"Old Town Pasadena" or "Old Pasadena"

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by jm1982

Yeah I think most would be surprised to know that it was once a seedy place.

True; Colorado Blvd was filled with pawn shops and empty buildings, even up until the early 1980s.

[jm1982]

Originally Posted by Pay2Win

Crown city loan is still on raymond/Colorado. Im convinced it is a front for something because I see no other way it could survive there.

Not familiar with it but maybe they own the building or have a super low lease ?
It seems a lot of the newer businesses in old town are chains because those are the ones that can usually afford to open in really high rent places .

[jm1982]

Originally Posted by Pay2Win

Pasadena Now >> Living

It looks like they do own the building, which is likely the only way they can afford to keep it open. Building must be worth a fortune since it's 15,000 sq feet and in a prime area.
Looks like they did try to sell it some years back
65 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91105 - Street Retail Property For Sale on LoopNet.com


I found this article

""For a while we had thought of moving or selling the building," said Todd Robinson, manager of the
pawnshop, Crown City Loan and Jewelry. His father, Doug, owns the business and the building. "Now
we want to keep up with the times and restore it."
When the remodel is finished, the facade won't be the same one the celebrated brothers designed.
Even if the building could be restored to its original appearance, it wouldn't look like what people think
of as typical Greene and Greene."

http://www.oldpasadena.org/news/2010...ene+Greene.pdf

[PDF]

Originally Posted by jm1982

Yeah I think most would be surprised to know that it was once a seedy place.
" By the late 1940s, the downtown area was blighted by flop houses, seedy bars and pawn shops. It later became a hippie mecca with head shops, adult bookstores and massage parlors. By the late 1980s, urban renewal was in full swing with the trendy set."

Things are so clean there versus L.A or Santa Monica

Maybe Santa Monica isn't the right comparison, it's almost as clean as Pasadena. Venice obviously isn't, and I'd say NoHo would be be a better comparison...Arts District is pretty nice, but the rest not so much.