Bad Areas of South Pasadena? (Los Angeles, Rialto: showing, travel, house)

[Sorcerer68]

Originally Posted by Atlantasfinest

I'm headed to LA this weekend for a wedding and I think I'm going to pay Hi-Life Burger a visit! The eat-in version of Hi-Life is all I ever knew since I moved to South Pas from Alameda in 1991. There used to be a old time candy/ice cream store that was excellent that was across the street from Thrifty's on Fair Oaks...anyone knows the name of that spot and if it is still open?

If you're talking about the Fair Oaks Pharmacy and soda fountain, it's still open, est 1915.

[Atlantasfinest]

yeah that was it, got a chance to stop in there this past weekend. Still good as I remember .

[Socal2Bham]

Originally Posted by Atlantasfinest

There used to be a old time candy/ice cream store that was excellent that was across the street from Thrifty's on Fair Oaks...anyone knows the name of that spot and if it is still open?

Sorcerer beat me to it. The current owners of the Fair Oaks Pharmacy have owned it since 1985? They bought that huge wooden bar/soda fountain piece in St. Louis so it is not original to the pharmacy but still very cool and they've done a great job keeping the traditional look to the place.

I was sad to hear they just closed the Rialto Theater the other day though.

I'll be back there for a visit next month.

[Atlantasfinest]

Originally Posted by Socal2Bham

I was sad to hear they just closed the Rialto Theater the other day though.

I'll be back there for a visit next month.

Damn that sucks... I remember the Rocky Horror Picture show being a popular late night movie there!

[TrojanDLA]

Are they going to convert the Rialto into $700,000 900sq.ft. lofts?

[Socal2Bham]

Originally Posted by TrojanDLA

Are they going to convert the Rialto into $700,000 900sq.ft. lofts?

Although I'm sure you were just being sarcastic, nope, it's a historical landmark so it won't be torn down. They're just not showing movies there anymore. Not sure what they are going to do with it. Just letting it sit there seems a shame.

[Sorcerer68]

Originally Posted by TrojanDLA

Are they going to convert the Rialto into $700,000 900sq.ft. lofts?

Over my dead body. I'll buy it before that ever happens. What happened to the Raymond will NOT happen to the Rialto! My family has been walking to the Rialto for 70 years.

[hollandv]

Late 2002 I bought a house at auction that had been owned by Metro (not to be confused with CalTrans) for many years. It was a cosmetic disaster but I could see the potential.

The Gold Line runs along the longest edge of my property, and I'm smack-dab up against a grade crossing. The crossing arms flash and the bells ding every time a train passes by, hundreds of times a day.

You might think that would be a hair-pulling intrusion, but honestly it is barely noticeable. The train travels much more quietly than most pick-up trucks on the street, and the bells are quite muffled.

Maybe it's because of my city roots, but I enjoy the train as my neighbor. When it rolls by I feel connected, part of a larger system. Looking into the warmly lit train-cars at night from my sedond story, I see people returning from work, reading their papers or just relaxing. It's a pleasant sight.

The explosion of city lofts has capitalized on this kind of ambiance, embraced the hustle of urban life and incorporated it into the loft-style. I feel fortunate to have a loft-like experience in my detached home and private yard.

There's a move in town to add "privacy screens" to the top of the wall that divides properties like mine and the rail line. I refused to have it added to my section. The wall is attractive and offers more than enough privacy. Why would I care to obstruct my view with an ugly addition? If you've traveled on the Gold Line, you know that even at slow speeds it's impossible to focus on adjacent properties long enough to invade their privacy.

So, to anyone considering a spot near the rail line, keep my experience in mind.

[Rhee Ali Tee]

There are no bad areas in South Pasadena if you were born into this close-knit community. However, if you're coming from outside that's another story. As a family, who has lived here for two years now, we have been kept in the corner, just like our son is in his clasroom at school. He's an excellent 2nd grade student, and a great reader, he's just not one of the "community." This city pretends to be a green, tree city, that is hip and values the past. But it's all on the face. They put up a pretend fight to stop a freeway from coming through, and yet have done nothing to scale back two enviromental nightmares in Fair Oaks Boulevard and Fremont Avenue. They are both crowded and polluted and nothing is done about it.

Additionally, we have lived a life of discrimination here as a mixed couple and our son has been the object of prejudicial comments on more than one occasion by other children at the school. When we first attended our child's new school, we were supposedly assigned to a partner family as a part of a new parents program, but this new parent contacted us once with nothing to say. I met this same parent at a birthday party later, and she showed no warmth whatsoever. In fact, she acted like she didn't even know me. Since then we've been lucky if anyone has had any contact with us from the teacher of our child's current class to the PTA we've joined and any other organization that we've donated to--all to help the schools. Truthfully, that's the only time they do contact us, is when they want money.

Additionally, the city government is filled with a lot of face, and no substance as evidenced on their public access. If I were you I wouldn't consider coming here. It's extremely overpriced and over-rated. Even if you're a racist, you may be sickened by how two-faced it is. After living here, I have more respect for those who show me who they are up front, good or bad, and not hide it behind your back. If you must move to this area, consider San Marino, which will likely hold its value over time, and Arcadia where our son was born is also a nice place.

[UB50]

Originally Posted by Rhee Ali Tee

There are no bad areas in South Pasadena if you were born into this close-knit community. However, if you're coming from outside that's another story. As a family, who has lived here for two years now, we have been kept in the corner, just like our son is in his clasroom at school. He's an excellent 2nd grade student, and a great reader, he's just not one of the "community." This city pretends to be a green, tree city, that is hip and values the past. But it's all on the face. They put up a pretend fight to stop a freeway from coming through, and yet have done nothing to scale back two enviromental nightmares in Fair Oaks Boulevard and Fremont Avenue. They are both crowded and polluted and nothing is done about it.

Additionally, we have lived a life of discrimination here as a mixed couple and our son has been the object of prejudicial comments on more than one occasion by other children at the school. When we first attended our child's new school, we were supposedly assigned to a partner family as a part of a new parents program, but this new parent contacted us once with nothing to say. I met this same parent at a birthday party later, and she showed no warmth whatsoever. In fact, she acted like she didn't even know me. Since then we've been lucky if anyone has had any contact with us from the teacher of our child's current class to the PTA we've joined and any other organization that we've donated to--all to help the schools. Truthfully, that's the only time they do contact us, is when they want money.

Additionally, the city government is filled with a lot of face, and no substance as evidenced on their public access. If I were you I wouldn't consider coming here. It's extremely overpriced and over-rated. Even if you're a racist, you may be sickened by how two-faced it is. After living here, I have more respect for those who show me who they are up front, good or bad, and not hide it behind your back. If you must move to this area, consider San Marino, which will likely hold its value over time, and Arcadia where our son was born is also a nice place.

Have you tried reaching out to other people? Have you called this other parent partner and invited him/her over to your house or out for some activity? Or are you just sitting back waiting to be invited? Life is a two-way street, and sometimes you have to reach out if you want to be invited to other things.

I'm not sure what kind of a mixed couple you are since you don't specify but I can't imagine anyone discriminating unless you are some soft of strange mixed like "murderer/victim." People here tend to be accepting of everything: Gay/straight/all colors/all genders/even gang members/most religions. You have to be something really bizarre before people will steer clear of you.

Are you trying to sell Amway? That could be a problem. (Okay, okay -- I lied when I said everyone is welcome. There are some people who aren't totally welcome and that probably would include Amway salespeople and those from some religions that try to recruit -- but otherwise....)

Anyway, I would just try being a tad bit friendlier and see if that doesn't attract some flies. Los Angeles, for the most part, is very friendly to almost everyone. If you accept them, they are likely to accept you!