Burbank: Neighborhood Profile

Location

Bordered By

• Glendale and the Verdugo Mountains in the East
• Toluca Lake in the West
• La Tuna Canyon and Shadow Hills in the North
• Griffith Park in the South

Burbank: A Brief History

Burbank was originally part of two land grants: the Rancho San Rafael grant (1798) and the Rancho La Providencia grant (1821). Its name comes from Dr. David Burbank, a New Hampshire dentist who bought parcels of both ranches in 1867. He ultimately sold off portions of his land to the Southern Pacific Railroad and Providencia Land, Water and Development Company. In 1887, Burbank offered its first lots for public sale. The City of Burbank was incorporated in 1911.

Burbank figured prominently in the aviation industry. Lockheed Aircraft Company set up a production plant there in the mid-‘20s. The largest commercial airport in the Los Angeles area (at the time), Burbank’s United Airport (today called the Bob Hope Airport) was dedicated in 1930. By World War II, Lockheed had close to 94,000 employees producing its planes in the tens of thousands. The aviation industry also helped to increase Burbank’s population during war-time to over 50,000.

Burbank’s renown is nevertheless largely tied to the film and TV industry. The former industry set up shop in the area in the ‘20s via First National Pictures’ Olive Avenue studio. Warner Brothers, Columbia Pictures and Walt Disney Studios were all mid-era pioneers with locations in place by 1940. Burbank later became home to NBC as well, in 1952. By the ‘60s and ‘70s Burbank was a Mecca for film and especially television. The Tonight Show’s Ed McMahon and Laugh-In’s Dan Rowan and Dick Martin often delivered lines referring to “beautiful Downtown Burbank.”

Some facts pulled from: Burbank.com

Burbank Today

Burbank is, in some ways, one of the last stands of old LA. Despite all of the changes in areas like Hollywood and Downtown, Burbank can still be counted on as a hub for comfortable old diners, hole-in-the-wall cocktail spots and eateries such as the famous Bob’s Big Boy (there since 1949) which was named a California Point of Historical Interest for its Googie style architecture. These days it is known to attract classic car aficionados who congregate there on weekends to talk carburetors and eat burgers

Of course the Valley quarter is a stone’s throw away from the NoHo Arts District, a one-square mile community that has attracted creative Bohemian types in recent years but in some ways Burbank remains a tried and true corner of LA, rife with Old World Hollywood Western style charms.

Laid-back spots like Pickwick Gardens bowling alley and Frank's Coffee shop are quintessentially Burbank, evoking a Big Lebowski sensibility. The locations from said film did not include Burbank (as far as we know), but the San Fernando Valley entertainment hub has certainly been featured in many others.

Transportation in Burbank

• Bob Hope Airport
• Bob Hope Airport Train Station
• Chandler Bikeway
• Downtown Burbank Metrolink
• Got Wheels!
• Noho, Empire and Metrolink Bus Lines
• Senior and Disabled Transit

Burbank Restaurants and Bars

• Bob’s Big Boy Restaurant
• Dimples (karaoke)
• Frank’s Coffee Shop and Restaurant
• Joe’s Great American Bar & Grill
• Los Chavos Tacos
• McCormick & Schmick’s
• Poquito Mas
• The Olive Garden
• Porto’s Bakery
• Studio Cafe

Films Shot in Burbank

• Apollo 13
• Back to the Future
• Bonnie & Clyde
• Casablanca
• Catch Me If You Can
• Catwoman
• Ed Wood
• Grease
• High Noon
• The Lost Boys
• The Maltese Falcon
• Million Dollar baby
• Minority Report
• Ocean’s Eleven
• The Perfect Storm

  Based on list compiled by Top Ten Reviews

  Community Businesses and Organizations

  • Burbank Aviation Museum
  • Burbank Chorale
  • Burbank Philharmonic Orchestra
  • George Westmore Library and Museum
  • Gordon R. Howard Museum
  • Lakeside Golf Club
  • Media City Ballet
  • Police and Fire Museum
  • The Victory Theatre
  • Warner Brothers Museum
  • Warner Brothers Studios

  Schools in the Burbank Area

  • Bret Harte Elementary
  • Burbank Adult School
  • Burbank High School
  • Community Day School
  • David Starr Jordan Middle School
  • George Washington Elementary
  • Joaquin Miller Elementary
  • John Burroughs High School
  • John Muir Middle School
  • Luther Burbank Middle School
  • Magnolia Park School
  • Monterey High School
  • Providencia Elementary
  • Ralph Emerson Elementary
  • R.L. Stevenson Elementary
  • Theodore Roosevelt Elementary
  • Thomas Jefferson Elementary
  • Walt Disney Elementary
  • William McKinley Elementary

  Real Estate Facts

  • Population: 104,114
  • Overall school district performance: 778 (below statewide target of 800)
  • 77% of other LA area houses are less expensive
  • House prices: $361 per square foot
  • Condo prices: $274 per square foot
  • 53% of other LA area condos are less expensive
  • Crime index (measures violent crime reported - lower number is better): 6, approximately 67% lower than the LA County average

  Facts pulled from: LA Life: Burbank