Tarzana started like much of the San Fernando Valley.  Originally settled by Spanish settlers and missionaries who went to establish the San Fernando Mission, the area was ceded from Mexico to the US in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo after the Mexican-American War. Once under US jurisdiction, local elites and investors began setting up cattle farms and large scale wheat productions.  A large area was bought in 1909 by The Los Angeles Surburban Homes Company, and General Harrison Gray Otis (founder of the Los Angeles times) not only invested largely in the company, but bough 550 acres for himself smack in the heart of Tarzana.  Roughly 10 years later Edgar Rice Burroughs bought General Otis’ land and created Tarzana Ranch, named after his infamous creation.  While Burroughs subdivided and sold the land into small farms, it’s interesting to note that he used covenants to try to keep other ethnicities out of Tarzana Ranch and utilized white supremacy.  I find this fact particularly interesting, given that Tarzana is now considered ‘moderately diverse’ by the Los Angeles Times.

Public Schools:
Los Angeles Unified School Distrcit operates the public schools in Tarzana.
Tarzana Public Elementary Schools:

1. Vanalden Elementary School
2. Tarzana Elementary School
3. Nestle Avenue Elementary School
4. Wilbur Charter Elementary

Tarzana Public Middle Schools:

1. Gaspar de Portola Middle School

Tarzana Public High Schools:

1. Reseda High School
2. Taft High School

 

Daniel Pearl Magnet High School and CHIME Institute’s Schwarzenegger Community school are also in the area.

Private schools 
The private schools are:

1. Lycee International de Los Angeles
2. Sage Academy
3. Montessori on the Boulevard
4. Faucher Academy
5. Louisville High School

Tarzana has you covered on any sort of activity you might desire.

For shopping aficionados, consider taking a stroll to Tarzana’s famed Safari Walk which boasts more than 100 unique shops, restaurants, and services along Ventura Boulevard.  Stretching between Reseda Blvd and Vanalden Ave, this main strip was reinvented in the late 90’s to give the area a more affluent feel while promoting it’s unique shops and retaining ties to Tarzana’s cultural heritage.

If you prefer the outdoors Tarzana has two wonderful parks full of activities from the youngest to the oldest citizens.  For the more moderate hikers, head into the hills and visit Marvin Braude Mullholland Gateway Park.  With rugged hikes to valley views, Marvin Braude Park offers a step away from the hustle of life and a step into peace of the mountainside.

For those looking for more activities for the kids, try Tarzana Park and Recreation Center.  The Rec center not only offers child care, but also baseball and basketball leagues, community outreach classes, and summer camps, and special events.

If a touch of culture is more your thing, head to the Tarzana Community & Cultural Center.  With regular classical concerts and gardens galore, a stroll through the flowers with Bach softly playing in the background might be more your cup of tea–er–chardonnay.

Golfers will revel in having two country clubs right at their fingertips.  Both Braemar Country Club and El Caballero Country Club are distinguished.  Both clubs host regular tennis tournaments in addition to their golfing excursions, so tennis lovers can also take heart

GENERAL LINKS:
Great Schools
National Center for Education Statistics
City Data Statistics and Demographics
Tarzana Neighborhood Council
Woodland Hills-Tarzana Chamber of Commerce

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NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS & RECREATION:
Tarzana Recreation Center
Marvin Braude Mulholland Park
Tarzana Community & Cultural Center

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GOLF COURSES & COUNTRY CLUBS:
Braemar Country Club: 2 courses, 36 holes
El Caballero Country Club: 1 course, 18 holes 

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MOVIE THEATRE
AMC Promenade 16: Woodland Hills
Arclight: Sherman Oaks
Laemmle Town Center 5: Encino

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GROCERY STORES
Vons Markets
Whole Foods

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Nearby Communities:
Encino, Sherman Oaks, Woodland Hills, Reseda, Winnetka, Lake Balboa