Studio City or Sherman Oaks?

You’ve narrowed down your home search to two areas: Sherman Oaks and Studio City. Maybe you have a vague idea about each, but you’re just not sure exactly which one fits your lifestyle. Let's explore a bit more to help you in relocating to Studio City or Sherman Oaks and determining which one is right for you.

To start, both neighborhoods in the city of Los Angeles – which are side-by-side and take just minutes to drive approximately three miles from the center of one neighborhood to the other – are situated in the southeast portion of the San Fernando Valley. They both offer easy access into Hollywood and West Hollywood on the “Westside” as well as points east like the cities of Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena.
Also, in terms of size, Sherman Oaks is bigger than Studio City, spanning an area of 9.638 miles versus Studio City’s 5.727 square miles. With a population of 67,774, Sherman Oaks’s population also exceeds Studio City’s at 39,507. ¹ ² ³

Here are some good things to know and data points about both when considering your relocation choices:

Both neighborhoods contain a slew of micro-neighborhoods filled with robust community, restaurants and shops.
Both Sherman Oaks and Studio City consist of smaller micro-neighborhoods like Footbridge Square, Colfax Meadows, Silver Triangle and Fryman Estates in Studio City and Valleyheart Glen, The Royal Woods, Chandler Estates, Hesby Oaks, Fashion Square and Sherman Oaks Hills in Sherman Oaks. Take a look at these numbers (current as of April 7, 2025). ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷

STUDIO CITY CURRENT HOMES AND VALUES

Other stats (Studio City):

Single family homes range in list price from $1,150,000 for a small two-bedroom home to $14,995,000 for a sprawling 11,411 square foot mansion. The median list price is $2,599,000.
290 single family homes have sold and closed escrow over the past 12 months. There were some heavy-fixers that sold for under $1 million, but standard sales ranged from just over $1 million for a small one- or two-bedroom home to $14,500,000 for a grand estate. The median sales price was $2,175,000.
Condos and townhomes range from a list price of $629,000 to $1,224,999. There’s only two months’ supply on the market currently. 149 condos or townhomes have sold in the preceding 12 months. Sale prices ranged from $420,000 to $4,650,000. The median sale price for condos or townhomes in Studio City was $865,000. ⁸

SHERMAN OAKS CURRENT HOMES AND VALUES

Other stats (Sherman Oaks):

Sherman Oaks homes range in list price from $1,149,000 on the low-end to $10,995,000 at the highest. The median list price currently stands at $2,600,000.
Most of the lower-end sales prices started just under $1 million and the highest priced sale in Sherman Oaks in the past year was $7,047,000. The median sale price was $1,750,000.
Condos and townhomes range in list price from the low 400’s up to $1,199,000. The median list price is $699,000. Condos and townhomes sale prices over the past 12 months have ranged from the low $400s to $3,618,000, but most have sold at or below $1,425,000. The median sales price for Sherman Oaks condos or townhomes was $750,000. ⁸

So, Where Did All The Entry-level Homes Go?

As far as true entry-level housing goes, condos and townhomes have become that gateway over the course of the most recent post-pandemic years in and around Los Angeles, in general. With Sherman Oaks being a larger neighborhood, we can see that there’s typically and almost always more available inventory and more of a selection of available options.

Some parts are walkable, others are not.

One can’t say that either Studio City or Sherman Oaks are walkable neighborhoods. It’s the micro-neighborhoods that are more or less walkable than other parts of each overall area. Both Studio City and Sherman Oaks are partially situated on steep hillsides and located on the hillside specifically contained by Ventura Boulevard to the north, Mullholland Drive to the south, Cahuenga Boulevard to the east and Sepulveda Boulevard to the west.
Other parts of both Studio City and Sherman Oaks are quite flat and walkable. Typically, these are the areas that are “North of the Blvd” (NOTB) or immediately “South of the Blvd” (SOTB).

Similar in geography, topography and vibe.

All in all, both Sherman Oaks and Studio City are quite similar. That said, all three of these aspects can vary greatly from micro-neighborhood to micro neighborhood. When my clients are looking for a home in the hills, I always advise them by saying, “You’re going to need to determine whether you’re ‘hill people’ or not.” As far as the hills go, homes located there can offer phenomenal views of both the canyons and city lights of the valley below. However, the streets can be narrow and quite difficult to navigate both driving and walking.

Ah, Los Angeles traffic.

A consideration between the two of these neighborhoods, of course, is LA traffic. So other than walkability and vibe, you need to account for this. Perhaps a commute to the west side is a deciding factor. If you’re commuting to Santa Monica daily, Sherman Oaks may get the nod over Studio City because it is closer to the 405 freeway. If, however, a commute to Hollywood is on the daily (or frequent) agenda, Studio City may be the winner for you.

Many notable restaurants, businesses and amenities in both areas.

My office, an obvious notable business, Ken Sisson - Coldwell Banker is located right on the border – in the middle of both neighborhoods – at 12930 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604-2200. I enjoy working in both cities along with personally frequenting many shops, restaurants and businesses. Here are some of my favorites:

Studio City

· The Shops at the Sportsman’s Lodge and the boutiques along Ventura Boulevard on the stretch between Whitsett Ave and Laurel Canyon Boulevard like lululemon, Wasteland, Urban Outfitters, and many more.

· Eateries like Aroma Coffee and Tea, Vitello’s, Jinky’s Cafe (locations in both Studio City and Sherman Oaks), Firefly, Laurel Tavern, LaLa’s, Prince St. Pizza, Alfred’s Coffee, Mexicali, Art’s Deli, and Rocco’s Tavern.

· Sushi restaurants are literally all over Studio City. Driving west down Ventura Boluevard from Universal City, the first you’ll come across is Sushi Tomoki, followed by AFC Sushi, Sushi Dan, KazuNori, The Sushi House, Sushi Bar Tetsuya, Sushi KATSU-YA, Leona’s, Akira Sushi, Sushi Stop, Teru Sushi, Asanebo Japanese Gourmet, Studio Sushi (just north of the Blvd. on Radford Ave.), Yume Sushi Bar, LaLa Sushi, Shiki Sushi, Sugarfish, Yen Sushi & Sake Bar, Iroha Sushi of Tokyo. So, yes, that’s a 3.3 mile stretch of Ventura Boulevard with no less than 19 sushi places!

Sherman Oaks

· There are plenty of great places to shop and dine in Sherman Oaks. There’s a full shopping mall at Westfield Fashion Square to keep you busy with all the typical mall shops like Victoria’s Secret, Sephora, Macy’s, and Bloomingdales. In addition, you’ve got the Sherman Oaks Galleria. If you’re a movie buff, you’ve got the Regal Sherman Oaks Galleria or the Pacific Sherman Oaks 5. So, you guessed it… they make the movies in Studio City and they play ‘em in Sherman Oaks!

· Sherman Oaks has its own share of great places to eat and an eclectic collection of foods from around the world. It’s also home to my own personal favorite authentic Brooklyn NY pizzeria, Pizza Wagon of Brooklyn. You’ve got Casa Vega, The Great Greek, Kaiju Sushi, BLVD Steak (the hottest new hot spot in the Valley), The Local Peasant, Jinky’s Cafe, Crave Cafe, On The Thirty, Cava, Mel’s Drive-in and Blu Jam Cafe. Or go ahead and check out Daisy Margarita Bar at 14633 Ventura Boulevard that's basically right across the street from Pizza Wagon. Daisy just opened on April 17th, 2025!

· On Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks, at the corner of Beverly Glen, you’ll also find the iconic Cadillac dealership, Casa de Cadillac. It’s across the street from Whole Foods. Before Whole Foods was built, there was a hot dog stand on the corner and this is where part of Tom Petty’s music video for “Free Fallin” was filmed. You can see Casa de Cadillac in the video. Also, many years prior, there was a gas station here and this is where James Dean filled up before his fateful accident. ⁹

So…Studio City or Sherman Oaks?

Whether you’re looking for more spacious, less crowded, access the Central Valley or just want more of a neighborhood feel, both areas have what will most likely work for you. There is no shortage of food or shopping to go around! So, if you're relocating to Studio City or Sherman Oaks and determining which one is right for you, hopefully this valuable information and data that I've provided helps you to make your best decision.

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