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The Future of Neighborhood Markets

The recent news about the Fresh and Easy market chain's withdrawal from the U.S. came as hardly a surprise.  Since the British supermarket giant, Tesco, established a presence here five years ago, their Fresh and Easy concept has struggled with attracting and maintaining shoppers and turning a profit.

I've shopped at the Fresh and Easy located at the corner of South Lake and California a couple of times and have found it to be both convenient and a decent alternative to Trader Joe's (still my favorite) and Whole Foods.  Concentrating on this store alone, I feel it would be a loss to both the South Lake neighborhood and Pasadena in general if it was to close (if you remember, this location used to be a Wild Oats store, which itself struggled because of competition to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Market).  The future of this location will eventually be determined from the sale of the company and new owner.  Yes, there's a Pavilions across the street, but comparing Fresh & Easy to them is not really fair.  If I wanted to need to fill an empty kitchen, yes, I would go to the larger format grocery store.  But if I need to buy just a few things or make a quick trip to fill a missing ingredient then Fresh & Easy did the trick.  And judging from some some of my trips here there are many others who do the same thing.  Also, the fact that Peet's is right next door also helps me knock two birds with one stone. 

Whether this particular location is profitable or not, I don't know.  But I think it fills a niche here in Pasadena and hope it will survive.

Holly Street Christmas Lights Proposal

4th Street, downtown LA

For the last couple of years these amazing lights have been installed above 4th Street between Spring and Main in the Old Bank District in downtown during the Christmas season.  This area of downtown just gets prettier every year during the holidays as it becomes more gentrified.  The pictures do no justice--you really have to take a stroll (maybe during the next art walk) to really appreciate how beautiful these lights are.  Imagine if this was set up along Holly Street from Fair Oaks towards City Hall here in Pasadena!  Pasadena Public Works and Street Maintenance should really look into this.  What do you think?

The Only Thing Missing Right Now is the Beach

photo: Partners Trust

If (or 'when') the "Big One" strikes California and Pasadena becomes an seaside city then I hope this is what my future home will look like.  In the meantime, this particular home is for sale over at El Pescador Beach in Malibu...for $17,500,000!  It sure is a beaut!

• El Pescador Beach, Malibu [Partners Trust]

Pasadena Home Prices Up, Inventory Low

According to figures compiled by realtor Phylis Harb, the average selling price for a Pasadena home was $730,100 in October 2012 compared to $643,823 same time last year.  For the last several months Pasadena has seen a gradual rise in prices.  But buyers these days are faced with a shortage of inventory.  Keller Williams agent Keith Sorem pointed out that there were only 156 homes on the market in October vs. 296 in October of 2011.

Along with many homeowners here in Pasadena I've been receiving a lot of mailers lately from agents inquiring about listing my place.  And as a homeowner (or, in my case, condo-owner) I should feel fortunate that the tide is finally turning.  Sure, there are still some caveats, notably the still-high unemployment, the fragile state of the economy (domestic and world) and the fiscal cliff problem.  But taking a peek at both Realtytrac and Foreclosure Radar I'm amazed at the huge reduction in foreclosure activity in and around the Pasadena area.  There are still many homes mired in the foreclosure mess, but also looking at areas surrounding Pasadena, like Highland Park and Eagle Rock, our region is on the road to recovery.  Home ownership this time around is more organic as opposed to the rampant speculation and easy money of years earlier.  But one can only keep his/her fingers crossed that this trend can continue.

Urban Farming...In Pasadena??

photo: Los Angeles Times

There was an interview article in last week's LA Times in which Patt Morrison talked to Tara Kolla who's pioneering the concept of urban farming in Los Angeles.  As I was reading the article I kept thinking of how we can apply the basic tenets of urban farming to Pasadena.  We are a city in which many houses sit on large lots and a growing farmer's market presence in several Pasadena spots.  I'll have to check on the local laws, both county and city regarding small, localized farming.  In addition to residential properties there are many empty plots north of the 210 freeway (Altaden and Sierra Madre, I'm also talking to you) that can be utilized towards urban farming, and many of those abut major streets such as Fair Oaks.  Imagine a small colorful or green oasis instead of empty or even blighted parcels.

• Down to Earth [Los Angeles Times]

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!

Pasadena Needs Water Towers

photo: Prudential Douglas Elliman

Check out the above picture of a condo that was converted from a water tank, currently for sale in New York's Greenwich Village.  And the rest of the place looks awesome.  If I had the money and something like this was situated in the Old Town area I would be all over it.  This is one sweet pad!

• 12 East 12th Street, 12SW - Greenwich Village [Prudential Douglas Elliman]

Pasadena Museum Architect, John Kelsey, 1925-2012

photo: Hometown Pasadena

Earlier this month, John Kelsey, one of the designers of what is now the Norton Simon Museum, died at age 86.  I still remember the first time I came across the museum not long after I moved to California.  Here was a 60's modernist building whose design was far from dated and despite it's not-so-functional location, blended nicely along Colorado Blvd. and juxtaposed against the soft dip along the road.  The dark brown exterior and low-slung height made the building one with the grounds without a hint of pretension or grandeur.  Looking at the building, you can't help but sense a hint of mysteriousness as to what the museum holds.  This goes counter to many of the newer museums built in the last two decades where size, design and sometimes outlandishness trumps functionality.  And once you enter this museum you're pleasantly surprised by the scale of the interior, wondering how you were deceived before you walked through the front doors.

• Architect John Kelsey, dies at 86, designer of Pasadena Museum [LA Times]

Catania Pasadena

Remember the long-suffering development at the corner of W. Green St. and S. St. John?  You know, the eyesore that was draped in loose tarp for the longest time?  Well, it's finally finished.  I can't tell if it's still the original developer, JSM Construction, who finished the project (it stalled because they ran out of money), but the building is looking pretty nice.  Yogaworks just opened in one of the commercial spaces below and you've got Ralph's right next door if you find yourself short on milk.

One thing that surprised me, though, is the units are available for lease, not purchase.  There are 33 units up for rent, with sizes ranging from 2,100 to 3,000 square feet...quite big!  Rates start at $4,200 per month...quite expensive!  This is definitely the upscale alternative to the neighboring Westgate development.  I guess, I shouldn't be surprised that this building went rental.  Right now there is a lot of high-end condos on the market around the Pasadena area and it will take a little time for the market to soak it all up.

• Catania Pasadena [website]

Angry Flyer Venting

photo: EV Grieve

Yeah, I know how this guy (or gal) feels...

Pink Benches

photo: Curbed

So, downtown LA's Grand Park opens...they call the color of the benches magenta...I call them pink...a few people like them...I cant stand them.  Please, Pasadena, let's not ever do this.

What's the Buzz?

photo: Honeylove.org

So much has been written lately on the die-offs and collapse of honeybee colonies that grassroots organizations have sprung up in the Los Angeles county area touting and promoting the benefits of allowing colonies to thrive within the urban landscape.  The local geography and the abundance of plants that attract honeybees in Pasadena (especially the northern part including Altadena and Sierra Madre) make our region ripe for encouraging backyard beekeeping.  I checked Pasadena's ordinances regarding beekeeping, and sure enough there is a prohibition on maintaining hives unless you're a beekeeper registered with the county's agricultural commission AND if it's not prohibited under the city's zoning code.  I still have to check where in Pasadena this is allowed.  Regardless, I'm encouraged by LA Councilman Bill Rosendahl's efforts to change the rules and educate the public about the benefits of bees and why they're of such importance to our environment.  Time for Pasadenans to do the same.

• Backyard Beekeepers [video]
• Abuzz About Beekeeping in Los Angeles [LA Times]
• Honeylove [website]
• Bee Fans [LA Times]

Marion Cunningham, 1922-2012

photo: NY Times

If anyone has read 'The Fannie Farmer Cookbook" they quickly discover that it is one of the quintessential American cookbooks.  Writer Marion Cunningham was a huge proponent of simple, basic foods that can be prepared by anyone.  But more than that she stressed the sense of family and community that food brings together.  Upon reading about her death this morning I couldn't help but think about the new South Lake Farmers market and how it represents so much more than just a place to buy fresh food and produce.  A Farmers market is about community.  It's a place where people share new ideas, brings the small farmer and local merchant directly to the consumer and opens our eyes to regional specialties grown at (or near) our own backyards.  It brings inspiration as to what we can create for the table and to better families and communities.  Marion Cunningham reminded us what a true home-cooked mean was all about.  We Pasadenans needn't look far in getting started.

Rustic Pasadena

courtesy Los Angeles Times

The LA Times this past weekend featured a wonderful Pasadena Craftsman house that was restored to its original specs.  Includes details of how people of different backgrounds contributed to restoring this jewel.

• American Craftsman Meets Swiss Chalet in Pasadena [LA Times]

The Pasadena Bicycle Craze...in 1900

The California Cycleway passes over the Los Angeles Terminal Railroad near Glenarm Street in Pasadena. Circa 1900. (Photo via Pasadena Museum of History, and many thanks to 90042)

Author and blogger, Taras Grescoe, reminded me of a wonderful article from a couple of years ago in the blog 90042 on The Great California Cycleway.  Hard to imagine that at one time we had a dedicated bicycle pathway (and an elevated one!!) that ran through our fair city.  It was an ambitious project back then, and with today's rise of bicycle advocacy, CicLAvia, and the incorporation of cycling as part of the overall sustainable transportation strategy I can't help but think what could have been if things were built around this.  This is a fun read and be sure to click on the accompanying interactive map.

• Remembering the The Great California Cycleway [90042]
• Taras Grescoe [website]
• CicLAvia [website]

It's Better Fried

It's National Fried Chicken Day!  Which begs the question: where in Pasadena is the best fried chicken served?  I'll venture to guess that many will say (in unison): Roscoe's House of Chicken & Waffles.  What about the chicken at Big Mama's Rib Shack?  Bills Chicken in Altadena?  Though, I don't want to include chains like KFC and Church's I do have to suggest Louisiana Fried Chicken which has, I believe 2 locations in Pasadena.  And for a more upscale version everyone seems to ooh and aah over La Grande Orange's Dixie fried chicken.  I consider myself a pretty healthy eater but it looks like I'm gonna have to do serious eating...all in the name of research, of course.

Party on the Bridge!

The preservation group, Pasadena Heritage, will be holding their 35th birthday on the Colorado St. Bridge on Saturday July 14.  For many years Pasadena Heritage has worked tirelessly to preserve historically and architecturally significant buildings, landmarks and neighborhoods in Pasadena.  Recently, they've worked hard on the city's acquisition and future plans for the Julia Morgan building and the ongoing reviews for the All Saints Church property. 

There will be lots of food, a variety of entertainment and partying on one of the most beautiful bridges in America!  Should be a fun event for all!  Tickets can be purchased on their website.

• Pasadena heritage 35th Birthday Party on the Bridge [website]

Happy Independence Day!

I hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July!  Remember our soldiers and veterans!

San Pedro's Crafted

This past weekend marks the opening of San Pedro's highly anticipated arts and crafts marketplace, Crafted.  The city of Los Angeles and San Pedro in particular have a lot riding on this and could pave the way for future rehab and development in the area, including Ports O'Call.  I'm hoping to make a trip down there in the next few weeks and pick up on some ideas Pasadena might be able to use to enhance its existing visitor and shopping experience.

• Crafted at the Post of Los Angeles [website]

Better Bike Routes

The bike cooperative over at Caltech is petitioning the city of Pasadena to dedicate bike lanes to a couple of east/west routes, namely Cordova Ave, Union St. and Green St., all west of Lake.  They seem to especially fear the current conditions on Cordova.  I have to disagree as I've seen many more speeders and reckless drivers on Union, despite the fact that it has significantly less traffic than Colorado.

All in all, I think what they are proposing benefits all of Pasadena.  Los Angeles has taken great strides the last couple of years in promoting biking and street-sharing.  With the success of Ciclavia and the creation of bike lanes in downtown, among many other initiatives, they are promoting alternative forms of transportation and cross-promoting that with the existing mass transit system.  It's time for Pasadena to also get serious with this issue as well.  Let's get the ball rolling on calling Pasadena a "bike-friendly city"

• City of Pasadena, CA: Improve East-West Bike Routes [change.org]

Culver City or Bust

The Culver City terminus for the Expo Line officially opened today.  Who would have thought until recently that we could get from Pasadena to the Westside without use of car or even bus.  Next stop, Santa Monica!

Coming Not Soon Enough: Trattoria Neapolis

I'm not sure what's yummier, the delicious interior of this restaurant or what's going to come out of the gigantic wood oven at the center of the restaurant.  From what I hear, the drinks/wine list is going to be top-notch.  Soft opening begins July 10.  Score one for the South Lake area!

• Trattoria Neapolis, A Grand New Addition to Pasadena [Eater]

Imagining the Old Days...

Another charming feature of Old Town Pasadena.

Hollywood Development Fracas - We Can Learn From This

There's a fight brewing between developers and residents in Hollywood over the community plan that would allow for new buildings and increased density, creating a framework to house thousands of future residents.  Sure, Hollywood is not Pasadena.  District to city, apples to oranges, right?  But take a closer look at the two and you can see that we might learn a lot from what Hollywood is going through right now and what happens in the next couple of years.  It's only a matter of time when a standoff between developers and residents here in Pasadena could reach a boiling point if this city maintains its status quo course with regards to city planning.

I'm not a fan of high-rises.  I'm also not a fan of urban density.  But we can be smart about how we plan potential growth.  I look around at condo and apartment developments for the last five or so years in the Old Pasadena and South Lake areas and I actually like what I see.  And I think there are many houses in areas north of the 210 that are ripe for remodels.  What Highland Park is going through right now I can see happening in the northern part of Pasadena.  But let's hear what residents of Pasadena has to say about the subject of development now, or if not right now then soon.  Don't wait until it's too late.

We have a lot of problems that need attention right now before we can go through the motions to justify future large-scale development.  That goes without saying.  But it's not something that can be put on the back-burner indefinitely.  One wild card: the recent sale of the huge Parsons campus at the northwest corner of Old Pasadena and the potential for more housing (apartments or condos) and thousands of square feet of additional retail (it looks like Parsons will still be a tenant so it will still provide significant commercial space).  This future development could change everything.  Factor in the possible extension of the 710 freeway right next to it and now you're opening up a whole different set of positive and negative implications for not just Pasadena but also the surrounding area and the San Gabriel Valley as a whole.

So, let's see how the Hollywood situation plays out.  I believe we can learn from it.

• Hollywood at Odds Over Development Plan [LA Times]

Over Budget and Overdue

$35 million.  That's the amount OVER budget so far to date on the Rose Bowl renovation.  From the very beginning there was no argument that major renovations and expansion was needed on the vaunted stadium and multi-purpose venue.  And, there was a general consensus that the work would be good for the stadium, future events and for the city of Pasadena.  Now, it's gonna cost us.  According to the LA Times, the funding from the bond issue to cover the renovation had already come in $12 million less than expected.  Well, that gap and then some is starting to haunt us.

"The challenges that we have in renovating our historic stadium are significant,” Rose Bowl CEO and General Manager Darryl Dunn said. “We’re going to be working with our partners and the (Rose Bowl Operating Co.) board of directors and City Council to determine how best to proceed from here.”  -Rose Bowl CEO and General Manager Darryl Dunn to The Pasadena Star

Originally, this project was suppose to wrap up at the end of this year or the beginning of 2013.  Now it looks like things won't be done until 2014.  Really?  How did the cost overruns and delays get to this stage?  Several sources tag the bulk of the budget increases on electrical systems, asbestos remediation and structural difficulties.  Really?  I'm not an architect or engineer, but weren't these serious considerations during the inspection, discovery and bidding process?  I mean, it was no secret that this stadium is old, very old.  Even though records on the Rose Bowl construction (and subsequent fixes, reno's, etc.) were spotty, missing or downright inaccurate there is no excuse for not taking those issues into consideration.  The time is now to put the heat on both city officials and contractors.  Where is the accountability?  Don't stick it to the taxpayers.

Funny how the status report on the Rose Bowl renovation website hasn't been updated for several months.  C'mon, guys!  Be upfront with us!

• Rose Bowl Renovation

To the Motherf****r Who...

I love copies, pics, snippets of notes or other items neighbors, landlords, tenants, store owners leave for each other.  Reminds me of some of my old neighbors and neighborhoods I used to live in.  Before I bought my condo in Pasadena I lived in an apartment in South Pasadena on Grevelia, and did we have our share of funny, weird and scary things that went on.  I was pretty lucky to have some great neighbors and I had a great landlord.  But over the years I've heard many horror stories and although I hate to say it most I found amusing.  If you have a funny copy of one please send one over to me.  (above photo courtesy of Curbed)

Tough Flea Market Lesson

My friend, Julie, and I went to the Rose Bowl Flea Market Sunday and came away with mixed success.  I was able to score a cool rustic bottle carrier (with bottles) from a French antiques dealer that I'll be using as a dining table centerpiece.  But, I'm kicking myself in the ass for a missed opportunity.  There was an awesome mid-century painting of a woman that I caught my eye and after looking it over for a few minutes I told myself I'd think about it.  I strolled around for five minutes then went back to the dealer.  I found the painting but as I picked it up the woman next to me kindly told me, "oh, I'm sorry I just bought that."  I said, "oh, ok", but my head was saying "CRAP!"  This is typical of flea markets, sometimes an item will languish and other times an item will go in an instant.  If it's something you really love and the price is right, don't wait.  Lesson learned for me.

Make Music Pasadena

Whoever came up with Make Music Pasadena several years I just wanna kiss.  An event like this only adds to the artistic and cultural offerings Pasadena has and it puts the city on the map as a music-scene destination despite our lack of decent live-act venues.  The sheer scale of this event - over 100 acts, a multitude of stages spread out over the downtown area from Old Town to South Lake, and FREE admission - is really something Pasadena can be proud of and based on what I saw last year, it's very well-organized.  And I truly believe that in a couple of years Make Music Pasadena will be one of the elite musical events in Southern California, like the Sunset Junction Street Fair in Silver Lake...oh, yeah, they cancelled that last year and their organization is in bankruptcy...HA!

• Make Music Pasadena [website]

Pension Reform: Does Pasadena Need One?

San Jose and San Diego voters approved measures this past election Tuesday, cutting pensions costs and reducing benefits pretty much across the board for each city's employees. Major pension reforms should have occurred long ago, but now push has come to shove and the voters are speaking. But I'm curious to find out what Pasadena's pension obligations compare to not the larger cities, like San Diego and San Jose, but Santa Monica, Long Beach, Anaheim, Irvine, Santa Barbara. Maybe even against the smaller tech cities near the Bay Area cities such as Cupertino, Palo Alto and the like. Sure, it's going to be a long, drawn out fight with unions and reform-advocates now taking the battle to court. I'm not saying we should blindly go about screaming "reform, reform!". But let's look at where our cities stand.

Pasadena...Tech Hub??

A Forbes online article yesterday profiled the tech scene in LA.  Yes, Pasadena has Idealab, but we need to do so much more to increase the tech presence here.  With venerable institutions such as JPL and Caltech and a highly educated workforce, along with an established business district we have a rough foundation to establish a "Silicon Foothill" (I know, that sounds horrible, but I'm open for suggestions).  City council needs to do more to initiate programs to make Pasadena more inviting to tech companies.  Aside from a physical beach and the weather, Santa Monica and Pasadena are often compared to each other in terms of livability, amenities, infrastructure, etc.  But there's no reason why they should get all the tech money.

• represent.la - map of the Los Angeles startup community

Cleaning the Parkway

The 110 Freeway, aka Arroyo Seco Parkway, from Pasadena to downtown has all the makings of being a beautiful freeway.  Besides it's historical significance, it's topography and geography makes it unique among the Southern California freeways with its twists and turns (a nightmare when it rains because Angelenos don't know how to drive in wet conditions!), the greenery for most of the distance on both sides and the way it hugs the arroyo.  But so much more can be done to pretty it up.  I won't start with the graffiti in certain sections (I'll save that for later), but let's do start with the trash.  My God, let's finally get rid of all that crap especially on the southbound side.  Plastic bags caught on branches, roadway debris that's accumulated for years, and what about that straightaway in the Highland Park section?  You know, where that chain link fence runs down the side and the homeless have called home on the other side of the fence.  Tires, containers, litter, traffic cones, downed signs and even a downed streetlamp that's been resting by the side for over a year.  It pretty much stays shitty all the way to the downtown four-level interchange.  I drive from Pasadena to downtown almost everyday, and I'm disgusted almost everyday with all that trash.  Caltrans, can you hear me?

Welcome!

Welcome to the PasadenaVille blog, where all things Pasadena (California, that is...) is talked about.  I will be posting anything and everything regarding this most livable of cities and a place I'm so proud to call home.  But I also hope that you, the reader, will contribute as well because it's all about the people, the Pasadenans, who make this town so great.