Author Archive


Post Vacation Book Report

Post Vacation Book Report

It’s always inspiring at the end of summer vacation season to hear a friend rave about a book she read on the plane, on the beach or in the cabin. So we thought we’d share three novels that our Hometown Pasadena friends can’t stop talking about as summer draws to a close. Before everyone’s reading [...]

Zinnia

Zinnia

Thanks to Zinnia, we may never have to set foot in the dreaded Michael’s again. This is a craft store with personality, flair and whimsy, staffed by people who are obsessed with this stuff. Owner Tamara says this store looks like the inside of her brain, which is either a thrilling or frightening statement, depending [...]

What They Did This Summer

What They Did This Summer

Volunteering at the zoo seems like it would be one of those fun, easy ways for teenagers to do their community service. But volunteering at the L.A. Zoo is a very serious commitment, requiring extensive training and a whole lot of hours over a two-year period. So it attracts the best and brightest of L.A. [...]

Ryan Oliver, Composer & Lyricist

Ryan Oliver, Composer & Lyricist

One doesn’t always associate Pasadena with bicoastal living—Beverly Hills or Malibu are more associated with a New York and a glamorous show-business dual residence. But Ryan Scott Oliver is not glamorous—people who grow up in East Pasadena and Sierra Madre rarely are, and thank goodness for that. He is, however, in show business, specifically as [...]

Rover Roving the Arroyo

Rover Roving the Arroyo

Our friend Bruce Moision, a JPL engineer, tipped us off that JPL/NASA is testing the latest Mars Rover, named Athlete, in the upper Arroyo– and this Rover will be roving the Arroyo tomorrow, Friday, if you’d like to go spy it in action. Here’s a photo of the Rover they’re testing; Bruce is going to [...]

An Artist at Work

An Artist at Work

Thanks to Lori Webster for drawing our attention to this short video showing Altadena Ngene Mwaura, a sculpture, painter, mixed-media artist and silkscreener of very cool t-shirts. The video shows him creating a new t-shirt, from conception to final product. You’ll find some of his t-shirts for sale on Etsy; his prints and some other [...]

Wandering Old Town

Wandering Old Town

Some thoughts while wandering Old Pasadena on a lovely summer Saturday afternoon: When a street parking spot opens before me on the weekend, I figure it’s a sign from God that I need to take it, even if I don’t need to buy, eat or drink anything. As much as I decry the mallification of [...]

Brigham Yen, Blogger-Realtor

Brigham Yen, Blogger-Realtor

First of all, yes, that’s his real name. Brigham Yen was born in Provo, Utah, when his father was pursuing his Ph.D. at BYU, and he thought he’d give the name of the university to his son, because it would be unique. And it is. (“Contrary to popular belief,” says Brigham, “there are not that [...]

Coffee Action

Coffee Action

Pasadena’s coffee people, who are numerous indeed, are abuzz with two new developments. First is last week’s opening of the new Intelligentsia Coffee in Old Town, in the former Wok ‘n Roll space on the north side of Colorado jus west of Raymond. A Chicago native, Intelligentsia first settled in Silver Lake, where it instantly [...]

Rose Parading in Summer

Rose Parading in Summer

For us locals, the Rose Parade is pretty much a year-round event. The army of volunteers starts working on the coming year’s parade on January 2nd, float builders start that same month, and we all know it’s Thanksgiving when the stands appear on Orange Grove. For us at Hometown Pasadena, the parade starts in mid-summer, [...]


Chez Cherie
Partnership Painting
Maude Woods - Opening October 22nd in Pasadena
Hometown Pasadena on Facebook
EAT: Los Angeles Celebrating with Julienne At Home: Pasadena Hometown Pasadena Hometown Santa Barbara Hometown Santa Monica The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook A Pocket of Paradise: The Story of Beach Road Mammoth from the Inside: The Honest Guide to Mammoth & the Eastern Sierra Image Mapper