Van Nuys is a large neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley, within the city of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County, California. Laid out as a townsite in 1911 and long considered the Valley's civic heart, it is today one of the most populous communities in the San Fernando Valley. Two institutions anchor its identity: Van Nuys Airport, one of the busiest general-aviation airports in the country, and the Van Nuys Civic Center, including the Valley Municipal Building that houses a branch of Los Angeles City Hall. The neighborhood developed rapidly through the mid-20th century as the San Fernando Valley suburbanized, leaving a built landscape of single-family homes, apartment buildings, and a long commercial spine along Van Nuys Boulevard. Its central Valley location makes it a crossroads, bounded roughly by the 405 and 101 freeways and served by major boulevards and transit corridors. Van Nuys is notably diverse, with a population drawn from many backgrounds and a commercial scene that reflects that mix. Recreation centers on the Sepulveda Basin, one of Los Angeles' largest urban open spaces, along with Lake Balboa, Van Nuys-Sherman Oaks Park, and the Japanese Garden. Schools are part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, with Van Nuys High School among the area's notable campuses. The neighborhood suits people who want a central Valley location with strong freeway and transit access, proximity to the airport and civic center, and a mix of housing types at varying densities. Its position between the Valley's major freeways puts much of Los Angeles — from Hollywood and the Westside to the northern Valley — within commuting reach, while the nearby Sepulveda Basin offers a green counterpoint to the urban streetscape.