Alhambra - Any Information Would Be Greatly Appreicated! (Sacramento, Rowland Heights: living in, stores)

[timelesschild]

It depends on WHERE in Alhambra.

I would say that, as a general rule, Alhambra compares very much with eastern Pasadena. Alhambra does not have the grand estates that you can see in the southern portion of Pasadena, and Alhambra's Main Street is more mom-and-pop than Pasadena's. The Asian influence is very, very evident; many (if not most) of the businesses have their names written in one Asian language or another. There are also mainstream suburban businesses as well - there is a Target, a Costco, Appleby's, Denny's, etc., etc.

I actually like Alhambra better than Pasadena. That's just me though. I like the melting pot of cultures. I like mom-and-pop Asian businesses, and am not currently at a stage of life where glamorous nightlife (or upscale shopping) is a priority.

Here is your rule of thumb for Alhambra housing: the further north, the better. The schools are not stellar, although there are a few bright lights. ALL of our neighbor kids are either in private school, or out-of-district in a better-performing school district.

[ubringliten]

Any neighborhoods north of Main St/Las Tunas are very nice and quaint. Tree-lined streets, large front yards, mostly custom old houses, and steps away from Old Town Pasadena and Asian Oasis.

[Ranch resident]

Originally Posted by timelesschild

It depends on WHERE in Alhambra.

I would say that, as a general rule, Alhambra compares very much with eastern Pasadena. Alhambra does not have the grand estates that you can see in the southern portion of Pasadena, and Alhambra's Main Street is more mom-and-pop than Pasadena's. The Asian influence is very, very evident; many (if not most) of the businesses have their names written in one Asian language or another. There are also mainstream suburban businesses as well - there is a Target, a Costco, Appleby's, Denny's, etc., etc.

I actually like Alhambra better than Pasadena. That's just me though. I like the melting pot of cultures. I like mom-and-pop Asian businesses, and am not currently at a stage of life where glamorous nightlife (or upscale shopping) is a priority.

Here is your rule of thumb for Alhambra housing: the further north, the better. The schools are not stellar, although there are a few bright lights. ALL of our neighbor kids are either in private school, or out-of-district in a better-performing school district.

I agree that neighborhoods in Alhambra, like most communities, can vary widely. If you are looking for a classic old-style neighborhood, then yes, north of Main fits the bill. However, there are many neighborhoods south to I-10 that are very nice indeed. I think a forgotten part of Alhambra is the Midwick area, south of Hellman between Atlantic and Fremont. This is a solid middle-to-upper middle class area that will appeal to you if you are a "hill person." Interesting comment about the schools - I was educated in the Alhambra district (although I grew up in Monterey Park). While I recognize that it is only a single measure of a school's performance, the APIs of the elementary schools in Alhambra range between 760 and 844, which is certainly not a red flag in my opinion. (The Alhambra schools located in M.P. are all ranked over 800, which I believe is a reflection of the higher Asian demographic there.) The recommendation in another post to visit the community (and do your homework) is good advice!

[VillageLife]

The Midwick area is one of the popular areas.Very quiet and family oriented.Some nice hilly sections.

[mrg322]

Thank you all for the information - I really appreciate hearing what locals have to say about an area. I am coming to California next week to look at both law schools and neighborhoods around them. I will definitely spend a night or two in Alhambra. Boid, I will probably pm you, considering that we do have quite a bit in common. I'd really like to hear about your experience at Southwestern, and in California generally. Again, thanks to all of you for your posts. I have learned a lot about the area that I didn't know before!

[happ]

I've always liked Alhambra as a typical quiet San Gabriel valley town [except the Phil Specter Murder Trial]. I lived near Alhambra many years ago & would visits friends who lived there. Very peaceful mix of Asian & Latinos.

[Jay100]

Why would anybody go to LMU and live in Alhambra? The northern parts, like near the San Marino border are ok but the rest of it is lifeless or something. Ambulances and sirens abound. I would never hang out there and would not feel comfortable but that's just me.

If you're Asian then you will fit in well.

[Boid]

Originally Posted by mrg322

Thank you all for the information - I really appreciate hearing what locals have to say about an area. I am coming to California next week to look at both law schools and neighborhoods around them. I will definitely spend a night or two in Alhambra. Boid, I will probably pm you, considering that we do have quite a bit in common. I'd really like to hear about your experience at Southwestern, and in California generally. Again, thanks to all of you for your posts. I have learned a lot about the area that I didn't know before!

How was your trip to California?

[mrg322]

Originally Posted by Boid

How was your trip to California?

Quite productive actually! I have made a decision as to which law school I will be attending (Southwestern, without a doubt) and got to spend some time looking around Alhambra, downtown L.A. and what is known as "mid-city" or the mid-Wilshire district? Sorry if I got that wrong..

The choice between Loyola and Southwestern was actually pretty easy... I had expected many a sleepless night debating between the two. I'm sure you know, Boid, that Southwestern is lower in the rankings than Loyola is, but with the scholarship offer I've received from Southwestern, I just can't turn down their offer of acceptance. And to be quite honest, I just wasn't as impressed with Loyola's campus as I was with Southwestern's.

As for the trip to L.A. generally, I always have a fantastic time when I'm there. I really did like Alhambra, but after spending some time looking around the neighborhoods, I'm wondering if it might be out of my price range. I've since started looking for apartments in the mid-Wilshire district as well, which I found vibrant and near to other areas of interest to me. Alhambra's distance from the downtown area worried me a bit - I expect to spend much time in traffic (Lord knows I sit in it here in Phoenix, AZ often enough these days) but am wondering if it might be more beneficial to locate myself closer to the school.

Is it alright for me to pm you sometime? I've never used that feature on this site, and am not sure how one goes about it, but I assume its like an e-mail or instant message. I'd love to chat with you in a more in-depth fashion about all things California, Alhambra and Southwestern...

Thanks again for the responses by all!

[alaplex]

For all those that thuough I implied that all Chinese are unsanitary I apologize. But you definitely can make generalazations about a culture. Keep in mind, there is a big difference between how people behave individually and how they behave as a culture. (Sociology 101). I don't need to defend what I said. All one has to do is walk into the meat department of Ranch 99 in Alhambra or Rowland Heights and the proof is in the pudding. It ain't Vons Pavillions my friend.