HOT HOUSES: Forget the myth that Toluca...

HOT HOUSES: Forget the myth that Toluca Lake is where old Republicans go to die. It’s no longer so, says Los Angeles magazine, which is touting the area as one of nine “brave new neighborhoods.� Because of its nearness to studios, Toluca Lake is attracting a savvy, young crowd. . . . Expensive though: Expect to pay $500,000 for anything decent. Twice that for something special, the mag says.

MADD HOUSE: The Los Angeles chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving has closed its main office in North Hollywood and laid off its staff, officials said Saturday. A slowdown in donations is blamed (B6). . . . “It’s painful to say but we’re no longer the charity du jour like we once were,� said Tom Schulte, a vice president. More than 16,500 people were killed nationwide in alcohol-related accidents last year; a million more were injured.

STRUTTING: Every float, marching band and drill team tells a story at the Pacoima Holiday Parade. Maria Bayardo Torres has watched 27 of the annual events, and related the saga of her life in the lively, changing suburb to staff writer Sharon Bernstein (B7). . . . Two dozen years ago, Torres said she was afraid to venture into the street. Today, neighbors are old friends. “Todos somos humanos,� she said.

CONSOLATION PRIZE: Two area basketball teams placed third in holiday tournaments on Saturday. In Delaware, Harvard-Westlake beat Bishop Loughlin of New York, 65-57. In Tennessee, CSUN defeated South Carolina State, 64-59. (C12) . . . “Third place is much better than fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth,� mused undaunted Harvard-Westlake Coach Greg Hilliard.