Welcome to Pasadena
The exquisite city of Pasadena is one of the oldest in Los Angeles County, being incorporated in 1886. Today’s Pasadena retains many elegant historic buildings from its early founding, giving the city a feeling of old magnificence.
Many of the most attractive historic buildings can be found lining the streets of Pasadena’s Old Town, a 21-block district full of upscale shopping, restaurants, patio cafés, nightclubs, and comedy clubs. This thrilling and refined district is one of the region’s major hubs of culture and commerce.
Other shopping options include the charming Rose Bowl Flea Market, with a dizzying array of antiques and other goods on sale. The Flea Market is a Pasadena institution, operating on the second Sunday of each month since 1967.
EXTRAVAGANT ANNUAL EVENTS
This vibrant community hosts several renowned annual events, with the most historic being the Rose Parade. Floats covered in upwards of 100,000 flowers move through the city’s streets each New Year’s Day, in celebration of the warm climate Pasadena enjoys throughout the winter. In 2018, the parade featured some 44 floats, 400 horses, and 21 marching bands.
The Rose Parade leads into the nation’s most attended college football game, the Rose Bowl.
The Parade has also sparked a popular event satirizing its extravagance, with the farcical Doo Dah Parade drawing large crowds on the Saturday closest to May Day.
Other cultural institutions and events include the Pasadena Symphony and traveling Broadway shows held at the Civic Center, along with several high-quality locally-based theater companies.
BREATHTAKING HOMES
Pasadena’s extraordinary architecture includes the delightful Bungalow Heaven, a neighborhood of more than 800 exquisite craftsman homes built between 1900 and 1930.
American Craftsman masterpieces abound along upscale Orange Grove Boulevard, long known among locals as ‘Millionaire’s Row.’ The exquisite properties here include several legendary homes owned by some of the United States’ most successful entrepreneurs. William Wrigley Jr., of Wrigley’s chewing gum fame, donated his beautiful Italian Renaissance mansion to the city, and it now serves as the headquarters for the Rose Parade.
The Gamble House is another heart-skipping Orange Grove Boulevard masterpiece. Created for Procter & Gamble’s David Gamble and family, this exquisite Japanese-influenced bungalow exudes the finest in Pasadena’s distinctive style.
