The Bissell House

Safety

by iam1wthee

I felt very safe here even alone at night. It is only 30 minutes to Union Station. There are a lot of restaurants to choose from. The attractions are not close to one another and it seems as though the tours do not really startup until the month of April.

Pass a Day in Pleasantville: South Pasadena

by marinarena

Quiet, unassuming and peaceful- and that is just the way that they like in South Pasadena. Just beneath the vastness that is the city ofr Pasadena is its smaller counterpart- South Pasadena -or South Pas as locals call it. Sure, it's lazy to do this but thi is a sleepy little town. Officially, South Pasadena is a seperate entity of just under 3 1/2 square miles. One will be amazed that this wonderful suburban paradise is just a stone's throw from downtown Los Angeles. Come to South Pas to have a slice of Americana and for a beautiful nature walk down tree-lined streets, by lush gardens and other plots of land.

Baby Dena

by marinarena

"Out of the belly of Pasadena..."

is one beautiful little charmer, South Pasadena. She is understated, artistic and indeed small but grand in delight.

"South Pas..."

is constantly in the shadow of Pasadena, and likes it that way of sorts. While most hear and know about the older, bigger Dena, South Pas often gets overlooked, and thus keeps the younger more of a local secret. It also keeps traffic and crime concerns at a minimum.

"In South Pas..."

enjoy the celebration of the arts here, during festivals or any given day of the week. Read on to find out more on the arts scene in this Route 66 stop.

Varinia's new South Pasadena Page

by Varinia

South Pasadena is an independent city from Pasadena but next to each other.
The Tournament of Roses takes place in Pasadena every January 1 of the year.
The California Technological Institute located in Pasadena is where Albert Einstein taught after moving from Germany.
South Pasadena is a safe and quiet city surrounded by the San Gabriel Mountains.
It is 30 minutes away from Beverly Hills and 45 min. from Santa Monica Beach, 1 hour from Malibu.

History of The Tournament of Roses in Pasadena

by Varinia

The first Tournament of Roses was staged in 1890 by members of Pasadena's Valley Hunt Club, former residents of the East and Midwest eager to showcase their new home's mild winter weather. "In New York, people are buried in snow," announced Professor Charles F. Holder at a Club meeting. "Here our flowers are blooming and our oranges are about to bear. Let's hold a festival to tell the world about our paradise."

More than 2,000 people turned out on New Year's Day to watch a parade of flower-covered carriages, followed by foot races, polo matches and tugs-of-war on the town lot. The abundance of flowers prompted Professor Holder to suggest "Tournament of Roses" as a suitable name for the festival.

During the next few years, the festival expanded to include marching bands and motorized floats. The games on the town lot (which was re-named Tournament Park in 1900) included ostrich races, bronco busting demonstrations and a race between a camel and an elephant (the elephant won). Reviewing stands were built along the Parade route, and Eastern newspapers began to take notice of the event. In 1895, the Tournament of Roses Association was formed to take charge of the festival, which had grown too large for the Valley Hunt Club to handle.
Each New Year's Day, the world focuses its attention on Pasadena, California, U.S.A., home of the Rose Parade® and Rose Bowl Game®. It's a celebration more than a century old--a festival of flowers, music and sports unequaled anywhere in the world.

The Tournament is more than just a parade and football game. It's America's New Year Celebration, a greeting to the world on the first day of the year.

The year-long effort pays off on New Year's morning, when an estimated 350 million television viewers in more than 80 countries join nearly one million curbside spectators for the Rose Parade.