Sherman Oaks - City of Los Angeles

Demographics Land Area (Sq. Mi.): 8.1 Population: 56,280 African American: 5.2% Asian American: 6.7% Hispanic: 11.2% White: 76.5% Other: 0.4% Median Housing Value: $736,500 (average of east south valley as per Southland Regional Association of Realtors) Number of Households: 25,972 Related Websites City of Los Angeles Sherman Oaks Chamber of Commerce

Sherman Oaks, close to two major freeways, serves as a gateway to the San Fernando Valley. The community is perhaps best known as the home of the Sherman Oaks Galleria, considered by many to be the undisputed residence of the Valley Girl, a cultural label popularized by the song and 1983 movie of the same name.  Numerous smaller boutiques and plazas line Ventura Boulevard, providing residents and visitors with endless window-shopping opportunities.Many members of the financial industry, including banks and brokerage houses, are located in the area.

Sherman Oaks was one of the first Valley communities to experience intensive real estate development. Anticipating the development of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913, Los Angeles Suburban Homes Co. purchased 47,500 acres of the southeast Valley in 1910. In 1911, a subdivision map called Tract 1000 was filed with the county. From that parcel, one of the partners in the company, Gen. Moses Hazeltine Sherman, bought 1,000 acres for himself.