Since the Silver Lake Reservoir was completed in 1907, the neighborhood's identity has coincidentally conformed to the story of L.A.'s evolution throughout most of the 20th century.
Van Nuys considers itself "The Heart of the Valley," though given how it's regarded by surrounding Valley neighbors, it's treated more like an armpit. And the locals are just fine with that.
No matter what kind of food was presented to them, participants in a recent Cornell study rated foods healthier if it was written by a thinner blogger versus an obese one.