What makes Pasadena so desirable? (Los Angeles, East Los Angeles: unemployment, school, to live in)

[alaplex]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

I'm looking at Pasadena a year from now when my lease is up.

I'm 31 and recently moved to LA. I chose an area on Sepulveda near the 405 and the 10 to be centrally located my first year here to be close to attractions, employment, but Pasadena seems more of my community. I moved from Oak Park, IL 8 miles west of Chicago, which is a charming historic suburb where you have a balance of diverse/cosmopolitan and cozy, community oriented, and Pasadena seems similar to that.

I too live near the 405 & 10 in WLA. I am currently in escrow and just started looking at condos in Pasadena. I also moved to WLA to be centrally located but when you have Venice Blvd to the south of you and Olympic to the north you wonder where you can escape the miserable sights of Venice blvd but not have to pay the high prices of the areas north. We are also seeking that balance of a diverse/cosmopolitian area like Pasadena. The westside is ok if your wealthy enough to afford property in WLA, Century City, Santa Monica, etc but if you are not that wealthy you are stuck in the deteriorating parts of LA like Palms and Mar Vista.

[JohnG72]

Desperate to buy = bad.

Especially when renting is ridiculously cheaper than buying.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by alaplex

I too live near the 405 & 10 in WLA. I am currently in escrow and just started looking at condos in Pasadena. I also moved to WLA to be centrally located but when you have Venice Blvd to the south of you and Olympic to the north you wonder where you can escape the miserable sights of Venice blvd but not have to pay the high prices of the areas north. We are also seeking that balance of a diverse/cosmopolitian area like Pasadena. The westside is ok if your wealthy enough to afford property in WLA, Century City, Santa Monica, etc but if you are not that wealthy you are stuck in the deteriorating parts of LA like Palms and Mar Vista.

Yeah, its Palms/Mar Vista that I live in. Its not that bad. Yeah, theres not a whole lot going on, and there are some run down commercial areas, although I do live in a nice apartment complex. (Still think its overpriced though).

But like I said I do like Pasadena for reasons stated already and will most likely be looking there at the end of the year.

Sounds like we do have in common in terms of our LA residential preference.

[berniechien]

Great school district!

[True Freedom]

Originally Posted by berniechien

Great school district!

in Pasadena?

[A1Lexo]

Originally Posted by berniechien

Great school district!

(double take, spits out drink)


Wha?

[Jeanius4U]

Originally Posted by berniechien

Great school district!

Pasadena has NEVER had a good school district. That's why so many private schools.

[Jeanius4U]

Originally Posted by A1Lexo

(double take, spits out drink)


Wha?

Wanna napkin?

[A1Lexo]

Originally Posted by Jeanius4U

Wanna napkin?

And a cup of coffee....

Pasadena has arguably the worst schools in the state. A city made up of mostly non white working class and poor youth, but with a large enough community of old money to support a huge number of private schools, you are left with an incredibly underserved school district, in a city that sells itself as a land of the prosperous and therefor doesn't even support a narrative that these schools are struggling and need help. At least LAUSD attracts young ambitious teachers who are aware of the need. Many people have no idea what PUSD schools are like.

[genjy]

There are two sides to Pasadena--the side you see on Green Ave, Colorado Blvd, Walnut Ave, Arroyo Pwy, etc. Cool stores, nice trees, expensive looking houses...

And then there's the northwest side. That side is like Highland Park and East Los Angeles rolled into one. You don't want to live there. There are better areas of Pasadena to live in.