The Rose Bowl in Pasadena flickr.com/photos/davidmarcel/
Region: The Verdugos
Glendale and Pasadena (See also: La Cañada Flintridge, Altadena)
Glendale
flickr.com/photos/reneesilverman/
Anneli, Executive Recruiting, Glendale
Describe what it’s like in Glendale:
Glendale is a great place to live – it’s fairly quiet and relaxed which is ideal, but close enough that we can go down to downtown LA, Silver Lake, and Pasadena fairly easily. We love to eat and Glendale is not really too foodie-friendly, but it’s getting better.
What is the best thing about living in LA?
The best thing about living in LA is the weather – hands down. My husband is from the Bay Area and we do travel there often. At any time of the year, except for a few weeks in August or September, it is always cold in San Francisco. In LA, about 95% of the time, the weather is awesome – we can’t complain. We try to take advantage of that by going outside a lot, whether it’s going to the park for some picnic and reading time, hiking, or running – there’s no shortage of adventures to get into. Plus, there’s some AMAZING food around. Hands down the best Sushi outside of Japan, and you can’t beat the Mexican food! There’s also a ton of mom & pop/hole-in-the-wall places that’s absolutely great. We can’t complain about the great eats around here!
What are your favorite frugal/free activities to do in your area?
There’s so much that we get to do for free or cheap in LA – it just depends on what you are into.
We love to hike in either Griffith Park or Angeles Crest or even in Malibu – that’s always free!
Running in Echo Park and around the Silver Lake Reservoir is also very cool.
There’s also a lot of great gardens/parks like Descanso Gardens, the LA Arboretum, or the Japanese Garden in Van Nuys – great places to explore.
We also love going to outdoor concerts – there’s an amazing free outdoor concert series in downtown LA – Grand Performances. Bring a picnic and wine and enjoy the concert on Friday nights during the summer.
There’s also the Hollywood Bowl, which hosts a ton of great concerts in the summer – there’s no bad seat in the house! (check out the Sound of Music or Grease sing-along concerts and the amazing fireworks).
There’s a few hole in the wall jazz bars in downtown LA – Blue Whale Bar and Grand Star Jazz Club - great for a quick drink or stay for the whole show. In Echo Park there’s a cool little bar/area – the Short Stop. Great DJ’s and great vibes.
On Tuesday nights, there’s a great open mic/poetry spot on La Brea/Melrose – Da Poetry Lounge. It’s just a fun spot to check out (probably about $5 to get in).
On Saturdays, there’s a great event at the Getty Museum – Off the 405. It’s a great outdoor music event at the courtyard – it’s free (but you have to pay $15 for parking). I would pack a picnic/snacks with some drinks. It’s a great place to chill.
Museums are also all over the place – hit up MOCA for some great exhibits, and explore the more obscure ones like The Geffen Contemporary in Little Tokyo, the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, or the Autry Museum in Griffith Park. While you’re there, you might as well explore the Griffith Observatory (which is even better in the evening times!).
And speaking of art – every other Thursday, there’s the Downtown LA Artwalk on Main St. There’s always great people, musicians, artists, etc. Also, walk over to Little Tokyo for some great eats!
There’s also some awesome micro-breweries that are great to check out – including Golden Road Brewery in Glendale, Angel City Brewery near downtown, Eagle Rock Brewery, and Beer Belly in Korea Town
What advice would you give someone who was thinking of moving to LA?
Living in LA is an adventure. If you’re open to experiencing new things and meeting some great people, there will never be a shortage of things to do. LA isn’t just Hollywood – we don’t really even go there. There’s a ton of great places to explore outside of the “typical” scene. There’s a ton of art and artists. There’s great food and culture. You just have to take the time to get to know the city.
Pasadena City Hall
flickr.com/photos/
mikechen-metalman/
Daniel, Business Development & Production in Digital Marketing, Pasadena
Describe what it’s like in Pasadena:
Charming. The part where I live is called Bungalow Heaven, so it’s very close to downtown LA driving wise, but it feels removed/suburban, like it’s own little enclave.
What is the best thing about living in LA?
Lived here my whole life, but from experience traveling, I’d have to say the weather is the best thing about LA.
What are your favorite frugal/free activities to do in your area?
Mountain biking.
What advice would you give someone who was thinking of moving to LA?
Live really close to friends or family members that you plan on seeing a lot. Or live close to work or a hobbie (like a mountain biking trail, bar, club, gym, beach if you surf or roller blade, etc.), even if it’s a little more expensive. Traffic will eat you alive if you aren’t use to it.
Check out the various regions of LA:
The Westside (includes Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Marina del Rey, Venice, Brentwood, and Westwood)
The Valley (includes Woodland Hills, Sherman Oaks, Sylmar, and Northridge)
The Verdugos (includes Glendale and Pasadena)
South Bay (includes El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Torrance)
Central Los Angeles (includes Hollywood, West Hollywood, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Echo Park, and Downtown LA)
Santa Monica Mountains (includes Thousand Oaks, Malibu, Calabasas, and Topanga).
Other related articles:
How to Afford LA: My Perspective
Where You Live: The Good and the Bad