Pasadena: ‘The City of Roses’

We all know Pasadena from the annually televised Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade. It’s so much more. The city offers a plethora of family-friendly musical and theatrical events, which will hopefully resume in the near future.

It’s also an art mecca. The Norton Simon Museum on Colorado Boulevard showcases an array of sculptures and paintings from Rembrandt to Degas. The immensely popular Huntington Library, Museum and Botanical Gardens in nearby San Marino has inspired locals and visitors alike for the past 100 years. Roam the Huntington’s internationally themed gardens and eclectic art exhibits. Other museums of note include the Kidspace Children’s Museum, USC Pacific Asian Museum and Pasadena Museum of History.

“No Place Like These Homes”
Ever since the 1920s, when Pasadena was said to have the highest per capita income of any city in the country, luxurious mansions dotted South Orange Boulevard, also known as Millionaires’ Row. Landmark homes, such as the renowned Gamble House, a quintessential example of an American Craftsman design built in the early 1900s for David B. Gamble of Proctor & Gamble fame, line the boulevard. The Tournament House, also known as the Wrigley Mansion, currently serves as headquarters for the Tournament of Roses. Explore the lush grounds, aptly bursting with 1,500 varieties of flowers.

Small Town Charm, Big City Culture
Pasadena takes great care to preserve its distinctive neighborhoods. In 1977, a group of concerned citizens founded Pasadena Heritage to ensure the town’s history and architectural beauty live on. Bungalow Heaven, another unique neighborhood, attained landmark district status in 1989. Here, families walk their dogs down real sidewalks past grassy lawns. Many of these homes were built during the Arts & Crafts period of the early 1900s.

Don’t let Pasadena’s small-town charm fool you. On a typical day or night, pre-pandemic, Old Town Pasadena, with its fashionable Victorian and art deco buildings, buzzes with activity. Trendy stores and restaurants provide a haven for those in search of a little culinary and/or retail therapy. We could certainly use more of that right now.

– Lori Berezin, Brand Publishing Writer