The one book that everyone who cares about the San Fernando Valley should own

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Product Description

A journalist and native son of the San Fernando Valley, arguably America's quintessential suburb, returns to his

old neighborhoods and discovers a long, rich history filled with the sort of lore and traditions that make a place a home.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #170862 in Books
• Published on: 2001-08-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

About the Author
Kevin Roderick came to the subject of the San Fernando Valley both as a curious journalist and as a product himself of the suburbs. He grew up in Northridge, roaming the tracts of newly minted neighborhoods that came into being in the 1950s and 1960s. After attending James Monroe High School and studying the craft of journalism at California State University, Northridge, he went to work for the Los Angeles Times as a cub reporter covering the Valley. His career path steered him into other reporting endeavors and the newspaper's senior editor ranks, but the untold stories of the Valley always beckoned. Roderick is currently the Los Angeles bureau chief for The Industry Standard magazine and lives in Santa Monica, Calif.

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Customer Reviews

SFV - The Most Representative Suburbia Icon of America
During my stay in the United States more than a year and half ago, while doing my errands, I happened to arrive at the end of the MTA Orange Line bus on its westbound extremity, in a station called "Warner Center". I jumped out of the bus and started strolling with no specific purpose in mind. Seriously, this place I've arrived at has absolutely no touristic appeal at all. Not much people walking around, traffic wasn't intense (I guess this was because it was around 10 in the morning - the rush to work was over), green yards, large boulevards and peacefulness all across. Definitely, this was not a typical Los Angeles neighborhood like Hollywood, Echo Park, Eagle Rock and Venice, much less like South L.A. and Watts. What I saw was a world apart not so far away from the "original L.A." mess, though this was also a Los Angeles neighborhood, with a different atmosphere, aiming constantly to reach perfection.

Even missing that touristic appeal, I thought this was the best spot I've been in during my Southern California trip. No kidding. Laugh at me if you want to. Even the paradisiac beaches which were so close to me wasn't that special. The impact of being at SFV hit hard on me. I know this place has the typical problems that any other major area also has, but it's still enchanting. This fascination led me to purchase this book so I could learn more about it.

Just finished reading the book and my advice is:

This book is simply a "must-have" for every Southern California native or lover who wants to know about the history of San Fernando Valley. Kevin Rodnick did an excellent job describing nicely and in chronological order the happenings that made this once empty space where Spaniards settled in the 1700s the most representative icon of the America's suburb and a - why not - peaceful refuge in the so-troubled Los Angeles area today.

Get it!

History yes, memories no
A great book on the history of the valley. For those of us that grew up in the 60s and 70s this book lacks pictures and stories of that time. If you are looking for memories this book will not bring them back.

San Fernando Valley: America's Suburb
Very enjoyable. I grew up in the west end of the San Fernando Valley; Van Nuys to Canoga Park. A good friend's grandfather was William Paul Whitsett. She would tell me interesting stories about him. It saddens me to see the condition of the Valley now. I remember the orange groves and horse ranches, but now nothing but houses, houses, houses. Can't go home again, but this book takes me back to a better time and place.