Pasadena Area Guide: Things to Do, Coffee and Food
Pasadena sits at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains about ten miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, with the Arroyo Seco and the Rose Bowl along its western edge. Colorado Boulevard, once part of Route 66 and the route of the Rose Parade, runs through the restored commercial blocks of Old Pasadena, a few streets from the domed City Hall completed in 1927. The city is also known for Caltech and for Arts and Crafts architecture, including the Gamble House by Charles and Henry Greene.
Getting around
Metro's A Line has six Pasadena stations (Fillmore, Del Mar, Memorial Park, Lake, Allen and Sierra Madre Villa) with trains to downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach and east to Pomona; Del Mar and Memorial Park are a short walk from Old Pasadena. The 210 and 134 freeways run through the city, the Arroyo Seco Parkway (110) ends just south of Old Pasadena, and Hollywood Burbank Airport is the closest commercial airport.
Neighborhoods to know
Old Pasadena. A 22-block National Register historic district along Colorado Boulevard and Green Street, where restored late 19th and early 20th century buildings, side passages and courtyards hold shops and restaurants, with Castle Green (1898) and the 9.2-acre Central Park nearby.
Playhouse Village. The blocks around the Pasadena Playhouse on East Colorado Boulevard and nearby streets, with Vroman's Bookstore, the USC Pacific Asia Museum, book and record shops, and murals and painted utility boxes on historic buildings.
South Lake Avenue. A 12-block shopping district on Lake Avenue south of Colorado Boulevard, with Macy's at The Shops on Lake Avenue, the 1980 Burlington Arcade built to resemble a London shopping arcade, and boutiques, restaurants, cafes and salons along the street.
Civic Center. Pasadena's government and events district around City Hall (1927), with the 1932 Civic Auditorium, the Pasadena Convention Center, an ice rink and The Paseo shopping center, set among Beaux-Arts and Mediterranean Revival buildings.
Bungalow Heaven. A National Register district in northeast Pasadena of early 20th century Arts and Crafts bungalows, designated a city Landmark District in 1989, with a walking tour of several homes each spring.
Things to do in Pasadena
Norton Simon Museum, 411 W. Colorado Blvd. Art museum at Colorado and Orange Grove boulevards with European paintings and sculpture, art from South and Southeast Asia, and a sculpture garden. Open noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Monday and Thursday, and noon to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Gamble House, 4 Westmoreland Pl. A 1908 Arts and Crafts house designed by Charles and Henry Greene, with detailed woodwork and art glass. The interior is shown only on guided tours, offered Tuesday and Thursday through Sunday; reservations are recommended.
Rose Bowl Loop, Around the Rose Bowl, 1001 Rose Bowl Dr. A flat, paved 3.3-mile loop around the Rose Bowl and Brookside Golf Course in the Arroyo Seco, used by walkers, runners and cyclists, with views of the San Gabriel Mountains. Free and open daily from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Tournament House and Wrigley Gardens, 391 S. Orange Grove Blvd. The former home of William Wrigley Jr., given to the city and now the headquarters of the Tournament of Roses, surrounded by the Wrigley Gardens. Free guided tours run on Thursday afternoons in late spring and summer by reservation; the 2026 tours ran May through August.
Pasadena Museum of History, 470 W. Walnut St. History galleries and the 1906 Fenyes Mansion, which is shown on guided tours with advance registration. The exhibition galleries and museum store are open Thursday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
USC Pacific Asia Museum, 46 N. Los Robles Ave. Museum of art from Asia and the Pacific Islands in a 1920s building designed in the style of a Chinese imperial palace, with a courtyard garden. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free admission on the second Sunday of each month.
Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave. A professional theater in a 1925 Spanish Colonial Revival building in Playhouse Village, staging plays and musicals through the year. The 2026 to 2027 season includes Passing Strange (November 4 to 29, 2026) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (June and July 2027).
Vroman's Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd. Independent bookstore dating to 1894, selling books, stationery, gifts and games and hosting author talks and signings most weeks. New owners took over in September 2026 and said the store, staff and programming would stay the same.
Events and markets
Rose Parade. When: January 1 at 8 a.m. (moved to Monday, January 2 when New Year's Day falls on a Sunday) Where: 5.5-mile route from Orange Grove Blvd. and Green St., north on Orange Grove, east on Colorado Blvd. and north on Sierra Madre Blvd. to Villa St. The Tournament of Roses parade of flower-covered floats, marching bands and equestrian units. Pre-parade events such as Bandfest, Equestfest and Floatfest preview the bands, horses and floats.
Rose Bowl Flea Market. When: Second Sunday of every month; general admission from 9 a.m., VIP early entry from 5 a.m. Where: Rose Bowl, 1001 Rose Bowl Dr. A monthly market of more than 2,500 vendors selling vintage clothing, antiques, furniture and collectibles, held rain or shine.
Pasadena Certified Farmers Market. When: Tuesdays and Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Where: Tuesdays at Villa Parke, 363 E. Villa St.; Saturdays at Victory Park, 2900 block of N. Sierra Madre Blvd. A certified farmers market with California growers selling produce and other farm goods, open rain or shine.
ArtNight Pasadena. When: Twice a year, on a Friday evening in March and another in October, 6 to 10 p.m. Where: About two dozen museums, galleries and arts venues around the city, linked by free shuttles. A free evening of exhibits, open studios, music, dance and theater produced by the city's Cultural Affairs Division with local arts groups.
Craftsman Week. When: Usually in mid-October. Where: Historic houses and neighborhoods around Pasadena and nearby. Pasadena Heritage's week of house tours, walking tours, talks and evening events focused on Arts and Crafts architecture; most events are ticketed and some sell out in advance.
Bungalow Heaven Home Tour. When: Usually a Sunday in late April (the 36th tour is listed for April 25, 2027) Where: Bungalow Heaven Landmark District. An annual spring walking tour of several Arts and Crafts era bungalows, with docents at each house.
Coffee in Pasadena
Jones Coffee Roasters, 693 S. Raymond Ave. A Pasadena coffee roaster's cafe on South Raymond Avenue serving espresso drinks and drip coffee, with its blends and single-origin beans sold by the bag. Open daily, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Intelligentsia Coffee Pasadena Coffeebar, 55 E. Colorado Blvd. An Intelligentsia coffeebar on Colorado Boulevard in Old Pasadena with a long Douglas fir bar, espresso drinks and an outdoor patio open all day.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters, 1982 Lincoln Ave. A Stumptown cafe on Lincoln Avenue, opened in 2024 in a space with a roll-up front door and a record-store theme, serving espresso drinks, single-origin pour-overs, cold brew and teas.
Jameson Brown Coffee Roasters, 260 N. Allen Ave. A small-batch roaster on North Allen Avenue that has roasted on site since opening in 2006, with a cafe serving espresso drinks and pastries. Open weekdays from 7 a.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m., until 2 p.m.; closed Sundays.
Little Flower Candy Co., 1422 W. Colorado Blvd. A small cafe and candy kitchen on West Colorado Boulevard near the 134 Freeway, with a bakery case, coffee drinks, breakfast and lunch, and house-made candies such as sea salt caramels. Open daily, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Places to eat
Pie 'n Burger, 913 E. California Blvd. ($$). A diner on East California Boulevard near Caltech, serving burgers, sandwiches and pies since 1963. Open daily, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Lucky Boy, 640 S. Arroyo Pkwy. ($). A counter-service stand open since 1961, serving breakfast burritos all day along with burgers, sandwiches and dinner plates. Open 5 a.m. to midnight; a second Pasadena location is at 531 E. Walnut St.
Daisy Mint, 1218 E. Colorado Blvd. ($). A small Thai restaurant on East Colorado Boulevard, open daily for lunch and dinner, with dine-in, pickup, delivery and catering.
Bone Kettle, 67 N. Raymond Ave. ($$). A Southeast Asian kitchen and bar in Old Pasadena, open since 2017 and built around a 36-hour bone broth, with dishes drawing on Indonesian, Filipino, Malaysian and Singaporean cooking. Dinner nightly, Friday lunch and weekend brunch.
Mijares, 145 Palmetto Dr. ($$). A Mexican restaurant that grew from a small tortilla shop opened around 1920, with tamales and salsas ground on a volcanic stone molino, three patios, margaritas and a weekend brunch. Closed Mondays.
Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery, 40 W. Green St. ($$). A modern American restaurant with a cheese shop at its entrance, cooking Californian dishes with regional American influences. Lunch on weekdays, brunch on weekends, dinner nightly and a daily happy hour.
Union, 37 E. Union St. ($$$). An Old Pasadena restaurant cooking Northern Italian food with a California approach, centered on handmade pastas, seasonal produce and sustainably sourced meat and fish. Dinner only, daily from 4 or 5 p.m.
The Raymond 1886, 1250 S. Fair Oaks Ave. ($$$). A modern American restaurant south of downtown Pasadena with patio dining and the 1886 Bar for cocktails. Dinner Tuesday through Sunday and brunch on weekends; closed Mondays.
Hours, prices and event details checked October 2026.
Pasadena questions
When is the Rose Parade in Pasadena?
The Rose Parade starts at 8 a.m. on New Year's Day and follows a 5.5-mile route north on Orange Grove Boulevard and east along Colorado Boulevard to Sierra Madre Boulevard. When January 1 falls on a Sunday, the parade moves to Monday, January 2.
When is the Rose Bowl Flea Market?
The flea market is held on the second Sunday of every month at the Rose Bowl, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, rain or shine. General admission starts at 9 a.m., and paid VIP early entry opens at 5 a.m.
Where can you see Craftsman architecture in Pasadena?
The Gamble House, designed by Charles and Henry Greene and completed in 1908, is open for guided tours Tuesday and Thursday through Sunday. The Bungalow Heaven Landmark District holds a home tour each spring, and Pasadena Heritage runs Craftsman Week each October.
Escrow notes for Pasadena
Transfer tax. County tax only: $1.10 per $1,000 of value ($0.55 per $500). Pasadena does not levy a separate city transfer tax; the city receives a share of the county tax. City staff studied a local transfer tax in July 2026, but the council did not place one on the ballot, and Pasadena's measure on the November 3, 2026 ballot (Measure PFD) is a parcel tax for fire services, not a transfer tax. Source: official page.
Our transfer tax calculator runs the county and city tax for any Los Angeles County price, and the free 2026-27 LA Transfer Tax and Measure ULA Cheat Sheet has every city rate on one page.
Buying or selling in Pasadena? Send Iris the fully executed contract at iris@calwestescrow.com or call (323) 300-6122.
About this guide. Cal West Escrow wrote this guide to share general local information. No business paid to be included, and we do not accept free goods or services for mentions. A mention is not an endorsement, and hours, prices and events change, so check with each business before you go. Business names and trademarks belong to their owners. Transfer tax and other escrow notes are general information as of October 2026, not legal or tax advice. Cal West Escrow is committed to fair housing: this guide describes places, not people, and is not meant to suggest who should live anywhere.