America's Suburb.com is now known as The Valley Observed. It's now a blog too, and that makes it a cousin of the other website about Los Angeles that I publish, LA Observed. The two blogs are similar and yet distinct, like the Valley and the city themselves.

Everything about Valley history and lore that used to be here is still here, it's just a lot easier to find now. Switching all the old pages to blog entries means you can now search the site. There's a handy search box at the top left of every page that will bring up every mention of, say, Canoga Park or Ritchie Valens or the Portola expedition. Entries are also grouped into categories listed on the left side. Clicking on Reader memories, for example, will let you browse all of the great emails I have posted with reminiscences about simpler times. Seeking information is where readers ask about places they remember or some detail of Valley lore.

The new format and software makes it much easier for me to update the website, so I'll be posting more. Not just about history and lore, but also news and observations about the culture of the Valley as a place that is both a lot like Los Angeles, and a lot different. I hope you'll find enough to make you want to return often.

I'm still cleaning up loose ends and dead links, so bear with me for awhile. I'm pondering whether to turn on public comments; they take time to set up and to manage, and I haven't decided yet if I have the time. Watch for other improvements as I get them ready to go.

The foundation of this website remains the research for my book The San Fernando Valley: America's Suburb. If you are a fan of the Valley or its history, you'll want to own the only book that scrupulously reports on the Valley's story and and gives it the respect it deserves. The book can be purchased at many bookstores, through the publisher Angel City Press and at Amazon.com.