Van Nuys, CA

Van Nuys is a city located in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California. The population was estimated to be just over 191,000 as of the 2010 census. Van Nuys is named after the Dutch village of Van Nuys. The area was originally part of the Rancho San Fernando land grant given to Francisco Sepulveda in 1825. In 1874, he sold the land to Daniel Freeman who built a flour mill and then a railroad depot on what is now Freeman Avenue.

In 1881, Henry E. Huntington bought 3,000 acres (12 km2) of ranchland and founded Huntington Park, which became one of Southern California's most prestigious residential areas. In 1888, he built his mansion at 1155 North Sepulveda Boulevard and named it The Biltmore Estate after his home in Asheville, North Carolina. It still stands today and is one of the most photographed homes in America. Other notable residents have included Cecil B. DeMille (who filmed his first feature film there), Walt Disney (whose studio was located at 4657 Burbank Boulevard for many years), Frank Sinatra (whose recording studio was located on Melrose Avenue), and Michael Jackson (whose Neverland Ranch was located nearby).

The development of Van Nuys began with the construction of Van Nuys Boulevard by Daniel Freeman in 1874 as an access route from downtown Los Angeles to his new flour mill on what is now Freeman Avenue. The first house on Van Nuys Boulevard was built by John Dutton in 1875; it still stands at 7018 Van Nuys Boulevard near Sherman Oaks Hospital Center and has been converted into a restaurant called The Dutton House Restaurant & Lounge.. By 1880 there were several hundred houses along Van Nuys Boulevard; this residential area would remain largely rural until well into the 20th century when it began to develop into its present form as an affluent suburban community adjacent to Los Angeles City Hall and Hollywood studios..

In 1923 developers Harry Chandler and Herbert Janss purchased 6500 acres (24 km2) east of Los Angeles City Hall for $1 million; they planned to build a new city called Bel-Air but never completed construction due to financial difficulties.. In 1924 Chandler developed part of this land into Laurel Canyon with homes that became known as "the Millionaires' Row". In 1926 he created another subdivision called Brentwood which featured large estates for Hollywood celebrities such as Cary Grant, Gloria Swanson, Joan Crawford and William Randolph Hearst..

In 1931 Franklin Mott founded Mott Haven Village between Griffith Park and Universal Studios; it became an exclusive enclave for New York City Jews who were fleeing anti-Semitism in Europe.. In 1941 Bob Hope established Hope Estate near Universal Studios; it remains one of Hollywood's most famous celebrity residences..

During World War II many military personnel were stationed in Los Angeles due to its proximity to military bases such as Camp Cooke and Fort MacArthur; this led to an increase in housing developments for servicemen such as Westwood Village north of UCLA campus which features more than 1000 single-family homes .. After World War II civilian development increased rapidly with new subdivisions being developed on former military bases such as Tarzana northwest of Ventura Blvd., Shadow Hills southeastof Santa Monica Blvd., Reseda northeastof Ventura Blvd., Sun Valley northwestof Mulholland Drive,, Topanga southwestof Mulholland Drive,, Woodland Hills southwestof Ventura Blvd., Encino westof Ventura Blvd., Calabasas westof Ventura Blvd., Toluca Lake eastoftoluca lake boulevard,.

Today much commercial development has taken place along Van Ness Avenue including high-end stores such as Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th Store , Bloomingdale's Men's Store , Nike Factory Store , Apple Store , Hermès boutique store among others . There are also numerous restaurants including Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill , Morton's Steakhouse , Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse amongst others .