My favorite museums are things like the Frick Museum in New York and the Huntington Hartford in Pasadena where it's someone's home that you walk through.
-Larry Ellison
It’s the land of lovely estates with perfectly trimmed rose bushes in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. From Old Town, to Huntington Gardens to The Norton Simon Museum to architectural Greene and Greene landmark, The Gamble House and the Pasadena Playhouse, NASA Jet Propulsion Lab and CalTech, this place is the real deal steeped in California majesty and history. With lots of contemporary action in South Pas. (Remember the Big Bang Theory? Sheldon & crew lived in South Pas.)
Here's a review of the city by a local:
I live in Pasadena and love it. There is a strong sense of community, the city is clean, safe, and generally a positive place. I've left my bike unlocked outside of my condo for weeks at a time and have never had an issue. I've wandered home drunk from bars at 2:00 am and feel completely safe. One thing you'll appreciate is that once you're here, you don't need a car to get anywhere. You can walk everywhere to do errands, or be entertained. There are a ton of great restaurants as the culinary school in down releases its graduates to the city every year. There are 2 great playhouses, and a handful of movie theaters that show everything. Old Town has a lot of shopping. Just remember Colorado Blvd has all the "mall" stores, but Union and Green have all the interesting stores. If reading is your thing, there is a huge independent book store called Vromans. There are a couple of great used bookstores nearby too (Cliffs and another I can remember the name of.)
For more reviews of Oxford from locals check out: The Buzz
Housing, city tax, public transportation, gas prices, groceries. Pasadena is not for the financially faint of heart. If it’s all too much for you, consider Sierra Madre or Glendora.
POV from a local about the city and the cost of living:
Everyone basically summed it up. But I would like to add a couple of things, getting around. While you can manage to do stuff on a foot or bicycle, you will still need a car to save time. The cost of living is expensive, and I don't just mean the rent. Insurance, groceries, gas and eating out those all add up.
Pasadena is great if you can afford it.
Lots of craftsman bungalows but South Pas is more urban with loft options. Pasadena proper is a very big, very sophisticated suburb with a deep bench of cultural amenities. It is also quite painful to travel to and from Los Angeles. Not because it’s that far (as the crow flies) DTLA, Silverlake are in striking distance and even Santa Monica shouldn’t be more than a 30 minute drive assuming it’s the middle of the night. Highland Park and Eagle Rock are much more accessible. You will be flying out of Burbank.
If you're interested in all the happenings in Pasadena check out the calendar of events: https://www.visitpasadena.com/events/
The quality of life is outstanding. There’s so much to indulge in and it’s all spectacular from the culture and the food to the hiking trails. It’s really very, very grand.
Old Town is where the action is in Pasadena so it pulls in the young professionals who want to walk to the bars, restaurants, clubs and pubs in the area. There are plenty of apartment buildings here so finding a place to rent is not a problem and the buildings that house these apartments are often beautiful old brick facade buildings that match the historic look of the neighborhood.
Historic Highlands is a cool family neighborhood that is much loved by east-coast transplants who like the east coast vibe of the homes and streets. The homes are big cottages, Craftsman and Tudors and streets have the large oaks and trees you see back in northeastern neighborhoods. San Rafael Hills is another great option, just west of Old Town, it’s a beautiful affluent area, with big homes, many mid-century architecture, and winding roads and driveways through the hills, creating immensely private estates.
