Plenty to do in Pasadena

PASADENA, Calif. – It’s an urban legend that almost always proves true: It never rains on the Tournament of Roses Parade.

Tourists who trek to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl Game or the parade on Jan. 1 are just relieved they don’t have to shovel snow or sell their first-born for fuel.

But there’s more to Pasadena, the city that hosts the parade and game, than those calendar-like scenes on TV would have you believe.

Just 14 miles from Hollywood, Pasadena is always starring in some TV show or movie. It’s not only because of the good weather, but the wonderfully eclectic architecture, the revived historic quarter now called “Old Pasadena” and the picturesque San Gabriel Mountains that anchor the city to the north.

Pasadena is an exemplary site of the famous Arts and Crafts Movement, boasting singular works by the famous Greene brothers. It also houses baronial mansions, once belonging to chewing gum tycoons and railroad barons.

The one-time commercial center, at the west end of the famous Colorado Boulevard, is now Old Pasadena, with multiple shops and restaurants, street musicians and theaters. In California – where nobody walks – this is a promenade that would make New Yorkers jealous. All the original facades of the buildings (constructed from the 1880s to 1890s) have been retained, lending even Victoria’s Secret an elegant past.

There are several museums in Pasadena including the Norton Simon Museum at 411 W. Colorado Blvd., with its Van Goghs, Rembrandts and expansive collection of Asian art. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays, the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and till 8 p.m. on Fridays (626-449-2742).

Nothing quite rivals the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens with its something-for-everyone motto. At one time the estate of millionaire Henry Huntington, these 207 acres of landscaped gardens also house art treasures like Gainsborough’s “Blue Boy,” Lawrence’s “Pinkie,” Audubon paintings and a Gutenberg Bible.

The Huntington is not strictly in Pasadena, but on its southern border about three miles from the city center at 1151 Oxford Road in San Marino (626-405-2100). It is closed Mondays and open from noon to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends. With an entrance fee of $15, you’ll probably want to stay all day. Don’t miss the elegant Japanese Garden and the museum’s tearoom and bookstore.

There’s some modern shopping at Paseo Colorado on Colorado Boulevard in downtown Pasadena, with three city blocks of upscale retailers. But longtime residents prefer South Lake Avenue where smaller shops have managed to survive in spite of the mushrooming commercial districts around them. Here you’ll find bookstores, several nice restaurants, bargain dress shops and Macy’s.

When it comes to restaurants, Pasadena is food-possessed. There are 500 restaurants in the town of 136,000 people and you can find everything from Armenian wraps to jerk chicken.

Among the best (and priciest) restaurants are the Twin Palms (once owned by Kevin Costner); the Parkway Grill, featuring healthy California cuisine; Restaurant Halie; Nonya (for Chinese-Malaysian); the Arroyo Chop House for steaks; and Xiomara, with its unusual combination of Latin and Pacific Rim fare.

Residents like the Crocodile Cafe (on South Lake Avenue), Il Fornaio, Pie `N’ Burger, Burger Continental, the Cheesecake Factory and El Toreo (a hole-in-the-wall for great Mexican food).

There are other unique attractions in Pasadena. Those famous star-struck space scientists are ensconced at Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the city’s western fringe. The research and flight center for NASA offers tours by appointment (818-354-9314).

Pasdena’s famous Colorado Street Bridge, constructed in 1913, spans the dry lakebed called the Arroyo Seco. The bridge is known to locals as “suicide bridge” because during the Depression nearly 100 failed businessmen shuffled off this mortal coil via its massive span.

The city also is the site of many classic California bungalows and homes built in the Craftsman style. The apex of these is the Gamble House at 4 Westmoreland Place, designed and executed by the finicky Charles and Henry Greene, where no detail was too small to consider. The house still retains its original furnishings, and the brothers’ use of natural wood, stone and lighting is breathtaking. Tours are offered Thursday through Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. (626-793-3334).

The Convention Bureau provides information about 10 architectural walking or driving tours of the town’s most famous quarters.

When there are no football games, the world-famous Rose Bowl Flea Market is held the second Sunday of the month, rain or shine, and siphons people from all over Southern California. (Many movie stars like to amble through the concessions.) Hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults.

Accommodations are plentiful in Pasadena with choices from an EconoLodge to the gorgeous Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel and Spa. Once owned by the redoubtable Henry Huntington, it has been restored to its original grandeur and features an unbelievable view of the valley, massive grounds, great service and an impressive personal history. Prices run $245 and up. Call (800) 241-3333 for reservations.