San Fernando Valley Guide
Oh, my God! Like, I’m so sure! The San Fernando Valley (we just call it “the Valley”) is part suburb, part entertainment hub and all excitement!
San Fernando Valley Overview
Where to Eat: Burgers, Blues and Regional Hues
Where to Shop: Stores Galore and then Some More
What to Do: Fun in the Sun
Where to Sleep: Hotels in the Valley
San Fernando Valley Overview
The San Fernando Valley has it all. It’s made up of gorgeous suburbs and mini-malls. Major network and movie studios call it home. Then there are the tremendous opportunities for dining and entertainment. The Valley has anything you need or want: great food, great fun, and definitely great shopping.
The region is conveniently accessible from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) via the FlyAway Van Nuys bus service for $4 or fly directly into the Valley via Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. If you’re coming from Downtown, the Metro Red Line stops in both North Hollywood and Universal City.
If we had to choose a central hub for the Valley, it’d most likely be Ventura Boulevard, a strip of high-end restaurants and shops that stretches from Studio City to Thousand Oaks. Here you’ll find everything from diners and fast-food joints, boutique shopping to traditional clothing stores, grocery stores, coffee shops and lots of retail shopping.
And if Ventura Boulevard is the Valley’s backbone, Universal Studios Hollywood is probably its heart. No trip would be complete without a visit (or several) to Universal Studios Hollywood. Take a studio tour or spend the day on thrilling rides in the theme park. Be sure to check out Universal’s newest attraction, The Simpson’s Ride (opening May 17, 2008), a fun romp through a fictional amusement park dreamed up by Krusty the Clown.
Then there’s Universal CityWalk Hollywood, an outdoor center with restaurants, entertainment and shopping galore. Now visitors can experience the thrill of skydiving at one of CityWalk’s newest attractions, iFLY. LA’s first indoor skydiving wind tunnel uses two high-power electric fans to suspend guests up to 30 feet in the air for a thrilling, authentic free-falling sensation.
Of course, you can enjoy a roller coaster ride just by driving up (and down) Mulholland Drive, which meanders along the crest of the Santa Monica Mountains. The drive takes you past beautiful homes surrounded by eucalyptus trees, sporting views of West Los Angeles out one window and Valley cities such as Woodland Hills and Sherman Oaks out the other.
In other words, you don’t have to drive “over the hill” to get to the excitement in Hollywood or Beverly Hills. It’s all right here.
Where to Eat: Burgers, Blues and Regional Hues
The cuisine in the Valley mirrors its diversity. Anything you can think of, the Valley’s got it.
Are your taste buds speaking Cuban? Try Versailles Restaurant on Ventura Boulevard in Encino. There are tons of choices on the menu, but we recommend the staples: roasted chicken or pork (or the combination plate!). Get a side of black beans and rice along with fried plantains and you will be in heaven, we promise.
Want to, as they say, have “A Bit of London in LA?” Go to Robin Hood on Burbank Boulevard in Sherman Oaks for the best fish and chips this side of the pond. Add some malt vinegar and a Guinness draught.
Head to "Sushi Row" (a.k.a. Ventura Boulevard) for noteworthy sushi restaurants. Katsu-ya is always a local favorite, while Zagat Survey named Sushi Nozawa (Studio City), Leila's (Oak Park) and Saddle Peak Lodge (Calabasas) among the top five best food picks in Los Angeles.
You’ll find upscale Italian at the Drago brothers’ latest Sicilian oasis, Panzanella, in Sherman Oaks. Parlez vous Francais? Enjoy country French cuisine at Pinot Bistro in Studio City.
To take full advantage of the Valley’s culinary diversity, go to Universal CityWalk at Universal Studios Hollywood, which offers dozens of dining choices, including Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant & Market.
Just need to make a quick stop? Surprisingly — in light of LA’s insatiable appetite for being thin — you will find burger joints on just about every corner. Try a Fatburger to get a real taste of Los Angeles.
Where to Shop: Stores Galore and then Some More
If the mall wasn’t invented in the Valley, then the Valley perfected it. There are mini-malls, mega-malls, outlet malls — if there were ever a new type of mall, then the San Fernando Valley would have it.
For the traditional mall experience bumped up a notch, go to Westfield Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks for Bloomingdale’s and Banana Republic (and almost 140 other stores). Or try the newly expanded Westfield Topanga in Canoga Park, which features more than 300 stores and boasts the largest Nordstrom in the Los Angeles area. You can buy trendy clothes at Planet Funk, fashionable shoes at Aldo or something in a little blue box at Tiffany & Co. And Dallas-based retailer Neiman Marcus opens its doors here in Fall 2008. Westfield Topanga also has wonderful boutiques. And if you're looking for a complete entertainment experience to complement your shopping spree, visit the Glendale Galleria.
True fashionistas head to Ventura Boulevard, where you can find dozens of boutiques that will make the fashion-hungry shopper drool. Try Maxine to get fully outfitted or drop into Belle Gray by Lisa Rinna to don the latest fashions. Also look for vintage clothing shops all along the Boulevard.
Are you the kind who likes new gear from head to toe, but doesn’t have a lot to spend? The Camarillo Premium Outlets have just what you need. For the feet, get some vintage-style shoes from Puma, stylish kicks from Skechers, or be more traditional and shop at the Nine West outlet. Deck yourself out in attire from Diesel, Calvin Klein or any of the other hundreds of stores. For the head, get some makeup at MaxStudio.com or The Cosmetics Company Store. Trust us, you need a full day to get through this outlet mall, and it’s totally worth it!
What to Do: Fun in the Sun
Looking for things to do in the San Fernando Valley? With live theater, music and two major amusement parks, you’ll have no problem staying busy.
The NoHo (for out-of-towners, that’s North Hollywood) Arts District can offer you a huge variety of choices. More than 20 theaters in NoHo feature classics to improv, guaranteeing top-notch performances.
Art galleries abound on Lankershim Boulevard. Make sure to check out NoHo Gallery LA, which presents a wide variety of artists working in various mediums. Live music and other performances make the area an artist’s paradise.
For some outdoor time, head to Ahmanson Ranch, a 2,983-acre wildlife refuge and natural park just north of Calabasas. The pristine park features 15 miles of recreational trails and several rare and endangered species. Made up of oak forest, wetlands, canyons, rolling hills and pastures, the land was slated to become a housing development before the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy stepped in and bought it in 2003.
Bringing the whole family? At Universal Studios Hollywood, you can get both the studio experience and everything you would ever want in a major theme park. Kids will love the Shrek 4-D experience and the all-new Simpsons Ride. This is just the beginning, of course.
After experiencing The Simpsons Ride, visitors to the theme park can explore the new "Universal World of Entertainment" attraction where Hollywood’s crown jewels will be on view as Universal Studios Hollywood mixes rare, never-before-seen props, costumes, wardrobe and artifacts with special effects displays. The attraction will showcase a close-up view of many of the memorable items seen on film from Universal Pictures; a library of more than 6,000 titles dating back to the studio’s early beginnings in 1913, as well as offer a peek into the technology used in early motion picture and modern day filmmaking. Insightful trivia and film clip kiosks will also add an interactive component.
Leave time to take the studio tour, so you can see what movie making is all about. Check out sets from your favorite movies, including The Fast and the Furious and War of the Worlds, or see where they film much of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
For more about how “the industry” works, take a tour of NBC Studios, where they film The Tonight Show. Or take the Warner Bros. Studios VIP Tours, where you might see film or television productions in progress.
Looking for spine-tingling thrills? Make sure you go to Six Flags Magic Mountain and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Los Angeles in Valencia. Featuring more than 40 different amusements, including roller coasters, water rides and others, Magic Mountain is an all-day experience. New and improved, the world's first fourth dimension coaster ride, X2, redefines the thrills of conventional roller coasters. Seven new rides debut in 2008, making Magic Mountain the place for adventure. And make sure you save room for funnel cake!
If after a long day of thrills and excitement you need something a little more low key, visit the Japanese Garden for a tranquil walk among peaceful ponds and intricate landscaping. Various municipal golf courses in the Valley are available to take advantage of LA's perfect weather.
Where to Sleep: Hotels in the Valley
As you can see, you’re going to be tired after doing all there is to do in the San Fernando Valley. Here are a few suggestions on where to sleep when you’re totally wiped out.
If you want to a central hotel, check out the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, which is conveniently located for excursions in the Valley and Downtown.
Planning to spend a day or two at Universal Studios Hollywood? The Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City and the Sheraton Universal are convenient and will provide you with everything you want or need in a hotel stay.
If you’re trying to make an early meeting with a producer, stay at the Warner Center Marriott Hotel in Woodland Hills.
The only hotel at the Van Nuys Airport is the Airtel Plaza Hotel & Conference Center. It is centrally located in the San Fernando Valley, close to all business and entertainment centers.
