Name Game: The Los Angeles Lakers

Lately, there has been buzz about the name of the potentially new NFL team to come - theoretically - to Los Angeles. That question of a new team's name, along with recent criticism of our current hometown team, I had to look to see if the Lakers name is appropriate, and I think it is.

Looking just at the City of LA, we have over 20 lakes and still bodies of water. So, though the Lakers came here from the "Land of a Thousand Lakes," in our urban metropolis having 23 lakes & bodies of water is quite impressive. (Remember, we're not counting all those backyard pools, elaborate fountains [think The Grove], reflection ponds, and coy ponds scattered throughout the City.)

So, below is the list of "lakes" in the City, most of which are either reservoirs or glorified (& enhanced) former swamps and "low spots":

Lake Machado, Harbor City (made popular by the elusive "Reggie the Alligator")

Lincoln Park Lake (formerly East Lake), Lincoln Heights

Lake Balboa, Sepulveda Basin (Encino/Van Nuys)

MacArthur Park Lake (formerly West Lake), MacArthur Park

Echo Park Lake, Echo Park

Stone Canyon Reservoir, Bel Air

Franklin Canyon Reservoir, Los Angeles ("Beverly Hills Adjacent")

Lake Hollywood (Hollywood Reservoir), Hollywood

Eagle Rock Reservoir, Eagle Rock

Los Angeles Japanese Garden lakes, Sepulveda Basin, Van Nuys

Los Angeles Reservoir, Sylmar

Girard Reservoir

Hollenbeck Lake, Boyle Heights

Reseda Park Lake, Reseda

Encino Reservoir, Encino

Ernest Debs Park Reservoir (pond), Montecito Heights

Toluca Lake (there are actually 2 of them: one in the L.A. community of Toluca Lake and a smaller one in Burbank)

Silver Lake Reservoir, Silver Lake (also the Ivanhoe Reservoir adjacent to it)

Del Rey Lagoon

Rowena Reservoir, Franklin Hills

Chatsworth Reservoir, Chatsworth (now dry with a small nature pond)

Pond (in the shape of a "Mexican guitar") from a natural spring at Los Encinos State Park, Encino

Hansen Dam Lake, Lake View Terrace