It
could be easily argued that Encino is the "king"
of the San Fernando Valley. It is ideally located
at the junction of the 101 and 405 Freeways, just
minutes (when traffic cooperates) from the Westside,
UCLA and Beverly Hills. The shopping and commercial
districts along Ventura Boulevard are the best the
Valley has to offer. The recreation is very attractive
at Balboa Park, which features 3 public golf courses,
biking trails, tennis courts, baseball diamonds and
soccer fields. The Velodrome (from the 1984 Olympics)
is tucked in a corner of the park.
There
is an area known as Encino Park (around the Park mentioned
above) that has moderate housing. The rest of Encino
ranges from upper end to spectacular. Encino means
"evergreen oak" and you can get that sense
throughout the area. One particular favorite of ours
is the Royal Oaks area that has lush rolling lawns
with simple elegant ranch style housing.
It
is said that Encino is home to the oldest oak tree
in the San Fernando Valley. It's approximate age is
1000 years. The changes it has seen... Another interesting
tidbit: the original name for this area is Los Encinos.
Other
interesting links:
Encino
Chamber of Commerce
History
of Encino
Demographics
of Encino
