Who doesn't need luck?…read more The one review by Eric F. said to touch this tree for good luck... I'm in! All in! Since this tree has been around for a long time (when this town began), it's very special...and sacred! It has spirit because it's a living thing! That's awesome! If you're in the Sierra Madre are, stop by and pay a visit! It won't hurt and may do you some good! Aloha and mahalo to the Green-man Tree! A hui hou!

This is a great old tree from when the village was first founded. It has since been referred to by…read moremany locals as The Green-man Tree. .. for obvious reasons. It is a local and iconic symbol for love, romance, and fertility. Touch it for luck. Or stick a note on it for love. Do not deface the tree or carve anything on it. The Green-man Tree has been known to work wonders.

Visitation Rights: Have been coming to this place many times to either study, enjoy a couple of…read morecoffee, eat, and people watch. Locaton: Old Town Monrovia is centered around Myrtle Avenue, extending roughly from Foothill Boulevard (Route 66) north to Olive Avenue south, and from Ivy Avenue east to Primrose Avenue west, encompassing about ten blocks The area's heart is Myrtle Avenue, where you'll find many of its key businesses, with Foothill (Route 66) as a major north-south boundary. Parking: Located between Foothill Blvd and Parking can be found along Myrtle Ave, in nearby public parking lots parking structures, and in the residential. FREE PARKING! You can also park in the shared parking lot on the SW corner of Foothill and Myrtle. Just walk down Myrtle Ave.. Ambiance/Decor: You'll find a relaxed, sophisticated atmosphere perfect for browsing, dining, enjoying coffee, catching a movie, or just strolling, with close proximity to hiking trails in the nearby foothills. You can also find a statue Samson the Hot Tub Bear Festivities For All Of Us: They have a lot of activities for the locals and out of towners through out the year. -Friday Night Street Fair & Market -Valentine's Day Carriage Rides -Spring Egg Hunt & Healthy Kids Day -Monrovia Old Town Wine Walk -Monrovia Days Community Festival -4th of July Fireworks Show & Concert -Summer Concerts & Movies in the Park -Fountain to the Falls Run/Walk 10K -Old Town Fall Festival -Halloween Spooktacular and Trick-or-Treat Bash -Thankful & Grateful Holiday Gathering -Holiday Parade -Holiday Home Decorating Contest -Santa Tours If you want more info, you can visit the city's website: https://www.monroviaca.gov/your-government/recreation/special-events#ad-image-0 Business/Shops: In old town Monrovia, you'll see a blend of mom and pop shops and restaurants. The shops that I've patronize through out the years are: Merengue, El Diablo, Grey and Cash, Jake's Roadhouse, Mikomi, Tacos and Papas, and Charlie's House. Old Town For Thought: If you want a quick getaway from reality, this town is for you.

Monrovia is a beautiful hillside town located in the San Gabriel Valley. On occasion I visit and on…read morea recent Friday evening I was surprised to find that the town has a large night market with local vendors, entertainment, shops, and artists offering handmade goods. A must visit! Peaceful, quaint environment with a small town vibe, and California appeal.

A Fork in the Road is just that: a giant fork sticking out of the ground, tines planted, handle…read moreway up high. This clever piece of public art stands at a true fork in the road, in Pasadena, just off the Del Mar exit as you merge onto California Avenue. Located at the intersection of Pasadena Ave. and St. John Ave., it lives in posterity on Google Maps. I smile every time I pass it. It's worth driving by just to see it. Quirky and artistic, beloved and brilliant.

Cool public art! The fork is separating S. Pasadena Ave and S. Saint John Ave in the City of South…read morePasadena!

This was our first time visiting this annual event, thanks to Yelp, a sponsor. This combination…read morefood festival and local business showcase has been around in one form or another since 1970. Most recently, it has been held in the infield of Santa Anita Park, the Arboretum, and since last year, the Paddock area of Santa Anita Park, which is the entry plaza to the racetrack. The Paddock area expands nearly the entire length of the Park's bleachers, with all the vendors set up in tents throughout the area. There were VIP and general admission tickets; VIP's were for tables of 10. The VIP's gained one hour early admittance plus access to a shaded area with tables, its own bar and restrooms. Regular folk made do with scattered standing tables, permanent Paddock benches and the racetrack's huge restrooms. Beyond the restrooms, you could get a peak at the racetrack and infield, with the beautiful mountains beyond. Note there is minimal shade; a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen are advised. Everyone gets a swag bag, whose most valuable item was a plastic plate for holding all the food you'd soon eat. I was surprised how many hotels are in the area; all had booths, some with food. The Hilton Doubletree had their signature cookies! The food vendors had a larger presence, with representation from Arcadia as well as neighbouring cities. A huge variety of cuisines were offered, as well as many wine and alcoholic beverage vendors. Many restaurant vendors offered their own beverages as well. The event is for those over 21 for this reason (ID's are checked and you are given a wristband). We discovered many new local places to try; Girasol and Little Provence Cafe come to mind. And our old faves, The Derby and Cabrera's were there, with The Derby offering their classic prime rib with horseradish cream and their bread pudding. The Arcadia High School drum corps ushered us in. There was live music inside, as well as a DJ and dance floor. Overall an enjoyable and gluttonous afternoon, worth repeating annually.

Taste of Arcadia is back! Had 2 events since 2020 and it's bigger than ever inside Santa Anita…read moreracetrack area. Tickets were $85 and VIP I think was $110 (excluding early bird discounts). Large selection of restaurants like Marugame (yes Honolulu franchise), Outback, Max's, Fogo De Chao, Domenicos and Cabrera's were my favs. Lots of alcohol from tequila, gin, rum, beer and wine (Daou was my fav). Lots of hotels like a Hilton and Marriott was there. Deserts Nothing Bundt was my fav. Portions overall plus selections were great. I'm super impressed and grateful for the chamber and vendors running this fabulousness event. Parking was free and plentiful too. Bring a hat and sunscreen bc it's outdoors. See you next year.

Oh my God what a fantastic attraction! I went and not only saw the ghost of the man making the…read morefirst cheeseburger I also got a fantastic massage from holographic ghost that looked like Stevie Nicks! I can't wait to go back! Next time I'm bringing a charcoal grill and some raw meat and I'm gonna burn it right there on the sidewalk and slap some cheese on and relive history!

Don't waste your time trying to find this. I spent 30 minutes driving round and round the block and…read morewhen I finally found the right building, there's absolutely no plaques in the ground or on the wall in the front it might be behind the locked gate however I will never know What a waste of 45 minutes of my life.

Sierra Madre is gorgeous located just on the outskirts of Pasadena. I visited for the Wisteria…read moreFestival with my Foster Dog (pictured) Drew! I must say, Sierra Madre is so well taken care of and it's evident that the city loves to maintain and remember history. Memorial Park is just full of lush grass. A little past Memorial Park you can find the City Hall which is just gorgeous on the outside with a little trail that you can follow that has a small edible garden! If you continue to follow the tiny dirt path you find yourself in an amazing rest area that has benches and beautiful plants surrounding. I sat there with Drew for about fifteen minutes just enjoying the weather and the scenery. Everyone in Sierra Madre is so friendly saying hello and with smiles! Definitely a nice place to visit if you're in the area!

Ever wonder what it's like to live in a small quaint little area? Where the pace is slower, the…read morepeople are actually nice, friendly and helpful? Maybe a little like "Mayberry, North Carolina?" Well, maybe not that quaint... Well, this is Sierra Madre. Just 30 minutes East of the Valley & Hollywood without traffic! (Traffic on the other hand is a whole different story). However, it's worth the trip! I have been coming here for over 20 years but hadn't been here in a decade! That's about to change... Why you may ask... 1. FREE STREET PARKING 2. Great variety of restaurants 3. Boutiques to stimulate the economy and they aren't overpriced! 4. They have their own Playhouse Theatre 5. It's beautiful and up in the hills 6. Like I already mentioned...the people are friendly!

My grandson and I loved looking at all the model trains situated in various settings. An amazing…read morecollection and a very festive atmosphere. Cookies and hot cocoa were served and the house is decorated for the holidays. Located right on Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena.

Really thought it was going to be better than it was. Long drive for maybe a 5-10 minute cruise to…read moreview decorations.. the only good thing about going down to this area is coming across a great little diner called Cindy's Restaurant cindyseaglerock.com... for not being an Italian restaurant they had some of the best spaghetti I have ever had! so delicious.. If your in walking distance to Christmas tree lane I guess its cool to kill a little bit of time, nice walk but definitely not worth the drive.. do not recommend!

Love Old Town Pasadena, been visiting since the late 90s (think I just aged myself, haha)…read more Definitely seen a lot of changes in the past few decades as many shops and restaurants have come and gone. Even so, there's still something for everyone regardless of age. There use to be a couple of parking structures with limited free parking, but now they're still reasonable at a few couple of dollars. Street meters are still available up and down the street. Some of my top favorites include Waunderlust Creamery and The Pie Hole. There are also mainstream popular brand stores such as JCrew, Madewell, Urban Outfitters, and a few others. A few thrift/consignment stores are also along Colorado Blvd. Traffic can get tricky around the area, please bring your patience. See you next time, Old Town Pasadena! #46/2025

Old Town Pasadena is a fun place to visit. I have spent a lot of time in this area on my many trips…read moreto Pasadena. I love the red brick buildings, patio-front restaurants, the alleyways, the criss-cross pedestrian intersections and the art galleries. Old Town has hundreds of restaurants and shops up and down its tree-lined streets. It is a very walkable city for both locals and tourists. At night, Old Town has a fun nightlife scene and is always a good time. Old Town Pasadena has a long rich history that goes back over 150 years. It saw some decline in the mid-1900's before it was revitalized into this vibrant but charming business and entertainment district. Colorado Boulevard is the main road that runs through Old Town. I have walked up and down this street many times over the years. There are so many dining options to choose from. Back in the 90's, we used to hang out at the old Moose McGillycuddy's and go dancing. If you have some time, walk all the way to the historic Colorado Street Bridge and check out the view. You might get a glimpse of the Rose Bowl Stadium. Some of my favorite places to visit are the Pasadena Playhouse, the Norton Simon Museum, the Gamble House and City Hall. There are a number of cafés that I enjoy grabbing a bite or getting a coffee drink at. The Urth Caffé is a longtime hangout of mine. One of my favorite things about Pasadena is the architecture. I appreciate the old historic buildings here and enjoy photographing them. The annual Rose Bowl Parade on New Years Day starts in Old Town Pasadena and goes down Colorado Blvd. Traffic can be a real pain at times. Especially on the weekends. You can usually find parking on the side of the road. But in the downtown area, finding parking can be hassle. There are some garages or you can valet or uber.

For my first review of the New Year, I'm looking back to the singularly most epic Unofficial Yelp…read moreEvent I've yet attended. An event so special it warranted a Yelp page of its own. This page. It's the story of how I finally got my Breakfast Club Badge, a badge that had long eluded me. I have to start by telling you about my dear friend from the Honolulu Yelp community, Nadine C. Whenever Nadine is visiting Southern California, which is quite often, she organizes these insanely fun Unofficial Yelp Event get togethers. Yelpers come from far and wide, often driving well over an hour just to get in on the Fun and hang out with Nadine. I've been to quite a few of these special events and I've met so many really cool Yelpers. When we get together at these meet-ups, we all usually exchange small gifts with each other. In a way, I guess you could say it's kind of like a California version of the Japanese Omiyage custom practiced by many Hawaiians. I say that because the whole gift exchange thing started with the sweet little gifts that Nadine brings us from Hawaii. Always the most thoughtful little presents! At one of these events my friend Rose F from down in Covina brought these super cool Yelp Breakfast Badge Coffee Mugs she designed and had made as gifts for everyone. I can't begin to tell you how excited I was to get that Breakfast Club Badge Coffee Mug! Woot woot! As I was celebrating this incredibly cool gift, I happened to mention that I hadn't actually earned the Breakfast Club Badge. As soon as Nadine heard me say I hadn't yet earned the Breakfast Club Badge, I mean within like 10 seconds, she came up with the plan. Right on the spot she announced that the next time she visited, our get together would be about getting me my Breakfast Club Badge. Someone suggested Millie's Cafe in Pasadena for the location. We quickly agreed Millie's would be perfect. Nadine immediately texted Hannah S from Monrovia and invited her to the event. Hannah said she was in. Before this I had never met Hannah and was super impressed that she would agree to help me get my badge. Right away Rose said she would come too! So wonderful and so appropriate because it was her gift of the Breakfast Club Badge mugs that got this ball rolling. I was blown away when my sweet friend Te-see B of Valley Glen piped up and said she would be there too. That was huge! Because if I know anything about Te-see, I know that she isn't a big fan of doing early morning meet -ups far from home. To come to this event she would have to get up hella early and drive a long ass way. Nevertheless, she said she'd be there. Me and Te-see are tight like that! While all this is being discussed, Nadine is texting invitations to Leilani M from Chino Hills and Pasadena's coolest Yelper, Sam B. Both said they'd try to make it. Impressive since I hadn't previously met either of these two Yelpers. But I'm telling you, it's very hard to turn down an invitation from Nadine C! As you can see from all the above, this whole UYE was nothing short of a Conspiracy! All these Yelpers coming together! Yelpers from hither and yon. All coming together to have fun with hanging out awhile with Nadine and to help me get my Breakfast Club Badge! Pretty damn cool! We met inside the restaurant. Hugs all around. Big Smiles. Gifts exchanged. We were seated at big table right in the middle of Millie's. I felt like I was the King of Pasadena. Everyone brought their personal Breakfast Club Badge Coffee Mug. Cheers to us all! Millie's turned out to be a great choice for our meet up. They were so accommodating. The service was exemplary. And the food was excellent. I had Eggs Benedict, something I usually only order on Special Occasions. Well, I'm telling you, this was a Special Occasion is there ever was one! As soon as everyone was seated we all checked in at the same time. Instantly my screen lit up with the notification I had earned the coveted Breakfast Club Badge. Just a short time after that, Sam arrived and checked in. She got her Breakfast Club Badge too. Huzzah! How cool is that? One event, Two Badges!!! It was a total rush! My head was spinning. I thought I would never get that badge. It's so ridiculously difficult to do. And I got it. I freaking got it! Earning this badge isn't something one can do on their own. It takes planning. It requires a coordinated effort. I could have never accomplished this goal without Nadine's help and the support of the amazing Yelp friends I've met at her wonderful events. So, let me start off this year by raising my Breakfast Club Badge mug and sending massive quantities of Yelp Love to the Impossibly Cool Nadine C of Kaneohe! Thank you, Nadine! You spread Aloha everywhere you go! And I'm sending heaps of Yelp Love to Rose, Te-see, Hannah, Leilani and Sam!! You guys are The Best! Thank you so much for helping me get my Breakfast Club Badge! Mikey C says: How lucky can one guy be?

Mikey's Breakfast Club Badge was our goal... And together,…read more we achieved it! The cherry on the top was: Sam got her Badge, too! It does take some work, and I'm so happy that Sam could get away from her job and check into the event before 9am! Last month, we decided that 7-11-24, Thursday, would be Mikey's Lucky Day! We would make his dream come true! It does take a village: ...because we all don't live in Pasadena, where we decided to meet. Some had to drive through LA traffic. Some drove far distances. Some had to wake up super early!!! (That's a feat in itself!) Despite all of the obstacles, we achieved this goal as a team! Good job, Te-See, Leilani, Hannah, Kayleen, Rose, and Mikey! We did it!!! Thank you! Thanks also for the goodies - also known as party favors or "omiyage" gifts in the Asian culture... That mug you made is extra special, Rose! We don't have the Yelp coaster in Hawaii, Te-See! The Cheerful Care Bear Hello Kitty looks like you, Sam! The Burt's Bees set is very useful, Mikey! Mahalo!

You've fooled them, haven't you Michael? But not me. Blimey!!…read more If you're a fan of HALLOWEEN movie then you're on for a surprise. This is the place where a scene from Halloween was filmed at Montrose Avenue (hedge) in South Pasadena, CA. Micheal Myers peers out from behind this hedge as Laurie and Annie approach. I bet not too many people know this iconic scene. Now I spilled the beans. Lol. :D Maybe next time I'll play the character this year's Halloween. Trick or treat! Hahaha! Thank you street residents for indulging us fans (locals & visitors). And not calling the SPPD on us as we walk by and take photos. :D #ILoveSoPas #PasadenaRules

I will continue my journey through the original Halloween locations that you can find in South…read morePasadena. The famous Hedge where Michael Myers lurks behind is a few blocks away from the other houses. We walked to it, about 20 minutes, but we do walk like crazy so I know most people will drive. 5 minutes drive in a residential neighborhood, plenty of street parking. The Hedge looks the same, we clowned around a bit to take some photos of my husband playing Michael Myers and no, he's not that creepy. People live in that house so be respectful of their privacy. It is great to see all these locations so well preserved after so many years since they shot the original Halloween directed by Maestro Carpenter in South Pasadena. I am glad at least this part of LA is great about preservation. I wil conclude my horror location quest in the area with the Hedge. But this is your Halloween location trilogy guide!