South Pasadena people have a thing for old stuff. Our little town is brimming with historic architecture, towering heritage trees and decades-old sidewalks whose cracks we romantically think add character rather than present something as mundane as a tripping hazard. We love our real old-fashioned soda fountain and our main street filled with many locally owned stores. We have a 4th of July parade so wonderfully small town it might have made even Norman Rockwell roll his eyes. While much of Los Angeles dabbles in a bit of hipster retro -- South Pas revels in the truly vintage.Even the limited new construction here often looks like a throwback to the 1920s -- antique-looking red brick or Craftsman-style facades -- and many homeowners search through the numerous San Gabriel Valley antique stores and architectural salvage places to fill new homes with the tile and light fixtures and switch plates and heating grilles of long ago.
It's fun to look at real estate listings from our flashy neighbors to the west. Brentwood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica West LA ... the descriptions of homes for sale there tend to mention things like vinyl dual paned windows and granite counters. Here? Even in a bad economy, people seek out old South Pas homes with 100 year old wood sash water glass windows and original kitchen tile. Personally, I'll always choose an antique gas stove like this one over a new Viking range...
