Pasadena, California

Pasadena, California is a city in Southern California about 15 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. Pasadena has a population of over 135,000 and a land area of about 23 square miles. Pasadena was incorporated in 1886. Pasadena, Texas was named after Pasadena, California because of a perceived similarity in the vegetation of the two areas. Pasadena has a city council / city manager form of government. Seven Council Members represent individual districts. There are seven council districts. The City Council hires the City Clerk, City Attorney, and City Manager. A mayor is elected on a citywide basis to serve a four-year term. Pasadena is a full- service municipality with its own fire department, police department, water and power service, and library system. Pasadena is bounded to the north by Altadena and the San Gabriel Mountains; to the east by Sierra Madre, East Pasadena, and Arcadia; to the south by South Pasadena, San Marino, and Alhambra; and to the west by the cities of Glendale and Los Angeles. Pasadena has a Mediterranean climate. Because of its location near where the San Gabriel Mountains rise abruptly from the San Gabriel Valley, Pasadena enjoys hotter summers, somewhat cooler winters, and receives more rainfall than coastal portions of Southern California. A defining characteristic of Pasadena are its beautiful, historic neighborhoods.

The City of Pasadena has a vibrant and varied economy. Easy access is assured by nearby freeways and Metro L Line (Gold) light rail service. Office buildings, restaurants, hotels, museums, theatres (including Pasadena Playhouse), hospitals, and institutions of higher learning abound. South Lake Avenue, for example, is lined by over 200 stores, restaurants and other businesses. Pasadena is the home to several corporate headquarters. Kaiser Permanente maintains its southern California headquarters in Pasadena. Pasadena’s minimum wage ordinance maintains a minimum wage slightly higher than the California state minimum wage. Pasadena recognizes 13 business districts within its boundaries. Some of those districts are described below.

The Civic Center District features a concentration of Renaissance and Mediterranean architecture, much of it dating from the 1920s and 1930s. Civic Center is home to Pasadena City Hall, Civic Center, and Central Library. "The Paseo" is a mixed use development in the Civic Center area that includes restaurants, retail stores, and condominiums. Plaza Pasadena, an indoor shopping mall, previously occupied the site. Pasadena Convention Center is a 130,000 square foot facility with exhibit halls, a ballroom, and breakout rooms.

The College District is dominated by Pasadena City College and the California Institute of Technology.

Annual spending by Pasadena City College staff and its daily operations contributes over $170 million to the local economy. With a student population of over 26,000, annual Pasadena City College student spending contributes over $16 million to the local economy. Pasadena City College has over 1,500 full-time and part-time faculty and staff. Total payroll at Pasadena City College is over $160 million annually. Roughly one out of every 54 jobs in the Pasadena Area Community College District is supported by Pasadena City College and its students.

The California Institute of Technology (CalTech) is a privately-supported institution with a 124-acre campus. CalTech has a low student-to-faculty ratio. Around 300 faculty offer learning and research opportunities to about 1,000 undergraduates and 1.400 graduate students. CalTech is home to the recently-built Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Neuroscience Research Building, a 150,000 square foot facility. CalTech founded Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the 1930s.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory is now the only federally-funded research and development center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The 168-acre facility is the worksite for about 6,300 employees and subcontractors.

The East W District, also known as East Washington Village, is a recently revitalized area includes northern portions of Pasadena and the adjacent community of Altadena. The district offers restaurants, cafes, and bakeries.

Old Pasadena is Pasadena’s original business district, centered at the intersection of Fair Oaks Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. The district covers more than 20 blocks and features over 300 businesses. The area was the heart of Pasadena’s commercial life for many decades. However, from the 1950s through the 1970s the area declined due to urban sprawl and the rise of competing area business districts. Old Pasadena was outdated, neglected, and home to low-rent businesses such as adult movie theatres and head shops. The City initially considered demolishing the district. Fortunately, City chose instead to create an Urban Conservation Overlay Zone, which saved the historic structures of Old Pasadena and laid the foundation for the area’s revitalization. Old Pasadena was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. More than 90% of the area's buildings were identified as contributing to the historic context of Old Pasadena. Thereafter, the historic buildings were restored and a new iteration of Old Pasadena as a shopping, dining, and entertainment district became a magnet for residents and visitors alike. While retail businesses dominate the ground level of most buildings in Old Pasadena, various other small businesses occupy space above ground level. Old Pasadena contains a number of historical markers. The Tournament of Roses Parade is an annual event that has passed through Old Pasadena since 1890. The parade attracts visitors from all over the world and is televised to millions. About 1 million people come to Pasadena to watch the Tournament of Roses Parade each year.

Nearby Rose Bowl Stadium is home to music concerts and sporting events, including UCLA Bruin football games, the New Year Day Rose Bowl Game, and several Super Bowl Games. The Rose Bowl opened in 1922 and is a National Historic Landmark and a California Historic Civil Engineering landmark. The Rose Bowl has a capacity of up to around 92,000.

Hotel Green, with its elaborate architecture bearing Moorish, Mission Revival, and Victorian influences, has been an Old Town landmark since 1899.

The Norton Simon Museum features a combination of the Pasadena Art Museum and Norton Simon collections. Among the 12,000 objects in the collection are paintings by Raphael, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Degas. The museum features a sculpture garden that was inspired in part by Monet’s garden in Giverny.

In addition to at least 24 city parks, Pasadena offers a variety of recreational opportunities. Arroyo Seco offers a perennial stream, woodlands, and miles of hiking trails leading into the 700,000-acre Angeles National Forest. At the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, the 198-acre Eaton Canyon Natural Area and Nature Center offers hiking and equestrian trails. Just outside of Pasadena lies the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. The 207-acre complex contains a collection of rare books, 18th century art, and 120 acres of gardens divided into 12 specialized gardens.

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