As a San Fernando Valley dweller myself, I’m used to the suburban sprawl that now blankets most of the valley north of the Hollywood Hills. So this photo from 1927 comes as a bit of a shock to be reminded that once upon a pre-WWII time, the area was largely an open land of agriculture and orchards. And you can bet the air was clearer, too.
This is how the area looks in 2022.
Amazing, growing up I lived in both Sherman Oaks and Encino in the late 50’s and 60’s. Ventura Blvd was two lanes with a lot of open land.
Home area for me too with the family home east of Woodman and west of Fulton, and south of Riverside Drive. The 101 went in as we were the last house that stayed with all the ones north removed from the block.
Dad worked for over a decade at the junction of Chandler and Van Nuys Blvd. across from the Van Nuys Bob’s Restaurant. After my tour in the Army I lived next to the Van Nuys airport and near Van Nuys Blvd. south of Victory until leaving the Valley in ’74 for Orange and San Diego counties.
Lots of memories spiked from your posting of my time in the Valley, but air pollution and population saturation had me abandoning California all together in 2001. Roots and good times in years past are remembered with fondness though. Another good post from you and my thanks.
No doubt the air was better in 1927 than it is now, but thankfully it’s much better now than it was 50 years ago. Watch almost any episode of an LA-based TV show from that era for proof. In fact, yesterday I happened to see an episode of Cannon from 1975 with a scene shot along Ventura Boulevard in which you truly could not see more than two or three blocks away, thanks to the heavy smog. In some respects – perhaps not many, but some – things have improved.