So You Want To Move To Pasadena?

It's a New Year. Your at home with a blanket watching the Rose Bowl Parade on TV, and then it hits you. Why am I here? The winters are too cold and grey. Look at those people in California, enjoying the sunshine and the outdoors 52 weeks of the year. So before you pack your bags, here are some things you should know.

1. Housing is Expensive - the median priced home is LA County is in excess of $500,000. In Pasadena, its even more expensive. In March, the approximate median price of a home in Pasadena was $670,000, then add property taxes in the neighborhood of 1.25% annually or $8375
2. Beautiful Landscape-from the beach to the mountains its all here. A wonderful array of the earth's beauty is found within a 2 hour drive. On a clear day the sights are unbelievable. Remember I said "on a clear day"
3. So many things to do-snow ski and swim in the ocean on the same day. Head up to Santa Barbara or San Diego, cruise out to Palm Springs. Again, all within a couple of hours in the car. More adventurous? You can be in San Francisco in 5-6 hours. The drive along the ocean will leave a lasting impression.
4. Traffic - I think you know where this is headed. Let's face it; traffic is a national problem, but Southern Californian's love to brag about our traffic being the worst, until we are stuck in it.
5. Did I mention it was Expensive? - not only is housing unaffordable, but be prepared to pay .20¢ higher for a gallon of gas. Food prices at the grocery store are high. We don't have Supercenter's on every corner like you folks in the South. Competition rarely exists. We don't give Wal-Mart the chance to open new stores. Their voted out before they ever have a chance.
6. Many different Nationality's - people from all over the world come here, just like any other large City. Therefore there are many good restaurants and any kind of food is available. We have Asian markets and Hispanic markets so if you are looking to create a special dish, chances are one of these specialty stores will have it. The great thing about Pasadeana is that we have our very own Farmers Market every Saturday morning. An abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables directly from the farms to our community.
7.  No Texas Barbecue - the one thing that is missing in this massive and dense area known as Southern California is Bar-B-Cue. Be it Texas, Kansas City or Tennessee, I have yet to find a good alternative.
8. People tend to be more private - the people I have met here are genuinely friendly and helpful. Their just not outwardly friendly and helpful. They keep more to themselves and initially can appear a little more guarded.
9. It gets hot - most folks think we have a very balmy atmosphere year round. You can fly into LAX in the middle of the summer and find a very pleasant day in the rage of 75°, then drive NE for twenty miles and all of a sudden its 95°. There can easily be a twenty degree split between Santa Monica and Pasadena and they are about 20 miles apart. 100° +  days in the summer are common. On the flip side, hte winter's are simply fantastic. It is my favorite time of the year.
10. Neil Diamond says "LA"s fine the sun shines most of the time". The sun shines pretty much all of the time. I miss a good thunderstorm. I also miss the weather changing 30° in five hours. Our weather is very predictable.
11. A City Rich with Heritage - many architectural styles of housing are available including Spanish, Craftsman, Bungalow, English Tudor, Traditional, Ranch, Modern, anythng you want, its all here.

Well hopefully you now have a little more understanding of what life is like here in the San Gabriel Valley. We will be thinking of you next year, while we enjoy the Rose Bowl Parade in our shorts and shirt sleeves.