[1] By the early 1930s, Bonner has filed his plans and turned to noted Charles B. Hopper to subdivide the land and sell house lots.

It has been suggested that Bouton Lake, located on the golf course and formed in 1895 when drilling operations opened an artesian well, is the source for the name “Lakewood.” The Second World War began an era of profound change for the future Lakewood area.

Yet even as the defense workers moved into their new homes, the fields between South Street and Lakewood Village remained empty.

By 1949, most of the land comprising west Lakewood—some 3,500 acres (14 km2)—had been purchased for nearly $9 million by Louis Boyar, Ben Weingart, and Mark Taper.

From their experience as homebuilders in Long Beach and Norwalk, they knew that the Lakewood area was ready for planned development.

Together, they formed the Lakewood Park Corporation and, with the financial assistance of the Prudential Insurance Company, began building the first of 17,000 new homes.

It was the beginning of Lonnies Sporting Goods, Rex L. Hodges Real Estate and the First Lakewood Village Walk In Theater.

One can find several restaurants ranging from Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Greek, Mexican, and even Classic American food from Dale's Diner.