West Hills

Combining gorgeous Old West scenery with every modern convenience, the upscale LA suburb of West Hills unfurls beside the rocky, dramatic Santa Susana Mountains. Set at the far western end of both the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles County, “This is an ideal Valley neighborhood,” says Realtor Alex Montalvo of RE/MAX One and Team Montalvo Real Estate. “It's an established, tucked away community, with lots of luxurious properties that are more budget-friendly than those in Woodland Hills. A home purchased here today is very likely to keep its value in the next 5 to 10 years.”

Here you’re 3 miles north of the 101 freeway and about 30 miles from the Burbank studios and Downtown LA; the local Metro Orange Line bus essentially connects you to both. Right in the neighborhood, you’ll have easy access to local West Hills Hospital and many miles of open space.

West Hills was long part of native Chumash territory, then ranchland for a couple of centuries; it remained largely undeveloped until the 1960s, when its hills and flats were laid with open streets and cul-de-sacs. Midcentury-modern homes on well-manicured lots of up to a quarter-acre average $1 million; most have between three and five bedrooms. Spanish-style stucco homes from the 1980s with clay-tiled roofs average $850,000, while 1990s Spanish-style estates average $1.8 million (plus monthly HOA fees of $200). You'll commonly see two-car garages, solar panels and backyard swimming pools, and homes and landscaping grow more luxurious (and more commonly set behind guarded gates) as you head north toward the sprawling Chatsworth Nature Preserve. Farther south you'll also see condos from the 1970s and ‘80s, either town house or apartment-style units often arranged in park-like settings with swimming pools; a three-bed, two-bath condo averages $675,000 (plus monthly HOA fees of $450).

West Hills' largest open space, Bell Canyon Park is hiking and horseback-riding heaven, with 26 miles of hilly, dirt-packed trails, one path looping around Castle Peak and another running across the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Preserve. Here you're surrounded by rocky outcroppings, wide-open skies, and lush grasses that are emerald in spring and gold by summer; if the scenery reminds you of an old Western movie, that’s because many were shot out here in the early 20th century.

For a wider array of greenery, stroll the 24-acre grounds of the Orcutt Ranch Horticultural Center to enjoy the shade of heritage oaks (some more than 700 years old) and delight in formal flower beds, magnolias and palms; if you have your own green thumb, consider renting a plot in their community garden. You can also enjoy desert plantings along the tree-shaded paths in Taxco Trails Park, where your favorite kids will enjoy the heck out of the colorful, modern playground.

Local kids may attend Los Angeles County public schools like Nevada Avenue Elementary, rated B-minus by Niche and featuring a Spanish dual language program; the B-plus-rated Lawrence Middle, with a Pioneering Science Magnet track; and the B-plus-rated Chatsworth High, which offers a gifted STEAM magnet program. Other local options include Enadia Way Technology Enriched Charter, also rated a B-plus; and private Kadima Day School, serving pre-kindergarten through Grade 8.

The local Fallbrook Center shopping mall isn’t quite as fancy as adjacent Canoga Park’s Westfield Topanga, but it still offers plenty to eat, buy and do. Here you can shop at grocery stores like Trader Joe’s and Ralph’s; pick up a little of everything at World Market or Asian variety store Daiso Japan; and catch the latest movie at the AMC Fallbrook 7. Fuel the day at the healthy-comfort-food diner Jinky’s Café and chain eateries like Stonefire Grill. Elsewhere in town you can enjoy a laid-back dinner at the locally owned West Hills Pizza Company; while away an afternoon or evening at Malibu Wines & Beer Garden’s authentic Spanish-style rancho; or doll up for a night out at Olive & Fig Restaurant & Jazz Bar.

For a San Fernando Valley-affordable luxury home tucked away from busy Los Angeles and surrounded by gorgeous open space, look west to the lovely LA County suburb of West Hills.

Photography Contributed By

Evan Bracken

Video By

Anthony Pesa