Some questions about Porter Ranch (Los Angeles, Woodland: hotel, big house, safe area)

[SFValley]

We just moved to CA and looking for a house in SF Valley. We are looking at some houses in SF valley and our realtor suggested that we consider Porter Ranch because it has newer homes with somewhat bigger lots. We haven't seen it yet, but we were under the impression that it was a small town next to Northridge, but it looks like the official address of Porter Ranch homes list Northridge as a city, not Porter Ranch.

Based on what we've read about Northridge it doesn't sound as good and safe as Woodland Hills, West Hills or Calabasas (the areas where we have been house hunting so far). However, Porter Ranch is not much cheaper than the homes in those cities.

Is it worth spending a million dollars on a house with a Northridge address?

Can someone explain how far is Porter Ranch from bad neighborhoods of Northridge (in terms of miles) and exactly how bad are they??

Does Porter Ranch have its own shopping areas or is it purely residential?

Did the earthquake affect Porter Ranch the same way it did the other parts of Northridge?

Are there other safe areas in Northridge other than Porter Ranch?

We would greatly appreciate any opinions!

[nightlysparrow]

Porter Ranch, like practically all the other CA places that have "ranch" in their name, is an old ranch property that was sold off and turned into a large suburban housing development. It has its own outdoor shopping center. Is is above the 118 so it's a bit quieter because nobody drives through it to get elsewhere. It is a little prestigious, but since it's farther away, doesn't carry the status of Calabasas.

It abuts the Santa Susana hills, which like most hills, equals an earthquake fault. But that's not the real danger there. It's the frequent stiff winds, which have led to many wildfires there.

[BRinSM]

Northridge proper (excluding Porter Ranch) isn't even that bad of an area, it's just that the homes are older. the only questionable areas would be the southern portion bordering Reseda. Porter Ranch is north of Northridge, so there are no issues there. As for mailing address, it's irrelevant. All the areas you mentioned outside of Calabasas are within the city of LA and your basic services will come from the city (LAPD, LAUSD, LADWP, etc.).

[timtemtym]

Northridge is NOT a bad area! Lots of nice homes and some very VERY hard to get in schools with great magnet programs! It also has a university and an ever increasing college feel around it! CSUN is growing and its reputation is improving. Having a Northridge address is not bad. Some parts of the Porter Ranch development are in Northridge, others are in Porter Ranch, ALL of it is in the city of Los Angeles (including the Woodland Hills are you mentioned).

For me, people are paying for the newness of the area. There are still neighborhoods going up out there and lots of nice parks with great views (especially limekiln canyon). I like the area. It may not be as chic as Woodland Hills/Calabassas, and there aren't celebrities out there, but it's a good solid area.

[SFValley]

Thank you for your replies. I'm definitely more excited about looking for a house in Porter Ranch now. We don't really care about celebrities of Calabasas, and to be honest I don't find anything chic about Woodland Hills: most homes under $1.5 mil. in those areas have tiny or no backyards. We are just trying to find a big house with a pool and some green grass in a very safe area, and it seems to be a difficult task in this part of CA even with a million dollar budget.

I did read about a couple of great schools in Northridge, especially the Balboa elementary, but since kids are going to be in private school it doesn't really matter. However, it's great to have good schools around in case we decide to sell the house later on.

Thanks again and we are going to see a few homes tomorrow and explore Porter Ranch/Northridge for the first time although the comment about wildfires got me a little concerned, but it looks like a lot of areas in So. CA have issues with that. Why is your overcrowded polluted earthquake prone LA so expensive?!?! We do love a lot of things about LA though, and the best is being able to spend a day on the beach without booking an expensive hotel stay!

[munchitup]

Woodland Hills is in LA city proper. Not that it matters cause you aren't interested in it.

[8to32characters]

Originally Posted by SFValley

Why is your overcrowded polluted earthquake prone LA so expensive?!?!

And which, pray tell, tornado-prone, Evangelical, flat-as-a-pancake Midwestern or Southern state did you crawl out of to grace LA with your presence?

[elhelmete]

A few more things about Northridge and Porter Ranch.

The 'new' part of PR, basically above the 118/Rinaldi, is hardly known for big yards. It's a nice but cookie cutter community of biggish homes on smallish lots, not all of them with pools. Take a look via Google Earth. Some of the streets are gated, some not. If you're into that style of living, it's probably the best example within the SFV. There is a new park (opened maybe 8 years ago?) that's big and open.

Wildfires wouldn't worry me as much as the unrelenting wind which seems to happen a few times a year for several days at a time. The winds diminish as you move south, so by the time you get, hmmmmm, say south of Sherman Way they're nowhere near as intense. I personally find that they make being outside impossible.

IMHO, up there you're a semi-long way from any commercial activity besides that one on Rinaldi, which is somewhat inexplicably anchored by a WalMart. I've always thought that considering the price tag on the PR homes, this commercial center is low-brow by comparison.

Not very far away is Northridge Mall which is better (again, only if you care about malls), and has some better restaurant choices (but still chains, if that matters).

I will say that there are rapidly improving and pretty cool commercial areas developing on Chatsworth Blvd east of Reseda, and Reseda Blvd. north of Plummer. Far fewer chains, more independent places.

Home-wise you move south into what my native friends call "the old S&S homes" or "Tampa-land." These homes are south of Rinaldi right up it seems til about Nordhoff. Older homes, but still on the larger side, bigger lots, much more varied streets, architecture, and flora. I've also heard this called "old" or "Original" Porter Ranch.

The rest of Northridge is pretty plain with the notable exception of a gem called Sherwood Forest (near CSUN) where the homes and lots are big and well kept.

Woodland Hills has more than what you saw...plenty of pockets with nice homes/lots/pools. If newer homes are important to you, I'll suggest the areas around Valley Circle going north.

What's nice about WH is of course Ventura Blvd, which is your readily-accessible main street from the 405 going west. It has everything you could want for a suburban semi-urban lifestyle.

[BFett]

I have good friends who live in Porter Ranch:

Pros: Very safe, very family oriented.

Cons: Very cookie cutter houses. Prone to major wind storms. Farther away from most job centers (i.e longer commute times).

[david91722]

Originally Posted by BFett

I have good friends who live in Porter Ranch:

Pros: Very safe, very family oriented.

Cons: Very cookie cutter houses. Prone to major wind storms. Farther away from most job centers (i.e longer commute times).

I lived in Porter Ranch from 1987 to 2002. One thing I definitely DO NOT miss about living there is the wind. Porter Ranch is the windiest city in L.A.. I had to use earplugs quite often to help me fall asleep.