History
Toluca Lake – is a district in the northern Los Angeles/San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. Toluca Lake can be found at the southeastern San Fernando Valley between the city of Burbank, the Los Angeles district of North Hollywood and the unincorporated county area of Universal City. Toluca Lake’s boundaries are Cahuenga Boulevard, Clybourn Avenue, Camarillo Street and the Los Angeles River. Toluca Lake’s coordinates is latitude 34.15 & longitude -118.37. Toluca Lake can be found 12 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.

As of the year 2000, Toluca Lake had a population of 16,978. This figure could be further subdivided by gender, with male residents making up 49.7% of Toluca Lake’s population corresponding to a total number of 8,445. Female residents account for 50.3% of Toluca Lake’s population with a total number of 8,533. Majority of Toluca Lake’s residents are White Americans who make up 77.9% of the community’s population. The rest of Toluca Lake’s residents are from other racial ancestries namely: Black or African American was 6.4%, American Indian and Alaska Native was 0.4%, Asian was 5.9%, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander make up 0.1% of the community’s population, 5% come from other races; residents with Hispanic or Latino ancestry make-up 13% of Toluca Lake’s population. The median age for residents of Toluca Lake was 36.6 years.

There were a total of 9,704 housing units in Toluca Lake. Majority of these housing units are rented by tenants who account for 68.2% of Toluca Lake’s occupied housing units. 31.8% of these occupied housing units in Toluca Lake are occupied by their respective owners. There were 361 unoccupied housing units in Toluca Lake. Houses in Toluca Lake had a median house value of $383,900.

In the year 1923, the Toluca Lake area was a thriving ranch known for its excellent crops of peaches, apples, and walnuts. The Toluca Lake area was then known as the Forman Toluca Ranch. Now, Toluca Lake’s fertile groves have given way to the community’s beautiful streets filled with fine homes and estates.

The modern day community of Toluca Lake had its beginnings in 1930. This was made possible by the efforts of a syndicate of Hollywood financiers and developers who named the area Toluca Lake Park. Because of other promotional undertakings, the original developers and financiers left their Toluca Lake Park tract office. M.A. “Andy” Vargo (“Mr. Toluca Lake”), who had been a salesman with the company, started his own real estate office and was responsible for the later development of the Toluca Lake community.

Toluca Lake is also the setting for two scenic lakes — the original one on the North Hollywood side, the other in Burbank. Water originally came from springs from the outcropping of the Valley’s water table. Today, water for the Toluca Lake community is appropriated from wells at the lake’s edges to maintain the lake level. The entire Toluca Lake bottom was lined with four inches of asphalt concrete to prevent water seepage.

The original boundaries of Toluca Lake were Cahuenga Boulevard, Clybourn Avenue, Camarillo Street and the Los Angeles River. Old timers of Toluca Lake strictly stuck to these boundaries, and, in 1939, they were so included in the incorporation papers of the Toluca Lake Civic Association. Since then, other adjacent streets and areas have been included and are now associated with the Toluca Lake area.

The Lake is owned by home site owners surrounding its shores. To help preserve and maintain Toluca Lake, the Toluca Lake Property Owners Association, a mutual non-profit corporation, was formed in 1934 urged on by Park French, a resident of Toluca Lake.

A residence on Toluca Lake is undoubtedly one of the most serene and scenic home sites in the entire greater Los Angeles area. Abundant with fish for angling enthusiasts, Toluca Lake is also used for private recreational boating and swimming. Concealed from public view by shore line homes and the sprawling Lakeside Golf Club of the Toluca Lake community, the lake covers six acres, varying in width from 150 to 300 feet and in depth from 18 inches to 10 feet.

The first home in the Toluca Lake Community was built on Valley Spring Lane near the Lakeside Clubhouse and was later to become the home of Amelia Earhart, the famous aviatrix.

Due to Toluca Lake being situated just 12 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, Toluca Lake is preferred by Hollywood professionals who wish to take a break from the city life. It is very convenient for these personalities because Toluca Lake is still within the city limits yet offering a more tranquil environment. Toluca Lake is also very proximate to two major studios, Universal Studios to the south and Warner Bros. to the east.

The curving, tree-lined streets and diverse palate of homes in Toluca Lake is a favorite for television and movie scouts, and film crews are very frequently seen in the community.

Toluca Lake has its fair share of famous residents. Among film stars who first came to make their homes in Toluca Lake were Richard Arlen, W.C. Fields, Bob Hope, Ann Blyth, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Mary Astor. The next generation were Zazu Pitts, Ruby Keeler, Wayne Morris, Frank McHugh and Rudy Valle. Then came Gene Autry, Jimmy Brown, Keeley Smith, Dana Andrews, William Holden, Jack Carson, Dorothy Lamour, Doris Day, Red Foxx, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Ozzie, Harriet, David and Ricky Nelson, Wendell Niles, Sr., Audie Murphy, Jim Nabors, Sandra Dee, Bobby Darin, David Janssen and Tex Ritter. Then John Ritter, Joe Campanella, Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Andy Griffith, Jonathan Winters, Mala Powers, Ken Berry, Jackie Joseph, Goldie Hawn, Denver Pyle, Garry Marshall, Paul Henning, Roger Perry and JoAnn Worley, James Garner, Angela Cartwright, Clint Howard, Donny and Marie Osmond, Robert Fuller, John Davidson, Linda Henning, Henry Winkler, Ron Howard, Dudley Moore, Alan Thicke, Swoosie Kurtz, Denzel Washington, Andy Garcia and others.

Here are some other interesting tidbits about Toluca Lake:
The oldest existing Bob's Big Boy, built in 1949, is in Toluca Lake, California, at the intersection of Alameda and Riverside Drive.
Taluca Lake is the site for the first ever The International House of Pancakes or IHOP which was founded in 1958.

The survival horror game series Silent Hill, which is set on a town named Silent Hill, is located near a large body of water called Toluca Lake which suggests a Southern California location.

DR. JOHN CHAVES
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