An Overview of Calabasas, California

The City of Calabasas

The city of Calabasas lies in the Los Angeles County of California in the western US. It was formally incorporated in 1991 and has a population of 23,123 (2000 census).

Origin of the Name

Some historians believe that the name ‘Calabasas’ has been derived from the Chumash word ‘Calahoosa’, while others believe Calabasas got its name from the Spanish word ‘Calabaza’ and means ‘pumpkin’, ‘squash’ or ‘gourd’. A red tailed hawk shown flying over the mountains of Santa Monica is Calabasas’s official logo symbolizing a pledge to preserve its nature and semi rural way of life. This logo features on the Calabasas city flag flowing at the City Hall and the Council Chambers. One of the earliest buildings in the greater LA region, Leonis Adobe was built in 1844 and is situated on 23537 Calabasas Road. The city gained international prominence due to the 2006 Second hand Smoke Control Ordinance.

Communities in the City of Calabasas

Some of the communities of Calabasas city are featured below:

Vista Pointe: situated along the traverse ranges running parallel between 101 Freeway and Parkway Calabasas Road.

You can go to Vista Pointe, Calabasas Park and Country Estates, Calabasas Hills, Westridge and The Oaks from Parkway Calabasas. From Park Granada or Mulholland Drive, you can choose to go to Mulwood, Mulholland Drive, Las Villas, Ridge, Creekside, Clairidge, Calabasas Highlands, Mountain Park, Cold Creek and The Bird Streets. Or if you are at Las Virgenes, you can visit Monte Nido, Deer Springs, Stone Creek. Mont Calabasas, El Encanto, Archstone, The Colony at Calabasas and Malibu Canyon Park.

Public Services in Calabasas

The city of Calabasas has its own funding for a shuttle and trolley as a means of public transportation, augmenting the LACMTA service. It also funds its own library and operates its own sports recreation center, Calabasas Tennis and Swim Center. It also maintains a historical district, Old Town Calabasas and has its own channel, The Calabasas Channel (CTV). It inaugurated its new Civic Center in Jul 2008 with the immense contribution from the CFO of Calabasas, Dr. Gary Lysik. It is situated at 100, Civic Center Way and is a two building complex. It is acclaimed as the first municipal owned and built green civic center in California. The whole Center costed $45,000,000 including the land cost.

The city of Calabasas, California takes pride in being at the forefront in issues relating to environment. Some of their major endeavors over the past few years were:

- They played a crucial role in a decade long fight for saving Ahmanson Ranch from development. This 2,983 acres of property is situated in Simi Hills of Ventura County, California. It was sold by Washington Mutual to Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy in 2003 for $150 million. The ranch is now called the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve and is now protected from further expansion.

- In 2005, the city of Calabasas voted to pass Measure D which protects the existing region of Calabasas’s Open Space by needing 66% approved votes for any land defined as Open Space to be considered for another use.

- The City Council passed Ordinance 2007-233 prohibiting retail food companies, not-for-profit food providers and city facilities from utilizing food packaging material made from expanded polystyrene (also called Styrofoam). This ordinance needs such companies to use environmental friendly packages by end of March, 2008 and report on going conformity with this law on the first business day of each calendar year.

- In Feb 2006, Calabasas, CA, under the guidance of then Mayor, Barry Groveman, passed the Comprehensive Second Hand Smoke Control Ordinance. This order bans smoking in all public places in the city where people are likely to be exposed to second hand smoke. Such places could be outdoor and indoor businesses, parks, hotels, common area of apartments, and bars and restaurants. Now smoking in the public areas has been limited to designated Smoking Areas. This law came into effect on March 16, 2006 and gained tremendous media interest. The Ordinance could be found on the official site of Calabasas. This ordinance has been expanded in 2008, now needing 80% of rental apartment buildings to be designated as non smoking areas on a permanent basis by Jan 1st, 2012.

Calabasas’ Technology Center

The dot-com era saw several technology start ups appearing on Agoura Road, parallel to the 101 Freeway, resulting in that area being called as the 101 Technology Corridor. Some of the companies which were based here were Xylan (now Alcatel), Netcom Systems (now Spirent Communications), j2 Global, Tekelec, THQ, Digital Insight and Netsol Technologies. This region of Calabasas still has a good technological presence even though some of the above corporations have now relocated, acquired or stopped their operations.

Geographical location of Calabasas

Calabasas California is situated at 34°8_18_N 118°39_39_W_ / _34.13833, -118.66083 (34.138363, -118.660917). It lies in the south western part of San Fernando valley and includes a part of Santa Monica mountains. It has borders with Woodland Hills of LA to the northeast, Topanga to the southeast, Malibu to the south, Agoura Hills to the west and Hidden Hills at the north. The historical El Camino Real runs east west through Calabasas, Calif. as Route 101. The city has a total area of 34.1 km_ (13.1 mi_). The land covers 33.9 km_ (13.1 mi_) and a mere 0.1 km_ (0.1 mi_) of it is water (As per US Census Bureau).

The Woodland Hills and Topanga communities, Calabasas’s neighbors have somewhat identical demographics, size and geography to it. What makes Calabasas unique is its well developed independent infrastructure.

The weather remains almost 8 degrees F cooler than the nearby Woodland Hills during hot seasons. This is because it forms a barrier against the heat of the San Fernando Valley. Also, the nearby canyons transport cool air to the region from Pacific Ocean.

One part of the city, adjoining Calabasas High School, has named its streets in a patriotic way. So one could find Declaration Avenue, America Way, Paul Revere Dr. And Founder’s Dr.

The Bird Streets or Park Moderne is among the earliest neighborhoods of Calabasas. This one time artist colony still has remains of the club house, pool and cabins spread over streets with bird names like Meadow Lark, Blackbird and Hummingbird.

Calabasas’ demographics

The 2005 census showed that the population of Calabasas was 23,123 with 5,544 families living in the city. Other highlights were:

- Population density: 590.4/km_ (1,528.8/mi_)

- 8,350 housing units at an average density of 218.9/km_ (566.7/mi_)

- Community makeup: 85.92% White, 2.18% Black, 0.13% Native American, 7.71% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.31% from other races, and 2.71% from two or more races. 4.74% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.

- Household breakup: 44.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.3% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% were non families. 17.0% of all households were individuals and 4.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.14.

- Age and gender of household residents: 28.6% of residents were under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18-24, 29.1% from 25-44, 27.9% from 45-64, and 8.6% who were 65 years or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.

- Income makeup: Median income for a household in Calabasas, California was $93,860, and the median income for a family was $107,330. Males had a median income of $87,049 v/s $46,403 for females. The per capita income for Calabasas was $48,189. About 2.1% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those aged 65 or over.

Calabasas’s State infrastructure

The city of Calabasas is situated in California’s 23rd Senate District, represented by Sheila Kuehl of the Democratic party and in the 41st California Assembly District by Julia Brownley of the same party. Federally, Calabasas is situated in California’s 30th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +20 and is represented by Democrat Henry Waxman. The US Postal Service Calabasas Post Office is situated in Suite 10, 4774 Park Granada and the Malibu Shell Post Office at 4807, Las Virgenes Road.

Calabasas’ educational setup

The residents are zoned to schools in the Las Virgenes Unified School District. In the period 1997-2001, Calabasas High School had hired a new Principal at the start of every school year. The beginning of 2004 saw the opening of A.C. Stelle Middle School at the corner of Mulholland Highway and Paul Revere Avenue. The private Viewpoint School is also situated in Calabasas, California.