Old Town Pasadena

I did a little shopping in Old Town Pasadena today, which I'm ready to call the Beverly Hills of the San Gabriel Valley. It's only been a few months since my last visit, but there was a dicernable difference. It was a weekday, but there were still lots of people about, and in a wider radius. New construction is everywhere. And it's not just apartment buildings. Almost two blocks of shops are getting new facades, and a Tiffany & Co. is going in! Pasadena is going upscale, and it really seems like it has gone over the tipping point.

This once-dangerous place, riddled with pawnshops and dive bars, has made a complete turn-around (though a fair amount of homeless are still on Colorado Boulevard). In any case, I noticed that shopkeepers are now putting up "No public restrooms" signs, which means lots of tourists. This got me to thinking more about Monrovia's future. The city has done such an amazing job so far, and I hope that it can stay a real community while growing in the same manner. What I mean by "real" is the hope that it doesn't turn into a tourist mecca. Somehow I can't picture this, but hey, it happened to Pasadena.

Anyone wishing to do a virtual stroll of Pasadena, or many other places in Los Angeles (Monrovia not available yet), should check out Amazon's A9.com Maps!