Studio City Real Estate and Information

Homes in Studio City

Studio City has retained its coveted "Jewel of the Valley" status with a strong partnership between the commercial and residential communities, and continues to be one of the more desirable places to live in the Los Angeles area. Studio City real estate offers both hillside and valley living and a wide range of architectural styles. Search for a Studio City home that meets your needs, and will place you in this wonderful community. Contact Judy Graff as your Studio City Realtor who can get you the right home at the right price.

Judy Graff - Studio City Realtor
Dilbeck Realtors - 818-370-4837
303 N. Glenoaks Blvd., Suite L110
Burbank, CA 91502

Home sales statistics as of June 1, 2010 (per mls):

Average sales price for single family homes:              $950,000
High sales price for single family homes:                     $1,766,000
Average sales price for condos:                                    $521,000

Prices are high because of high demand, naturally. Studio City is one of the nicest, most centrally located communities in the Valley and offers very easy access to Hollywood, downtown and the Westside. Some of the higher end homes in the hills have spectacular views and are architecturally significant. Elementary schools are good to great, too -- Carpenter school and Colfax Charter are particularly excellent. And there are lots of fun, trendy restaurants, bars and shops there, too. As of mid-2010, this area in not having the price drops and foreclosure issues that other neighborhoods in L.A. County are experiencing. Contact Judy Graff for assistance in getting into the right home in Studio City!

Regarding condos, the older units and "conversions" tend to be the most attractively priced. Several new buildings with all sorts of architectural bells and whistles have opened in the last few years and those tend to be priced higher, naturally. If you can't quite afford Studio City, you may want to consider the North Hollywood Arts District. Many, many new loft-style condos have been built there recently, and the neighborhood is becoming much more upscale. Again, as of 2010, prices have not declined as they have in other neighborhoods.

History and Information about Studio City

Studio City's modest start took place on a large parcel of rural land in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains. Ventura Boulevard was only a country road then, and the business district consisted of a drug store, grocery store, a small bank, a couple of hamburger stands and a handful of other businesses.

In June of 1927, a newly formed corporation for the development of movie studio sites arranged construction of a $20 million film center on the Northeast corner of Ventura Highway and what is now Laurel Canyon Blvd. Phase one of this project was the creation of the 200 acre Mack Sennett Studio, dubbed "Studio City". It's mission-style administration building boasted two stories, and was one of the tallest structures in the San Fernando Valley at the time. In 1935 it became Republic Pictures Studio, and later, CBS Studio Center.

When the Sennett Studios began shooting "The Keystone Cops" and the "Oh-You-Kid Bathing Beauties" along the hillsides of this picturesque locale in 1928, the Studio City moniker became official. A traffic signal was placed at Ventura and Lankershim Boulevards; a historic first for both Studio City and the Valley.

Sennet's successor Republic Studios made a number of memorable motion pictures; The Sands of Iwo Jima, Flying Tigers, Fighting Seabees, The quiet Man, Johnny Guitar, and many others. Famous names associated with the studios over the years included D.W. Griffith, Mabel Norman, Ben Turpin, Charlie Chaplin, Harry Langdon, W.C. Fields, Carole Lombard, Gene Autry, Barbara Stanwyck, Rory Calhoun, Ward Bond, and more.

In the late 1940s and the early 50s, Studio City was a magical place. Actors such as Errol Flynn walked the streets along with countless others, especially the "Hollywood cowboys". Indeed, a large number of the residents stabled their own horses, and there were still places in the Santa Monica Mountains to ride. It was and still is an area where people go for walks at night. Destined to become the Valley's closest approximation of a "bohemian" neighborhood, Studio City attracted musicians, writers, movie-hopefuls, and other artists.

By the 1980s, The City had grown to over 25,000. CBS Studio Center, located just north of Ventura Boulevard, was the only studio still in operation. The center produced many shows through the 1990s including Newhart, Roseanne, The Twilight Zone, Seinfeld, etc., as well as feature films like Addams Family Values, I Love Trouble, Boys on the Side, and Desperate Measures.

Studio City Today

Things to do: Shopping is outstanding along Ventura Boulevard and Tujunga. These avenues feature both small, chic boutiques, large national chains and everything in between. Westfield Shopping Plaza, just over the border in Sherman Oaks, is one of the top malls in the Valley and features the Valley's only Bloomingdales.

The Sunday Farmers Market on Ventura Place and Laurel Canyon is one of the best in the entire area -- go early for the best picks and parking. There is even a petting zoo for the kids.

For recreation, there's the famous Studio City Golf and Tennis Club and hikers can enjoy several great hiking and walking paths in the adjacent Santa Monica Mountains.

Summertime brings free concerts in Moorpark Park.

Dining: Studio City is home to several of Los Angeles' most highly-renowned, critcally acclaimed restaurants (my favorite is Laurel Tavern on Ventura Boulevard) in addition to plenty of mom-and-pop establishments and chain casual dining places.

Schools: (as of June 2010)

I just did a little research on GreatSchools.net regarding public elementary schools in Studio City, Sherman Oaks and Valley Village. We all know that Carpenter is a fantastic elementary school, but my client and I are looking for other schools in areas outside the Carpenter boundaries. GreatSchools.net isn't the be-all and end-all of school research, and some of the schools below have very high APIs even though they didn't rate as high as Carpenter. But anyway, here's what I learned.

Carpenter has a "9" rating.

Rio Vista has a "7."

Dixie Canyon is "8."

Riverside Elementary is "7."

Colfax Charter is a "9."

See also...

Want more statistics for Studio City? Please visit my Community Profile page.

Studio City Residents Association is very active in all sorts of community affairs.

Please visit my personal "Best of Studio City" page! Please feel free to contribute and send me your personal favorite streets, restaurants, shops, etc. and I'll include them with your name. Just email me at info@judygraff.com. Of course, you can also check out my San Fernando Valley real estate Blog, with an emphasis on Burbank, Toluca Lake and Studio City.

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