4 Years in Pasadena - My Thoughts (Santa Clarita, San Marino: city hall, crime, mortgage)

[stone26]

I lived in Pasadena for 17 years, and moved away about 4 years ago, due to work obligations. I loved living there, and i miss it dearly. Pre-pandemic, I was still in Pasadena 1-2 days a week. A lot of what the OP says is true.

1.Where they lived, near Caltech, is a beautiful area. Most areas south of the 210 are great. The north-west area is kind of scary, and lots of gangs there. I still follow Pasadena news these days, and there have been quite a few shootings in that area in the last week or so, including a 10 year old who was shot standing in front of his house by Villa Park.

2. The public schools there are kind of neglected. I know this, as I worked with, and in, that system when I lived in Pasadena. It dates all the way back to the "white flight" in Pasadena schools when they integrated in the 70s. A lot of the white families just left, and formed private schools. And the private schools have just multiplied since then. I once read a statistic that there are more private schools per capita in Pasadena than anywhere else in the US. In most cases, the people who go to the public schools in Pasadena don't actually live in the neighborhoods where the schools are located.They have closed about 5 campuses in the last decade or so.

3. Yeah, when I was walking around in Pasadena (and I walked A LOT), I usually would just walk past you without saying anything as well. I was walking for a reason, either to get somewhere, or just for exercise, not really to make friends. It wasn't anything personal, wasn't anything rude, or angry, just on our own little missions.

4. The biggest things I miss about Pasadena is the nightlife, the food, and the proximity to stuff like Downtown LA, etc. I am not a big nightlife kind of guy, but I loved eating out late, and having a drink with a few friends. I didn't do the club scene there, but spent a lot of late nights in restaurants and bars. When I moved away, i started doing a lot more of my own cooking at home. It was a little bit of culture shock for me. lol

[Pro1000]

Originally Posted by blazenjames

Lived near Cal Tech. Random order:

1. Beautiful architecture especially the estates in nearby San Marino.
2. Went on daily multi-mile walks. People are generally rude. Will usually pass right by you like you don't exist. I always say hello and usually get a strange look like "who the hell are you?"
3. Love the location. Close-in yet removed from LA's filth.
4. Pre-Covid, a restaurant, museum, entertainment dream. Covid has ruined many benefits of living in Pasadena. Many places like Paul Martin's are closed for good.
5. Homelessness is nothing like LA but is increasing.
6. Super wealthy live here. Lots of Hollywood stars and super rich like Charlie Munger. Also the poor live here in not so nice apartment buildings. Starter single family homes are around $800k so not much middle class.
7. Public school system is sadly neglected. For a wealthy city like Pasadena the public schools are an embarrassment. Families with money send their kids to private and don't give a rip about public.
8. Happy to leave. While liking the location, architecture and services, being around generally rude and unhappy people was draining. Constant bad vibes. Strange because the city is great. Why are people so angry and rude?

If you're doing fine financially I still didn't really read enough faults for someone to say "that's it, enough is enough" for a city of Pasadena's caliber

[blazenjames]

Originally Posted by stone26

3. Yeah, when I was walking around in Pasadena (and I walked A LOT), I usually would just walk past you without saying anything as well. I was walking for a reason, either to get somewhere, or just for exercise, not really to make friends. It wasn't anything personal, wasn't anything rude, or angry, just on our own little missions.

Yes, this is Pasadena people. Selfish, narcissistic people on their own little missions without any regard for anyone else. Saying Good Morning to a person passing by just feet away from them is too much trouble. Best to put the head down and pretend they don't exist. This is why residents are perfectly fine with a disintegrating public school system and high crime in the NW section of the city. Doesn't affect them so who cares.

[highlanderfil]

Originally Posted by blazenjames

Doesn't affect them so who cares.

Of course it affects them. Crime spillover is still very much a thing.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by MrIndependent

That reminds me - can somebody help me understand why the public schools in Pasadena so awful? What's the reason? Will they ever improve in the near term or is it a quasi-permanent problem?

Mandatory school busing from 1970 contributed to it. PUSD schools are improving, though, especially a few on the elementary level. I grew up next door to Pasadena, and lived in Pasadena for a few years as an adult. It's a wonderful city.

[bobspez]

Originally Posted by blazenjames

Yes, this is Pasadena people. Selfish, narcissistic people on their own little missions without any regard for anyone else. Saying Good Morning to a person passing by just feet away from them is too much trouble. Best to put the head down and pretend they don't exist. This is why residents are perfectly fine with a disintegrating public school system and high crime in the NW section of the city. Doesn't affect them so who cares.

I think it's universally true that people in well to do neighborhoods are leery of strangers, especially if the strangers are younger. When we walk in our middle class neighborhood in NJ and say hi, people will say hi back, but we are in our 70's so are not seen as a threat. When I was younger, I was often viewed with distrust sometimes with hostile looks while walking through nicer neighborhoods in Staten Island, NY.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by blazenjames

Lived near Cal Tech. Random order:

1. Beautiful architecture especially the estates in nearby San Marino.
2. Went on daily multi-mile walks. People are generally rude. Will usually pass right by you like you don't exist. I always say hello and usually get a strange look like "who the hell are you?"
3. Love the location. Close-in yet removed from LA's filth.
4. Pre-Covid, a restaurant, museum, entertainment dream. Covid has ruined many benefits of living in Pasadena. Many places like Paul Martin's are closed for good.
5. Homelessness is nothing like LA but is increasing.
6. Super wealthy live here. Lots of Hollywood stars and super rich like Charlie Munger. Also the poor live here in not so nice apartment buildings. Starter single family homes are around $800k so not much middle class.
7. Public school system is sadly neglected. For a wealthy city like Pasadena the public schools are an embarrassment. Families with money send their kids to private and don't give a rip about public.
8. Happy to leave. While liking the location, architecture and services, being around generally rude and unhappy people was draining. Constant bad vibes. Strange because the city is great. Why are people so angry and rude?

OP, where are you from, that you expect strangers passing by to say hello? Failing to acknowledge your presence isn't rude in a big city like LA; it's simply part of big-city living. OTOH, if you're walking around your neighborhood, it's not too unreasonable to expect neighbors to be neighborly. But I'm old-fashioned that way. I grew up in Berkeley, where that was, and to some extent, still is, normal. I haven't run into that anywhere else on thee West Coast, though. If you adjust your expectations, you will no longer find people to be rude in that one respect.it would be a shame to give up on a place you seem to enjoy, just due to a misperception.

What about the "unhappy" and "angry" part? What's the story there? What makes you think that of passers-by?

Pasadena used to be a high-end beautiful neighborhood. I've seen posts here, though, in the past, saying that it's gone downhill. That would be a shame, if it were true. Your post doesn't sound like the change is noticeable to anyone who didn't grow up there, though.

Thanks for sharing your impressions.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Ze Goggles

I love Pasadena. It's so nice there. I love all the American craftsman houses.

The house that was featured in the series "Dallas" is there.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by blazenjames

Yes, this is Pasadena people. Selfish, narcissistic people on their own little missions without any regard for anyone else. Saying Good Morning to a person passing by just feet away from them is too much trouble. Best to put the head down and pretend they don't exist. This is why residents are perfectly fine with a disintegrating public school system and high crime in the NW section of the city. Doesn't affect them so who cares.

Good grief! Projecting, much? OP, I hate to say it, but you sound like the angry one. While yes, it's nice to offer a neighborly greeting while passing by, I don't judge people for not doing it. Lighten up. You may enjoy life, and Pasadena, more if you do.

[KemBro71]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Good grief! Projecting, much? OP, I hate to say it, but you sound like the angry one. While yes, it's nice to offer a neighborly greeting while passing by, I don't judge people for not doing it. Lighten up. You may enjoy life, and Pasadena, more if you do.

Yes.

And it's not like 99.99% of people walking/running these days aren't wearing headphones anyway.