From farmland to planned suburb: Reseda’s 20th-century growth
Reseda’s modern development began in the early part of the twentieth century when the neighborhood was laid out by the Suburban Home Company. Los Angeles annexed much of the Valley, including Reseda, in 1915 but the area became known for its agriculture, particularly its lettuce production during the early and middle part of the century. After WWII, however, as the population of Southern California grew quickly, the entire Valley, including Reseda, transformed into a major suburban community. “It’s a good entry point into the San Fernando Valley, there’s a lot of variety in home prices,” says local Realtor Corrie Summers of Corrie Sommers of Compass Real Estate. “And the central location makes getting around the Valley pretty easy — though getting out of the Valley can be difficult when there’s traffic. Basically, it’s a convenient, cost-effective neighborhood.”
Reseda’s housing ranges from midcentury to new construction
Like much of the rest of the San Fernando Valley, Reseda has served mostly as a suburban neighborhood for Los Angeles since the late 1940s. Because of this, the neighborhood is filled with a wide variety of homes – from single-story ranch houses to condominiums and townhouses. Much of the housing stock was built in the 1950s, but there is some new construction, particularly when it comes to townhomes and condominiums. Home prices range from $400,000 for a two-bedroom, two-bath condo to $750,000 for a 1,100-square-foot midcentury ranch, up to around $1.1 million for a more spacious property with 2,300 square feet.
A central Valley location puts beaches, parks and museums within reach
With Reseda’s well-established reputation as a suburban community, the neighborhood is mostly residential. The only major park within Reseda itself is located in the southern portion of the neighborhood. Reseda Park and the Reseda Recreation Area offer a range of playing fields and indoor and outdoor activities. The small Randal D. Simmons Park, also located in southern Reseda, offers a small play area for children.
Given its central location within the Valley, residents of Reseda are never too far from the action, regardless of what they might be searching for. If it’s nature that you want, Lake Balboa and the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area site are just on the southeastern edge of Reseda, providing plenty of opportunity for outdoor recreation nearby. And just south of the neighborhood, Topanga State Park, as well as the rest of the sprawling Santa Monica Mountains, provides ample opportunities for hiking and enjoying beautiful vistas in Southern California’s beautiful climate. If you’re looking for culture, the world-class Getty Center Museum sits less than a dozen miles to the south of Reseda in Brentwood. And if you’d like to put your feet in the sand, Santa Monica is just 20 miles away.
Reseda Recreation Center and YMCA anchor local events
Reseda plays host to a number of community-style events, many of which are offered by local community groups. The Reseda farmers market, which launched in the fall of 2022, takes place every Friday in a church parking lot. The West Valley Family YMCA hosts a range of programs and events for people of all ages. And the Reseda Recreation Center offers events and activities for children, teens, and adults throughout the year. The West Valley Regional Branch Library also offers a robust slate of events, from book clubs to English language courses.
Public schools include Newcastle Elementary and James Jordan
Reseda is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Local charter Reseda Senior High School is the oldest high school in the San Fernando Valley and has a B+ grade on Niche. Other public schools in the neighborhood include Newcastle Elementary, which is rated 8 out of 10 on GreatSchools, and James Jordan Middle School.
Reseda blends Hollywood history with suburban convenience
Reseda’s location in the heart of Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley means that the neighborhood has often stood in for the quintessential urban-suburban residential community in countless film and television shows–from the Bad News Bears to the Karate Kid. But it isn’t just Hollywood magic that makes this neighborhood ideal. Reseda’s long-established residential roots, stretching back to the 1940s, have helped to provide it with the infrastructure that residents need–from grocery stores to pharmacies, to retail outlets and more.
Not far from I-405 and the 101
Reseda’s central location is perhaps its greatest asset, enabling residents to get nearly anywhere in the Los Angeles region, particularly the west side of the city, with relative ease. That means that the vast array of activities and culture available throughout Los Angeles and Southern California remains at the fingertips of residents of Reseda. Reseda has the advantage of not having any major freeways running through the neighborhood. Yet the area is not far from the major arteries, particularly the I-405 and the 101, that enable residents to move north and south, as well as east and west throughout the region.
Photography Contributed By
Piter Beyt
