Northridge

There's really nothing bad about Northridge. But, there's really nothing good about it either. It's pretty much indiscernable from its neighboring towns of Reseda, Van Nuys, etc. There isn't much to do other than go to chain restaurants and crummy bars. The houses are definitely cheaper than over the hill and a lot less than other valley haunts of Sherman Oaks or Burbank as well. So, I can see the appeal of living in Northridge if you are just starting a family / are a first-time homeowner. It's relatively safe but pretty far from anything cool to do.

The most notable things about Northridge are not exactly, favorable, however. Cal State Northridge is definitely not high up on anyone's list for Southern California universities to attend. Neighboring UCLA, USC, Pepperdine and Marymount are not only all more prestigious but they're all beautiful campuses within neighborhoods that have a lot to offer (this last point is questionable, albeit, in the case of USC).
The Northridge Earthquake rings a loud bell to most Californians as well. And, although, it was later found that the epicenter of the devastating quake was in Reseda, the name stuck. And, it gives Northridge a bad stigma for being directly on a fault line. People fear that the next one is going to be equally as destructive and it doesn't do favorable things in the way of a desire to live right there.
Lastly, Northridge is the town where Richard Pryor lit himself on fire while smoking meth. He had a crackhouse in Northridge and blew up in flames . . . doesn't make a whole lot of people want to move over there with the kids, does it?

Northridge is best known to outsiders as the site of the earthquake that happened a few years ago. Northridge is a great northern Valley city however with a lot to offer as far as Valley living goes. First of all, Northridge has a very good college—probably the best one in the Valley, Cal State University Northridge, or CSUN as we locals call it. CSUN is known for its business program, but is solid in most areas. This does not mean however that Northridge is a “college town.” Although several students live around the campus in the apartments that serve the campus area, CSUN is known as a commuter school. The sort of place that empties out in late afternoons and weekends.

Northridge also has the Northridge Mall, yet another of the many malls for which the Valley is known. The Northridge is definitely one of the better ones and has the crowds and teenagers to show for it. It has everything that you could ask of a mall including a great theater.

The homes around Northridge range from solidly middle-class to fairly upscale, the farther you move towards the northern hills. Home prices tend to be high, from what I understand, but there are several very beautiful homes here. The neighborhoods tend to vary in character in different parts of Northridge as well. Many are on wide streets like Tampa Blvd., and have a definite 70’s feel to them, although they tend to be larger since this was a fairly popular place to live back then. Other neighborhoods in Northridge are packed with newer apartments and condos--lot’s of apartment living here. Northridge also has a very young feel to it with a mix of college students and young working couples, so you will definitely find the restaurants and chain stores that cater to the young here.

As you get towards the hills, you also have homes that are similar to ranch homes and more desert type architectures. All in all, there is a lot to find in Northridge. It is a good place to live although somewhat remote as far as getting to the heart of Los Angeles. The traffic on the 405 and 101 are notoriously bad at all times of the day.