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February 24, 2010· scvtalk.com · WordPress (SCVTalk 3.0) · Wayback capture

Welcome to “Awesometown”

By NickelDime — John B.


Just as the Mayor Dude site went 404, another baddical website associated with our valley has surfaced.

Valencia.com, the current flagship community website for Newhall Land, has rebranded into “Awesometown.”  The refreshed web presence has more extensive social media capabilities than the last site, which was steeped in flash animation and a narrator that said “welcome” a lot.

If “Awesometown” sounds familiar, you may remember a Fox pilot from 2005 with the same name:

Incidentally, the comedy troupe at the heart of that one-hit wonder is responsible for the excellent SNL digital shorts.

Perhaps the SCVTalk community can come up with additional dude-ified names for the other SCV communities.  Here’s a list of terms if you need some inspiration.

In the mean time, I’d like to propose ”Gag-me-with-a-spoon-town” for Westridge.

Comments (36)

  1. JackieFebruary 24, 2010 at 3:14 pm
    Then I guess our site should be SCV MILFS Blog!
  2. cashFebruary 24, 2010 at 4:11 pm
    Five point communities aka Newhall Land. Got to keep that brand.
  3. GangFangFebruary 24, 2010 at 4:25 pm
    There has to be someone in that office that would tell management how insanely dorky that is. E-gads.
  4. cashFebruary 24, 2010 at 5:01 pm
    It is pathetic, all white people.
  5. AndyFebruary 24, 2010 at 5:03 pm
    I’m loving this new website in an “I’m glad Newhall Land made this hokey website because it’s funny” kind of way. I’m glad I took screenshots of the old Valencia website before they switched over. Plenty of comedy on that one too.
  6. cashFebruary 24, 2010 at 5:29 pm
    You sound like the webmaster.
  7. KellyFebruary 24, 2010 at 6:26 pm
    Like let’s Totally Live Here!
  8. Vince HansFebruary 24, 2010 at 8:30 pm
    hahaha – all White people in the video – i like how right when the girl with the baby says “diversity” the camera instantly zooms in on the White baby! If I didn’t know better, I would think it was an SNL short!! Funniest thing i’ve seen all day!!!
  9. AndyFebruary 24, 2010 at 8:39 pm
    What is this Five Point Communities nonsense?
  10. AndyFebruary 24, 2010 at 8:51 pm
    Thanks NickelDime. I wasn’t aware of its existence. Good to know.
  11. RonFebruary 24, 2010 at 9:22 pm
    For West Ranch: “Where-the-hell-is-that-ville?”
  12. cashFebruary 24, 2010 at 9:22 pm
    Nonsense! Five Point is Newhall Land, Andy! The company created post Newhall Land BK. It’s all about the Brand Andy!
  13. AndyFebruary 24, 2010 at 9:24 pm
    Wait, so is Five Point like the new LandSource? Newhall Land didn’t go bankrupt, LandSource did. cash you’re confusing me.
  14. cashFebruary 24, 2010 at 9:45 pm
    Newhall land AKA LandSource went BK. The company came out of BK as Five Point communities. The Newhall Land brand was retained. In addition to the properties ND mentioned, five points owns the TPC golf course and Valencia water company.
  15. CastaicClayFebruary 25, 2010 at 7:48 am
    “Casteezy”
  16. cashFebruary 25, 2010 at 9:44 am
    ND, I understand the partnership. Lennar owns about 16% of five points. The company 5point/Newhall Land also owns land in northern california. Newhall Land aka Newhall land development, is sort of a company in name only. The Brand is important in these parts. The once mighty NHLF is no more. Kind of like TMS.
  17. OlenkaFebruary 25, 2010 at 10:02 am
    I came across this website a week ago or so and I sent it to all my friends. We had a good laugh. “Awesometown.” Really? I mean, really? It’s embarrassing.
  18. OlenkaFebruary 25, 2010 at 10:07 am
    Oh and I love how they have a “Guided Tours” section coming soon! Can’t wait!
  19. cashFebruary 25, 2010 at 10:28 am
    ND, sorry but I do not think your facts are complete. Newhall land is no longer the independent entity it once was. In fact, the name is now Newhall Land Development. That is my point. We can argue over the percentage of ownership and holdings, but what is the point?
  20. cashFebruary 25, 2010 at 10:31 am
    I mean, really? It’s embarrassing. I can agree with this statement. The targeted audiance must be very young! Too young to buy a home!
  21. cashFebruary 25, 2010 at 10:39 am
    LOS ANGELES (BUSINESS WIRE) — LandSource Communities Development LLC has emerged from Chapter 11 reorganization as Newhall Land Development LLC. The new company is financially strong with more than $90 million of cash and no debt on its beginning balance sheet. Newhall Land will have the additional resources and financial flexibility necessary to focus on planning and developing the remainder of the existing community of Valencia and the future Newhall Ranch. The company consists primarily of the Newhall Land and Farming Company in Los Angeles County, the Newhall Orchard, Valencia Water Company, and the TPC Valencia Golf Club. Newhall Land is backed by strong ownership that consists of a group of investment funds led by Anchorage Advisors LLC, Third Avenue Management LLC, funds affiliated with Och-Ziff Capital Management Group, LLC, funds affiliated with Marathon Asset Management, LP and TPG Credit Management, L.P., along with Lennar Corp. Newhall Land will be managed by Emile Haddad, the CEO of Five Point Communities Management, Inc., a newly formed management company jointly owned by Mr. Haddad and Lennar. Mr. Haddad resigned as Lennar’s Chief Investment Officer to assume his new duties at Five Point and will be joined by more than 20 former Lennar executives. Five Point will augment Newhall’s existing strong management team, which has more than 150 years of combined real estate and land development experience. “I know that all of the new equity owners of Newhall share our excitement about this investment opportunity,” said Michael Winer of Third Avenue Management LLC. “We look forward to partnering with Five Point and Newhall Management as they embark on developing Newhall Ranch.” Mr. Haddad said: “Today marks an important day in Newhall Land’s future. We are extremely pleased that we were able to complete our reorganization with the full support of our creditors and emerge as a stronger company. Newhall now has an unleveraged balance sheet, sufficient cash to fund operations going forward and is well positioned to navigate this unprecedented market. “Newhall Land is proud of its 100-year tradition of land stewardship and its community of Valencia, a world-class master plan development with more than 20,000 homes built and 60,000 current jobs,” Mr. Haddad said. “Tomorrow we will roll up our sleeves and focus full attention on bringing final neighborhoods and 40,000 additional new jobs to Valencia and perfecting Newhall Ranch entitlements,” Mr. Haddad said. “Newhall Ranch, when completed, will be a hallmark for planned communities providing North Los Angeles County with an additional 20,000 homes and almost 20,000 jobs. Together Valencia and Newhall Ranch will have an employment base of approximately 120,000 permanent jobs,” Mr. Haddad said. About Newhall Land Development LLC Newhall Land Development LLC’s primary investment is The Newhall Land and Farming Company which owns 15,000 acres of land in the rapidly growing Santa Clarita Valley, approximately 30 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. Newhall owns some of the last remaining large, undeveloped land in the greater Los Angeles area. It also owns 700 acres of commercial land and other property in the Santa Clarita Valley.
  22. cashFebruary 25, 2010 at 10:50 am
    I stand by the facts. You can have your own fact if you like, but it is pretty clear who owns Newhall Land Development and the assets. That was the issue, not who owns the El Toro development. The once mighty Newhall Land and Farming is no more. The Brand still lives for good reason.
  23. cashFebruary 25, 2010 at 11:05 am
    I refer you to the article. The true ownership is pretty clear to me.
  24. cashFebruary 25, 2010 at 11:09 am
    The article stands on its own.
  25. cashFebruary 25, 2010 at 11:14 am
    What can I say? Newhall Land is backed by strong ownership that consists of a group of investment funds led by Anchorage Advisors LLC, Third Avenue Management LLC, funds affiliated with Och-Ziff Capital Management Group, LLC, funds affiliated with Marathon Asset Management, LP and TPG Credit Management, L.P., along with Lennar Corp. Newhall Land will be managed by Emile Haddad, the CEO of Five Point Communities Management, Inc., a newly formed management company jointly owned by Mr. Haddad and Lennar.
  26. cashFebruary 25, 2010 at 11:18 am
    Greg McWilliams, Donald Kimball and Steve Zimmer sure don’t won it.
  27. cashFebruary 25, 2010 at 11:18 am
    Own it!
  28. MoneyFebruary 25, 2010 at 12:26 pm
    Why, why, why do people argue with cash? Remember when everyone ignored the fat redhead, he disappeared for awhile?
  29. MoneyFebruary 25, 2010 at 12:26 pm
    cash is just an internet troll.
  30. Spineflower2February 25, 2010 at 2:19 pm
    What a DOG of a website! (Valencia.com, not scvtalk!) Takes 30 seconds to load, slow as hell, even locks up my work computer. Lame. And that’s before I even ead the content!
  31. AndyFebruary 25, 2010 at 8:13 pm
    HAHAHAHA. On the blog they said “See what NBC4 and SCVTalk.com have to say about it!” and link to this post.
  32. AndyFebruary 25, 2010 at 8:30 pm
    Also I am sooooooo excited for the guided tours.
  33. GangFangFebruary 25, 2010 at 8:38 pm
    Saw a huge “AWESOMETOWN” billboard in North Hollywood tonight, corner of Riverside & Cahuenga. Embarrassingly cringe worthy, so bad…..
  34. UrsulaFebruary 26, 2010 at 10:21 am
    I saw an ad for “Awesometown” on the side of a metro bus down in NoHo. Really? Awesometown?
  35. EllenMarch 8, 2010 at 1:52 pm
    I just saw a piece about this on the local news today. As previously commented, it’s SO dorky, embarrassing, and cringe-worthy! I am searching the web to see who I can e-complain to, as I’d like to single handedly erradicate “AWESOMETOWN” ASAP, but the public at large are welcome to join me (please). As a 3-year resident of Valencia, having spent the first 2 years dealing with a hellish commute into Beverly Hills/Hollywood, I am just now settling into this lovely area as my home. I spent the previous 25 years living in the aforementioned areas of Los Angeles. All my friends know I live here now. This is SO embarrassing. (…and I grew up in BAKERSFIELD, for God’s sake. Can’t I get a break?!) My husband and I have been contemplating a move across Heritage Valley, toward the coast. This could seriously become a deciding factor. “AWESOMETOWN” is just gross! (…and linguistically as out of date as “gross,” and even worse, was also referred to as “neat” by one of it’s originators). As for the marketing, ads, and website, I haven’t really examined them yet, as I’m still in a state of shock (and appall) from this news. Going by previous comments, all I can say is that my husband is black, I am white, and that has been hard enough around here. Apologies for the run-on comment, but I just can’t fathom why… how… anyone would let this go through. When I moved here, I chose the place because it was affordable, and conveniently located for me. I saw it as a nice place, somewhat simple, and slightly classy (at least potentially, on the verge of slightly classy). The views are beautiful, the houses are nice, the paseos are a great idea, the mall is convenient… “AWESOMETOWN” is so backwards, and is the least classy moniker anyone could ever come up with. PLEASE MAKE THIS GO AWAY
  36. SusanMarch 9, 2010 at 3:07 pm
    I still say I live in “Radsville” aka Stevenson Ranch.

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