How much do you consider the San Fernando Valley part of the City of Los Angeles? (Glendale: place to live, manufacturing)

[Lifeshadower]

I'm not talking about it on the technical level, because most people know that the San Fernando Valley (sans San Fernando, Burbank, Glendale, and Calabasas) is part of the City of Los Angeles, but in terms of feeling.

As a San Fernando Valley resident, I get pretty sick of people from over the hill telling me about how much the Valley isn't LA. A conversation would usually go like this;

"Oh, where are you from"
"I'm from LA"
"Where in LA are you from?"
"North Hollywood, its in the Valley"
" THE VALLEY IS NOT REALLY LA!"

There's a kind of elitism coming from people who live in the LA Basin toward us Valley folk, at least amongst the people I've come across. I always remind them that without the Valley, the rest of LA on average would be a lot poorer than it current is right now with nice taxpaying areas like South LA and Crenshaw.

However, when it comes to the ballot box, most LA voters outside of the Valley didn't want the Valley to split to become its own city back in 2002 with the vote of Measure F.
City of Los Angeles Secession Votes 2002

Citywide Vote:
Yes:187,157 (33.1%)
No: 378,753 (66.9%)

Citywide Vote outisde of the San Fernando Valley
Yes: 58,138 (18.7%)
No: 253,281 (81.3%)

Since this is City Data, how do you guys feel about the Valley? Do you guys consider it as "LA" as places like Hollywood and Downtown, or is the Valley more like Orange County, where its kind of there when you need it but don't really recognize it.

Even though the Valley is, for the most part, very quiet suburbia (except for Pacoima, parts of North Hollywood, etc.), I feel like we make up an integral factor in what LA is about. After all, much of the manufacturing and aerospace companies of Los Angeles were based out here, in addition to many movie studio operations (even though some are in Burbank). It may not be the most exciting part of LA, but it sure makes it a nice place to live.

So, what are your thoughts?

[CantWait2Leave]

I grew up in the Valley and never felt that I lived in L.A. because it's so suburban and different than the rest of L.A. I enjoyed growing up in the Valley. I definitely understand the elitism from people who live in the "real" L.A. (as they would call it).

If I go out of state and people ask where I'm from I say L.A., but I don't say that to people who are from here.

[Lifeshadower]

Originally Posted by CantWait2Leave

I grew up in the Valley and never felt that I lived in L.A. even though it technically is L.A. because it's so suburban and different than the rest of L.A.

If I go out of state and people ask where I'm from I say L.A., but I don't say that to people who are from here.

I know exactly what you mean. I kind of feel the same way, because growing up, "LA" was synonymous with Downtown LA and the area around it. Hollywood was just "Hollywood", the Westside was "the Westside" and South Central LA was "the ghetto" (keep in mind, this was before they renamed it to "South LA", as if the name change makes a HUGE difference in perception!)

The reality is, the Valley is 1/3 of LA. Unless the other 2/3rds part of LA are all exactly the same (which they aren't), then its a HUGE integral factor of the city. However, for how much money the city of LA takes out of the Valley, we sure don't get back as much as we put in. I mean, compare areas like North Hollywood and Burbank, or Pacoima and San Fernando. Why should there be THAT much of a difference between them?

Where exactly is real LA then? That's the real question

[californio sur]

The "Valley" is the bedroom community of Los Angeles where life is less hectic\ quieter\ suburban so for some Angelenos it represents "boring" Its the same thing in the San Gabriel Valley. Angelenos look at the "other valley" as just another bunch of suburbs and laugh if you claim to live in Los Angeles. But the San Gabriel valley is a bunch of independent cities outside the city of LA. Whereas the San Fernando Valley is part of the city of LA. It is more of a Hollywood\ Westside thing to make fun of the valley as uninteresting because there aren't that many things to do in the Valley compared to downtown\ Hollywood-West Hollywood\ Westwood\ Santa Monica, etc.

[SandyCo]

Every time I get my DWP bill I feel like I live in the City of Los Angeles!

I know what you mean, though... There is this extreme elitism on the part of people in West L.A., downtown, etc. towards the Valley. I feel sometimes like they're looking at me the exact same way I look at residents of Phoenix. "Wow, how can you stand to live there? It's so hot!"

Besides, most people have no idea that the San Fernando Valley (or most of it, anyway!) is actually part of the City of Los Angeles. The bid for secession helped a little, but who pays attention to local elections?

[Fontucky]

"Not a member". That was sudden.

[24hr7]

well no matter how you look at it the Valley is slowly becoming LA from the feeling stand point.

[Lifeshadower]

Originally Posted by SandyCo

Every time I get my DWP bill I feel like I live in the City of Los Angeles!

I know what you mean, though... There is this extreme elitism on the part of people in West L.A., downtown, etc. towards the Valley. I feel sometimes like they're looking at me the exact same way I look at residents of Phoenix. "Wow, how can you stand to live there? It's so hot!"

Besides, most people have no idea that the San Fernando Valley (or most of it, anyway!) is actually part of the City of Los Angeles. The bid for secession helped a little, but who pays attention to local elections?

That's what I mean. I mean, the City of LA takes our money anyways. The least they can do is recognize we exist I mean, without the Valley, the rest of the City of LA outside of Downtown and the Westside would be an extremely poor city.

Like I said, if they don't like us, let us leave

[Fontucky]

I've always considered the Valley as much a part of L.A. as all the other parts.

Snobs suck.

[matt345]

To be fair, the Valley doesn't act like it really wants to be a part of LA either. Think about all the times that you'll see "Sherman Oaks, CA"; "Toluca Lake, CA"; "Valley Village, CA"; or "Tarzana, CA" on an address rather than Los Angeles, CA. This doesn't happen nearly as much over the hill; I've yet to see "Silverlake, CA" or "Koreatown, CA" on anybody's address.