To illustrate the area’s geology and topography, for this test site we chose Vasquez Rocks as a location. Situated just a few miles north of the city’s boundaries in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, an area called Agua Dulce that may soon be annexed by the City of Santa Clarita, the park offers stunning rock formations due in part to its proximity to the San Andreas Fault complex. The park is named for a famous 19th Century bandit, Tiburcio Vasquez, who hid among the rocks to avoid capture by western posses.

Still, the city’s quality of life and beautiful Southern California surroundings makes it an attractive place to live and raise a family. The communities that comprise the City of Santa Clarita – Canyon Country, Newhall, Saugus and Valencia – have many locales that have been used throughout the years as backdrops or settings for feature films and television shows.

The associated review of iWeb is scheduled for publication in the May issue of ATPM. About This Particular Macintosh is one of the longest-running Apple-focused Internet magazines in publication today. We invites readers to follow along as we put iWeb to the test and make use of its many features and tools for creating a personal Web presence to celebrate life or one of life’s special events. Our review blog is updated frequently with comments and insights. It’s being used as a real time chronicle for the review as I continue to build this site.

Thank you for joining us on this journey. 

I’m a resident of Santa Clarita, California. It’s a newer California city (incorporated in 1987) and a city that is consistently ranked high on national lists for the quality of life provided to its residents. The city’s “family friendly” culture, low crime rate and beautiful city parks and pathways are among its hallmarks. We also have “Mayor Dude” Frank Ferry currently occupying the municipal top spot.

However, the city’s proximity to major fault lines, the scorching summer heat and high desert-like conditions pose a near-constant peril. The 2007 Buckweed Fire came within 100 yards of my back door and this accompanying photo taken last fall with an iPhone from my front door shows that “life at the edge” is never dull. For those of us who commute south from Santa Clarita via of the Interstate 5 and SR 14 freeways, driving through the Newhall Pass Interchange can be a daily adventure.

Santa Clarita, CA

Highlife and Hazards

At The Edge

ATPM

The Trains

Depending on where one lives in Santa Clarita, hearing the sounds of trains moving along the tracks can be a regular occurrence.  Freight trains and commuter trains frequently pass by shuttling people and goods to and through what had been remote communities but now comprise one of the largest cities in Los Angeles County. Though dwarfed by the population of the internationally famous city to the south that shares  its name with the county, Santa Clarita has very much come into its own.  The annual Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival pays homage to the area’s history and heritage.

Santa Clarita is home to the renowned California Institute of the Arts as well as College of the Canyons, one of the best community colleges in the state. The city is placing a priority on creating attractive parks while building indoor and outdoor recreation centers for its citizens. In late March the city officially opened its new outdoor skatepark and offers more than sixty miles of walking, hiking and biking trails. To reduce the impact of urban sprawl, Santa Clarita is using voter-approved funds to purchase undeveloped land for permanent preservation as open space.

Education and Recreation