founded an agricultural town on 12,000 subdivided acres centered aroundand(later renamedand) in 1887. They named their town Toluca, after the Mexican municipality of. Lots included pre-planted walnut and fruit trees – mostly apricots, peaches, and pears. In 1894 local farmers formed the. Soon Toluca was promoted as--is still the US's dominant peach-producer., who first arrived in the San Fernando Valley in 1874, opened a branch line connecting toin 1895. Themade one daily stop at a depot that bore thename. In 1896 Toluca was thus renamed Lankershim although that name wasn't officially recognized until 1905. The train depot, featured in the 1927film,, still exists today and is presently undergoing restoration.One of the most prominent families in Lankershim was theclan. Theopenedalso known as. The store included a post office and later donated land for a free-standing one. In 1907boughtand transformed it into Lankershim's largest employer. The Weddington's house, built by, still stands today although it's been moved at least three times to different North Hollywood locations. In 2007 it was designated3.s red cars arrived atin 1911 – although I'm not sure if that was actually the park and station's name back then since the town as still known as Lankershim. Regardless, the park and station were by most accounts the center of Lankershim social life for years and it was there that many concerts and other cultural events took place.was founded inin 1912. The same year they opened facilities in Hollywood'sarea. In 1914, studio founderbough a large piece of land in Lankershim and in 1915 opened the world's largest production facility in what became its own municipality --opened thein 1912. The company rented horses and western gear to the studios until Fat Jones's death in 1963. The location is now occupied by aDespite Universal and Fat Jones, in 1912 Lankershim was still dominated by fruit production and canning rather than filmmaking. After theopened in 1913, Valley farmers were eager to buy the newly available water; however, federal legislation prevented its being sold outside of Los Angeles. After droughts again hit the valley,was annexed by Los Angeles in 1919. Lankershim proper followed in 1923, in part lured by Los Angeles's water. To put it bluntly, most of the farmers got screwed and the real estate developers won and immediately began undertaking a massive campaign to rebrand and sell the area to homebuyers.opened in 1923 and overlaps the city ofand neighborhood of. It was created by the, a company run by two scam artists,and. The swindlers made millions of dollars each, selling lots to multiple parties (sometimes selling one lot to sixteen buyers) and lots located outside the cemetery, underwater, &c – largely to widows, first-time investors, and other easy marks. In 1925, the two were each sentenced to ten years in the pen. Osborne's father shot himself to death not long after and is buried there.The original gateway to the cemetery was redesigned to the the- a shrine to aviation, is located on the Burbank side and was meant to capitalize on Burbank's importance in industry. In an example of irony (in thesense of the word), a small plane crashed into the shrine to aviation in 1969.The North Hollywood side of the cemetery has a rather nice fountain which is home to, and. Otherwise the graveyard is mostly characterized by invariably flat tombstones, big mausoleums, and a few monuments.A few warnings to would-be visitors:depicts a nonexistent entrance on the cemetery's western side where there is in fact a solid (if fairly low) wall. Also, unlike most cemeteries where there are few visitors besides, gravestone rubbers, and the like, at Valhalla there are regular burials and visitors to the graves of loved ones.To read a much more detailed story about the cemetery on's website,The 1,346 seat,-styleopened in 1926 with a film screening, live performance fromactors, and a “” It may be the final theater designed by prolific theater, architect, who died the same year. Much later it screened Spanish language theaters. It was purchased by thestage company in 1996 and re-opened it asin 2000.El Portal has been featured on such television programs, films, and many comedy specials including(2010),(2005),(2009),(2005),(2009),(2011) and quite a few others.In an attempt to sell the newly-annexed community,was renamed/re-brandedin 1927. Even with a new name, the community was a farm town with both little involvement in the film industry and little connection to the Hollywood neighborhood. It's biggest claim to fame, in fact, was that it was home to what was believed to be the world's largest apricot tree. If that weren't enough, advertisements for the suburb promised “No saloons – no mud.”onwas constructed in 1936 by. The contract was awarded to them in January and the building opened in October. Unfortunately, my picture of it didn't come out and I couldn't find any online (which is why I haven't included a photo).Heavy rains fell on Los Angeles in February of 1938 and the floodgates were opened in order to save, an act which caused great damage to the communities below. In, thecollapsed killing five people. One family, the, lost five members. After the damage was done,was built in 1940 and thein 1941.to read apiece about the flood.The, a major tributary to thethat passes through North Hollywood, was completely entombed in concrete in the. In recent years, sections of the 21 kilometer waterway have begun to be rehabilitated, creating more green space and restoring the riparian environment a few meters at a time. As far as I could tell, however, none of that revitalization has yet come to North Hollywood's central channel. As I explored it I did encounter an old man with a guitar on sitting near its banks and apparently doing his best to dream of the Delta.Although it may seem curious to modernor tourists who still associate thebrand name with glitz and glamor) but whenwas barely a decade old, a group of citizens decided to again change their community's name and thus distance themselves from their neighbors -- if not physically, associatively. As a result, they seceded from North Hollywood and renamed their neighborhood “,” in 1939. Although this sort of maneuver is by no means unique to the Valley or even toit does seem like the spirit of secession and reorganization typifies the Valley more than other Los Angeles regions.

The barrel-shaped bit of programatic architecture atoriginally opened in 1941 asIt was owned and operatedbyand. It closed in 1984 after Irene's passing and became a flamenco club called. After that closed it sat vacant for several years.It was designatedin 2010. When I stopped by I found that it's currently stripped down to the frame as part of its restoration process. The building was recently purchased by the 1933 Group -- the bar mafia behind, the widely-loathed hipster concept bar, and-- so don't be surprised if when it re-opens it's all mixological, Edison bulb-lit, and patronized by the waxed handlebar mustache mob.On 6 August 1945, thedropped an atomic bomb on. That same day,, the US's highest “scoring” air ace (having shot down at least fortyplanes), crashed an early jet, the, into a field in North Hollywood, shortly after take off.ended when Japan surrendered on 15 August, 1945 and the post-war era would see most of North Hollywood's empty fields transformed into suburbs and many of the houses of which became home to returning veterans.Although today the the complexion of most of the residents may have changed, most of North Hollywood outside the NoHo Arts District retains the feel of a sleepy, mid-century, residential suburb -- albeit one whose quiet is regularly disturbed by the arrival and departure of huge jets at nearby1946 was the first network television season in the US with the launch of theandnetworks. That same year, thewas founded. It only took until 1949 for theto be instituted, allowing the industry thereafter to celebrate itself annually. In its first year,was given an award for his design of the Emmy statuette, andandwere the big winners.In all honesty, why the collection of sculptures (which includes, and others) isn't more of a tourist destination than the completely lameis beyond me... nevertheless, I dutifully helped a couple oftourists get to the latter via the Red Line and kept my opinion to myself.



Lonely Macy's

Laurel Plaza was built in 1955. At the time it was the regional headquarters for St. Louis, Missouri's May Company department store. The plaza damaged so severely by the 1994 Northridge Earthquake that most of the mall was demolished, leaving the free-standing department store alone and surrounded by acres of (mostly empty when I visited) parking lot. In 2005 it became a Macy's. I popped in to use their facilities and found it eerily quiet. Maybe it was a mix of the old building smell and old lady perfume but there was something haunting about the place.



Then again it could be the area. Many of the businesses along that stretch of Laurel Canyon Boulevard either are abandoned or look abandoned and northwest NoHo seems further from the Arts District than it really is. Someone coated part of the median with astroturf and stuck some potted plants upon it -- probably to spruce it up but in fact underscoring it's bleakness. The 25 acre site, which also includes the North Hollywood campus of Kaplan College, sold about a week ago so we'll hopefully see some sort of change come to the area.





CIRCUS LIQUOR





Circus Liquor with its John Wayne Gacy-esque clown

One of North Hollywood's most widely-recognized icons is the ten-meter neon-lit clown at Circus Liquor, which may have been the tallest human-made structure in the San Fernando Valley at the time.







It was famously featured in the Snoop Doggy Dogg short film Murder Was the Case (1994) and the film Clueless (1995) as the site where the character Cher was mugged. Maybe both films were drawn to the location on account of the clown's undeniable creepiness. Maybe too they were both signs that the neo-noirification of the Valley was well underway by the time Paul Thomas Anderson made Boogie Nights (1997) and filmed Magnolia (1998) and Punch-Drunk Love (2002) in the neighborhood.



The liquor store was also featured in Blue Thunder (1983), Spun (2002), and Alpha Dog (2006) but I haven't seen any of those. was built in 1955. At the time it was the regional headquarters for'sdepartment store. The plaza damaged so severely by thethat most of the mall was demolished, leaving the free-standing department store alone and surrounded by acres of (mostly empty when I visited) parking lot. In 2005 it became a. I popped in to use their facilities and found it eerily quiet. Maybe it was a mix of the old building smell and old lady perfume but there was something haunting about the place.Then again it could be the area. Many of the businesses along that stretch of Laurel Canyon Boulevard either are abandoned or look abandoned and northwest NoHo seems further from the Arts District than it really is. Someone coated part of the median with astroturf and stuck some potted plants upon it -- probably to spruce it up but in fact underscoring it's bleakness. The 25 acre site, which also includes the North Hollywood campus ofe, sold about a week ago so we'll hopefully see some sort of change come to the area.One of North Hollywood's most widely-recognized icons is the ten-meter neon-lit clown at, which may have been the tallest human-made structure in theat the time.It was famously featured in theshort film(1994) and the film(1995) as the site where the characterwas mugged. Maybe both films were drawn to the location on account of the clown's undeniable creepiness. Maybe too they were both signs that the neo-noirification of the Valley was well underway by the timemade(1997) and filmed(1998) and(2002) in the neighborhood.The liquor store was also featured in(1983),(2002), and(2006) but I haven't seen any of those.





VALLEY PLAZA TOWER & THE URBANIZATION OF NOHO



Valley Plaza Tower (aka Los Angeles Federal Savings and Loan Tower)

In 1957, the 150 foot height limit on Los Angeles skyscrapers was repealed and the San Fernando Valley – still today usually characterized as a low-profile, sprawling, residential suburb – began to grow upward. Today there are mid-rise skyscrapers in Burbank, Canoga Park, Encino, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Universal City, and Warner Center, in addition to those in North Hollywood.



Valley Plaza Tower , at 12160 Victory Boulevard, was designed by prominent local architects Douglas Honnold and John Rex. The Corporate International-style building (also known as Los Angeles Federal Savings and Loan Tower) was completed in 1960. It was both part of Valley Plaza Shopping Center (which opened in 1951) and, at twelve stories and fifty meters tall, the tallest human-made structure in San Fernando Valley at the time. Another skyscraper, the Gerald Bense-designed Commonwealth Savings & Loan Building (formerly located at 5077 Lankershim Boulevard) was built in 1961 and torn down in 2013. In 1957, the 150 foot height limit onskyscrapers was repealed and the– still today usually characterized as a low-profile, sprawling, residential suburb – began to grow upward. Today there are mid-rise skyscrapers in, and, in addition to those in, at, was designed by prominent local architectsand. The-style building (also known aswas completed in 1960. It was both part of(which opened in 1951) and, at twelve stories and fifty meters tall, the tallest human-made structure in San Fernando Valley at the time. Another skyscraper, the-designed(formerly located at) was built in 1961 and torn down in 2013.





GANGS COME TO NORTH HOLLYWOOD





Clanton 14 gang placa

A less-welcome sign of North Hollywood's urbanization arrived in the 1970s in the form of gangs. The first to form was part of Clanton 14, an old gang which originally formed on Clanton Street (later renamed 14th Place) in what's now the Fashion District back in the 1920s.



In 1975, brothers Ernie “Big Cuate” and Ricky (no family names available) moved to North Hollywood and established the gang's presence there, eventually growing and splintering into at least three distinct crews: Tiny Locos, Tiara Street Locos, and Crazy Alley Gangsters. They were followed by the establishment of more gangs: Alley Locos, Boyz from the Hood, 18th Street Northside, North Hollywood Boyz, North Hollywood Locos, Mara Salvatrucha Northside, Radford Street, and Vineland Boyz among them.





A shrine for José Mendoza, age 18 -- recently killed in an officer involved shooting





DECLINE AND REVIVAL – THE NOHO ARTS DISTRICT





NoHo Arts District entranc e

The gangs were both contributors to and symptoms of North Hollywood's decline. The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) first adopted an area of North Hollywood in 1979 for targeted redevelopment. The target area corresponded closely with the area that ultimately became the NoHo Arts District in 1992 -- although the driving force in that designation was also contributed to by theater (and other business) owners in the Universal City/North Hollywood Chamber of Commerce as well as the L.A. Department of Cultural Affairs. The NoHo Arts District today is undoubtedly the cultural capital of the San Fernando Valley – home to numerous theaters, art galleries, dance studios, cafés, &c.



Lindsay William-Ross wrote a great, detailed piece about the NoHo Arts District as part of Neighborhood Project back in 2007 (click here to read it).





THE NORTH HOLLYWOOD SHOOTOUT A less-welcome sign of North Hollywood's urbanization arrived in thein the form of gangs. The first to form was part of, an old gang which originally formed on(later renamed) in what's now theback in theIn 1975, brothersand(no family names available) moved to North Hollywood and established the gang's presence there, eventually growing and splintering into at least three distinct crews:, and. They were followed by the establishment of more gangs:, andamong them.The gangs were both contributors to and symptoms of North Hollywood's decline. The) first adopted an area of North Hollywood in 1979 for targeted redevelopment. The target area corresponded closely with the area that ultimately became thein 1992 -- although the driving force in that designation was also contributed to by theater (and other business) owners in theas well as the. The NoHo Arts District today is undoubtedly the cultural capital of the San Fernando Valley – home to numerous theaters, art galleries, dance studios, cafés, &c.wrote a great, detailed piece about the NoHo Arts District as part of LAist 's much-missedback in 2007 ().