Tarzana

Tarzana is a suburban neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. It is on the site of a former ranch owned by author Edgar Rice Burroughs. The area was occupied in 1797 by Spanish settlers and missionaries. 35.1% of the population was foreign-born, with Iranian (10.3%) and Russian (9.1%) as the most common ancestries. There were 4,038 people per square mile, among the lowest population densities in the city. The median household income in 2008 dollars was considered high, at $73,195. The neighborhood is bounded on the south by Topanga State Park, on the east by Encino, by Reseda and on the west by Woodland Hills. The U.S. census counted 35,502 people living in Tarzana in 2000, and Los Angeles estimated the neighborhood's population at 37,778 in 2008. Due to its inland location, there is a higher degree of diurnal temperature variation than more coastal areas of Los Los Angeles. The percentage of divorced men and women was among the county's highest. Some 9% of residents were military veterans, considered high for the city of L.A., and the percentages of residents aged 50 and older were among the city's highest, as well as county's high. The population is predominantly white (70.7%), followed by Asian (5%), and black or African American (3.6%). The median age, 38, was old when compared to the rest of the city and the county.

History

The land now known as Tarzan was once part of the San Fernando Valley. It was given to the United States in 1848 by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The land was later turned into a large-scale wheat grazing area. In 1909, the Los Angeles Suburban Homes Company bought the land for $1.5 million. It became the site of the first Tarzan-themed film, "Tarzan", released in 1968. The film was based on a true story about the life of Tarzan, who was born in San Fernando, California, and grew up in the town of Tarzana. The movie was a box-office success and inspired a series of films, including "Tarzana" and "Rescue Me", which was released in 1973 and 1978, respectively. It is the only Tarzan film to have been released in the U.S., and the only one of its kind in the world. The rest of the films have been made in Europe and the Middle East, with the exception of a few in the UK, where they have not been released since the 1970s. The U.K. has been home to Tarzan since the 1950s, when he was in his early 20s. He was in the middle of his career when he moved to Los Angeles, where he lived with his wife and their three children. The family moved to the city in the early 1960s, and he stayed until he retired in the late 1970s, leaving behind a wife and two children.

Geography

Tarzana is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. It measures 8.79 square miles (22.8 km²) It is bounded on the south by Topanga State Park, on the east by Encino, and on the north by Reseda and Woodland Hills. Due to its inland location, there is a higher degree of diurnal temperature variation than more coastal areas of Los Angeles. Tarzana has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate. It is located on the west side of the Los Angeles River, which runs through the center of the neighborhood. It has a high percentage of residents who live in the South Los Angeles area, and a low percentage in the North Los Angeles region. The neighborhood is home to a number of charities, including the American Cancer Society and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, as well as a local chapter of the Alzheimer's Foundation for Research and Therapy of Alzheimer's and Dementia (ASD). It is also home to the National Museum of Nature and Science, which has a collection of more than 2,000 photographs of people who have died in the U.S. and around the world. It also has a national park, Topanga Park, which is the largest state park in the United States. The city has a large number of parks, many of which are open to the public, such as Topanga Lake and Topanga Canyon. The area is also known as the "City of Angels" because of its proximity to the city center.

Population

The U.S. census counted 35,502 people living in Tarzana in 2000, and Los Angeles estimated the neighborhood's population at 37,778 in 2008. There were 4,038 people per square mile, among the lowest population densities in the city. The racial composition was predominantly white (70.7%), followed by Asian (5%), and black or African American (3.6%). 35.1% of the population was foreign-born, with Iranian (10.3%) and Russian (9.1%) as the most common ancestries. The percentage of divorced men and women was among the county's highest. The median household income in 2008 dollars was considered high, at $73,195. Some 9% of residents were military veterans, considered high for the city of Los Angeles. The percentages of residents aged 50 and older were among the country's highest, and the median age, 38, was old when compared to the rest of the city and the county. Iran (24.2%) and Mexico (12.1) were the mostcommon foreign places of birth. The area is considered "moderately diverse" by the Los Angeles Times. The neighborhood has one of the highest percentages of military veterans in the county, with 9% out of every 1,000 residents being military veterans. It has a median age of 38, which is high compared to other parts of the county and the city, and a median income of more than $70,000.

Education

A total of 40.3% of Tarzana residents aged 25 and older have earned a four-year degree. The Los Angeles Public Library operates the Encino-Tarzana Branch on Ventura Boulevard. Private schools include Columbia College Hollywood and Lycée International de Los Angeles West Valley Campus. The city is located in the northern part of Los Angeles County, in the San Fernando Valley, and the northern San Gabriel Valley. It is the largest city in the Los Angeles Unified School District (L.A. Unified) and the second-largest city in Los Angeles City and San Diego County (LAUSD). The city has a population of 2.2 million people (as of the 2010 census) and is located on the west side of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population of the county is 2.3 million (as at the 2010 Census). It is in the northwestern part of the city, near the border with Bakersfield, and in the southern part of L.A., near the San Diego border. The county's population is 1.7 million (or 2.4 million people) (or 1.8 million people in the 2010 U.S. Census). The area's population was 2.6 million (or 2.9 million in the 2006 Census). Its population is mostly Hispanic or Latino (or Hispanic-American). It has a high school population of 1.6 to 2.1 million. The town has a number of public and private schools, including two charter schools.

Recreation and parks

The Tarzana Recreation Center has a gymnasium that also is used as an auditorium; the building's capacity is 600. The park also has barbecue pits, a lighted baseball diamond, lighted outdoor basketball courts, a children's play area, and a community room. There are no fees or permits required to hike Caballero Canyon. There is a 3.6 mile loop trail located here that is moderately trafficked and allows dogs on a leash. At the top of the trail hikers and mountain bikers will see signs leading the entrance of Topanga State Park. It is located on the north side of the Santa Monica mountains inTarzana. It offers unobstructed views of the San Fernando Valley and the San Gabriel Mountains.