Burbank Rancho

Horse'N Around in the City

Burbank Rancho is just  minutes from downtown LA, studios, freeways and airports. Almost more important is the fact that it is just north of Griffith Park with 4,000 acres in which to ride. Both of these benefits  probably make Burbank Rancho the most unique area of all of Los Angeles to horse around in with the average home size between 1,200-1,400 square feet. This is a community with a hometown feel that is determined not to become another Los Angeles.  Here horses live in tiny stables where owners walk quietly on horseback through the residential streets and onto the Griffith Park trails each day. Because of its proximity to Griffith Park as well as the Los Angeles Equestrian Center as well as several movie studios — which used to board horses back in the heydays of the western — the Rancho is one of the few areas near urban Los Angeles that is still zoned for horses.
 

		In Rancho is where property values have risen more than most other areas of Burbank. Here you can saddle up your horse in your own backyard and take a morning ride and still be at work at the studios, downtown, or on the West side for a late breakfast. It also gives plenty of opportunity to know one’s horsy neighbors, to walk your dog, jog or fly a kite in Pollywog Field, and to enjoy the precious open space that most other neighborhoods are envious of. Even for those who don't own horses, the sight of riders along Burbank's urban streets is a key element of the area's flavor.
	only in a few towns

This noted Burbank Equestrian neighborhood is next door to the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. Here you can enjoy the desired combination of urban and rural environments. To be sure the big attraction for Burbank equestrians is the very green Rancho Equestrian neighborhood, where residents can park their mounts in their own backyards and be just a short trot from the studios.

You hear residents say, "It doesn't feel like L.A. here, and we want to keep that way. It's the most down-to-earth, unpretentious, relaxed feel we have here. It's like a small town right in the middle of Los Angeles."
 

Los Angeles Equestrian Center, Constructed for the 1984 Olympics	Sample Neighborhood Street
A  resident spending quality time with the horses he keeps on his Burbank Rancho Equestrian Property	One of the neighborhood homes you may see when you drive around the Burbank Rancho

Equestrian Zoning

Equestrian zoning isn't the only reason home buyers flock to the Rancho. Tree-lined streets, neighbors who know one another, good schools, Griffith Park accessibility, and close proximity to Warner Bros. and Disney studios and two TV-network headquarters attract entertainment-industry honchos and other media workers.

Dog walkers and horse lovers bump into each other in this pedestrian-friendly neighborhood flanked roughly by Griffith Park to the south, Victory Boulevard to the east, Keystone Street to the west and Alameda Avenue to the north. Horse-drawn carriages are as apt to be rolling down Parkside Avenue as cars on weekends.

Yes, Burbank Rancho is filled with tree-lined streets.  Since many of these homes are zoned for horses, and there are some crosswalks that have a raised "horse crossing" button for use on horseback!  Horse enthusiasts living here appreciate the convenience of close location to the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, as well as other local boarding, training and rental stables.  Locals also have easy access to the Martinez Arena in Griffith Park, Bette Davis ("Easter") field, and "Polywog" field for horse activities.

At Christmas time, Equestrian carolers often gather at Allen Avenue and Riverside Drive to "stroll" the Rancho, singing holiday songs. The Rancho neighborhood also offers bowling, ice skating, great neighborhood restaurants, tennis and basketball courts, and local businesses within walking distance.

Fran leading her horse, Temptation, along a trail next to
her Burbank complex, near the L.A. Equestrian Center.
Photo by LATimes

Real Estate

Some of the recent sales have run, in late 2006, approximately $650,000 to $850,000 (in the Spring 2007 they have increased).  Burbank Rancho is where you can find yourself truly "Horse'N Around in the City." Single-family homes far out number multifamily units in the Rancho. Many of the homes come with stables and stalls. There are about 785 single-family homes, 180 condos and town homes and 250 horses.  In the greater area there are as many as 1,000 or more horses. The property lots run from 6,750 to about 9,000. You can have as many as 2 horses on a 6,750 sq. ft. lot.  Local Waste Management picks up your horse droppings weekly.

In Spring 2007,  three townhouses were listed for sale, from $615,000 to $789,000. Smaller townhomes can be found in "Park Equestrian" for the $520,000 range but the townhome fees run about $400/month and the boarding fee is about $275.00 in the neighborhood stable.  To board at the Equestrian Center is closer to $600/month; other boarding facilities can be in the $375/month range. There were a number of single-family homes listed, asking from $789,000 to about $2 million and you can stable your horse on your own property.

Above information deemed correct but not guaranteed.
Only a Sample of Area homes; may or may not be on market at this time..