Help on Pasadena Relocation (Glendale, Highland: vehicle registration, home, neighborhoods)

[AustenFan2]

I'm moving for work from Chicago to Pasadena and am looking for suggestions on good areas to live (think mid-30s female used to diversity/ease of city neighborhoods in Chicago like Wicker Park). Any suggestions would be extremely helpful. Also, what is the car situation? I have a Jeep and am told CA loves to penalize for SUVs.

[uptown_urbanist]

If you live anywhere along Colorado Blvd in Pasadena you'll have plenty of diverse, walkable neighborhoods to choose from. The area centered around Colorado and Fair Oaks is the center of what's officially called "Old Pasadena" (aka "Old Town") and is filled with both the big chains as well as a number of independent places, including a lot of nice restaurants. It's won a number of awards as an example of urban renewal, and is a nice, although somewhat yuppie, place to live, work, or just shop and eat. Heading east along Colorado there's the Playhouse District, home to Vroman's bookstore (largest independent in Southern CA) and a bunch of other things. Lake and Colorado has a lot of office buildings, but lots of restaurants and smaller shops, too. Head east towards PCC and Caltech and you get a bigger mix of smaller retail, restaurants, and a diverse mix of people (ages and ethnicities). Any of these areas are also on the Gold Line (light rail) and have good bus options and have a lot of basics within walking distance. I don't drive, but know people in Pasadena who own SUVs, so you'll be in good company.

[cuteazz1]

Nothing like Wiker park in Pasadena but I would stick to the Old Town neighborhood/downtown Pasadena.Old town Pasadena has a similar feel to downtown Oak Park in Chicago but a little more fun and bigger.

[AustenFan2]

Thanks. Is it worthwhile to expand my search to LA? I hear traffic is an artform in CA.

[uptown_urbanist]

Traffic is a nightmare; if you're based in Pasadena I wouldn't bother looking too far into LA, as I don't think you're going to any more likely to find what you want there then you would in Pasadena, and then you'd be stuck with a long commute. You could safely expand to consider northeast LA neighborhoods like Eagle Rock or Highland Park - those are close (Eagle Rock borders Pasadena), are very diverse, have some nice street life. Eagle Rock is the safer of the two, and has some great restaurants. It's walkable, and you'd be just minutes away from Pasadena. Parts of Glendale wouldn't be too bad of a commute, either.

[Nonis1977]

If you can afford to live in Pasadena. Live in Pasadena. I lived right on Colorado Blvd for a while. Just remember new years day and the Rose Parade. There are some other areas like the South Lake District that are nice as well. Your car is fine. Everybody drives SUV's. Our vehicle registration is expensive in comparison to other states that is where you will see "the penalty". Stay below the freeway if at all possible, otherwise you will hear the police helicopter pretty much every night.