Newbury Park, California

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
Newbury Park
Populated place
Newbury-Park-California-Sign.png
Newbury Park is located in California
Newbury Park
Newbury Park
Location in California
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country  United States of America
State  California
County Ventura
Area
 • Total 18.24 sq mi (47.2 km2)
 • Land 18.24 sq mi (47.2 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Highest elevation 900 ft (300 m)
Lowest elevation 500 ft (200 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 37,775[1]
 • Density 1,772/sq mi (684/km2)
ZIP Code 91320
Area code(s) 805
GNIS feature IDs 2585446[2]

Newbury Park is a community located mostly within the western portion of the city of Thousand Oaks in Ventura County, California. The census-designated place (CDP) of Casa Conejo is also part of Newbury Park and is an enclave within Thousand Oaks. Lying within the Conejo Valley in the northwestern part of the Greater Los Angeles Area, Newbury Park abuts the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The town is located approximately 35 miles (56 km) from Downtown Los Angeles and is less than 7 mi (11 km) from the Los Angeles County border in Westlake Village. The closest coastal city is Malibu, 22 mi (35 km) from Newbury Park, which may be reached through winding roads or hiking trails crossing the Santa Monica Mountains.

The ZIP code is 91320, and the community is inside area code 805. About 28,000 of Thousand Oaks' 110,000 residents reside in Newbury Park.[3]

Newbury Park along with Thousand Oaks proper have numerous times ranked among the safest and also wealthiest communities in the United States.[4][5] Money Magazine has ranked Newbury Park as one of the most affluent cities in the United States. It has the 11th highest per-capita income and the fourth-highest median household income in the country.[6] As of 2013, the median household income in Newbury Park is $107,302, compared to $60,190 for California as a whole and $53,046 nationwide.[7][8]

History

The Satwiwa Native-American Culture Center in Rancho Sierra Vista is a current Chumash habitation site.[9] It is situated at the foothills of Boney Mountain, which is sacred to the Chumash.[10]

The area was inhabited by the Chumash beginning about 7,000 years ago. Newbury Park contains many ancient burial sites, most near the Santa Monica Mountains in the Southern portion of the community. Many artifacts have been discovered in the area.

Newbury Park is named after Egbert Starr Newbury, who owned thousands of acres of land in the Conejo Valley and who was the first postmaster in the 1870s.[11][12] John Edwards,[13] Howard Mills,[14] and Newbury[15] bought Rancho El Conejo land. Newbury and his wife Fannie moved to California from Michigan for health reasons in 1871 and he became the first postmaster in the Conejo Valley in 1875. The post office was near their house which was located at the current location of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. The historic Stagecoach Inn was used by travelers between Los Angeles in the south and Santa Barbara to the north as a stagecoach station.

Together with Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park was part of a master planned community by the Janss Investment Company. Most of Newbury Park, along with the parts of Westlake Village located in Ventura County, became part of the City of Thousand Oaks sometime between the 1960s and 1970s. The annexed area was formerly controlled by Ventura County, but after a community vote, all but Casa Conejo became part of Thousand Oaks.

File:Madworldposter.jpg
The airport terminal scenes in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) were filmed at the Rancho Conejo Airport.[16]

Because of its relatively close proximity to the studios in Hollywood, numerous TV shows and movies were filmed here, including for example Flaming Frontier (1926), Wild Horse (1931), Clearing the Range (1931), Wuthering Heights (1939), Lassie Come Home (1943), The Horse Soldiers (1959), and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963).[17] More recent movies filmed here includes Bedtime Stories (2008), Gamers: The Movie (2006), Road to the Open (2014), The Diner (2014), and The Double Born (2008).[18] Various western-style movies were filmed in Wildwood Regional Park, which borders Newbury Park to the north. Some of the movies and TV-series filmed here include Bonanza, Dodge City, Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, Flaming Star, The Big Valley and Wagon Train, as well as films such as Spartacus, Gunsight Ridge, The Grapes of Wrath, and Duel in the Sun.[19]

Newbury Park has had an increasing population due to the presence of biotechnology firms and technology corporations of the area, such as Amgen (world headquarters) and Baxter, as well as numerous other tech businesses.

Housing

New home construction in the Rancho Conejo Village community, along Wildwood Canyon.

The community contains two major new residential areas, Rancho Conejo Village (built on the site of the former Rancho Conejo Airport, where portions of the film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World were filmed[20]) and Dos Vientos Ranch. The first planned community in Newbury Park was Casa Conejo, located in a roughly square-shaped unincorporated area. It is the only remaining part of Newbury Park not governed by the City of Thousand Oaks.

Real estate prices in Newbury Park increased over 250% during the 1995–2005 ten-year period.[citation needed] Typical single-family house prices in the area and surrounding communities range from around $500,000 to $2.2 million in parts of the valley. Starting in 2006, real estate prices started to drop due to the credit crunch affecting mortgage financing, and also reflecting the exuberant and irrational price run-up in the prior decade. As an example, a newer 2,380 sq ft (221 m2) house in the gated Rancho Conejo Village community that sold for $880,000 in the summer of 2005 at the peak of the housing boom, would have fetched no more than $790,000 in the summer of 2007, about $700,000 in mid-March 2008, $685,000 in January 2010, and about $665,000 in October 2010.[citation needed]

Economy

Amgen is headquartered in Newbury Park and is the world's largest biotechnology firm.

Most of the community is part of the City of Thousand Oaks, whose economy is based on a small range of businesses, with biotechnology, electronics, automotive, aerospace, telecommunications, healthcare, and financing occupying most of Thousand Oaks' employment sector. The global headquarters of biotechnology firm Amgen and DesignworksUSA, the industrial design and styling department of BMW, are located in the community, as are offices for Anthem Blue Cross, Sage Publications, and Skyworks Solutions.

Demographics

According to the U.S. Census 2010, 76.81% of the population identify as Caucasian-American, 10.72% Asian-American, 1.88% African-American, 0.09% Native-American, and 6.78% claim 'other'. 19.18% of the people in Newbury Park claim Hispanic ethnicity or heritage. The most recent figures indicate that only the community of Newbury Park, not including Thousand Oaks, has a median household income of $83,615.[21] For Thousand Oaks as a whole, as of 2005, according to the US Census Bureau, the median household income was $108,120, while median family income was $110,885.[22] According to Money Magazine, median family income as of 2006 was up to $119,207,[23] which is substantially higher than both the California median income and U.S. median household income of $64,585.[8]

Geography

View of Newbury Park and the Santa Monica Mountains in the far-back. Taken from Wildwood Regional Park.

Newbury Park can be described as a town,[24] neighborhood,[25] community,[26] or section[3] mostly within the Thousand Oaks city limits in addition to rural areas west of Thousand Oaks, including Casa Conejo. It is situated in the southeastern corner of Ventura County, between the Santa Monica Mountains to the south, and protected nature areas as Wildwood Regional Park to the north. The town is adjacent to Thousand Oaks proper in the east, and nearly adjacent to the city of Camarillo to the west. It is the westernmost community in the Greater Thousand Oaks Area,[dubious – discuss] and is located in the Conejo Valley. The recreational areas accessible from U.S. Highway 101 include the Los Padres and Angeles National Forests. Being located less than six miles from the Los Angeles County line, Newbury Park is in the northwestern part of the Greater Los Angeles Area. Newbury Park is both a benefactor and a victim of the modern-day freeway development. It is a planned community, which originally solely functioned as a commuter bedroom community. In recent times, however, Newbury Park has attracted numerous high-tech industries, keeping many of its former commuters home.[27]

Newbury Park sprawls across three freeway exits on U.S. Route 101 (Ventura Freeway). For a more scenic drive, it can also be reached by crossing through the Santa Monica Mountains from the coast. The main road through the Hidden Valley turns eventually into Potrero Road, ultimately leading to Newbury Park. There are numerous trailheads in town, for instance one leading through the Santa Monica Mountains and all the way to the coast. There are also trailheads to Wildwood Regional Park, where one can easily hike to both Moorpark and Thousand Oaks.

Panoramic view of Hidden Valley as seen from Newbury Park

Climate

While the Conejo Valley is generally cooler than the San Fernando and Simi Valleys, the temperature remains temperate year-long in Newbury Park. The region has a mild, year-round Mediterranean climate or Dry-Summer Subtropical zone climate, with warm, sunny, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. Vegetation is typical of Mediterranean environments, with chaparral and grasses on the hillsides and numerous western valley oaks. Its elevation ranges from about 500 to 900 feet (150 to 270 m) (excluding hills). The area has slightly cooler temperatures than the surrounding areas, as it receives cooler air from the ocean through various hill and mountain passes.

Climate data for Newbury Park, California
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 92
(33)		 92
(33)		 96
(36)		 105
(41)		 102
(39)		 106
(41)		 105
(41)		 105
(41)		 109
(43)		 108
(42)		 99
(37)		 99
(37)		 109
(43)
Average high °F (°C) 68
(20)		 69
(21)		 70
(21)		 74
(23)		 74
(23)		 78
(26)		 81
(26)		 82
(28)		 81
(27)		 78
(26)		 73
(23)		 69
(21)		 74.75
(23.83)
Average low °F (°C) 41
(5)		 42
(6)		 43
(6)		 46
(8)		 49
(9)		 53
(12)		 56
(13)		 57
(14)		 55
(13)		 50
(10)		 44
(7)		 41
(5)		 48.08
(9)
Record low °F (°C) 25
(−4)		 26
(−3)		 25
(−4)		 30
(−1)		 35
(2)		 37
(3)		 42
(6)		 40
(4)		 40
(4)		 32
(0)		 28
(−2)		 25
(−4)		 25
(−4)
Average precipitation inches (cm) 4.18
(10.62)		 4.65
(11.81)		 3.57
(9.07)		 0.80
(2.03)		 0.30
(0.76)		 0.05
(0.13)		 0.01
(0.03)		 0.08
(0.2)		 0.32
(0.81)		 0.52
(1.32)		 1.45
(3.68)		 2.48
(6.3)		 18.41
(46.76)
Source: weather.com[28]

On March 10 and 11 of 2006, snow fell on the peak of Boney Mountain, the first snow to fall in the area in about 10 years.

Education

Newbury Park High School

Newbury Park High School has over 2,600 students and a newly refurbished multi-sport stadium. Intermediate schools include Sequoia Middle School and the recently constructed Sycamore Canyon School in Dos Vientos Ranch. All are part of the Conejo Valley Unified School District

Timber School, now known as Conejo Valley High School, is the first of the existing schools, having been built in 1924 to replace the first one-room schoolhouse that was built in 1889. Recent additions to the school were made in the late 1940s and 1950s. Newbury Park Adventist Academy is the second of the existing schools in Newbury Park, founded in 1947.

Recreation

Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa cuts through the Santa Monica Mountains and connects Newbury Park to Point Mugu, Pacific Palisades and Malibu.

Newbury Park borders the Boney Mountains State Wilderness Area and the Santa Monica Mountains to the south, the Los Robles Open Space Area to the east, and the Arroyo Conejo Open Space Area and Wildwood Regional Park to the north. In addition to the aforementioned nature areas, the Potrero Open Space is located entirely within the town, while the Hope Nature Reserve is partly in Eastern Newbury Park. There are numerous hiking trails nearby, including the Rancho Potrero Open Space Area which connects to trails leading to the Pacific Ocean through the Rancho Sierra Vista Park, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and Point Mugu State Park.[29] Rancho Sierra Vista is a National Recreation Area in Newbury Park’s southern edge and is administrated by the U.S. National Park Service.[30] With more than a hundred miles of trails in the Santa Monica Mountains, the Rancho Sierra Vista in southern Newbury Park is a popular nature area for hiking, mountain biking, camping, horseback-riding, and other recreational activities.[31] While the Backbone Trail leads to Will Rogers State Beach in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, Sandstone Peak is the highest mountain in the Santa Monica Mountains and another popular hiking destination. The peak provides views of the Pacific Ocean, Malibu, Santa Monica, Conejo Valley, and numerous Channel Islands. The Conejo Mountain Edison Road Trail, commonly known as the Powerline Trail, is located in the Dos Vientos Open Space Area and provides panoramic views of the cities of Camarillo and Oxnard.

On the northern end is Wildwood Regional Park, which offers fourteen trails covering more than 17 miles (27 km).[32] Wildwood is recognized as a natural attraction and a contributing factor to Ventura County being ranked the most desirable U.S. county to live in by the Washington Post in 2015.[33] The regional park comprises 1,732 acres (7.01 km2) and borders 1,397 acres (5.65 km2) of open space.[34] It is accessible from northern Newbury Park and is located within the Thousand Oaks city limits. While Wildwood provides trails to the cities of Thousand Oaks and Moorpark, the Los Robles Trail is a 25-mile (40 km) contiguous route to Westlake Village.[35] Point Mugu is accessible through the Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa in the Santa Monica Mountains to the south. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area comprises more than 63,000 acres (250 km2) of natural open-space area, where approximately 928 acres are located within the town’s southern edge.[34]

Mt. Boney in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, from a Newbury Park trailhead

List of public-owned open-space areas and parks in Newbury Park:[34][36]

<templatestyles src="Div col/styles.css"/>

From the top of Knoll Hill, Mt. Boney, US 101, and Newbury Park High School can be seen
From the top of Knoll Hill, Mt. Boney, US 101, and Newbury Park High School can be seen

Wildlife

Adjacent to Mountain lion habitat in the Santa Monica Mountains to the south and Wildwood Regional Park to the north, lions are relatively frequently observed in Newbury Park.[37][38][39][40][41]

Being surrounded by open-space wilderness areas and wildlife corridors to both the south and north, the town is home to an abundance of wildlife. Compared to neighboring City of Thousand Oaks, which consists of nearly 50% developed area, Newbury Park remains a significantly more rural community than its counterpart to the east.[42] Approximately 928 of the 63,000 acres compromising the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is located within Newbury Park.[43] It is recognized as the largest urban national park in the United States and is a California wildlife preserve.[44] Rancho Sierra Vista in southern Newbury Park is one of the primary park units and functions as a crucial Southern California wildlife-corridor.[45] Wildlife in the southern edge of town is therefore incredibly abundant, and includes animals such as deer, prairie wolves, rabbits, falcons, bobcats, foxes, hawks, and more.[46] The National Park Service estimates a population of 10-15 Mountain lions inhabiting the Santa Monica Mountains as of 2015,[47] in addition to mountain lions living permanently in Wildwood Regional Park which borders the town to the north.[48][49] As a result of bordering numerous wilderness areas, there are few dangers presented for the mountain lion, which is consequentially not a threatened species in the area.[50] Because of their large habitat and few dangers, lions are relatively often creating a hazard in suburban areas of Newbury Park.[37][51][52] The mountain lion is not the only mammal threatening both inhabitants and their pets,[53] but outdoor dogs and cats are often prey for an increasing number of coyotes.[54] An increasing number of snake species in suburban areas have also recently been recorded and poses a threat to people and pets as well.[55] Other animals posing potential danger includes venomous spiders[50] and scorpions.[56]

Tarantulas, scorpions and the potentially lethal Black Widow Spider all make their habitat in Wildwood Regional Park.[57]

Mammals more frequently encountered than the Mountain lion include the Valley coyote, Bobcat, Mule deer, Gray fox, Desert cottontail, Virginia opossum, California raccoon, Long-tailed weasel, American badger and the Striped skunk. Other species of mammals include the Ring-tailed cat, Spotted skunk, Botta's pocket gopher, Brush rabbit, Broad-footed mole, California vole, Ornate shrew, and three species of squirrel: the California ground squirrel, Western gray squirrel, and Fox squirrel. Mice and rats include the California pocket mouse, House mouse, Western harvest mouse, Deer Mouse, Agile kangaroo rat, Pack rat, Dusky-footed woodrat, and the Brown- and Black rat. There are eleven recorded species of bats.[42] Amphibians include the Blackbelly salamander, Ensatina, Western skink, and numerous toad- and frog species: California toad, American bullfrog, California treefrog and Pacific treefrog. The Western pond turtle is an endemic species to the Arroyo Conejo and other creeks. Newbury Park is home to an abundance of reptiles, including lizards such as the Western fence lizard, Coast horned lizard, Common side-blotched lizard, Southern alligator lizard, Teiidae and the California legless lizard. There are eleven species of snake recorded in the Greater Thousand Oaks Area: Southern Pacific rattlesnake, Ring-necked snake, Western yellowbelly racer, California whipsnake, Coachwhip, Gopher snake, California kingsnake, Two-striped garter snake, Western Black-headed Snake, Lyre snake, and Night snake. Thousand Oaks proper is home to 171 recorded species of birds, including seventeen raptors such as the Barn owl, Cooper’s hawk, American kestrel, Prairie falcon, Red-shouldered hawk, Golden eagle, Great horned owl, White-tailed kite, California vulture, Northern harrier, Sharp-shinned hawk, Ferruginous hawk, Merlin and Screech owl. Commonly encountered bird species include the House sparrow, House finch, Brewer's blackbird, Common raven, California towhee, Acorn woodpecker, California quail, and the Red-tailed hawk.[42]

Notable residents

Belinda Carlisle attended Newbury Park High School[58]

The community is home to celebrities. Examples include swing bandleader and clarinet player Artie Shaw lived in Newbury Park from 1978 until his death in 2004. Comic book author Jack Kirby lived in Newbury Park for at least his last two decades. The first quadruplets in Orange County live in Newbury Park, as does Carah Faye Charnow of the band Shiny Toy Guns. The band The Neighbourhood, M. Ward of She & Him, and Belinda Carlisle all grew up in Newbury Park.

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Newbury Park
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Newbury-Park-Newbury-Park-CA.html
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ http://www.callutheran.edu/news/story.html?id=10063#story
  17. ↑ http://www.stagecoachmuseum.org/people_links/movie_locations.htm
  18. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/search/text?realm=title&field=locations&q=Newbury%20Park%20California
  19. ↑ Schad, Jerry (2009). Los Angeles County: A Comprehensive Hiking Guide. Wilderness Press. Pages 35-36. ISBN 9780899976396.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Real Estate Communications, Inc. (1984). California Real Estate Directory. Page 201.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Strong, Kathy (2011). Southern California Off the Beaten Path: A Guide to Unique Places. Rowman & Littlefield. Page 42. ISBN 9780762774784.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 http://abc7.com/pets/mountain-lion-spotted-in-newbury-park-backyard/445228/
  38. ↑ http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-lion-captured-rereleased-in-ventura-county-20141220-story.html
  39. ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2882627/Mountain-lion-captured-tranquilized-seeks-new-territory-mobile-home-community-California.html
  40. ↑ http://www.scpr.org/news/2014/12/21/48810/mountain-lion-removed-from-ventura-county-mobile-h/
  41. ↑ http://www.toacorn.com/news/2014-12-18/Front_Page/Mountain_lion_captured_unharmed_in_Newbury_Park.html
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 http://www.toaks.org/government/depts/community/planning/general/conservation.asp
  43. ↑ http://www.conejo-openspace.org/open_space_areas_in_TO.htm#Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
  44. ↑ Brubaker, Jill (1991). Wildlife California. Chronicle Junior Nature Series. Page 3. ISBN 9780877018865.
  45. ↑ Butcher, Russel D. (1999). Guide to National Parks: Pacific Region. Globe Pequot. Page 91. ISBN 9780762705733.
  46. ↑ Riedel, Monique Del (2009). Best Easy Day Hikes Ventura. Falcon Guides. Page 49. ISBN 9780762751211.
  47. ↑ http://www.theacorn.com/news/2015-01-08/Front_Page/Livestock_killed_in_local_mountain_lion_attack.html
  48. ↑ Maxwell, Thomas J. (2000). Hiking In Wildwood Regional Park: Natural History, Folklore, and Trail Guide. California Lutheran University (CLU). Page 138.
  49. ↑ http://www.toacorn.com/news/2006-04-13/Community/025.html
  50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 Riedel, Allen (2011). Best Easy Day Hikes Conejo Valley. Falcon Guides. Page 3. ISBN 9780762752928.
  51. ↑ http://www.toacorn.com/news/2014-12-25/Front_Page/BIG_CAT_CAUSES_BIG_FUSS.html
  52. ↑ http://www.toacorn.com/news/2012-10-25/Front_Page/Hikers_find_dead_mountain_lion_in_hills_outside_of.html
  53. ↑ http://www.toaks.org/government/depts/community/planning/open/mountain_lion.asp
  54. ↑ http://www.toacorn.com/news/2010-06-10/Community/Newbury_Park_residents_trying_to_control_coyotes.html
  55. ↑ http://www.vcstar.com/news/local-news/county-news/snake-sightings-reported-across-the-county_76629629
  56. ↑ Bachleda , F. Lynne (2002). Dangerous Wildlife in California & Nevada: A Guide to Safe Encounters At Home and in the Wild. Menasha Ridge Press. Pages 118-123. ISBN 9780897325363.
  57. ↑ Maxwell, Thomas J. (2000). Hiking In Wildwood Regional Park: Natural History, Folklore, and Trail Guide. California Lutheran University (CLU). Pages 153-154.
  58. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

  • Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons
Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Newbury_Park,_California&oldid=2827288"