Verdugo Viejo

Verdugo Viejo is much like Glenwood to the west. On its northern end, and especially north of West Kenneth Road it is packed with large homes, the majority of which are in a luxurious tower decorated version of the Mission Revival style. The combination so of tan adobe walls, red clay roof tiles and palm trees makes for a stunningly beautiful landscape—the kind of home that makes even children feel uncomfortable straying off the path onto the perfectly lush lawns.

This is a very affluent neighborhood with the average household income being over $100K as opposed to the Glendale average that is about half that. Although most residents own their homes—the average home here costing around $900K—those who rent pay, on average--$1,900/month, almost twice as much as other renters in the Glendale area.

Crime rates in the area are very low, with no murders taking place there in recent memory. Most crimes in the area are of the property theft variety but even they are low overall.

As one ventures south of West Kenneth, the quaint Tudors and sprawling homes give way to very nice and well-maintained apartment buildings many in a similar Mission Revival style of the homes to the north. The decline in property and rent values is obvious as you head south nearing Glen Oaks Blvd., but the apartments and homes are so well-kept that even the 1970s style, shoe box shaped apartment seem nicer and cleaner than what we are generally used to. Even in this southern portion of the neighborhood, however it is very difficult to find an apartment for under $1,000, with most apartments approaching $2K.

Down by Glen Oaks Blvd.—an attractive, avenue with palm trees lining the center meridian dividing east-west traffic--you find Kaiser Permanente Medical Center and the Convalescent Hospital that adjoins it. The Hilton is also along this section and the Incarnation School—a private religious school for the local kids—2/3 of kids in Verdugo Viejo attend private schools. This is also the location of the Armenian Consulate—appropriate since so many Armenians live in the area.

Going north up North Brand Blvd. one finds a grouping of churches—with both a Mormon Church and a Lutheran church—which also runs a well-liked daycare—and a row of dentists offices that locals call “Motor Mouth Row.” There is also the local supermarket in this area and a number of restaurants.

On the western end of the community is the Casa Adobe, a historical home in a park with location for residents to barbecue. Right by this historical landmark is Sinai Temple and the neigbhorhood’s Montessori school.

Put simply, Verdugo Viejo is a great neighborhood to move to, if you can afford it.