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Mature trees and an absence of sidewalks help give a rural feeling to the Tarzana neighborhood of Melody Acres. (CARLOS CHAVEZ / LAT) |
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City dwellers yearning for the country life might find what they are looking for in Melody Acres. Zoned residential/agricultural, the Tarzana neighborhood of nearly 300 homes on large lots borders the 101 Freeway and offers such perks as early-morning wake-up service from resident roosters.
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Country in the Valley
Two other San Fernando Valley neighborhoods, Walnut Acres and College Acres, also have retained their residential/agricultural zoning status. Melody Acres is particularly rustic, and that's how residents like it.
"We have no sidewalks, curbs or gutters," said Beth Marks Nelson, a Realtor with Blue Rose Realty and president of the Melody Acres Neighborhood Assn. Such urban features, she said, would diminish the neighborhood's character.
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Drawing card
The agricultural zoning, with lots up to several acres in size, makes Melody Acres appealing to animal lovers. Horses, goats, chickens and pigs are as commonplace as dogs and cats are in other neighborhoods.
Some residents use the abundance of land to store classic car collections or recreational vehicles. Others like the privacy that the large lots provide.
And unlike many Southern California neighborhoods, where the escalating price of land has led to carving up of large lots, Melody Acres hasn't succumbed to development. The neighborhood association makes sure that, in keeping with its zoning, no lot shrinks to less than 17,500 square feet.
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Insider's view
For years, neighbors complained that few children seemed to live in the community. Once the neighborhood association started an annual block party, however, that perception changed.
"Not only did we find out that the neighborhood has a lot of kids, but we learned that we have three sets of twins," Marks Nelson said. The block parties are family-oriented affairs with live music, classic car displays, pony rides, crafts and face painting.
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Good news, bad news
A sound wall erected two years ago mutes the humming of the 101 Freeway on the community's southern edge. But there's no way to silence the crowing roosters or the braying donkey, Guido.
"We disclose the animal sounds whenever we sell a house," said Donna Tavares of Blue Rose Realty.
*
Country in the Valley
Two other San Fernando Valley neighborhoods, Walnut Acres and College Acres, also have retained their residential/agricultural zoning status. Melody Acres is particularly rustic, and that's how residents like it.
"We have no sidewalks, curbs or gutters," said Beth Marks Nelson, a Realtor with Blue Rose Realty and president of the Melody Acres Neighborhood Assn. Such urban features, she said, would diminish the neighborhood's character.
*
Drawing card
The agricultural zoning, with lots up to several acres in size, makes Melody Acres appealing to animal lovers. Horses, goats, chickens and pigs are as commonplace as dogs and cats are in other neighborhoods.
Some residents use the abundance of land to store classic car collections or recreational vehicles. Others like the privacy that the large lots provide.
And unlike many Southern California neighborhoods, where the escalating price of land has led to carving up of large lots, Melody Acres hasn't succumbed to development. The neighborhood association makes sure that, in keeping with its zoning, no lot shrinks to less than 17,500 square feet.
*
Insider's view
For years, neighbors complained that few children seemed to live in the community. Once the neighborhood association started an annual block party, however, that perception changed.
"Not only did we find out that the neighborhood has a lot of kids, but we learned that we have three sets of twins," Marks Nelson said. The block parties are family-oriented affairs with live music, classic car displays, pony rides, crafts and face painting.
*
Good news, bad news
A sound wall erected two years ago mutes the humming of the 101 Freeway on the community's southern edge. But there's no way to silence the crowing roosters or the braying donkey, Guido.
"We disclose the animal sounds whenever we sell a house," said Donna Tavares of Blue Rose Realty.
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