Toluca Lake

Blending an upscale village with a company town, the San Fernando Valley's Toluca Lake was designed in 1923 as the entertainment industry's first bedroom community. “Toluca Lake feels like the Hanock Park of the Valley,” says Realtor Scott Sorrentino of Sotheby's and Team Sorrentino, a Toluca Lake native with 36 years' experience selling luxury real estate in this area. “You’ll find large homes of a similar vintage, a local shopping village and a real community feel.” Designed in 1923, this walkable, square-mile enclave has historically been home to A-list movie stars like Bob Hope, Bette Davis and Bing Crosby; today you'll find neighbors like Viola Davis, Kelly Clarkson and Dakota Fanning. “Though you won’t see any paparazzi around here,” continues Sorrentino, "Toluca Lake has the Valley's largest conglomeration of high net-worth entertainers in a non-gated neighborhood.”

Surrounded by Burbank, Universal City, North Hollywood and Studio City, Toluca Lake is bisected by the 134, a mile south of the 101 freeway and near two stops on the Metro Red Line. A lushly landscaped 6-acre lake, once merely a natural spring, is this sleepy, sought-after community’s defining feature.

Most of Toluca Lake’s large homes are Spanish- or Mediterranean-style from the 1920s through the early 2000s, ranging from $2.5 million to $5 million. Set close together and cushioned by immaculate lawns and fluffy palm trees, these mansions tend to have four or five bedrooms and four baths, as well as backyard patios and swimming pools. You might spend up to $8.5 million for a Traditional lakefront home from the late ‘30s through 1950s, with up to six bedrooms and five baths on a generous lot. Requiring membership in the Toluca Lake Property Owners Association, these lakefront showcases have a $390 monthly HOA. West of Cahuenga Boulevard, you’ll find apartment-style condos in multi-story buildings from the ‘60s through just about now, with two-bed, two-bath units ranging from $670,000 to about $1 million, plus a monthly HOA between $500 and $630.

Here you’ll have studios like Warner Brothers, Disney and Universal all around you; at the latter’s sprawling outdoor mall, you’ll can catch the latest movies at an AMC multiplex theater. Linger over well drinks at local Catcher in the Rye, laugh ‘til you cry at the Haha Comedy Club, or catch a play (often with a TV-celebrity cast) at the 130-seat Garry Marshall Theatre. For outdoor entertainment, head to the emerald-green, 18-hole course at the private Lakeside Golf Club, which has counted Frank Sinatra and Jack Nicholson among its members; popular pursuits here are celebrity-watching on the fairways and enjoying the mile-long wine list in the elegant clubhouse. And about 4 ½ miles south, 160-acre Runyon Canyon Park is a hilly landscape of rugged, winding and climbing trails and steep flights of steps; you’ll have wow-factor views of Hollywood and hillsides as you huff alongside trainer-toned locals and unleashed dogs.

You can do most of your errands along and near Riverside Drive, from picking up your dry cleaning at Milt & Edie’s (pausing to read the daily inspirational quote on their streetside sign) to filling up your grocery cart at Trader Joe’s; nearby, you'll also find a Vons and Whole Foods. Start your day at the nation's oldest Bob’s Big Boy (open here since 1949) or with a latte and fresh-baked muffin at cozy Priscilla’s, then fuel the day at gourmet, fast-casual and family-owned Olive & Thyme or with sushi and sashimi at Kabosu. Enjoy a classic steakhouse menu in a red-leather booth at the old-school, dimly lit Smoke House; tuck into hearty enchiladas and stiff margaritas at longtime Mexican standby Don Cuco’s; and head to the indoor-outdoor Italian idyll of Ca’ Del Sole for lunchtime gatherings and fairy-lit date nights.

Most local kids attend private schools like local Saint Charles Borromeo, serving transitional kindergarten through Grade 8, and Studio City’s celebrity-friendly Campbell Hall, which teaches kindergarten through Grade 12. However, you’ll find one of Los Angeles Unified’s most desirable public schools here: Toluca Lake Elementary earns a 9/10 rating from GreatSchools, with a 10/10 score for its students’ academic progress. Other nearby public options include Walter Reed Middle, which earns a 6/10 and offers smaller learning academies that include environmental science, STEAM and humanities; and East Valley Senior High, rated a 3/10 and offering an Inclusive Media Magnet track for students pursuing media-based entertainment careers.

At the eastern end of LA’s San Fernando Valley, Toluca Lake is a sought-after enclave where you can enjoy a laid-back village feel but still live like a celebrity.

Written By

Melanie Wynne

Photography Contributed By

Piter Beyt

Video By

Luke Basinger