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Addresses
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TV Shows
The Grim Cheaper and I watch a LOT of television – something I’ve mentioned many times on this blog. Somehow we still miss quite a few shows, though, like George Lopez which ran on ABC from 2002 to 2007. Nonetheless, when a fellow stalker named Jonathan emailed me back in 2016 to let me know that he had managed to track down the main house from the series on a quiet road in San Fernando, I was thrilled as I figured many of my fellow stalkers would be interested in the find. One look at Street Views images of the pad had me immediately interested, as well. The picturesque Victorian was easily one of the most charming abodes I had ever laid eyes on. So onto my To-Stalk List it went!
The George Lopez house was originally built in 1885, making it the second-oldest home in San Fernando. (Ironically, the property that outranks it is known as Lopez Adobe. Located at 1100 Pico Street, the dwelling was constructed in 1882 for Valentin Lopez – no relation to George, at least not that I could find – whose family founded the area’s first post office and English-speaking school.)
Per a 2002 Chicago Tribune article, the idyllic Victorian was commissioned by Senator Charles Maclay, a founder of San Fernando, and his wife, Catherine Paxton Maclay.
The once grand home started to fall into disrepair in the 1960s, sadly, and by the time it hit the market in the late ‘90s, had become severely dilapidated. Gretchen and Abraham Guerrero saw through the rotted wood, shattered windows and cracked paint, though, and purchased the pad in 1997, immediately setting about on a massive restoration project that lasted more than five years. During the renovation, paint layers were stripped away, many original elements restored or re-created, two bathrooms were added (the pad initially only had one), and the attic space turned into a master suite. The result of their efforts is stunning.
Today, the 1,761-square-foot abode boasts 4 bedrooms, 3 baths (one with a footed tub), a 0.39-acre lot, a wraparound front porch, a fireplace, red oak flooring, 12-foot ceilings, and a modern kitchen with marble counters.
Considering George Lopez grew up in San Fernando, it is no surprise that the pad came to be used on the series, which was largely based on his life.
The property looks much the same in person as it did onscreen, though it has since been painted green, which Gretchen and Abraham believe is its original coloring. During their lengthy renovation, the couple happened to come across a stack of laurel-hued wood stashed away in an exterior closet which led to their hunch. They had the color matched and subsequently repainted the house, bringing it back to its initial glory.
The home only appeared in establishing shots on George Lopez.
Interiors . . .
. . . and the backyard were all part of a set located on a soundstage at Warner Bros. Studio where the series was lensed.
Big THANK YOU to fellow stalker Jonathan for finding this location! 
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Until next time, Happy Stalking!
Stalk It: The Lopez family home from George Lopez is located at 671 Fourth Street in San Fernando. Olympic Coffee Shop, from Sharp Objects, is just over a mile away at 12192 San Fernando Road in Sylmar.
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