We have lived in our home for 23 years, having moved to the neighborhood in 1997. We remember it was in October because we met our first neighbors, Richard and Caroline Nahas, great friends who still live across the street, when they let us know that we were woefully unprepared for the Toluca Lake Halloween experience! There are so many things we love about our neighborhood: the peaceful tree-lined streets, the beautiful homes, the central location, but most of all the camaraderie and neighborliness of the people. Families stay here for generations, which contributes to the history and close-knit feel of the area. We’ve had close friends in the neighborhood for decades, something we don’t take for granted and know is unusual in a city as sprawling and transient as L.A. Also, it’s an idyllic neighborhood in which to raise a family and our kids love it.
We are really enjoying having the entire family together, something we know is unique to the quarantine and won’t last. While it’s hard for our older kids and their social lives, and we are sorry that important events like our daughter’s graduation are up in the air, there have been many special moments as well. And the Wi-Fi has held up, even with nonstop FaceTiming and Netflix-streaming.
We’ve seen friends and neighbors coming together at a safe social distance, meeting in the street and on the sidewalks. It has been wonderful to see how the neighborhood has blossomed during the last few weeks, with so many more people out walking, jogging and biking. We’ve met new neighbors and seen people that we haven’t seen in months or years stopping by to have conversations from six feet away. This is one thing we hope continues post-pandemic.
We send love and health to all of our neighbors and hope that the camaraderie — which is always great and has increased since mid-March — can continue once restrictions are lifted. We love seeing everyone outside enjoying the beauty of our neighborhood, and we savor your picturesque lawns and lovely spring flowers!
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