South Arroyo

The Norton Simon. That’s where I have to start if I’m talking about South Arroyo. The Norton Simon is one of the really great museums in not only Southern California but on all of the West Coast. It doesn’t have the sheer size of the L.A. County Museum or the great views that you get at the Getty, but what it loses in size it makes up for in elegance. It is just a beautiful setting for the museum and the way that they organize the space just puts you in the right mental place for looking at the exhibitions. I haven’t been to it as much as I used to go before having kids, but I remember several memorable exhibitions—my favorite was of a series of sculptures by Rodin. Really exquisite. It is still a great museum, however. At the time of this writing for example, they have a Raphael portrait on loan from the National Gallery, an exhibition of Degas horse sculptures and an exhibition of historic Japanese art. (The Norton Simon always goes out of its way to get non-Western exhibits so that you get a well-rounded experience on every visit.)

The neighborhood to the south of the Norton Simon is a great historic neighborhood with palm-lined streets packed with Craftsman Style homes and occasional Chateau types. As you go farther up into hills past the water way that scars the center of the neighborhood and gives it its name, you get narrow lanes with lots of bushy or ivy-draped fences obscuring the beautiful homes that hide away in this area. This area is forested and hidden away, and it gives you the feel of being at a ski resort, though you are right on the edge of the largest west coast city in the Americas.

The neighborhood is also filled with schools and parks. It is home to Pacific Oaks Children’s School and San Rafael Elementary—both good schools. Westridge School for Girls is also in the neighborhood (a private school for girls). You will find a series of small but leafy parks, hidden away on streets where you might not expect them.

At the southern end of South Arroyo you will also find some really nice apartments. Rents are fairly high in the neighborhood because of how nice it is but well worth it if you can afford it.

South Arroyo is a nothing short of typical California shopping debauchery. Don’t let the excellent shops and pristine drives fool you. South Arroyo is stuck up and they don’t make any excuses for it. I’m a jean and tee-shirt kind of girl and I remember walking around in South Arroyo with such attire, you should have seen the stares that I got. Not to mention the lack of ethnicity groups in this area. All I saw were white suburban housewives dressed up in fancy pumps, carrying large hand bags going from shop to shop. If you love shopping and can get over the fakeness of the area then I recommend all the more coming out in this area. The houses are extremely nice. Long arched drives, colorful gardens and charming mid century bungalows. Interstate 110 passes through the area which can make traffic a little heavy at times. I would avoid taking the 110 during rush hour. Pasadena has more relaxing neighborhoods with downscaled shopping plazas and great cafes.