I was born in Pasadena in 1954. Grew up there on the very west side; the hills S of the 210, just east of Eagle Rock. Went to public schools: San Rafael, McKinley, Blair… Played ball in all the parks, hiked & backpacked & skied in the mountains, went to a great church CALTRANS tore down for the 710 fwy extension never built. My mom swam laps & taught swimming the YW, which also had daycare for my siblings & me as she did. I swam at the YMCA while recovering from back surgery later on. My sister worked at HMH her entire career.
My wife & I moved our family to Phoenix in 2016, as soon as our youngest graduated from Glendora HS; by then, no one in their right mind would put their kids in Pasadena schools, and the YM & YW were long-disused. My sister & her kids are moving or have moved to Utah. My (retired) brother still lives in Pasadena; mostly because our mom (95) lives in a very nice retirement home in Claremont.
It was a great place to grow up. In a galaxy far away…
Back in the early 2000s, I recall going through Pasadena on a bus trip. The streets were quiet, clean, and lined with lush greenery and flowers. And the homes were magnificent.
Truly sad how this once gorgeous city has been ruined.
This is what “Vote Blue No Matter Who!” has gotten the residents of a once beautiful state.
Wow. Iʼve lived in Wilmington, an LA neighborhood by the harbor since 2010 and also lived here in the 1970s and 1990s. Not as bad as South Central or Compton, but has always had enough Hispanic gang activity to be considered one of the least-desirable parts of LA County.
I do live in what is considered the "best part" of Wilmington and have not been impacted by crime and vagrants all that often over the years, but it does seem to gradually be getting worse.
Iʼve always viewed Pasadena as *at least* a one-hundred times better place to live than Wilmington. I used to visit a friend there often. But now it sounds just the same, or maybe even slightly worse.
My wife and I are pretty much stuck here in California as long as her elderly parents are living. In the meantime, we dream of moving to a nicer Orange County neighborhood, but doubt we will ever be able to pull that off financially.
7 of my 12 siblings who also grew up in California now live in other states, and the latest to leave absolutely loves his new life in South Carolina.
It is so sad what has happened to our once great state.
My goodness. We need to talk. I was living and breathing everything at Pasadena City Hall for years. It is hard to unsee all the issues and I worked tooth and nail to try and fix. It is tough for sure, but doable. A voice like yours could make a huge impact. Already sent your article to someone who needs to be aware!
Erika, you are my twin from (probably) a later watchdog era, as is Peachy. The THREE of us need to talk. I started with the school district (as I recall it took me three years to master the jargon there), added City Hall and did everything I could to publicize all that was terribly wrong in Pasadena, naively thinking they didn't know and would rise up. After SEVEN years of devoting myself to banging my head against a wall I realized Pasadena LIKED the dysfunction. I moved on to banging my head against the wall of a dysfunctional California. There were a few victories and plenty of comical adventures but taking a peek again at the city's ridiculousness all of these years later it seems nothing with regard to the pitiful governance has changed.
I love twins! I was active from 2017-2023??? I would attend city council meetings on a weekly basis. I believe I made some good movement with trees and traffic helping change policy at a deep level. It felt like I worked through a master’s in city planning and public policy. It is doable, but it basically became a full time job for me. I love Pasadena and I still think there are good aspects about it, but it really takes vocal people to keep it that way. Participating and speaking can be very effective. I am certain city personal and council have received this piece by Peachy. She touched on some very hot topics for sure. On my end, that dumpster by the public housing has been a thorn in my side. I drive by it multiple times a day and it makes me crazy.
You will not find peace in any city these days. From Boston to Bakersfield, Baton Rogue to Bozeman, they have all become dystopian hellholes of filth, greed, corruption and consumption.
It's not so easy to find in the sticks either. Always something, grifters galore. I moved from Chattanooga after a jihadi attacked a recruiting center. The rules said the recruiters could not be armed but one man was and he ended the attack. I forget how he was punished for saving lives.
Maybe but the Left just keeps closing in and make it harder & harder. I’ve lived in Long Beach for almost 80 years and it saddens me daily to see many of these problems never get addressed. I can’t get my head around how people keep electing the same failed politicians. Sad.
Sorry this comment was supposed to link with the following comment
You see vagrants, winos, meth heads, and gang bangers. The city government sees reliable votes that will never "throw the bums out" while they bank their pensions. You think I'm joking. The rot is far deeper than you realize and democracy has become a total scam.
Proving my point. County, rural, in the sticks, away from the large metropolitan city (call it what you want) is where one has the best opportunity to find peace.
Ahhh. Yes. The size factor. I’m talking about norther rural and you are talking about cities. I agree completely. Something happens to one’s moral compass in a community so large you become anonymous.
I had family in Pasadena so drove through it after the fire. I had been to a couple events at the Town & Country Club and was just gutted to see its ruins. The whole town is now like...after a bombing attack? After space aliens take over? People going about their business but groups of cleanup volunteers, a burned out business, signs everywhere for fire clean up. It was eerie. The worthless leaders have destroyed a city, and a culture.
I've lived in the South my entire life (Virginia, Tennessee and Alabama). I wouldn't trade it for anywhere else. Yes, you have beautiful weather (the South has four seasons). Our topography is every bit as beautiful as yours. Try the South - you might like it.
Best of vibes your way, Peach. Maybe move to one of your conservative regions within the state; out in the country areas. Otherwise, I would move. There is no way I am retiring here in Minny as the whole country has witnessed our communist governor ruin everything.
Achingly sad, Peachy. And thank you for the report.
As a Jersey guy, Pasadena always meant
songs of the Beach Boys wafting in the sunshine as Song Girls bopped in the USC Rose Bowls. And the JPL.
Watch Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” for the Leftists’ starting point. San Fran is a character that steals every scene from the well-dressed, unarmed adults. And today….
Of Babylon - "Come out of there my people." It may truly be time to move elsewhere. The shots could have easily hit you or your kid. Maybe by ricochet. Some places are unsavable or if they can be, should not be at the risk of children. Pasadena has chosen to accept and tolerate the vagrancy, the gangs, the invaders over its citizens.
I was born and raised in L.A.and loved it. The last 3 years I was in Pasadena. Can’t say how great it was. I saw the deterioration starting years ago, slowly at first. I moved to Birmingham, Alabama 3 years ago. Children play in a park 2 blocks from me. It feels like the Westwood I grew up in in the 50s and 60s. I don’t know if reading this made me more angry or more sad.
If they turned it into a hotel, who would want to stay, in a neighborhood full of derelicts and homeless bums? Soon to be a Baltimore look alike. Get out while you can!
My wife and I live half the year in LA. Last fall we rented a house in Echo Park, not far from Pasadena. One morning, my wife went for a walk and passed a black Mercedes that was sideways on our dead-end street, near Alvarado. One side of the car was crumpled but the car was intact otherwise. Inside the car was a man hunched over the steering wheel, apparently dead. A few hours later the car was gone. Although we tried to find a crime blotter or any local reporting, we never found out what happened. It could have been a heart attack, I suppose. But if the driver had tried escape someone down our block, he would have been cooked.
I was born in Pasadena in 1954. Grew up there on the very west side; the hills S of the 210, just east of Eagle Rock. Went to public schools: San Rafael, McKinley, Blair… Played ball in all the parks, hiked & backpacked & skied in the mountains, went to a great church CALTRANS tore down for the 710 fwy extension never built. My mom swam laps & taught swimming the YW, which also had daycare for my siblings & me as she did. I swam at the YMCA while recovering from back surgery later on. My sister worked at HMH her entire career.
My wife & I moved our family to Phoenix in 2016, as soon as our youngest graduated from Glendora HS; by then, no one in their right mind would put their kids in Pasadena schools, and the YM & YW were long-disused. My sister & her kids are moving or have moved to Utah. My (retired) brother still lives in Pasadena; mostly because our mom (95) lives in a very nice retirement home in Claremont.
It was a great place to grow up. In a galaxy far away…
Back in the early 2000s, I recall going through Pasadena on a bus trip. The streets were quiet, clean, and lined with lush greenery and flowers. And the homes were magnificent.
Truly sad how this once gorgeous city has been ruined.
This is what “Vote Blue No Matter Who!” has gotten the residents of a once beautiful state.
Wow. Iʼve lived in Wilmington, an LA neighborhood by the harbor since 2010 and also lived here in the 1970s and 1990s. Not as bad as South Central or Compton, but has always had enough Hispanic gang activity to be considered one of the least-desirable parts of LA County.
I do live in what is considered the "best part" of Wilmington and have not been impacted by crime and vagrants all that often over the years, but it does seem to gradually be getting worse.
Iʼve always viewed Pasadena as *at least* a one-hundred times better place to live than Wilmington. I used to visit a friend there often. But now it sounds just the same, or maybe even slightly worse.
My wife and I are pretty much stuck here in California as long as her elderly parents are living. In the meantime, we dream of moving to a nicer Orange County neighborhood, but doubt we will ever be able to pull that off financially.
7 of my 12 siblings who also grew up in California now live in other states, and the latest to leave absolutely loves his new life in South Carolina.
It is so sad what has happened to our once great state.
My goodness. We need to talk. I was living and breathing everything at Pasadena City Hall for years. It is hard to unsee all the issues and I worked tooth and nail to try and fix. It is tough for sure, but doable. A voice like yours could make a huge impact. Already sent your article to someone who needs to be aware!
Erika, you are my twin from (probably) a later watchdog era, as is Peachy. The THREE of us need to talk. I started with the school district (as I recall it took me three years to master the jargon there), added City Hall and did everything I could to publicize all that was terribly wrong in Pasadena, naively thinking they didn't know and would rise up. After SEVEN years of devoting myself to banging my head against a wall I realized Pasadena LIKED the dysfunction. I moved on to banging my head against the wall of a dysfunctional California. There were a few victories and plenty of comical adventures but taking a peek again at the city's ridiculousness all of these years later it seems nothing with regard to the pitiful governance has changed.
I love twins! I was active from 2017-2023??? I would attend city council meetings on a weekly basis. I believe I made some good movement with trees and traffic helping change policy at a deep level. It felt like I worked through a master’s in city planning and public policy. It is doable, but it basically became a full time job for me. I love Pasadena and I still think there are good aspects about it, but it really takes vocal people to keep it that way. Participating and speaking can be very effective. I am certain city personal and council have received this piece by Peachy. She touched on some very hot topics for sure. On my end, that dumpster by the public housing has been a thorn in my side. I drive by it multiple times a day and it makes me crazy.
the people in Venezuela probably thought things would turn around too. Well, you've still got the nice climate.
Peachy, move. I'm unclear why you haven't already.
You painted a very clear picture of Pasadena. I know it’s hard to move, but like Jeff, I wonder why you haven’t.
School, family, jobs that cannot be transferred. One day, God willing!
I get it. Nothing is worse than moving.
But where do we go? Cities all over the country are falling prey to this ideology of negligence/compassion.
You will not find peace in any city these days. From Boston to Bakersfield, Baton Rogue to Bozeman, they have all become dystopian hellholes of filth, greed, corruption and consumption.
It's not so easy to find in the sticks either. Always something, grifters galore. I moved from Chattanooga after a jihadi attacked a recruiting center. The rules said the recruiters could not be armed but one man was and he ended the attack. I forget how he was punished for saving lives.
Maybe but the Left just keeps closing in and make it harder & harder. I’ve lived in Long Beach for almost 80 years and it saddens me daily to see many of these problems never get addressed. I can’t get my head around how people keep electing the same failed politicians. Sad.
Sorry this comment was supposed to link with the following comment
You see vagrants, winos, meth heads, and gang bangers. The city government sees reliable votes that will never "throw the bums out" while they bank their pensions. You think I'm joking. The rot is far deeper than you realize and democracy has become a total scam.
Wrong. Even in California there are counties that care about their homes and take care of business and don’t suffer from filth or greed or corruption.
Proving my point. County, rural, in the sticks, away from the large metropolitan city (call it what you want) is where one has the best opportunity to find peace.
Ahhh. Yes. The size factor. I’m talking about norther rural and you are talking about cities. I agree completely. Something happens to one’s moral compass in a community so large you become anonymous.
I had family in Pasadena so drove through it after the fire. I had been to a couple events at the Town & Country Club and was just gutted to see its ruins. The whole town is now like...after a bombing attack? After space aliens take over? People going about their business but groups of cleanup volunteers, a burned out business, signs everywhere for fire clean up. It was eerie. The worthless leaders have destroyed a city, and a culture.
I've lived in the South my entire life (Virginia, Tennessee and Alabama). I wouldn't trade it for anywhere else. Yes, you have beautiful weather (the South has four seasons). Our topography is every bit as beautiful as yours. Try the South - you might like it.
Best of vibes your way, Peach. Maybe move to one of your conservative regions within the state; out in the country areas. Otherwise, I would move. There is no way I am retiring here in Minny as the whole country has witnessed our communist governor ruin everything.
Achingly sad, Peachy. And thank you for the report.
As a Jersey guy, Pasadena always meant
songs of the Beach Boys wafting in the sunshine as Song Girls bopped in the USC Rose Bowls. And the JPL.
Watch Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” for the Leftists’ starting point. San Fran is a character that steals every scene from the well-dressed, unarmed adults. And today….
Of Babylon - "Come out of there my people." It may truly be time to move elsewhere. The shots could have easily hit you or your kid. Maybe by ricochet. Some places are unsavable or if they can be, should not be at the risk of children. Pasadena has chosen to accept and tolerate the vagrancy, the gangs, the invaders over its citizens.
I finally gave up and moved to Idaho in 2019. I wish all of you the best who have the will to fight on and save what was California. Peace.
I was born and raised in L.A.and loved it. The last 3 years I was in Pasadena. Can’t say how great it was. I saw the deterioration starting years ago, slowly at first. I moved to Birmingham, Alabama 3 years ago. Children play in a park 2 blocks from me. It feels like the Westwood I grew up in in the 50s and 60s. I don’t know if reading this made me more angry or more sad.
How did they let this happen?
If they turned it into a hotel, who would want to stay, in a neighborhood full of derelicts and homeless bums? Soon to be a Baltimore look alike. Get out while you can!
My wife and I live half the year in LA. Last fall we rented a house in Echo Park, not far from Pasadena. One morning, my wife went for a walk and passed a black Mercedes that was sideways on our dead-end street, near Alvarado. One side of the car was crumpled but the car was intact otherwise. Inside the car was a man hunched over the steering wheel, apparently dead. A few hours later the car was gone. Although we tried to find a crime blotter or any local reporting, we never found out what happened. It could have been a heart attack, I suppose. But if the driver had tried escape someone down our block, he would have been cooked.