Pasadena, CA

A diverse, upscale community, Pasadena rests at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California, just 10 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Pasadena is home to roughly 143,000 residents.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Though many Pasadena residents commute to downtown Los Angeles to work, there are also several local employers that operate within the city. The area's major industries are managerial and professional related occupations, service occupations, extraction and maintenance, production, transportation and materials moving technology.

The major employers in the city are Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., Avery Dennison Corporation, Catholic Healthcare West Southern California, Parsons Corporation and California Institute of Technology.

The city's median household income is slightly higher than the state's average.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Pasadena is bordered by 11 communities including the Highland Park, Eagle Rock, South Pasadena, San Marino, Temple City, Lamanda Park, San Gabriel, Arcadia, Sierra Madre, La Canada Flintridge and Altadena. It also has neighborhoods like Civic Center, Monk Hill, Old Pasadena, Banbury Oaks, Devils Gate, Garfield Heights, and La Pintoresca.

Pasadena's notable districts include:

• The historic Civic Center District is bordered by Walnut and Green Streets and Raymond and Euclid Avenues. The buildings that come under this district are Pasadena City Hall, Pasadena Public Library, the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, the Pasadena Police Department, courthouse, YMCA, YWCA, Southern California Gas Company and the United States Post Office.
• Old Pasadena is the actual commercial center of Pasadena. It was Pasadena that gave birth to Caltech, JPL, Beckman Instruments, Aerojet and other industrial giants.
• Brookside Park is a major neighborhood in Pasadena, California. Its northern end is sometimes called Arroyo Terrace. It is Pasadena's second largest neighborhood by area, and its second most sparsely populated. The neighborhood is bordered by Oak Grove Drive to the north, the Arroyo Seco Canyon wall to the south, Linda Vista Avenue to the west, and Forest and Rosemont Avenues to the east.

EVENTS

Pasadena is home to numerous celebrations and activities. Highlights include:

• The Tournament of Roses: An internationally-acclaimed event, this annual extravaganza takes over 80,000 people-hours and roughly 900 volunteers to put together. A tradition since 1890, the tournament opens with the Rose Bowl Parade, where floral floats, marching bands from all over the country, and elegant horses contribute an air of pomp and circumstance to the day. Most of the floats are built by professionals, and take upwards of a year to construct.
• The Rose Bowl: A component of the Tournament of Roses, yet big enough to stand on its own, the Rose Bowl was the first post-season college football game in history. The game takes place at its namesake stadium.
• The Pasadena Chalk Festival: More than 600 artists make their way to Pasadena for this annual two-day event. More than 25,000 sticks of chalk, 8,000 of which are a shade of blue, are used to create elaborate works of art over the course of a single day.

BEST BETS

• Colorado Street Bridge: Constructed in 1913, this concrete bridge stretches across Arroyo Seco.
• Pasadena Museum of History: Depicting the past and present history of Pasadena through lectures, classes, workshops, and exhibitions, the museum holds events for both adults and children.
• Kidspace Children's Museum: Hands-on, interactive exhibits include a three-story climbing tower and a kaleidoscope. The grounds feature water play, climbing structures, and a tricycle track.
• Jet Propulsion Laboratory: A development, research, and flight center, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
• Golf is popular Pasadena area pastime. Courses include Brookside Golf Course, which is ranked among the top 15 public courses in the state of California, and Arroyo Seco Golf Course, which is typically counted among the county's top 10 par three courses.
• Paseo Colorado, one of the country's first open-air shopping areas, is a popular downtown Pasadena destination.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

• The Pasadena Civic Auditorium is a renowned 3,029-seat theater built in 1931. It has hosted performances by famous ballets and orchestras as well as nationally televised awards programs.
• The Pasadena Playhouse houses multiple theaters that stage both new and classic plays and other performances. It is committed to promoting diversity and working with other Los Angeles area theater companies.
• Boston Court Performing Arts Center is a modern facility staging an eclectic series of original theatrical performances.
• The Pasadena Symphony, founded in 1928, is a nationally-recognized orchestra that strives to make live musical performances available to everyone in the community. The group performs over 100 annual concerts, several of them free of charge.
• The Armory Center for the Arts is a community arts facility that offers a wide range of educational programs to local children and adults. It also houses studio and exhibition spaces.

EDUCATION

• California Institute of Technology: Caltech, as it is commonly known, enrolls just over 2,000 students and boasts a long list of graduates who have earned a range of prestigious awards, including the Nobel Prize and the National Medal. Caltech offers students a science-based education with a focus on hands-on research.
• Pasadena City College: A two-year community college established in 1924, Pasadena City College offers both the associate of science and the associate of art degrees and has an enrollment of 25,000 students.
• Fuller Theological Seminary: Founded in 1947, Fuller is the largest seminary in the world, representing over 100 denominations, with roughly 4,000 students and 13 degree programs.
• The California School of Culinary Arts: World-renowned in the cooking and hospitality industry, the CSCA enrolls roughly 1,500 students in its two-year program.
• Pacific Oaks College & Children's School: Small and selective, this undergraduate school specializes in family studies, and hosts an on-site preschool to help in the training of its early child development students.
• Art Center College of Design: Centered on the arts, this four-year private school houses three art galleries, one of which is an expansive exhibition space that has been in operation since 1930.

LOCAL MEDIA

• Pasadena Star-News
• Pasadena Weekly
• Pasadena Living Magazine
• KPCC (89.3 FM)