Pacoima - Official SFV Neighborhood Bio

Call or Text Top 3% SFV Realtor® Julian Park, at 818-390-3265 You'll love my Instagram:   / getrealvalley   or @getrealvalley ---------- Pacoima in one sentence: It's a lot better than it used to be - and to be honest, prices are so high in the SFV that some buyers don't have a choice anyway. ---------- Script: Hey, I'm here at Pacoima at Ritchie Valens Park, named after the singer who came out with the hit song, "La Bamba." he actually went to Pacoima Middle School, which is down the street and where there's a mural of him. Let's go check Pacoima out, guys. The name Pacoima means the entrance in the indigenous Fernandino language. It was given a name by the waters which flowed from the mountains down through the area. Pacoima has a long, colorful, and controversial history. When the Southern Pacific railroad was built, Pacoima was chosen as a location for a large, impressive, brick passenger station. Soon, spacious houses were built around it. Eventually an aerospace company was started in Burbank which brought even more residents to Pacoima. Its geographic location on the edge of the Valley further invited more folks who just needed somewhere to live. In fact after a while, so many African Americans trying to escape rural poverty came here that by 1960, almost 100% of the Valley's African American population lived exclusively in Arleta and Pacoima. The low housing costs of the area then further invited immigrants from rural Mexico as well. So much so that by around 1975, they had mostly replaced the African American community. At that time, the crime really took to new levels. And a lot of the reputation that Pacoima gets is from that era. However, by the early 80s, crime was cut down to a fraction because the entire community would band together and watch their neighbors' properties. They would all fight together. It was an amazing phenomenon. But unfortunately Pacoima still holds that reputation to this day. In 2010, the median age was just under 30, and Pacoima was known to have some of the lowest priced housing in the Valley. A lot of the homes are much smaller, too, that's much more of a piece of its history. If you get into the Hansen Hills area of Pacoima, you're in one of the notably better areas. The views up there could be really beautiful. Overall, if you don't mind the area, then Pacoima is a solid place to get a house without breaking the bank. There are 13 schools total, but the most well-known one is, well, San Fernando High School. On Van Nuys Boulevard in Pacoima, you'll find the Pacoima Library, and also the Mural Mile, which is a manifestation of the community pride that Pacoima developed. Within a three mile radius surrounding Pacoima Hall, there are more than 50 murals. Not surprisingly, Ritchie Valens is on one called La Bamba. The Danny Trejo mural is a shout out to it's native, and Frida Kahlo is also an important figure. The Mona Lisa one is the most awesome one in my opinion. Pacoima takes pride in being cultural. It's hard to find this in other parts of the Valley. The Pacoima Community Garden shows that its residents do truly care about the hometown. A trip to Pacoima isn't complete without a visit to Lenchitas, which is my favorite spot. It's one of those places that takes only cash and the tortillas are handmade. Mike's Cafe is also a really important brunch spot to go to when you're there. I love their pancakes. Queens Burgers, Antonio's Tacos and Kabob are also places that I enjoy going. As you approached some of these murals, you will also be in walking distance to Costco, Lowe's, and Best Buy. This plaza basically guarantees you don't ever to leave. There's even an airport here which I always thought it was pretty random. If after all this, you still want to do something, well, hey, Pacoima, like I said earlier, is on the very edge of the Valley, and we have the Hansen Dam. If you want to go golfing, swimming, or go for a jog, watch some fireworks, well, this is the place. Call me, Julian Park. Let's get some tacos and go look at some homes. --------- Julian Park Citiwide Realty Group 15515 San Fernando Mission Blvd, Ste A-2, Mission Hills, CA 91345 CAL DRE: 02018567 --------- In partnership with My Valley Pass - The San Fernando Valley's #1 Visitors Guide myvalleypass.com