Tujunga (IPA: [təˈhʌŋgə]) is a district in the far northern reaches of the City of Los Angeles, California.
Tujunga is the northeasternmost portion of the San Fernando Valley, but it actually is in the Crescenta Valley. It is bounded by the cities of Burbank to the southwest, Glendale to the south and La Crescenta to the east, the Los Angeles district of Sunland to the west, and the San Gabriel Mountains to the north. Mount Gleason Avenue separates it from Sunland. It is served by the Foothill Freeway, which connects it to central Los Angeles (via the Glendale Freeway) and the San Gabriel Valley.
Tujunga was originally home to the Tongva tribe and later became a ranching area. In 1907 M.V. Hartranft founded a socialist utopian colony in Tujunga based on the principles of the Utopianist cooperative farm movement, led by the social philosopher and communist organizer William Ellsworth Smythe. The movement had previously had success in establishing colonies in San Ysidro and Idaho. Due to the Utopianists' slogan "A Little Land and a Lot of Living," they became known as the "Little Landers." A community center built from local river rock, Bolton Hall (named after author Bolton Hall), was dedicated in August, 1913, and still stands as an historical monument and museum operated by the Little Landers Historical Society. The cooperative ended by 1920, and the city was annexed by the City of Los Angeles in 1932.
Poetry
Tujunga was home to John Steven McGroarty, California poet laureate (1933-44), playwright, and U.S. Congressman (Democrat, 11th District). He resided in his personally built home, known as Rancho Chupa Rosa. Built in 1923, the building is a Historic Cultural Monument (#63) of the City of Los Angeles and is now known as the McGroarty Arts Center.
In 2000, a poet laureate program was started for the area of Sunland-Tujunga. The poets laureate so far have been:
- Marlene Hitt (Innaugural)
- Katerina Canyon
- Joe Decenzo
- Ursula T. Gibson (Current)
Development
Tujunga's suburban development began in earnest in the 1950s with the construction of large numbers of modestly sized, affordable single-family detached homes. Its 1,500 foot elevation and geographic isolation from the San Fernando Valley and the Los Angeles Basin frees it from the air pollution that is a problem in many other parts of Greater Los Angeles. Because of this it attracted many asthmatics early on. Coronet magazine once called Tujunga "the most healthy place in the world." Some of the scenes of the film E.T. were shot in one area of Tujunga, making particularly effective the movie's focus on a suburban residential lifestyle in contrast to mountain scenery.
Tujunga is known for its abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities. A number of equestrian trails wind along the foothills of the San Gabriels and the Verdugo Mountains, and hiking in neighboring Big Tujunga and Little Tujunga canyons is quite popular.
Many employees from nearby JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) reside in Tujunga.
Education
Tujunga is within the Los Angeles Unified School District
Elementary schools that serve sections of Tujunga include:
- Mountain View Elementary School
- Pinewood Avenue Elementary School
- Plainview Avenue Elementary School
Residents are also zoned to:
- Mount Gleason Middle School
- Verdugo Hills High School
- Village Cristian School
- Our Lady of Lourdes School
Los Angeles Public Library operates the Sunland-Tujunga Branch.
References
- Pitt, Leonard and Dale (2000). Los Angeles A to Z: An Encyclopedia of the City and County. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
- Los Angeles Times, Real Estate section, Neighborly Advice column: "Hidden treasures rediscovered in Tujunga" (14 Sept 2003)
External links
- Community sites