In our last issue, we covered the community response to a surge in burglaries and attempted break-ins that tested the neighborhood’s sense of safety. This issue shows you the answer to that test. As you’ll read in our coverage of the fifth annual Neighbor2Neighbor Block Party, the partnership between the Toluca Lake Homeowners Association and Neighborhood Watch that led residents to organize and reclaim their streets has helped drive crime down by more than 80%. As Neighborhood Watch co-chair Robyn Allyn puts it, whether you call it Mayberry R.F.D. or simply Toluca Lake, this is home, and the people here have proven just how hard they’ll work to keep it that way.
That same spirit of showing up runs through the entire Out & About section, which covers an array of community gatherings during these warmer months, including the Chamber of Commerce’s Old-Fashioned Pancake Breakfast fundraiser for Fire Station 86, food and blood drives that helped neighbors in need, the Boys & Girls Club of Burbank and Greater East Valley’s yacht rock–themed gala supporting its vital youth programs and TLHOA’s rooftop “Hello, Summer” party high above Riverside Drive. We’re also proud to cover a true milestone: Toluca Lake’s first-ever LGBTQ+ Pride Festival, spearheaded by two local gym owners who organized the inclusive celebration in the Village in under a month, with the help and generosity of local businesses, organizations and residents.
In addition to the many events aimed at building community bonds and support for our neighbors, we highlight two more ways locals are turning personal passion into public good. Longtime resident and realtor Scott Morris has channeled decades of community service into a new platform helping fathers lead with more intention, while the Garry Marshall Theatre’s latest initiative carries forward its founders’ belief that access to the arts changes lives.
And finally, it wouldn’t be summer without a road trip. Historian Mary Mallory takes us on an imaginative journey back to the 1920s and ’30s, when giant doughnuts, jack-o’-lanterns and a decommissioned airplane lined our roadways as part of a wonderfully strange golden age of programmatic architecture. While only a handful of these buildings survive, their playful spirit fits right in with the sense of fun and whimsy so evident in Toluca Lake today.
We remain eternally grateful for your readership and for the support of our advertisers who make this magazine possible. I wish you all a bright and memorable summer.
