San Fernando Valley Neighborhood
Welcome to Tarzana, the San Fernando Valley neighborhood named for Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan, stretched along Ventura Boulevard south of the 101 Freeway.
Tarzana is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, about 25 miles northwest of downtown and just south of the 101 Freeway. Its name is a literary artifact: the land was the ranch of Edgar Rice Burroughs, author of the Tarzan stories, who lived and wrote here. In 1923 Burroughs subdivided part of his property as the Tarzana Tract, and when residents of the then-rural area—called Runnymede II—sought a post office in 1927, they adopted the name Tarzana in tribute to the famous character. Today the neighborhood is a mostly residential mix of single-family homes, hillside streets, and mid-rise apartments. Roughly 35,000 residents live here, spread from the flat Valley floor north of Ventura Boulevard into the southern hills that climb toward Mulholland Drive and the Santa Monica Mountains. Ventura Boulevard and the Reseda Boulevard corridor form the commercial spine, lined with restaurants, markets, and services. Tarzana's identity is suburban and family-oriented, with quiet tree-lined streets and a strong sense of neighborhood. The community is known for its diversity and for a range of cultural and religious institutions that anchor long-established populations. The neighborhood is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, with Tarzana Elementary School at its center and several charter and traditional high school options across the western Valley. Recreation runs from the Tarzana Recreation Center and local parks to the trailheads of the Santa Monica Mountains at the south end of Reseda Boulevard, where the Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park opens onto the Topanga State Park trail system. Commuters reach the rest of the Valley and the Westside via the 101 Freeway, Reseda Boulevard, and the Metro Orange Line busway, keeping the neighborhood connected while preserving its largely residential pace.
Tarzana is a neighborhood within the city of Los Angeles, in the San Fernando Valley. It is not a separate incorporated city, and its residents are served by the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Tarzana is named for Tarzan, the character created by author Edgar Rice Burroughs. Burroughs owned the ranch here and subdivided part of it as the Tarzana Tract in 1923; residents adopted the name when the area got a post office in 1927.
Tarzana is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, with Tarzana Elementary School in the neighborhood and several charter and traditional high school options across the western San Fernando Valley.
Tarzana sits along Ventura Boulevard just west of Reseda, south of the 101 Freeway. The Santa Monica Mountains and Topanga State Park rise to the south along the neighborhood's southern edge.
Tarzana is mostly residential, with single-family ranch homes in the flatlands north of Ventura Boulevard, larger hillside homes climbing toward Mulholland Drive to the south, and apartments near the commercial corridors.
City Guide
Tarzana's housing is split between two settings. North of Ventura Boulevard, the flatter Valley floor holds a large stock of mid-century ranch-style single-family homes, many built during the postwar expansion, along with apartments and condominiums near the commercial corridors. South of Ventura Boulevard, streets climb into the hills toward Mulholland Drive, where larger lots, canyon views, and more contemporary custom homes predominate. The mix ranges from modest starter homes to substantial hillside estates, all within a fully built-out neighborhood.
Tarzana is bounded roughly by the 101 Freeway to the north and the Santa Monica Mountains to the south, with Reseda to the east and Woodland Hills to the west. The flatlands north of Ventura Boulevard are denser and more traditional suburban in character, while the hillside streets south of Ventura Boulevard are quieter, greener, and home to larger properties with views. The Reseda Boulevard corridor and the commercial blocks along Ventura Boulevard form the neighborhood's service spine, with the gated Braemar Country Club area near the southern edge.
Tarzana has a suburban, family-oriented pace with quiet, tree-lined streets and a strong neighborhood identity. Ventura Boulevard and the Reseda Boulevard corridor supply the day-to-day commercial life, with a wide range of restaurants, markets, and services reflecting the community's diversity. The area is home to long-established houses of worship, kosher markets, and a notable concentration of Persian restaurants and grocery stores. Parks, schools, and the Tarzana Recreation Center anchor family life, while the canyon trails to the south offer an easy escape into open space.
Tarzana is served by the Los Angeles Unified School District. Tarzana Elementary School sits in the heart of the neighborhood, and students feed into middle and high schools across the western Valley, including charter options such as Taft Charter High School and El Camino Real Charter High School in nearby Woodland Hills. The area also has a number of private and parochial schools serving families from across the west Valley.
The 101 Freeway (Ventura Freeway) forms Tarzana's northern boundary, and Reseda Boulevard and Ventura Boulevard are the main local corridors. The Metro Orange Line busway stops at nearby Reseda and Canoga stations, providing a dedicated transit link across the Valley. The neighborhood sits about 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles, with the Westside reachable via the 101 and 405 freeways. Topanga Canyon Boulevard also provides a route over the Santa Monica Mountains to the coast and Pacific Palisades.
Tarzana's southern edge opens onto the Santa Monica Mountains. The Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park, at the south end of Reseda Boulevard, is a trailhead into the Topanga State Park network, offering hiking, mountain biking, and views of the Valley. The Tarzana Recreation Center and neighborhood parks provide sports fields and playgrounds, and the Braemar Country Club offers private golf and tennis. Nearby Woodland Hills and Encino add further parkland and the commercial amenities of the west Valley.
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