Toluca Lake Magazine Issue Archive
March/April 2018
As we look forward to the annual Toluca Lake Earth Day festival and Taste of Toluca, one of the neighborhood’s signature annual events, our Green Issue celebrates all things fresh, seasonal and eco-conscious. In the cover story, environmental advocates and longtime area residents Ed Begley Jr. and Rachelle Carson-Begley share how they built “the greenest home in America,” and how everyone can take steps toward an earth-friendly lifestyle. In addition to easy and stylish ways to save energy at home, we bring you healthy green-eating tips from a local nutritionist and a wealth of sustainable shopping options — from pioneering organic market Full O’ Life to the Magnolia Park green district to Toluca Lake’s own Discovery Shop. And while we’re talking vintage clothing, we’ve also got a historical feature chronicling how classic cinematic costumer Adrian made Toluca Lake his home in the 1930s.
Energy Efficiency 101
Want to green your home? Begin by assessing your current energy usage and then look for ways you can save.
Featured Pet: Jack
Jack was spotted crossing Riverside Drive from Trader Joe’s toward Pergolina on a busy Friday afternoon. When he was rescued, he weighed 1.8 pounds.
Welcome to Our Green Issue!
One of the things we love most about Toluca Lake is its natural beauty, and from what we’ve heard, many of you agree. That’s why, for going on seven years now, Toluca Lake’s Earth Day celebration has been one of the neighborhood’s signature annual events.
A Local Home Renovation Shows It’s Easy Being Green
Here’s how one Toluca Lake family applied green principles in their recent home renovation to save energy and water (and money!).
Garden Club Celebrates Valentine’s Day With Heart
Toluca Lake Garden Club members celebrated Valentine’s Day with hearts and flowers at their February 14 luncheon meeting at Bistro Garden.
Campo de Cahuenga Keeps History Alive
On January 14, the booming of live cannon fire, cheers and upbeat fiesta music resounded at Campo de Cahuenga in commemoration of one of the most important historical events in California history: the signing of the Treaty of Cahuenga in 1847.
Spring Greens From Full O’ Life
One of the hallmark features of Full O’ Life is its all-organic restaurant and café, which serves up healthy, from-scratch comfort food and fresh-blended juices and smoothies daily. We were lucky enough to score the recipes for the restaurant's popular Sunshine Salad and lemon-mustard dressing.
Toluca Lake Counts!
Over 20 Greater Toluca Lake community members volunteered to help with the Toluca Lake Homeless Count on January 23. This is the first year Toluca Lake was included in the annual Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count.
Farmers Markets in and Near Toluca Lake
By now, you probably know that you can find pesticide-free produce at your local farmers market. But do you also know that by shopping there you reduce your carbon footprint, too?
Shopping for a Cause at the Toluca Lake Discovery Shop
For a fun and easy way to reduce your environmental footprint while supporting a worthy charity, look no further than Toluca Lake’s own American Cancer Society Discovery Shop on Riverside Drive.
Green Eating and Living With Full O’ Life
Full O' Life general manager Cindy Moon, her husband, Gary Moon, and their son and grocery manager, Chris Moon, share their thoughts on health food trends today.
What Does It Mean to Eat Green?
Rémy Leigh Peters, a registered dietitian at the Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, shares her expertise on how natural, seasonal and organic eating can be better for you and for the planet.
Classic Costume Designer Adrian and His Toluca Lake Home
One of the most successful costumers in film history, Adrian became one of the most successful American couturiers as well — and he started that business in the garden of his Toluca Lake home.
Sustainable Shopping in Magnolia Park
The countless thrift, antique and consignment stores in Magnolia Park offer our community a fun and eclectic shopping experience like no other. You never know what you’re going to discover, so it’s like hunting for treasure in your own backyard.
Full O’ Life’s Legacy of Green Eating
When Kay and Edward “Barney” Matheson decided to repurpose an indoor skating rink to build health food store Full O’ Life in 1959, the couple unknowingly took the first step toward pioneering an organic food movement that would become mainstream decades later.
Going Green With the Begleys
Actor and environmental advocate Ed Begley Jr. and his wife, Rachelle Carson-Begley, spent five years building a house in Studio City that would meet his stringent sustainability requirements while fulfilling her aesthetic vision. The Begleys graciously showed us around their innovative home and shared their expertise on going green.