Yummo

There's a lot of culinary delight packed into South Pasadena's three square miles. I muse about it in my column this week at Patch. (It should post sometime after lunch -- a lunch I plan on having at either Gus's BBQ or Mike and Anne's. Choices, choices...)

School Daze

Last week, South Pas students headed back to school. This week, I muse about it over at my Patch column. (Make sure to watch the video. You might just spot your child in it!)

It should post some time after lunch today -- unless I'm officially tardy. (Don't even get me started on how many notes my poor mother wrote to excuse me for being late to class...)

So, what do you remember most about school?

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

I've got nothing here today, folks. But feel free to run over to Patch after lunch for my latest column and slideshow.

Wish You Were Here

Today is the first day of the month, and that means it's Theme Day for participating City Daily Photo bloggers. This month's theme is Postcard-worthy.

There are a lot of postcard-worthy spots around South Pas. This overlook from Arroyo Drive is one of my favorites. Looking west toward the setting sun feels like staring into opportunity. (It's hard to believe the urban swell of metropolitan Los Angeles stretches out behind those hills.)

For other postcard shots from around the world, check out what my fellow City Daily Photo pals have come up with. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

For a look at some of the little details we love about South Pas, check out my latest column at Patch. It should post sometime this afternoon.

View Without a Room

If you want to take in the view of the apartment buildings on the south end of Arroyo Drive, this is your spot!

Speaking of views, check out my column at Patch today. It should post some time before lunch.

UPDATE @ 2:00PM: Thanks to those of you who emailed me. My latest column wasn't coded to link up with my columns section over at Patch so the above link (and the one on the side of the blog) won't take you there. For now, just click on the front page of Patch and you'll find me.

Tarnished Treasure

Encased in chicken wire, the Rialto awaits its fate. Will it join the list of other beloved movie palaces that have been saved and transformed into thriving entertainment centers? I explore this question in my Patch column this week, including a 12 minute video of interviews with others who love the Rialto as much as I do. It should post sometime this afternoon.

Summer's Here

June Gloom might still have a few tricks up her sleeve, but that doesn't mean things aren't getting bright and colorful around here. Check out my column today at Patch for a celebration of summer in South Pas. It should post sometime today.

Historic Beauty

It's hard to believe the gorgeous Comerica Bank Building was ever covered in weird, aqua tiles! I explore the history of this structure, along with several other notable South Pas buildings, in my column this week at Patch. (It should post sometime around lunch today.)

UPDATE: Thanks to those of you who emailed that my latest column isn't linked with the others over at Patch. I'm sure it was just a glitch in putting it up. Try this link to get to today's column. Also, for those who can't seem to find me over there, just put my name into the search box and it should bring up all my stuff. The latest Patch layout doesn't keep columns on the front page anymore.

Carry on!

Faded Beauty

Check out my column at Patch today. I finally delved into the history of the Rialto and let me just say this: our beloved old queen has quite a story. (The column should post sometime this morning.)

Classic Ride

Cruise on over to my column at Patch. This week, I muse about South Pasadena's penchant for old cars, and the city's historical significance in Southern California's changing transportation landscape. Be sure to check out the video for a collection of gorgeous vintage automobiles. (It should post sometime before lunch today.)

South Pas People

The 2010 Census results recently became available. Want to know more about the demographics of South Pas? I did. And that's what I feature in my latest column and video piece up at South Pasadena Patch.

Multicolored

When Jon and I were first married, we painted the walls and doors of our West LA house about a dozen different colors. It was kind of like living inside of a kaleidoscope. All you had to do was turn your head for festive, ever changing views of what would have otherwise been a fairly nondescript late 1940s bungalow. In a part of town known for its beige stucco, the inside of that house was a welcome change. It was hard to stay bored staring at a ceiling painted with multicolored flowers, hard to stay mad at a dinner table surrounded by red walls and gold stars. If there had been a staircase in that house, I probably would have painted it just like this one at Busters.

I've been musing about South Pasadena's multicolored landscape lately ... just check out my latest column at Patch. It should post sometime before lunch today.

Update Tuesday Morning: Thanks to the readers pointing out my latest article and video aren't showing up under my column heading at Patch this week. Until it gets fixed, just click here for the South Pas Patch front page and you'll find my column.

Personal Favorite

Today is the first day of the month and that means it's Theme Day for participating City Daily Photo bloggers. This month's theme is Your Favorite Part of Town.

Well that's a no-brainer!

Long-time readers of GOSP know I have a love affair with the South Pasadena Public Library. Not only is it one of the most picturesque of our historic buildings, it's one of the most vibrant, energetic, artistic parts of the city. As a matter of fact, I feature the art, architecture and activities of the library in my column this week at South Pasadena Patch. (It should post sometime today before lunchtime.)

Stay tuned for more information on upcoming library events. And to visit my fellow bloggers' favorite local haunts, be sure to take a look at today's Theme Day offerings. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

I don't know what it means either

I found this sign when I was wandering around the neighborhood south of Huntington. And while we're on the subject of the neighborhood south of Huntington, please check out my latest column at South Pasadena Patch. (It should post sometime before lunch today.)

New Technology -- Old School Image

I've gone crazy. I've spent a fortune on cameras, lenses, editing software, laptops and computer memory. So what do I do? Take pictures with a retro camera app on my iPhone. I'm not the only one bitten by the iPhone camera bug, either. Former Cannes film festival prize winning director Park Chan-Wook shot his latest film Night Fishing with 10 iPhone 4s and no other cameras!

For more nostalgic shots, rhapsodic waxing, and even faux Super 8 video -- I'm kind of fond of my latest column at South Pasadena Patch. It should post sometime before lunch today.

Tree Hugging

Don't the trees along Arroyo Drive look beautiful this time of year? By the way, I have a new column going up at South Pasadena Patch sometime this morning. It's all about one of my favorite subjects: South Pasadena's many, many trees. Our city has a history of protecting and cherishing our trees, and our community is all the better for it.

Meanwhile, construction is set to begin Wednesday on LA county's controversial Santa Anita Dam Riser Modification and Reservoir Sediment Removal Project. Why is this of interest to me? Because the proposed project would decimate nearby Arcadia Woodlands. Arcadia is slated to lose some 179 legacy oak trees, many over a hundred years in age. This woodland area also includes sycamores, California bay, elderberry, toyon, sugar bush and dozens of other native plant species. It provides a natural habitat for deer, bears, owls, hawks and bats as well as countless species of birds. If the county moves forward, it will turn a thriving, dynamic, regenerative, intact ecosystem (as well as a natural groundwater storage area) into a dump for sediment. And it won't just be the trees and animals who will suffer if the region is destroyed. The area is particularly hospitable to human beings, too. It is located at the northern end of an accessible urban trail that is level, flat and easily enjoyed by children and the elderly.

Several alternatives have been presented by concerned citizens, all of which have been rejected or passed off as unfeasible. I'm not blindly advocating that trees take precedence over dam safety or that flood control isn't a major (not to mention historical) issue in LA County. But in my opinion, officials have been at best disingenuous about this issue. When it comes to the grave decision to destroy a precious natural habitat -- one that can never be recreated -- the powers that be had damn well better exhaust all options before bringing in the bulldozers. Once a grove of century old trees is buried in sludge, it's too late to realize there might have been a wiser alternative.

Please join me in asking that LA County spare one of our few remaining woodlands by signing this online petition. So far, over 1300 concerned people have added their names to the list. If you are feeling particularly inspired, LA County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich's office phone number is 213-974-5555. He might be able to help, and would certainly be more inclined if enough people bugged him about it.

For more information, Arcadia Patch is providing great up-to-date coverage of this developing story. Sierra Madre Patch also has an interesting article here. I'm not the only one putting out the call for support. See Pasadena Adjacent for a list of other bloggers who want to save the Arcadia Woodlands.

UPDATE 4:25PM: Damn. Pasadena Star News is reporting that environmentalists lost the appeal. Razing of Arcadia Woodlands is slated to begin as scheduled tomorrow.

Arts and Crafts (and Cloudbursts)

Talk about a Craftsman Challenge...

I ventured out the other day to shoot pictures of South Pasadena's beloved bungalows when it started to rain. Here, a lonely lawn chair gets another rinse. (I'll be those little plants are happy, though...)

For more on Craftsman architecture -- and a whole lot of pictures of houses -- check out my latest at Patch. It should post sometime before lunchtime today.

LaunderLand at Sunset

I just love this old sign. It's such a symbol of the not-so-distant past -- all that brightly colored late 1950s optimism when even doing laundry was something to declare in big, bold letters!

And speaking of remnants of the past, I've got a new column up today at South Pasadena Patch. (It should be posted sometime in the morning, Pacific Time.) See if you recognize some of South Pasadena's historic little details... (For those of you who have trouble connecting via phone, try this link instead and scroll down to find my column.)

Parked

It may be cold outside for Southern California, but it's still pretty nice to hang out in the sunshine at one of our parks. And, hey, while we're on the subject of hanging out at local parks... check out my latest column at South Pasadena Patch.

UPDATE: Thanks, LAist, for the lovely nod to this column today.

Manhunt

As I compose today's post, this helicopter is still circling South Pasadena. At 3:15 PM yesterday, I noticed it hovering near Orange Grove Park. I had planned on taking Little Bit to the playground before dinner, but the loud speaker warned citizens to stay indoors. Then, I heard words that reminded me of when I used to see police helicopters a lot -- back when I lived in Venice Beach and Hollywood. "Come out with your hands up," the officer in the helicopter said, "and you won't be harmed."

Not such a good day for a park trip.

The Pasadena Police and South Pasadena Police departments were/are looking for suspects involved in a jewelry store robbery in Pasadena. Several have been apprehended, but more are still at large. You can read all about it here at South Pasadena Patch.

May I just add that it is so nice to finally have a local news source with up-to-the-minute reporting on exactly what is happening in South Pasadena. (And I'm pretty darned lucky to be writing a column for this great website!) Editor Sonia Narang was on this story within minutes of the helicopter going up, making updates as she gained more information. Local photo journalist James F. Carbone included some incredible shots of arrests being made and SWAT teams walking with guns drawn through South Pasadena yards.

Scary stuff, but glad to have a savvy local media outlet giving us the scoop as it becomes a scoop, and letting us in on details that directly affect our community.