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Calabasas

Folks in Calabasas like to think of their city as a mountain community, boasting a rustic, small-town feel with bold views of oak-covered hillsides and dramatic open skies. City fathers have kept a tight rein on growth since it incorporated in 1991.

Residents like Calabasas because it's close to Los Angeles but lacks the metro-area's frenzied pace. Others, particularly entertainment industry types, live there so they can telecommute from home.

The town's location also offers quick proximity to the coast beaches through Malibu and Topanga canyons.

Despite the rural overtones, Calabasas features a relatively new 200,000-square-foot shopping center with restaurants, retail and office space, a business park and a community center-health club. Eighteen publicly owned companies have offices in Calabasas, including Countrywide Credit Industries.

The city also has gone from 3 acres to 60 acres of city-owned park land. Juan De Anza Park offers 200 acres and serves as the gateway to the 6,000-acre Malibu Creek State Park.

Calabasas is a small, rapidly growing city that has served as the set for many films and television series, including ''M*A*S*H." It's known for its annual pumpkin festival, held by the Calabasas Chamber of Commerce each October.

Vital statistics

Location: Northwest Los Angeles County, about 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles. Neighboring cities include Agoura Hills and Hidden Hills. The city's northern boundary borders the Ventura County line.

Origin of name: The Chumash referred to the area as a place "where the wild geese fly." The name is derived from "calabaza," the Spanish word for pumpkin or gourd. According to legend, the area came to be known as Calabasas after hundreds of pumpkin seeds sprouted when a wagonload of pumpkins tumbled to the ground.

ZIP codes: 91301, 91302, 90290

Incorporation date: 1991

Type of government: Five-member city council with a city manager

Average annual high temperature: 90 degrees

Average annual low temperature: 40 degrees

Average annual rainfall: 13.6 inches

Elevation (near City Hall): 800 feet