Business District Is Now ‘Safari Walk’

What used to be known as the Tarzana business district is now the “Tarzana Safari Walk.”

The new moniker, dreamed up by Tarzana resident Maddy Wolpa, is the winner of the Tarzana’s Changing Image contest, which sought suggestions for a name that would reflect the area’s ties to “Tarzan” creator Edgar Rice Burroughs, who once owned a 540-acre ranch in the area.

Wolpa’s winning name was chosen from among 877 entries, including “Crazy Tarzana Monkey Walk Lane” and “The Greystoke Corridor of Ventura Boulevard,” said Beth Perrin of the Tarzana Business Improvement District, which sponsored the contest.

“We’re hoping the area will take on an image of its own, like [Universal] CityWalk,” Perrin said.

The renaming comes amid numerous improvements for the area, including jungle-themed topiary, a series of pocket parks and animal sculptures for Ventura Boulevard’s light posts. The goal is to fill a few of the district’s vacant storefronts.

“We hope stores like Banana Republic or a restaurant like the Elephant Bar would want to come in and be part of this,” Perin said.

Wolpa was awarded a $200 shopping spree from Tarzana Safari Walk retailers.