PASADENA’S GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Pasadena’s General Plan was written based on seven guiding principles, which affirm the values of our community. One is not more important than another; they are all relevant and work together. Created through a process of community input, they were adopted in 1994.
1. Growth will be targeted to serve community needs and enhance the quality of life.
2. Change will be harmonized to preserve Pasadena’s historic character and environment.
3. Economic vitality will be promoted to provide jobs, services, revenues and opportunities.
4. Pasadena will be promoted as a healthy family community.
5. Pasadena will be a city where people can circulate without cars.
6. Pasadena will be promoted as a cultural, scientific, corporate, entertainment and educational center for the region.
7. Community participation will be a permanent part of achieving a greater city.
OLD TOWN PASADENA
Old town Pasadena is nationally recognized for its historic and vibrant main street, Colorado Blvd. Old Pasadena offers memorable architecture and reflects the traditions of early California, blending in a collection of shopping, excellent restaurants for dining and endless entertainment.What we now know as Old Town Pasadena, first emerged as a town in the 1870’s. Old town began to see an increase of development in the 1890’s when the main throuroughfaire, Colorado Blvd, was paved. By this time blacksmith shops, carriage sales, storage enterprises, and livery stables all ran down Colorado Blvd.
The world renowned Rose Parade is centered in Old Town. The first Tournament of Roses was staged in 1890 by members of Pasadena’s Valley Hunt Club. These club members were former residents of from the East and Midwest eager to showcase Pasadena as the place where the “flowers were blooming” on January. They wanted to tell the world about “their new paradise.” More than 2000 people came out on that day to view a parade of flower-covered carriages, foot races, and polo matches. Today, most floats are built by professional float companies and take almost a year to design and construct. An estimated 350 million television viewers in more than 80 countries around the world join nearly one million curbside spectators for the Rose Parade on new years day.
Old Pasadena is unique in that the majority of its commercial buildings along the Colorado Boulevard were constructed during the period from around 1886 to 1918, and still house commercial enterprises with little change to many of their facades.
Originally the Hotel Green, just north of Central Park in Old Pasadena is the well known historic Castle Green. Converted over from a hotel into condos in the 1920’s, the Castle Green is still the home to 50 residential units and are owned by residents that have respect and admiration for Pasadena’s history.
There have also been recent modern residential developments in old town that offer modern loft living above ground floor commercial buildings.
Although old town is so well known for it’s shopping, just as eminent is the dining and night life, which is becoming more and more sophisticated in the new century.
Old Pasadena features over 100 diverse restaurants, including award-winning fine dining and charming outdoor cafés, as well as museums a world class movie theatre, sports pubs, wine bars, and a wide array of places for late night live music and dancing.
The historic streets and alleyways, rustic brick façades and architectural accents of Pasadena’s original business district refuses to fade into history.