Warner Center - Woodland Hills, CA

The land now known as the Warner Center was previously the Warner Ranch, used by a movie mogul as a private retreat. When he began selling it off in the 1950s, several major employers moved in, including Rocketdyne and Kaiser-Aetna. In the early 1970s, the city of Los Angeles designed Warner Center as a regional center, which would serve as a transportation, commercial, residential and industry hub for the San Fernando Valley.

Since the 70s, Warner Center has expanded to include about 5,000 residences in its boundaries as well as its commercial and business centers, while maintaining the feel of a suburban park.

While the area doesn't include any museums, the neighborhood features a significant movie theater at the Promenade Mall with state-of-the-art screens and sound. Every Sunday morning, local classic car enthusiasts gather at the mall for Supercar Sunday to admire rare automobiles.

Warner Center is packed with chain restaurants that serve as good business lunch choices for expense-account executives and salespeople and quick lunch places for employees who need to eat well and get back to work fast. In addition, the neighborhood features many one-of-a-kind restaurants at all price levels.

Stop in at Tomoya Sushi & Izakaya for a wonderful happy hour menu, or treat yourself to the blue crab hand roll for lunch. The attentive servers keep the ginger and sushi coming, and the relaxing zen ambiance lets you head back to work with a feeling of peace and satisfaction.

When you only have time for a quick bite on your lunch hour or during a marathon shopping expedition, Warner Center has you covered. Head to Hook Burger, a local chain where you can order your burger on a pretzel bun, enjoy the meat cooked to perfection, and if your group can't decide between fries, sweet potato fries and onion rings, just order the combo that brings you all three. At The Stand, gourmet hot dogs top the menu; choose the guacamole dog, Chicago dog or the chicken cilantro sausage, and order a side of Brussels sprouts with pears and cheese crumbles for good measure.

If you have the kind of special occasion to celebrate that deserves a chocolate soufflé, head to Roy's Woodland Hills on Topanga Canyon Boulevard. Try the macadamia-nut-crusted mahi mahi or the blackened ahi, and if you're there for happy hour, don't miss the crunchy golden lobster potstickers. Let the restaurant know what you're celebrating, and expect to be treated like royalty.

It's not surprising that a community as business-oriented as Warner Center features many bars where you can unwind after a long day at the office. The Rack at the Promenade Mall lets you watch the game while you enjoy a flight of beers, or stick around for a game of pool and a live blues band. Dirty Bull Tavern serves up an option of 45 beers on tap Most of the major chain restaurants in the area also feature bars with popular happy hours, including Ruth's Chris Steak House, BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, PF Chang's and El Torito.

Because Warner Center was planned as the key transit hub for the western San Fernando Valley, the excellence of the public transportation choices in the neighborhood come as no surprise. The Orange Line runs along a dedicated busway to get passengers to North Hollywood or Chatsworth. The Commuter Express buses run to downtown Los Angeles, and other L.A. Metro bus lines take you to Canoga Park, Universal Studios, Thousand Oaks, Burbank, Sun Valley and Ventura.

Even with the large amount of public transit available, most residents of Warner Center choose to drive their cars for most purposes. While the major thoroughfares don't provide street parking, all the major commercial centers in the district have free parking. Residential and business complexes provide parking for residents and employees respectively. No cabs prowl the streets, though some can be found at major hotels in the neighborhood, and Uber remains just a smart phone tap away.

Bike lanes are available on major roads, and many buses have bike racks to allow easy commuting. Residents who also work in the area can bike and even walk to work, and the Warner Center complex runs shuttle buses around the area during the day, including connecting employees to local child care centers.

Right in the heart of the neighborhood, Warner Center Park provides those who live and work in the area with a relaxing spot for an outdoor lunch on a work day, plenty of recreational opportunities and special events during summer and winter alike.

Bring your kids to come play on the playground or your dogs to chase a few squirrels; keep the dogs on their leashes, though. While there are no dedicated exercise facilities here, expect to see many locals making the one-mile run around the park's perimeter.

During the summer, come enjoy free concerts in the park featuring a wide array of cover bands, with food trucks available so you don't even have to pack a picnic dinner. Summertime also brings outdoor movies to the park, all of them family-friendly to give you another great free evening. Arrive at the park early to pin down your spot for the free fireworks on the Fourth of July, and keep your eyes open for the huge arts and crafts shows that pop up in the spring and autumn. In the winter, show off your double toe loop as you enjoy the pop-up ice rink under the palm trees.

Although the cost of living in Warner Center runs 16 percent higher than the overall cost of living in Los Angeles, many local residents find it very worthwhile to be part of the well-maintained neighborhood with its high-end amenities. A one-bedroom in one of the neighborhood's many large complexes runs an average of $1,788.28 per month. The Commuter Express bus line that speeds locals to downtown L.A. costs $3.75 one-way, though discount cards are available. If you plan to drive, expect to pay 12 percent above the national average for a gallon of gas. Stopping for a beer on the way home should run you $6 to $7, unless you arrive early enough for a happy hour price of $4.

Thanks to its two major shopping malls, the Promenade Mall and especially Westfield Topanga, Warner Center has become a significant shopping destination for the entire San Fernando Valley. Anchoring Westfield Topanga are Nordstrom, Macy's, and Neiman Marcus, providing an unprecedented array from the practical to the extremely high-end. Several high-end specialty shops make this mall their major Valley location, including Gucci, Tesla Motors, Swarovski, and Tiffany. Significant dining choices also populate both malls.

Also scattered throughout Warner Center are several big-box shopping centers featuring major destination retailers such as Designer Shoe Warehouse, Best Buy, and Crate and Barrel. Although most of the hundreds of shops in Warner Center are nationally recognized name brands, you can find a few unique shops where owners pride themselves on giving customers personalized attention. Head to Earthly Body Beauty Centre on Victory Boulevard to find a wide array of beauty and bath products, including the shop's own line of body creams and hair products. The shop also provides threading and waxing services.

Locals in Warner Center have to head slightly south of the neighborhood to Ventura Boulevard to do their grocery shopping, but once they do, they have Ralphs, Sprouts, Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe's to choose from in easy distance. The Pierce College farmers market opens on Saturdays to provide the community with farm-fresh produce as well as a carousel and pony rids for the kids.