Toluca Lake

Toluca Lake is a residential neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley built around a 6-acre (2.4-hectare) natural water body surrounded by tree-lined streets and single-family homes. The area covers gently rolling terrain with manicured front lawns, low fences, and wide sidewalks that wind around the central lake.

The neighborhood developed in 1923 when investors bought land from the former Forman Toluca Ranch and began building homes around the natural lake. Over the following decades, proximity to film studios and aircraft plants drew many people from the entertainment and aviation industries.

The central lake gives the neighborhood its name and remains privately owned by residents who maintain it together through decades of shared stewardship. Families use the quiet streets for walking and neighbors often meet at small cafes and restaurants along Riverside Drive.

The neighborhood sits about 12 miles (19 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles and connects through the Ventura Freeway and Riverside Drive. Streets work well for walking, and many visitors explore on foot to see the home architecture and lakeside paths.

Amelia Earhart signed her 1937 round-the-world flight plan under a tree in her lakeside yard, only a few miles from the Lockheed plant. Bob Hope lived here for over six decades, and his home became a gathering place for entertainers and industry figures.