Towns, City of Los Angeles
© McCormack's Guides
Zip Codes: 91311, 91313
Affluent but different towns in the northwest corner of San Fernando Valley. Porter Ranch was developed mostly in the 1990s, much later than Chatsworth, and presents a more modern face. Neighborhoods of the City of L.A. Estimated population of both, 84,734. www.mccormacks.com
Chatsworth is boulder and horse country. Where many movies — by one count about 2,000 — particularly Westerns, were shot. Still horsey. Neighborhood backs up to a giant state park; many trails.
Crime not tracked by FBI but probably suburban average on the low side. Chatsworth is a little secluded and this will help keep crime down. See Crime.
Highway 118 on the north, Plummer Avenue on the south and Topanga Canyon Boulevard down the middle. That’s an approximate fix on Chatsworth. Horse ranches, large homes and upscale subdivisions can be found on the north side of Chatsworth and in its western hills. Some of the homes are giant custom creations with great views. Many fall in the range of comfortable upscale, two stories, five or six bedrooms, nicely appointed and decorated. A few homes are nestled among giant boulders; imposing and pretty.
Off Devonshire Street, the homes run to three, four and five bedrooms, some everyday tract, others up the scale, two-story, four-car garage — handsome in a suburban way. Chatsworth has apartments, also quite presentable. Many are located along or near Owensmouth Avenue.
Both Chatsworth and Porter Ranch are in the L.A. school district. Sample academic rankings, Chatsworth Park Elementary and Chatsworth High, 40th to 70th percentile. Several bonds passed to renovate and build schools. Private schools in the town. See Schools.
Unlike many valley towns, Chatsworth has a strong business-industry base, most of it located along Plummer Avenue on the south side. Large business park. Near this sector, some small old homes, one-car garage. Trader Joe's. Mall to east (Macys, Sears, Penney’s). www.mccormacks.com
Library, three large community parks. Many homes have pools. Close to California State University, Northridge; many classes, activities. Town name comes from estate of English duke.
About 31 miles to downtown L.A. This is a good town to have a local job. Metrolink (commuter rail) offers a convenient alternative to the freeway. Chamber of commerce (818) 341-2428.
Porter Ranch is located in foothills of Santa Susana Mountains above Northridge. Crime low. School rankings high. Lot of the new.
Porter Ranch started building about 20 years ago, favoring single homes, three and four bedroom, built over mesas and often steep hills divided by deep ravines and incorporating the touches of modern suburbia: utility lines buried, roofs using fire-retardant tiles, arterial traffic buffered from residential streets.
The first homes were built on public streets and fall into the category of upscale middle. The later homes were placed behind gates with guards and jump up a notch or two. Sales agents make a point of noting that Porter Ranch offers safety and security and a family style of life. www.mccormacks.com
Porter Ranch is built around a golf course and backs up to empty hills. The higher the hills, the greater the view, the bigger and more customized, often, the home. But because the land sort of terraces up the hillsides and the mesas, many homes have views.
The sharpness of the ravines makes them unsuitable for housing and adds to the country feel of the neighborhood. The developer deeded much of the ravine land for parks and open space and the golf course. Level of care high; homeowner associations maintain the common grounds.
The census and other studies lump Porter Ranch with Chatsworth. But a more appropriate coupling would be Porter Ranch and Northridge. A freeway (Highway 118) separates the two and Porter Ranch does have its own identity.
But their demographics are close, and they shop the same mall, Northridge, which has a Macys. The state university at Northridge kind of functions as the intellectual center of the North Valley and Northridge attracts certain stores (Barnes and Noble Books) that Porter Ranch people would find enticing.
Sample academic rankings: Castlebay Elementary, scores in the 90th percentile, which translates to top 10 percent in state. www.mccormacks.com
Patrolled by L.A. police. No stats are broken out but the demographics place the crime rate on the low side and the guards and gates discourage burglars, muggers and their ilk.
Golf course, tennis courts. One of the canyon parks extends into Northridge. Several small parks. Library. Country club. Horse trails. Tennis courts.
Stores and restaurants, along Rinaldi Street, a parkway, near Highway 118. Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Starbucks. etc. Also Balboa Boulevard, Trader Joe's.
About 20 miles to downtown L.A. Easy access to the freeway. Metrolink (commute rail) station at Northridge. If you have a job in the movie-entertainment communities, not a bad commute (by L.A. standards).
To reach Porter Ranch, take the Tampa Avenue exit off of Highway 118 and drive north. www.mccormacks.com
For orientation on cities, towns and neighborhoods of Los Angeles County, see County Overview.
