Westlake Village history:

Westlake Village is a planned community that straddles the Los Angeles and Ventura county line. The eastern portion, is the incorporated city Westlake Village, located on the western edge of Los Angeles County United States. The city, located in the region known as the Conejo Valley, encompasses half of the area surrounding Westlake Lake, and small neighborhoods primarily south of U.S. Route 101 and east of La Venta Drive. The population was 8,368 at the 2000 census. It is also the headquarters of the Dole Food Company. Westlake Village is known for its affluence and secluded character, and is considered one of the wealthiest communities in the Greater Los Angeles Area.

The western portion of Westlake Village is a community, within the city limits of Thousand Oaks, in Ventura County. It is important to note, the properties in this portion of Westlake Village are actually recorded in the Ventura County Recorder's office as "Westlake Village." In addition, the businesses located on this half of Westlake Village also legally use the Westlake Village address. In the Thousand Oaks portion of Westlake Village, there is a High School that uses the name "Westlake" High School, and 2 elementary schools, "Westlake Hills Elementary," and "Westlake Elementary." Westlake Boulevard is also located in the Thousand Oaks portion of Westlake Village. It is also important to recognize, the community of Westlake Village is not limited to the self incorporated city in Los Angeles County, but actually encompasses the entire area surrounding the lake on both sides of the county line.

The original community was divided by the Los Angeles and Ventura County boundary and known simply as "Westlake". A portion of the community of Westlake Village located in Ventura County, or roughly two-thirds of the community, was annexed by the City of Thousand Oaks in two portions, in 1968 and 1972. In 1981, the remaining third eventually incorporated as the City of Westlake Village.

Much of Westlake Village is surrounded by open space, including hiking and horse trails, as well as the vast Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The town borders the Malibu hills, and is nine miles (14 km) inland from the Pacific Ocean. Coastal breezes seep through canyons to allow Westlake to stay up to 10 degrees cooler and considerably less smoggy than nearby San Fernando Valley during the summer months.

In addition to its role as a bedroom community for Los Angeles via the Ventura Freeway, it is also home to many large commercial offices and the headquarters of the Dole Food Company, Pleasant Holidays, K-Swiss, ValueClick, J.D. Power and Associates, and Jafra Cosmetics. The western region office (Region 5) of Anheuser-Busch Inc. is also located in the community. The Ventura Freeway is one of three of Westlake's lifelines to Los Angeles and Ventura; the Pacific Coast Highway, and the Ronald Reagan (118) Freeway also run nearby. It is a short drive to the nearest mall in Thousand Oaks.

Like many upscale hamlets, Westlake Village is well served by golf courses and country clubs. The Westlake Golf Course, off Route 101, is verdant if noisy. More exclusive venues include Sherwood Country Club to the west and North Ranch Country Club to the north.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_California