Westlake Village, California is a stunningly beautiful community bordered by the Simi Hills to the north and the Santa Monica Mountains to the south. Established in 1966, it is situated on the Ventura and Los Angeles County line. It is an ideal location, less than nine miles from the majestic Pacific Ocean and thirty-eight miles west of downtown Los Angeles. Westlake Village has an estimated population of 8,550 residents.

In the 1800's Spanish settlers were allotted huge land grants and Westlake Village was recognized as the central part of two Mexican land grants: Rancho El Conejo and Rancho Las Virgenes. In 1881, the Russell brothers bought a large portion of this land for cattle ranching. The area was sold in 1925 to William Randolph Hearst and again in 1943 to Fred Albertson. The Russell family leased back part of the land to continue its successful cattle ranch business while the Albertson Company used the majority of the acreage as a movie ranch. Many movies and television shows were filmed here, including "Robin Hood," "King Rat," "Laredo," and various episodes of "Tarzan," "Buck Rogers," "Gunsmoke," and "Bonanza."

The business community in Westlake is large and diversified. It is the headquarters of numerous professionals including attorneys, accountants, and business consultants. Westlake has both a strong technology and biotechnology base. Numerous research and development firms are within a 25-mile radius of the center of Westlake Village. Major corporations include Amgen, Inc., and the Bioscience Division of Baxter Healthcare Corporation, the top two international leaders in the biotechnology field; Xircom, Inc., General Dynamics Corporation and Rockwell Science Center, all leaders in international technology; Jafra cosmetics, an international cosmetics company; WellPoint Health Networks, Inc., one of the nation's largest publicly-traded managed care companies, Blue Cross; General Motors Regional Office, Verizon Regional Office, Homestore.com and Netzero.com.

Incomes throughout the Westlake area are substantially higher than they are statewide. The median household income is 94,571, compared to $53,000 for the state of California. The median resident age is 44.6 years. Westlake Village reflects a dynamic, young and growing community with the right human resources to direct its future.

Mild coastal breezes, cool winters and the embrace of the Santa Monica Mountains provide a natural setting for beauty. Westlake is known for its beautiful and desirable neighborhoods. Award winning homes match the attractive landscape that surrounds this distinct village. The median price for a single-family house in 2000 was $433,800, today the houses range from $450,000 to $3,000,000. Housing types available include single-family, residential, commercial, lots and land, investment properties, waterfront, town homes and condominiums.

With Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area adjacent to Westlake Village, a variety of nature trails are available for hiking, mountain biking, picnics, horseback riding and camping. Westlake Village maintains numerous scenic sidewalks, green belts, and protected bike lanes. The Conejo Recreation and Park District manages 33 developed parks, and five play field parks. The District offers more than 2,500 organized recreation and leisure programs each year. Westlake Village manages three city parks and a recreation program as well. Organized sports available for youth through area organizations include soccer, football, softball, baseball, basketball, swimming, boating, and track and field. The Westlake Village golf course was opened in 1968 and has remained relatively unchanged until recently when it had a $3million dollar face lift. The course is centrally located and is primarily used by residents of Westlake Village and the neighboring communities of Thousand Oaks and Agoura Hills.

Westlake's 150-acre man-made sits at the southwest corner of the city and has 9 1/2 miles of shoreline. Approximately 1,300 homes dot the shore. Several restaurants and shops as well as a yacht club border the lake. The lake is stocked with bass, blue gill and catfish. Docking privileges, fishing licenses, boating and sailing are available to residents.

Nearby commercial harbors offer sports fishing, whale watching and tours to Channel Islands National Park, five islands that begin just 12 miles off the mainland, where the marine sanctuary contains giant kelp forests that shelter more than 1,000 species of ocean life. Hiking and camping is permitted on all the islands and there are numerous sea caves and deserted coves that attract snorkeling and scuba diving, as well as kayaking and boating. Many excellent state and county beaches and campgrounds are scattered along the coastline just 9 miles across the Santa Monica Mountains. Swimmers, sunbathers, and surfers enjoy nearby Malibu, Point Dume, Zuma, Leo Carrillo, County Line, Sycamore Cove and Point Mugu beaches.

The Las Virgenes School District is one of the school districts serving the community along with the Thousand Oaks Conejo School District serving the other part of the community. Both districts are top notch in the state. Higher education choices in Westlake Village include California Lutheran University, Pepperdine University, Moorpark College, Oxnard College, and College of the Canyons.

Westlake Village is an outstanding place to live, work, retire or raise a family. It has stunning beauty, desirable neighborhoods, fun and exciting recreation opportunities, an amazing climate, strong business economy and stellar schools. If you are considering moving to Westlake Village, or would like more information, please feel free to request a "free relocation package" today!