Porter Ranch

Porter Ranch balloons out on the north hills of the west Valley. It is just north of Northridge and Granada Hills. Porter Ranch was once an actual operating farm way back in the 19th century, but it is now an ever expanding exclusive community of expensive tract homes and gated communities. Because they have been developed by coordinating entities, the homes all have a uniform appearance. You get lots of light tan walls and clay tile roofs and pool after pool. Porter Ranch is most famous for having been the filming location for the blockbuster 80’s hit, E.T.

Porter Ranch is definitely a nice, solid place to live. It is the sort of place where everything feels in order. An army of leaf blowing gardeners make sure the lawns are perfectly trimmed and green, a handful of rent-a-cops watch out for trouble makers and snitch on the local kids, and a well-thought out building plan gives everyone just enough space to feel their distinctness, but not so much to allow for any truly bothersome eccentricities. There is something more than a little bit Stepford Wives about the place, but it does cater to that desire we have for order and safety.

Within Porter Ranch, you will find parks and a country club. You are 10 minutes from Northridge and the Mall if you need anything else. There is also a Metrolink Station in Northridge for any trips into the city—although most people work in the Valley’s financial areas. Porter Ranch is not a celebrity magnate the way that Calabasas and Hidden Hills is. You will not find paparazzi here, nor will you see Britney Spears driving by your window with her seatbeltless kids in tow. Porter Ranch is far too square for that and that is exactly its draw: no surprises, just good, solid, and expensive suburban living.