Moving to LA/Pasadena. Advice? (Los Angeles, Orange: fit in, apartments, city hall)

[cmcgill]

My husband has taken a position at Caltech, so we are moving to the LA/Pasadena area from the East Coast in August.

We understand the dominant 'car culture' in LA, but we need an apartment in a neighborhood which would allow him to commute by public transportation to Caltech. (We don't currently own a car, and aren't sure that we can afford one immediately after the move. We need to be able to survive without a car, at least for a while.)

One option is to live in Pasadena (close enough to walk/bike/bus to campus). And I've heard that parts of Pasadena are quite walkable. (Our ideal, even when we have a car, is to walk/bike for day to day needs, and use the car on weekends. Are we dreaming?) Any advice on the Pasadena area? We are youngish (30something) urban people. Is Pasadena our parents' community? (No offense intended.)

Our online research suggests Los Feliz as a neighborhood we might enjoy (walkable, near public transpo, diverse), but we can't do a car commute to Caltech. If we live within walking distance to the Red Line Metro, would it be realistic to do a Metro (red line, then gold line, then bus or walk to campus) commute to Pasadea every day? Any thoughts on how long that commute would be?

People have told us that the Metro isn't a convenient way to get around. We can see from the maps that it reaches a limited number of areas, so it wouldn't be a good way to get around in general. But, if we live on the Red Line, and work on the Gold Line, is there some reason why it would be an inconvenient way to travel between work and home?

Any other advice you may have about the transition to LA -- especially about walkable neighborhoods, public transportation, and living in Pasadena -- will be appreciated.

Thank you!

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by cmcgill

My husband has taken a position at Caltech, so we are moving to the LA/Pasadena area from the East Coast in August.

We understand the dominant 'car culture' in LA, but we need an apartment in a neighborhood which would allow him to commute by public transportation to Caltech. (We don't currently own a car, and aren't sure that we can afford one immediately after the move. We need to be able to survive without a car, at least for a while.)

One option is to live in Pasadena (close enough to walk/bike/bus to campus). And I've heard that parts of Pasadena are quite walkable. (Our ideal, even when we have a car, is to walk/bike for day to day needs, and use the car on weekends. Are we dreaming?) Any advice on the Pasadena area? We are youngish (30something) urban people. Is Pasadena our parents' community? (No offense intended.)

Our online research suggests Los Feliz as a neighborhood we might enjoy (walkable, near public transpo, diverse), but we can't do a car commute to Caltech. If we live within walking distance to the Red Line Metro, would it be realistic to do a Metro (red line, then gold line, then bus or walk to campus) commute to Pasadea every day? Any thoughts on how long that commute would be?

People have told us that the Metro isn't a convenient way to get around. We can see from the maps that it reaches a limited number of areas, so it wouldn't be a good way to get around in general. But, if we live on the Red Line, and work on the Gold Line, is there some reason why it would be an inconvenient way to travel between work and home?

Any other advice you may have about the transition to LA -- especially about walkable neighborhoods, public transportation, and living in Pasadena -- will be appreciated.

Thank you!

move to Pasadena, either close enough to bike or walk or close to the bus line...Pasadena is very diverse, you will find everything and anything you want there.

I would suggest you consider a car after you get settled. There is so much to see and do in So California, but you will need a car. As some have mentioned, public Transportation in Los Angeles is not like the east or even the mid west. A car is part of So Ca life.

Nita

[trojerine]

I second nmnita. Live in Pasadena. It is safe, walkable and not even close to being a suburban wasteland. Los Feliz is nice too but not worth the hassle given your husband's job location.

And eventually you WILL want the convenience and extra mobility of having a car, even if you do not need it daily.

[drshang]

Caltech really isn't close to the Gold Line...I think that commute is unrealistic. And you will need a car, as Nita said, Southern California has so much to offer that can't be reached via public transit.

Pasadena is one of the most walkable cities in the LA area and has a lot of diversity in people and things to do. It is, however, quite expensive (around the same price as Los Feliz though). You can find a place in walking distance/biking distance to pretty much everything you need and if you want to go to downtown LA you can take public transit. Los Feliz is very nice too but not without a car if you're commuting to Caltech.

The biggest key to happiness in LA is living close to where you work. Luckily, where you work is in a great area, so my advice is to find a place within a mile or two of Caltech, in a walkable part of Pasadena. After you live here a year, you'll understand LA a lot more and be able to pick and choose a neighborhood that meets your needs. Neighborhoods in LA are VERY different, so it's important to find something that meets your individual vibe, and the only way to really figure that out is to live here and experience the different places.

Honestly though, given your profile and what you're looking for I'd probably recommend Pasadena anyway. The fact that you'll be working in Pasadena makes it a pretty easy choice for a place to live to get started here. Enjoy your stay.

[uptown_urbanist]

Don't live in Los Feliz. Los Feliz is wonderful, but the commute is not worth it. I don't drive, and initially lived in Hollywood and commuted to Pasadena by bus; not as bad as it sounds, but still, when you have nice neighborhoods right there in Pasadena why bother with the commute? (if you do live in Los Feliz in the end look into the 780 rapid bus - it will get you where you need to go and actually probably much faster than the red line to the gold line will. I got on the bus in Hollywood, then it went to Los Feliz then made its way over to Pasadena)

Pasadena is a wonderful place. THere are parts that are very walkable. I got around just fine without driving. Pasadena is not your parents' community, although there are parts that might be considered like that. I worked in Pasadena, lived in South Pasadena, and never drove in any of those places.

The area around Caltech and PCC is both affordable (the parts north of Colorado, I mean) and walkable, as well as safe and diverse. My son's former daycare was right near there (served a lot of Caltech parents, actually) and it was a nice neighborhood with a mix of ages and ethnicities. There's a gold line station on Allen; if I were you I'd consider looking in that area between Colorado and the freeway, so then you'll have access to the buses along Colorado as well as to the gold line, as well as could walk to Caltech.

Depending on budget you could also live somewhere closer to Old Pasadena (trendy, part of the big downtown core). (the area I mentioned above is still just a very short bus ride - or a bike ride - away from Old Pasadena) Old Pasadena has tons of restaurants and shopping, and has become a fairly significant regional draw. It's very historic, and has made its historic buildings into one of its biggest assets. You could definitely live around there and never have to drive.

Good luck with your move. I think you'll like Pasadena, and really, really strongly suggest that you forget about Los Feliz for now and concentrate on narrowing in on areas in or near Pasadena itself. Los Feliz to Caltech would probably run about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or so during rush hour.

Pasadena is filled with young people around your age (I was one of them, and so were many of my friends and coworkers) and you will fit in just fine. Pasadena is also home to some wonderful museums, has a strong tradition of supporting cultural activities, is in a beautiful setting, and is home to both the Tournament of Roses (a big deal for the city) and the more irreverant Doo Dah Parade.

Feel free to PM me if have any specific questions about some of the Pasadena or South Pasadena neighborhoods and life there without a car, as I, too, am a 30-something "urban" person who doesn't drive. (I'll try to check this thread again later, on, too) We recently relocated due to a job transfer, and I miss the San Gabriel Valley (and LA in general) a lot. I hope that you'll love it as much as so many others do. It's really a wonderful place, and Pasadena in particular is a fabulous city with much to offer.

[cmcgill]

Thanks, everyone, for your thoughtful replies.

I guess we think of Pasadena as a suburb of LA, and our distaste for suburban life has us wary of living in Pasadena. But everyone we've heard from (on this post and elsewhere) seems to think that (1) Pasadena is a nice place to live and (2) commuting from Los Feliz, especially by public transpo, would be foolish.

Is there no one who wants to challenge the consensus?

If we do live in Pasadena, we'd like to be as close as possible to the 'action.' We'd like to be able to walk to dinner in the evening, or take a stroll on a Saturday afternoon for cafes, museums and boutiques. Should we focus our search around Old Pasadena?

We don't mind paying a bit more in rent for a central location. But, we can't afford more than $1500/mo for a one bedroom apt (and we'd really like to stay around $1200-1300). Is it unrealistic to think we can find something in Old Pas in that price range?

Thanks again for all your advice. And we'd love to hear from anyone else wanting to weigh in!

[vegaspilgrim]

Old Town Pasadena is okay, but it's not what everybody makes it out to be. It's a pretty small area, only about 2-3 blocks long on the main drag (Colorado Blvd) with a small assortment of other restaurants, bars, and clubs in some of the nearby "off streets." And that's pretty much it. Colorado Blvd though is pretty walkable and has a kind of downtown-feel to it going east of old town for several miles. Also Lake Ave is fairly walkable in parts. Lake Ave is kind of like the financial district of Pasadena. Honestly I feel like Old Town Pasadena, Colorado Blvd in general, and Lake Ave all feel like an outdoor shopping mall, with a heck of a lot of chains. It's not all chains, but it feels like it's mainly chains. The architecture is neat and there are a lot of old, restored buildings, and brand new beautiful buildings as well, but I just have never been "blown away" by Pasadena. But then again I don't think Los Feliz is a place to rave about either. Pasadena has a very old school planned grand "stately" feel to it, full of perfectly straight, gridded out boulevards with right angle intersections. It feels very pretentious to me, but pretentious in an old way, not a new way. The city hall building is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. I can't think of any other city hall building of a city this size that looks like this-- this could easily pass as a state capitol building-- even a national capitol-- or a cathedral:


Source: Wikipedia: Pasadena, California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

However, fact of the matter is, if you're going to be working at Caltech, with no car, you can't exactly be cherry picking where to live. I'm sure you'll find somewhere in Pasadena to be to your liking.

[cmcgill]

Where are the craftsman-style bungalows I've heard so much about? Is there a particular neighborhood in Pasadena where these are located?

If we have to live amongst chain stores (we were worried about the c-word. . . gasp), then we at least want to avoid a wall-to-wall carpet situation. (Again, no offense. It's just not our preference.) Can you recommend an area where the apartments might be older and with a bit more character? E.g. high ceilings, hardwood, architectural details?

[uptown_urbanist]

Don't worry, Pasadena is definitely not suburban in feel, at least in most parts. I don't agree with Vegaspilgrim's assessment of it, although there are a number of chains in the core central area (they can afford the high rents). There are many non-chains, too, and many of the most interesting things are actually located a couple of blocks off of the main Colorado-Fair Oaks core intersection.

Are you going to have a chance to visit before you make your final choice? That would certainly help a great deal. I like the area around Old Pasadena, but east along Colorado heading toward Caltech is in many ways more interesting. There are a number of small shops and restaurants in that area, including some interesting stores that I'm assuming have come in there because they can't afford the rents in Old Pasadena. It's also more diverse and a little less yuppie than Old Pasadena. The one thing that does sometimes annoy me about Old Pasadena, and maybe this is what vegaspilgrim is picking up on, is that there are a lot of people who treat Old Pasadena like it's a mall - they move in huge packs up and down the sidewalk and at a snail's pace. On the other hand, even the annoying shoppers are supporting a fairly large central downtown area, so I'm not complaining too much.

You should be able to get a one-bedroom in your price range somewhere within walking distance of Old Pasadena. The area north of the freeway is much cheaper, and there are some nice places mixed in (it's also far less posh, and the walk isn't all that exciting).

The museums are located all over the place, to some extent; Norton Simon is on Colorado and Orange Grove (within walking distance of Old Town); also near there (within three blocks) are the Pasadena Museum of History and the Gamble House. Pacific Asia is on Los Robles off of Colorado, which is on the other side of Old Pasadena (east), the Armory is within walking distance of Old Pasadena. The Huntington Museum and Gardens is in San Marino, but you can walk there from the neighborhood near Caltech and PCC.

Pasadena has a more Midwest or East Coast feeling to it than do many areas of Southern CA, in part probably because so many of its early residents came from those places. There's the gridded streets, a large number of craftsmen bungalows (many of which are now restored), and a lot of development dating to the early 20th century. There are still some amazing older mansions standing along Orange Grove Avenue, remnants of the days when it was known as "Millionaire's Row" because all of the colder-climate millionaires (Gamble, Wrigley, etc.) who built winter homes in the city. Of course the city is still filled with orange trees (they smell great when the blossom in the winter) and you won't see palm trees and looming mountains and lizards in most parts of the Midwest or East.

While in the greater LA region, Pasadena is very much its own city; there's a core downtown, many major employers, and an overall feeling that life revolves around Pasadena, not LA. The city overall seems committed to making Pasadena an urban (in a good sense), livable community, and I think the city is only going to improve when it comes to increasingly making streets more pedestrian and bike friendly.

Given your interests, I think anywhere within walking distance of Colorado Boulevard between Allen (and maybe farther east, too, but then you're starting to get farther away from Old Pasadena) and Orange Grove/Colorado Street Bridge would put you in good walking distance to restaurants and shops and walkable neighborhoods with good public transportation options. Check Craigslist for listings to get a better sense of exact costs and locations of available housing, but you should be able to find something in your price range fairly easily. Maybe not the Castle Green (check out their website, too, just for fun - every once in awhile I see a listing come up for a unit there) but something decent.

I hate traditional suburbs but I love Pasadena. Check it out for yourself, if you can, but I think there's a good chance that you'll like it, too. It's no less urban (and parts are more traditionally city-like) than Los Feliz.

If you want the feeling of a house and not an apartment, Pasadena is also home to the bungalow court; I don't know if you're familiar with them or not, but basically it's a group of small bungalows (many of them 1-BR) on a shared lot facing into a central courtyard. They're a nice, very Californian option, and may even give you a little yard or some outdoor space to put some pots, or at least a stoop of your own to sit on as you bask in the southern CA sunshine. (I admit: following the footsteps of the the Midwestern Pasadena pioneers of days gone past, the first thing we did when we moved to South Pasadena was to buy ourselves an orange tree.)

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by cmcgill

Where are the craftsman-style bungalows I've heard so much about? Is there a particular neighborhood in Pasadena where these are located?

If we have to live amongst chain stores (we were worried about the c-word. . . gasp), then we at least want to avoid a wall-to-wall carpet situation. (Again, no offense. It's just not our preference.) Can you recommend an area where the apartments might be older and with a bit more character? E.g. high ceilings, hardwood, architectural details?

I haven't seen every street in Pasadena, so I don't really know. But one place I could tell you to check out is Orange Grove Blvd in South Pasadena (a separate city, but adjacent to Pasadena). There are a number of apartments there that have a more classic early 20th century look that you would probably like (not sure about the high ceilings though).

Here's a photo tour I took recently, very quirky, at night, but it might give you a glimpse at what I'm talking about: South Pasadena photos, especially the several photos that follow the Orange Grove Park.

Pretty much ALL of Pasadena is full of historic homes. Pasadena is kind of a weird combination in that the neighborhoods are definitely historic/ charming/ architecturally diverse/ non-"cookie cutter" but the commercial districts are very chain-y.