A PLACE TO CALL HOME SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, GLENDALE, BURBANK, SANTA CLARITA, ANTELOPE VALLEY AND VENTURA COUNTY.

Byline: - Helen Gao

The San Fernando Valley is a collection of vibrant, eclectic communities that offer anything from middle-class comfortto artsy Bohemian living, from small-town charm to urban edginess.

Throw in year-round good weather and majestic mountains and it's no wonder some 2 million people from around the globe call this region home.

Many families find the Valley area the perfect place to raise their children and build careers because of the relatively low crime, a dynamic economy and an abundance of educational opportunities.

Communities surrounding the San Fernando Valley include the Antelope Valley, the Santa Clarita Valley, Burbank, Glendale, and the Simi and Conejo valleys. The region boasts a thriving film industry, high-tech and biotech companies, including the headquarters of The Walt Disney Co. and Amgen Inc.

A number of premier public and private educational institutions are within easy reach: California State University campuses in Northridge and Camarillo, California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, Occidental College in Eagle Rock and California Institute of the Arts in Valencia.

Ventura Boulevard - the Valley's Las Vegas strip - boasts haute French and Italian cuisine next to Chinese takeout places next to Middle Eastern eateries.

Here are some of the things that make the Valley and its surrounding areas special:

CLEAN AIR

After decades of being known for its smog, Southern California has met federal standards for carbon monoxide for the first time.

SAFE COMMUNITIES AND GOOD SCHOOLS

Simi Valley, Glendale, Burbank, Santa Clarita and Thousand Oaks all rank among the safest cities in the nation and boast some of the best public schools in the region. Schools in the San Fernando Valley, such as El Camino Real and Taft high schools, as well as Moorpark High School in Ventura County, have scores of Academic Decathlon victories under their belts.

FUN EVENTS

The Santa Clarita Valley is not only home to the Six Flags and Hurricane Harbor amusement parks but also host to the Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival. Last year's Western heritage celebration drew 10,000 people to Melody Ranch in Newhall, where many Westerns were filmed.

Nearby Antelope Valley - home to Edwards Air Base - is renowned for its Poppy Festival, arguably the best in the state. With good rainfall, fields will be aflame with orange poppies in April. In August, there is the Antelope Valley Fair, which has drawn entertainers like Bob Dylan and Destiny's Child.

HOUSING

The median price of single-family homes in the San Fernando Valley hit a record $331,100 in November, 26 percent higher than in the same month the previous year.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) the good life

your resource for living in the San Fernando Valley & neighboring communities

(Kids riding bicycles)

(2 -- color) Adrianna Audenio, 8, and her brother Tony, 5, of Newbury Park share a lollipop.

Tina Burch

(3 -- color) no caption (Woman, man on horses)

Evan Yee