While Pasadena certainly benefits from substantial name recognition— its iconic Tournament of Roses Parade and Rose Bowl football game are beamed into living rooms throughout the U.S. at the beginning of each year, after all—this refined Los Angeles County city is an old school enigma when compared to its greater metropolitan neighbors.
Founded and settled in the late 19th century by Midwestern tycoons seeking the warmer winter climes at the end of the Sante Fe rail line—names such as Huntington, Proctor and Gamble and Wrigley are among the most noted—the city boasts world-renowned museums, mansions and other facilities that are a gilded legacy.
“When people think of the Greater L.A. area they’re thinking high-rise buildings and lots of traffic,” says Janet Zaldua, director of tourism and communications for the Pasadena CVB, “but Pasadena is very historical, and we pride ourselves on our architecture.”
The nearly 600-acre Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, home of Gainsborough’s The Blue Boy painting, a Gutenberg Bible and immaculately maintained, sprawling gardens, leads a world-class roster of art venues. The Norton Simon Museum of Art, with a spotlight on European paintings from the 14th to 20th century, and the Pacific Asian Museum are other stellar art venues available to groups, along with the Gamble House, the Wrigley Mansion and Descano Gardens.
Getting there: Pasadena is located at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, about 11 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. The 13.7-mile Gold Line light rail system, with six stations in Pasadena, transports visitors from Pasadena to downtown Los Angeles in as little as 20 minutes.
Major airports: Four airports serve Pasadena: Bob Hope/Burbank Airport (BUR), about 16 miles away; Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), about 28 miles away; Long Beach Airport (LGB), about 32 miles away; and LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT), about 37 miles away.
A new theater of note is A Noise Within, which will focus on Shakespeare classics, and the existing Pasadena Playhouse regularly attracts top stars from Los Angeles.
But even though the destination may draw talent from its star-studded neighbor, in another departure from car-centric L.A., people even, gasp, walk in Pasadena!
“We’re also a very pedestrian-friendly city,” Zaldua says. “You see lots of people walking their dogs and riding their bikes, and they can come in on the Metro Gold Line [light rail from downtown Los Angeles].”
Also unlike the more-urban parts of Los Angeles, Pasadena’s pedigreed past has resulted in a premier collection of Craftsman-style homes, set on roads lined by leafy trees.
“A lot of filming takes place in Pasadena because of the quaint, charming neighborhoods,” Zaldua says, noting Father of the Bride and Back to the Future as examples.
Pasadena also excels as a foodie destination—with more than 400 restaurants.
Prime meetings-friendly hotels include the iconic Langham Huntington Hotel, The Westin Pasadena, Hilton Pasadena Hotel, The Sheraton Pasadena and Old Pasadena Courtyard by Marriott.
In a city full of accolades past and present, the Pasadena Convention Center, which opened in 2009 and recently won LEED Gold certification, is a standout on the meetings scene, along with the Beaux-Arts Pasadena Civic Center and its ornate Gold Room, which can seat up to 250 in celluloid-era style.
Larger groups often use the outdoor plaza that links the two facilities for outdoor events that offer up a “Hollywood” atmosphere worthy of the Klieg-light treatment.
