Pasadena spends one day a year in front of television cameras, when Colorado Boulevard disappears beneath flowers and marching bands. For the other 364 days, there’s excellent coffee, century-old alleys, and gardens big enough to swallow an afternoon.
Beyond Old Pasadena’s busy storefronts, the streets grow calmer, and garden estates take over. The scenery changes again around the city’s historic landmarks, with the San Gabriel Mountains occasionally appearing in the background. And by evening, there’s still plenty to discover before sitting down to eat.
Old Pasadena covers 22 blocks of restored brick buildings, historic storefronts, and narrow alleys. Locals call it Old Pas, and mornings are a good time to explore before the shops get busy. You can start with a photo at the Greetings from Pasadena mural near Arroyo Parkway, then wander toward Colorado Boulevard for coffee.
Among the local coffee shops, Intelligentsia has been a fixture since 2010. Its Illumination Bar brews specialty coffee in a setting that invites you to linger over your morning cup. If breakfast is still on the agenda, try Amara Chocolate & Coffee on South Raymond Avenue. It serves Venezuelan arepas, sweet corn cachapas, and rich drinking chocolate.
With breakfast out of the way, walk the smaller streets and courtyards behind the main storefronts. Some of the district’s most distinctive architectural details are easy to miss from Colorado Boulevard, especially when you’re distracted by the shop windows.
Just southeast of Pasadena, in San Marino, The Huntington spreads its gardens across 130 acres, making a quick visit rather ambitious. Allow three to four hours to see the grounds and galleries, or around two if you’re selective. Either way, you’ll probably find reasons to come back.
The grounds open Wednesday through Monday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. You need a reservation Friday through Sunday, on holidays, and during peak seasons. Parking is free, and arriving at 10 a.m. means cooler temperatures for walking the grounds. On warmer days, start with the sunny Desert and Rose gardens, then seek shade around midday. More than 1,300 cultivars bloom in the Rose Garden from late March through November.
From there, continue to Liu Fang Yuan, the Chinese Garden, with its lakeside walkways, followed by the Japanese Garden and its Moon Bridge. The historic Shōya House is another stop. It opens from noon to 4 p.m., so there’s no need to rush there early. Wear sturdy shoes, and check for temporary gallery closures due to renovations if you plan to spend time indoors.
Late-afternoon light suits the Colorado Street Bridge, with its 1,467 feet of concrete arches carrying Colorado Boulevard 150 feet above the Arroyo Seco. Completed in 1913, it was once the world’s highest concrete bridge and carried Route 66 traffic until a new parkway opened in 1940.
For a better look at those arches, visit Lower Arroyo Park, where a trail winds beneath the span through sycamores and oaks. You’ll find an entrance across from Norwood Drive, but watch where you wander, since there’s poison oak beyond the main path.
The canyon connects the San Gabriel Mountains to the Los Angeles River, giving this corner of the city an unexpectedly rural atmosphere. Pasadena Heritage also hosts a summer festival on the bridge, which closes to vehicles for the event. Check the dates if you’re hoping to cross it.
By evening, Old Pasadena comes alive again, especially around its restaurants. If you’re parking nearby, One Colorado Garage on Union Street closes at 1:30 a.m., or 2:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Plaza Las Fuentes Garage, on the same street, operates 24 hours. The city generally prohibits street parking between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., unless signs indicate otherwise.
For dinner, Union serves Northern Italian cooking in an intimate dining room of about 50 seats, so reservations are a good idea. Farther east, Magnolia House pours craft cocktails in a 1912 bungalow that once served as a family home and a liquor store. Few restaurants have that kind of backstory.
South Lake Avenue has a more spread-out dining scene than Old Pasadena, so it makes sense to choose your restaurant before heading over. If you’re getting around Pasadena in a hired car, you can enjoy either neighborhood and stop worrying about finding another parking space.
One day here leaves much unfinished. The Huntington alone could fill another morning, especially if you skipped the art galleries to spend more time outdoors. And Old Pasadena is more appealing on a slower weekday, with time to study the architecture and peek into its courtyards.
That’s part of the city’s character. A city famous for one spectacular morning in January has enough history, art, and architecture to reward visits year-round. Next time, maybe visit the Norton Simon Museum or spend a longer afternoon around Caltech. The parade may put Pasadena on the map, but the ordinary days give you a reason to return.
