Toluca Lake Magazine Issue Archive
November/December 2019
This issue represents our season’s greetings to you, full of stories that combine our year-round local love with a twinkle of holiday spirit. In addition to updates on neighborhood festivities past and future, we’re bringing you our annual shopping guide to inspire your gift-giving now and year-round. Giving is also the focus of our interview with prominent philanthropists Michael and Caroline Cusumano, who share their memories of growing up in Burbank and Toluca Lake, what this community means to them, how they’ve shaped the local landscape through real estate projects and civic involvement, and their favorite local places and holiday traditions. And don’t miss our winter culinary coverage — from steaming mugs of coffee at cozy cafes to nourishing bowls of soup that feed the hungry, it’s sure to warm you body and soul.
Seasonal Shopping
Brighten your holidays with gifts from the heart of the neighborhood.
Local Landscape
“We’ve always had a lot of faith that this would be a great place for businesses to come and for people to live,” says Michael Cusumano, president of the Cusumano Real Estate Group.
Soup Goddess Is Stirring Up Good
For Elizabeth “Lizzie” Meyer and her son Dillon, soup is much more than a comforting meal — it’s an opportunity to make a difference.
Recipe: Winter Is Coming
Warm up this winter with a Soup Goddess creation in the comfort of your own home.
Local Coffee Shops Are Grounded in Community
Toluca Lake might not get as frosty as other parts of the world, but that doesn’t change the fact that a nice cup of coffee can warm the body and the soul.
Celebrate the Season at the Holiday Open House
The community’s biggest event of the year, the Toluca Lake Holiday Open House, will be held on December 6 in the Village.
Spooktacular Spirits
Toluca Lake residents continued to raise the bar (and, in some cases, the undead) in their Halloween celebrations this year.
A Warm Welcome to Winter
Once again, the end-of-year rush of back-to-back celebrations is upon us, as time seems to accelerate from Halloween to New Year’s.
Fritz Coleman Comedy Benefit Stands Up for Local Organizations
Toluca Lake’s honorary mayor returned to the stage at the Garry Marshall Theatre to support the arts and businesses in our community.
Featured Pet: Butters
This sweet bulldog is a fixture around Toluca Lake, whether he’s stopping in for some treats at Toluca Mart or saying hello to his buddies at the Toluca Lake Dry Cleaners.
A Festive Family Fairy Tale
Toluca Lake residents and theatrical producers Kris and Becky Lythgoe are inviting local families to celebrate the season with a panto.
Cleanup Keeps Our City Beautiful
Bright and early on October 20, a group of neighborhood volunteers rolled up their sleeves and helped clear trash, weeds and debris from a stretch of Riverside Drive.
GTLNC and TLBP Recognized for Freeway Improvements
The Greater Toluca Lake Neighborhood Council and Toluca Lake Beautification Partners were honored for improving and maintaining local 134 Freeway on-ramps.