Lake Balboa

I believe this is a more recent area/deveopment, as when I went through it I loved how fresh, crisp, clean, and new the area was. Some places in Los Angeles seem ages and worn (some may call it dirty or old) but Lake Balboa isn't like that at all. While this is an area of the San Fernando Valley, you still feel a bit isolated from the other San Fernando areas but yet you still feel like all of the aspects of LA are fully accessible. The lake here is beautiful, clean and a great place for family, singles, college students or even the retired couple. An attraction in the area is a toy company, a fun place to take the kids. You also have your pick of restaurants and stores regardless of your food or shopping preference.

Balboa Lake is a new neighborhood in LA. This large swath of realestate used to be West Van Nuys until it was formally recognized as a separate neighborhood in 2006 and its boundaries were ironed out in 2007. Basically, the neighborhood now stretches from the where the 405 and 101 meet north to Van Nuys airport and west to White Oak Avenue.

What you find now is a solid middle class neighborhood still undergoing a bit of an identity crisis as is tries to come to terms with its expanded role. The area has a lot to offer however. Demographically it is a microcosm of the country as a whole, with whites being barely a majority and Hispanics forming a third of the population. The big draws for this area are the many green spaces in the southwest corner just north the 101 and Tarzana and Encino. Balboa Park is the largest and best park in the Valley and offers many soccer and baseball fields. There is also a large golf course in the area and easy access to the 405 freeway.

The main drawbacks are the airport that creates extra noise pollution and the somewhat blighted areas to the west of the neighborhood. Some streets and areas like White Oak have become victims of urban blight and have boarded up houses with broken down cars as permanent features of their driveways. Overall, however, the neighborhood’s streets are filled with a variety of shade trees and quaint ranch houses dating from the 60’s and 70’s.

All in all, this may be an up-and-coming section of the Valley. Best to get in now while home prices are still affordable.