flair and originality.
The Universal City Walk is another big draw, with fantastic shopping, dining and entertainment venues.
Interesting Facts/Historic Buildings and Places
North Hollywood has an interesting history. The war between Mexico and California was formally ended here in 1847 and there is an historical monument on the site, which stands opposite the Universal Studios main entrance on Lankershim Blvd.
Twenty-two years later, in 1869, newcomer Isaac Lankershim bought the entire southern half of the San Fernando Valley, about 59,500 acres, with his friend, I.N. Van Nuys. The men planted wheat for the city to the west. A general store and hotel were built in 1888 and by 1896, a post office, rail depot, school, and blacksmith had been added to the farming and orchard community.
Mulholland Aqueduct opened in 1913 which enabled the community to develop, and by 1914, the population had grown to 1,500. The small farming community was changed forever in 1915, when Carl Laemmle opened Universal City, a 230-acre ranch and California’s first, self-contained unincorporated community dedicated to making movies.
Thanks to the movie industry and the success of local farming and orchards, the local population had grown to about 20,000 by the time of the 1929 Stock Market Crash. The Great Depression hit hard. Laemmle and his son had to sell their studio to pay off debts, and the El Portal Theatre produced benefit shows for the unemployed. The historic El Portal is still going strong to this day.
Amelia Earhart lived in North Hollywood, and there is a statue of her in North Hollywood Park.
North Hollywood became the Civil Defense Headquarters for the San Fernando Valley during World War II and a major defense industry sprang up in the town. The post-war boom caused a housing shortage and many farms and orchards were subdivided and sold. In 1950, Universal City added 140 acres to its ranch and became the largest film factory in the world, shopping centers sprung up and major road works were undertaken. North Hollywood saw a population explosion and became the town it is today. Bob's Big Boy in Toluca Lake was the place to be if you were in bobby socks, and this classic diner still serves up great American eats today.
As television grew as an industry, film production slowed down and the Universal Studio Tour was born. Tourists began to turn up and North Hollywood’s lucrative tourist industry was born. Today the NoHo Arts District is thriving and further developments are planned for this exciting entertainment district.
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