I grew up in the valley and went to Cal State Northridge also. (Grad 1990 - Gee to think 20 years is coming up . . . and I think my brain is just about done forming!)

I remember all of those places you mention.

This pic - http://flickr.com/photos/22414506@N02/2519032897/in/set-72157605233265416/ - is my old apartment. I lived there while going to CSUN. I lived in the apartment on the (former) second floor at the very end on the right looking in. The structure fell onto the car port. So, it's a story lower in the picture.

I remember my girlfriend pleaded with me not to go over the hill. But, I just had to see what happened. The first thing I saw after getting to the area was the CSUN admin tower still on fire.

That morning, we were living in a condominium in the southern part of the Santa Clarita Valley. Like many, I thought it was our last moments. I could hear - what I thought were - the beams in the walls racking against each other and being torn loose. The condo was wrecked.

I ran out of film and time. I could have spent a week down there.

It was amazing to run into people - years later - who were still displaced. Some people just never recovered.