Named in 1922 by landowner Alex Ratner (c. 1878-1935), who saw his first success with a New York deli. Born in the Russian Empire (western Ukraine region), Ratner came to New York in 1899. After a short spell in Texas, he returned to Manhattan and partnered with brother-in-law Jake Harmatz on a kosher dairy restaurant in 1907 (not 1905 as often reported), which they dubbed “Ratner’s” although it was really Harmatz’s – especially after Ratner left the Big Apple for the San Fernando Valley in 1914 to soothe his lung problems. (The restaurant closed in 2002.) He brought along his wife Anne (née Harmatz, 1880-1954), who also hailed from the western Ukraine area, and their kids Maurice and Ida. A third child, Rose, was born here in 1915. The Ratners were among the SFV’s first Jewish residents and Alex has even been called the founder of Roscoe – today’s Sun Valley – because the general store he owned on San Fernando Road gave life to the fledgling community. He would later add a gas station and grocery. The Ratners themselves lived on a ranch on La Tuna Canyon Road.
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