About the Conejo Valley
History
Thousand Oaks, CA — During the 1920s, local residents could chat, pick up library books, gas up their cars, and buy groceries at the Newbury Park Post Office and Conejo Grocery.
The Chumash Native Americans dwelled in the Conejo Valley hundreds of years ago. The Spanish explorer, Cabrillo, arrived in 1542, claiming the land for the Spanish King. In the early 1800s land grants were given to loyal soldiers by the Spanish governor and throughout the 19th century pioneers migrated to the area with the first post office being established in 1875. The Conejo Valley was merely a stop on the stagecoach route between Los Angeles and San Francisco until the invention of the motorcar meant the construction of a highway between the two major cities. The Janss Family purchased 10,000 acres in the early 1900s and began planning a ‘total community’. Chicken ranches, dairy farms and apricot orchards evolved, and Louis Goebel created a tourist attraction called Jungleland with his performing jungle animals. (Some scenes for “Tarzan” and “The Adventures of Robin Hood” were filmed here). On September 29, 1964, the City of Thousand Oaks was officially named - selected because of the abundance of majestic oak trees, which are still carefully preserved and monitored today.
Present-Day
Halfway between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, the City of Thousand Oaks, with more than 120,000 people, boasts over 14,000 acres of natural public open space, including the Western Plateau (shown here) with over 75 miles of hiking trails and 50,000 native oak trees ringing in the City. Photo by F. Frields.
At about 900 feet above sea level, the Conejo Valley is nestled against the Santa Monica Mountains and are surrounded by miles of natural, publicly owned, open space. It encompasses the areas and cities of Oak Park, Agoura Hills, Agoura, Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park. Ventura and Los Angeles Counties have their borders in Westlake Village and Agoura. Just east is Calabasas, west is Camarillo, and to the north lie Moorpark and Simi Valley. We are blessed with great public school districts - Las Virgenes Unified, Oak Park Unified, and Conejo Valley Unified. Parks, shopping centers, hiking trails, and bike paths are in abundance. Within 20 minutes you can be surfing and playing at the beach, or skiing/snowboarding at the local mountains, (from 2 hours to 5 hours away, depending on which you choose.) LAX airport is about an hour or so drive, while Burbank airport is approximately 40 minutes away. If you are looking for entertainment in L.A., within 45 minutes to an hour you will be at Staples Center, various Theatres and Museums, Universal Studios, Beverly Hills or Santa Monica. Lunch at the marina by the Oxnard or Ventura Channel Islands. Just 30 minutes north. A day at the zoo, pier, Mission, beach and shopping in Santa Barbara. Head up the 101 for 50 minutes. Just a little further and you can be wine tasting!
Certainly, if you don't want to drive anywhere at all, we have plenty to entertain right here! Theaters include the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza and the Conejo Valley Players Theatre. Lively restaurants, bookstores and shopping can be found at The Promenade or at The Lakes. Japanese, Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Thai, Greek, French and 'California' cuisine can be found all over the valley with at least 20 restaurants offering live music and entertainment.
For the kids, Wow! Where to begin? Dance, Karate, Swimming, Surfing, Soccer, Baseball, Softball, Basketball, Tennis, Golf, Hockey, Art, Drama, Cooking... and much more — offered by the Conejo Valley Park and Recreation District and many private organizations. Furthermore, there are Summer Day Camps for just about everything. For the grown-ups: Gyms - 24 Hour Fitness, Gold's, Spectrum Club, and Equinox to name just a few of the larger ones, with many private training gyms. Or if you are an outdoors lover, just throw on the running shoes or jump on your bike and go anywhere from your own front door! One of our favorite spots is the Westlake Lake - just over 4 miles to run or walk around... end up at Starbucks for your reward! Country Clubs include Lake Lindero Country Club, Westlake Athletic Club, Sunset Hills Country Club, North Ranch Country Club and Lake Sherwood Country Club. There are also two public golf courses. What a great life!
"Top 10 safest places to live in the US" -FBI
"10 Great Cities to Raise Your Kids" -Kiplinger
