Pasadena

In most other places in the country, Pasadena (like Burbank and Glendale) would be considered either the premiere location around or the strongest secondary city. It is a testament to how monstrously large and powerful Los Angeles is that it sustains so many satellite cities in its orbit.

Pasadena, however, truly has the size and complexity to be considered in its own terms. It has a commercial sector, a beautiful hill section with a grand football stadium and amusement park. It has more than one excellent museum, two very good colleges, and also a run down area where shootings and police aircraft are a common occurrence. It has a main shopping drag where you can get great first class food, or go at night to dance and get a drink. It has great historic buildings and neighborhoods, and it also has boring suburban neighborhoods filled with Ranch Homes.

Put simply, Pasadena is a microcosm for the whole So Cal area, containing in miniature, the complexity of the entire South Land. If you can’t find it in Pasadena, then it probably doesn’t exist in So Cal.

Pasadena is one of the largest cultural centers of the Los Angeles area. Originally a resort community for East-Coast wealthy on holiday, it is now a major commercial, residential, educational and cultural center, with facilities exceeding all but a few cities west of the Rockies.

There are a lot of 'brains per square mile' here, with Cal Tech and Jet Propulsion Laboratory being close by. Pasadena's heritage shows today in dozens of historical homes, many built by world-famous architects Greene and Greene. The most notable of these is the Gamble House, which is now a museum with tours of the home. The Norton Simon is an international quality art museum.

Most visitors to Pasadena focus on the Downtown area. The Downtown area also has major shopping, and the Pasadena Playhouse and Civic Auditorium are both regional performing art centers.

The New Year's Day Tournament of Roses Parade (and associated Rose Bowl football game) are an international event, with the 5+ mile parade route lined with an estimate million viewers.

Although Pasadena is a large enough city to have areas which are less safe, for the most part it is a safer city than average (especially for its size), and offers considerably more cultural, educational and other opportunities.

[reviewer works in this city - visits weekly]