Toco Hill Shopping Center
From : http://www.ajc.com
Q: The shopping center on the corner of North Druid Hills and
LaVista roads in Atlanta recently put up a huge, new sign that says
“Toco Hill.” Where does the name Toco Hill come from?
—Joni Pelta, Atlanta
A: “Toco” is believed to be a phrase that the original
developer, Clyde Shepherd, learned from a Brazilian Indian when he built
airbases in that country during World War II, according to past AJC
stories and the current owners of the shopping center, Edens. It is
reported to mean to “have better luck than you think you’ll have.”
Shepherd reportedly then paired the word with a hill that once was on
the DeKalb County property.
The original Toco Hill sign was put up along the road in the
middle of the 20th century, and it was torn down in the late 1980s or
early 90s, according to Edens, which is redeveloping Toco Hill shopping
center. Local Pizzaiolo, Hudson Grille, the vintage furniture and home
décor shop Westside Market and Spiller Park Coffee are among new and
planned eateries and shops.
The re-creation of the sign is based on the original — before
it was painted. The new sign is in the center’s new plaza area,
according to Edens, and integrated into the gathering space, which will
also have a fountain.