By Brian Sturges
Today’s Calabasas Parkway reflects a relatively recent chapter in the long history of the Las Virgenes–Calabasas area. While the roadway itself dates to the mid-20th century, the land it occupies has been shaped by centuries of travel, settlement, and changing patterns of land ownership and use.
Before European settlement, Native American peoples—including the Chumash and Tongva—moved through this region along established routes connecting inland valleys with the coast.
These natural travel corridors influenced later Spanish and Mexican trail systems. During the 19th century, the area became part of Rancho Las Virgenes, where land use centered on cattle grazing and small-scale agriculture. Roads were informal and utilitarian, serving ranch operations rather than permanent town development.
For decades, Calabasas remained sparsely populated. Early real estate activity in the late 1800s and early 1900s focused on large land parcels, often advertised for agricultural or ranching purposes.
Subdivision was limited, and commercial development was minimal. This began to change after World War II, when Southern California experienced rapid population growth and increased reliance on automobiles.
The construction of the Ventura Freeway (U.S. Route 101) in the 1940s and 1950s marked a decisive shift. Improved access made the Calabasas area more attractive for residential and commercial development. Roads such as Calabasas Parkway were planned as part of a new circulation system, designed to connect freeway interchanges with developing neighborhoods and future commercial sites.
By the 1960s and 1970s, land along Calabasas Parkway was increasingly subdivided and marketed for suburban uses. Residential real estate in the surrounding area was often advertised as offering a quieter, semi-rural setting within commuting distance of Los Angeles. Real estate listings and newspaper advertisements from this period emphasized open space, proximity to the freeway, and separation from more densely developed urban centers.
Commercial real estate along Calabasas Parkway developed gradually. Early projects included modest shopping centers, medical and professional offices, and service-oriented businesses intended to support the growing population. Marketing materials focused on practicality rather than luxury—highlighting accessibility, parking availability, and convenience for local residents.
In the 1980s, as Calabasas grew and land values increased, real estate promotion evolved. New residential developments emphasized planning, privacy, and community identity, while commercial properties along the parkway gained importance as stable, centrally located business addresses.
When Calabasas incorporated as a city in 1991, Calabasas Parkway was already well established as a primary commercial corridor linking Old Town Calabasas with newer residential areas.
Today, Calabasas Parkway stands as a physical record of the city’s development patterns. Its buildings and land uses reflect shifts from ranch land to suburb, from utilitarian roadways to planned infrastructure, and from simple real estate offerings to a mature community shaped by decades of growth. Seen through a historical lens, the parkway is not merely a road, but a reminder of how transportation, land division, and real estate development collectively shaped modern Calabasas.
Brian Sturges is a Calabasas resident and a Realtor and Senior Real Estate Specialist with Rodeo Realty. He can be reached at (424) 239-9339.
