We have lived here for five years. Toluca Lake is a Leave It to Beaver type of neighborhood — everyone is so friendly and it’s so safe. We love the walkability to all of our favorite spots on Riverside, as well as the grocery store, Starbucks and more on Pass. But the best part of moving to Toluca Lake has been the friendships we have made! By just walking our baby around the block when we moved here, we met another couple the same age with a baby, and they introduced us to three other families in the neighborhood. Before quarantine, you could find us all hanging in one of our backyards on a Saturday — parents sipping wine and kids running around living their best lives! We can’t wait for many more weekends like that when things get back to normal.
Of course this Safer at Home order is hard, but we are doing pretty well now. We have accepted our new normal and are trying to stay present and positive. Our 4-year-old son, Smith, helps keep us busy and happy. We go on family bike rides and scooter rides on the quiet streets and have been playing with the water hose in the backyard, plus doing a lot of baking and arts and crafts. We have also bought a ton of old-school games like Jenga, Candyland and Guess Who? to keep us entertained. We have been writing letters to friends and family to stay connected, as well as writing messages in chalk in front of the house to our friends in the neighborhood who walk by. We know we are helping others by staying home, and I have been running all the errands for my mom to keep her safe at home.
I love walking around because I always see smiling neighbors who say hi, which means a lot during these crazy days. It’s so sweet when someone asks how you are. I also love seeing posts in groups online about neighbors helping their elderly neighbors and supporting local restaurants by still doing takeout. Plus, I see a lot of people raising awareness on how to donate clothing and supplies to local shelters and where to donate money.
Stay home and stay strong — we are all in this together! And don’t forget to wave and say hi; it might make someone’s day!
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