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September 11, 2013· santaclarita.com · SantaClarita.com (SCVTalk 5.0) · Wayback capture

The Return of "Where in the SCV?"

By Mike Devlin

Image not recoveredWhere-in-SCV.gif
A couple of years ago, we played a game that brought about some of the best low-stakes arguments in SCVTalk history.  Did I say SCVTalk history? I meant SCV History. 

Here's the thing: Santa Clarita is made of of loosely-defined neighborhoods that were labeled long before our community took its present shape. No matter what anyone tells you, there is no official map. ZIP codes don't count, either. 

So let me introduce you to our own unofficial map (h/t Joe Kosmin). 

An embedded Google Map appeared here in the original post. View the original — embeds are preserved as links in this archive.


The first thing you might notice is what's missing. We can all agree that Main St. is in Newhall, The Rock is in Saugus and the mall is in Valencia. And what would Canyon Country be without the 24-hour CVS? But what about the spaces in between? Is the Saugus Speedway really in Saugus? Has the Valencia Marketplace ever been part of Valencia? 

We left controversial areas unshaded. That's where you come in. Together, we're going to shade this map and put these old beefs to rest. (Got beef with the map already? Speak up.) For each area, we'll dig in deep and take a poll. The poll shades the map and sets the SCVTalk style guide.

Although we did this a couple of years ago, we'll probably retread some of the old ground. We're happy to have many more readers today and we like to go by Thomas Jefferson's adage, "…the Oak of the Golden Dream must, from time to time, be replenished by the blood spilled by arguments about the corporate-defined boundaries of Valencia." Or something like that. Besides, a few things have been built since then.

So stay tuned for Episode 2.1: When Valencia® isn't Valencia



Comments (22)

  1. larmccWednesday, September 11th, 2013 at 10:47 pm
    I was fine with thinking that Magic Mountain was in Valencia. But that was 1985. There was little west of the 5 except the Blue Moon Restaurant, Tipps and a couple fast food restaurants. Since then, the west side of the 5 has grown into it's own unique identity. So, I say that to qualify as Valencia, it has to be within the boundaries of the city of Santa Clarita. Yes, we are taking Valencia back. Magic Mountain is in West Ranch. And, that new development on Soledad, don't even try to call that Valencia.
  2. MikeThursday, September 12th, 2013 at 6:58 am
    Problem: "West Ranch" isn't a thing. If you never heard of Dave Bossert, you've probably never uttered the phrase.
  3. larmccThursday, September 12th, 2013 at 1:12 pm
    Then I would move we leave it to those in that 'area' to pick a name themselves. Stranch, Sunset Ranch, whatever they want. We need to protect the Valencia brand.
  4. evitalc31Thursday, September 12th, 2013 at 5:29 am
    I am still pretty new to the area and I don't know all the names of areas. It would be nice to have an actual map.
  5. Don't AskThursday, September 12th, 2013 at 7:42 am
    At least you got it right. The 99 cent store (Do-It Center) IS in Valencia, along with the soon to open Harbor Freight Tools.
  6. Don RickettsThursday, September 12th, 2013 at 8:11 am
    That map is pretty close to depicting what would likely be council districts if we switched from at-large elctions. We are not a homogeneous city, but a collection of neighborhood, each of which deserves its own council members. And why does NBC show Valencia on (most of) its weather maps and not Santa Clarita.
  7. brookFriday, September 13th, 2013 at 12:54 pm
    I bet their map maker lives there! If it were me I would do the same thing!
  8. VictoriaThursday, September 12th, 2013 at 8:26 am
    CVS is the only marginally good thing you could think of for CC? really??
  9. JeffWilsonThursday, September 12th, 2013 at 8:56 am
    Amen! They have a Boot Barn after all. Or did. I haven't taken my Tony Llamas in for their annual refinishing before the rainy season yet.
  10. Timothy Myers, Sr.Thursday, September 12th, 2013 at 9:10 am
    In mid-South Orange County the Myers clan has removed its headquarters and is living in the midst of six cities that might as well be one since they run together and contain nearly exactly the same type of topography, tract housing, retail and business amenities. The six cities combined are slightly larger than the mega-master tract development of Irvine and about the same size as ALL of the SCV (including unincorporated areas) combined. I have named this virtual City Lake Laguna(3) Viejo(2) or the combination of Lake Forest, Laguna Woods, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo and Aliso Viejo. Very little distinction between the six entities which have well defined municipal borders (Mission Viejo has a man made lake, an Apple Store, a Nordstroms and a crummy Target, Laguna Woods is super old (former Del Webb development) and Laguna Niguel inexplicably has a SUPER DUPER Wal Mart). Law enforcement is provided for all by the Orange County Sheriff's department, and the entire area is served by just two mega unified school districts, Capistrano Unified and Saddleback Unified. The only distinction are the meticulously maintained boundary markers that show the ingress to every City, but they might as well all be the same place.
  11. MikeThursday, September 12th, 2013 at 9:13 am
    Interesting. What's the history behind it?
  12. Timothy Myers, Sr.Thursday, September 12th, 2013 at 11:24 am
    Mike: The history is simple. The areas were developed originally under County jurisdiction (many by the Irvine Company which is what Newhall Land aspired to be) and eventually incorporated as cities based upon the boundaries of their master plan once sufficiently built out. The school districts existed long before any of the cities existed as municipal entities. (Mission Viejo was incorporated about the same time as Santa Clarita.) Thus, as relatively new cities they tend to contract services out. ALL municipal and school board elections in Orange County are held in November in EVEN numbered years, so turnouts are relatively high because there is also a statewide or presidential election. Ironically, the COUNTY elections are held in June of even numbered years. Before Aliso Viejo was incorporated in 2001 it had a Master Homeowner's Association that was in charge of the parks and other amenities, including youth sports programs and STILL DOES act in that capacity; a kind of shadow government behind the City government.
  13. InkGigoloThursday, September 12th, 2013 at 9:26 am
    Interesting. Who cares? JK JK #seriouslywedontcare ;) :-P
  14. NikoleThursday, September 12th, 2013 at 12:09 pm
    I think that 4 corners (where Valencia/Soledad cross with Railroad/Bouquet) should be the cutoff border. Soledad=Canyon Country, Bouquet=Saugus, Valencia=Valencia, and Railroad=Newhall.
  15. ca99Thursday, September 12th, 2013 at 2:51 pm
    Interesting...Only thing is that Bouquet Canyon Road starts north of Magic Mountain Parkway. Railroad Avenue starts south of the intersection.
  16. Don RickettsThursday, September 12th, 2013 at 12:12 pm
    If I remember correctly (and I often don't), apart the coastal communities and San Juan Capistranoit all started in the '60s when Philip Morris developed Mission Viejo.
  17. SCV_ResidentThursday, September 12th, 2013 at 1:10 pm
    Significant (or slightly significant) things in Canyon Country - in no particular order Edwards Cinema Santa Clarita Lanes KHTS radio C.O.C. - Canyon Country Campus Mountasia Rattler’s Mi Ranchito Super Walmart Jo Anne Darcy Library S&S Donuts C.C. Little League That chick who walks 2 huge Great Danes around Soledad / Camp Plenty
  18. MikeThursday, September 12th, 2013 at 1:36 pm
    You are a true patriot. Thank you for your contribution.
  19. VictoriaThursday, September 12th, 2013 at 2:57 pm
    Don't forget about these - The better Target and Lowes (and the rest of the Golden Valley Center) and last but not least Canyon Country Park.
  20. BertaFriday, September 13th, 2013 at 3:52 pm
    Costco!
  21. AllanCameronThursday, September 12th, 2013 at 7:31 pm
    For most of Santa Clarita Valley history, post the invasion by Europeans, there were no communities except Saugus and Newhall. There was no City of Santa Clarita, no Valencia, and no Canyon Country. There were many old, even smaller "communities" whose names are used only by history buffs now. Telephone prefixes are still a revelation. Many areas of Agua Dulce are known as either Saugus or Palmdale if their phone company designations are any indication. The Denny's restaurant in the Sand Canyon portion of Canyon Country is still listed by that company as being in Saugus, some 45 years after the creation of Canyon Country. Then there is the status of Castaic to consider. Is this issue really worth anyone's time, money, and resource commitment when we have so many real questions at our throats, such as the loss of 80% of our voting rights, and the loss of much of our water supply at the cost of hundreds of millions of dollars, as part of the "chloride" scam?
  22. MikeFriday, September 13th, 2013 at 9:17 am
    No money or resources will be committed, nor will any animals be harmed. It's all in good fun.

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