San Fernando

San Fernando is a working class city just south of Sylmar and the east of the 405 Freeway. This is the city that gives the whole Valley its name, deriving it from the Mission that now resides in Mission Hills to the west. Like its northern neighbor Sylmar, San Fernando has its share of dirt side-walks make it a bit dusty. It has many trees but the whole neighborhood has a bit of a desert feel to it. The houses tend to be flat, unadorned, box-like and old. In many areas of San Fernando, there are rows and rows of stripped down 50’s ranch houses. In other parts of the city, there are fallow unclaimed lots and boarded up houses. Such signs point to the moribund nature of much of this area.

San Fernando High School’s main draw is in athletics. It has a strong football tradition and its wrestling team is considered amongst the strongest in the county. Unfortunately, the academics side of the school is considered among the worst in the Valley. Furthermore, because San Fernando has one of the lowest median incomes in the Valley, the schools have not done well in fund raising, thus exacerbating an already bad problem.

The local government has started to institute plans to revive the city, but it is unclear whether the economic downturn will put the kibosh on plans to gentrify the area.