Guest Opinion | Paul Little: Things Change

I bought my house in Pasadena in 1986.

Pasadena was a very different city then.

There was no internet, smartphones, streaming services and social media.

A slow growth initiative had just been passed by Pasadena voters.

Historic preservation efforts in Pasadena were really just gaining steam. (My neighborhood was still two years away from gaining landmark designation from the City of Pasadena.)

Old Pasadena was getting started (a result of the preservationists who fought to save the streetscape and atmosphere there).

The business and property owners had formed a business improvement district. Alongside antique and second-hand stores, some truly cutting-edge restaurateurs were reshaping culinary artistry and drawing customers to sample their version of California cuisine.

South Lake Avenue was still the Destination of Distinction (as some called it).  Bullocks and locally owned stores catering to well-heeled clientele from Pasadena and surrounding areas were on the verge of closing or being taken over by national chains.

The Pasadena Playhouse was suffering financial hardships that could have closed its doors forever (were it not for the dedication of its supporters and the help of the City). Robinson’s department store was slumping and soon to close.

We had no METRO light rail to Pasadena. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway ran through Pasadena (until about 1994). Municipal bus service is about the same now as it was then (‘nuf said).

In 1986, there were 13 reported murders in Pasadena.  In 1993, there were 27 killings, many gang-related, including three young teenagers on Halloween night. Tragic, frightening and awful. 

Why do I bring all this up?

Things change.

In 2000, Old Pasadena would realign as a Property Based Business Improvement District, collecting funds through an assessment on property owners to support district activities and promote the area as a shopping and dining destination. That effort really built Old Pasadena into the destination (and economic engine) it is today.

Similar efforts in neighborhoods around the Pasadena Playhouse and along South Lake Avenue have led revitalization efforts there. Plans are being laid for future BIDs in other parts of Pasadena.

Apartment and condo development in downtown has enlivened business districts and brought customers to restaurants and shops (and audiences to entertainment venues and museums).

In the ten years between 1980 and 1990, Pasadena’s population grew by more than 13,000. In 1999, the local population was 135,698. Pasadena’s population in 2023 was 138,771. (Only 3,100 new residents in almost 25 years.)

Yes, there is more traffic, but study after study shows it is cut-through traffic, not cars originating here (or destined to park in Pasadena). In fact, Pasadena’s traffic woes are more closely tied to the opening of the 210 Freeway to the 15 (and now the 10) than anything done locally. (And it is all relative… “Could be worse, we could be in Westwood… “)

I recently heard that Pasadena’s water usage is 83% of what it was 25 years ago, even with the new apartments, condos, offices and hotels that have been built here.

Pasadena’s murder rate has dropped to seven in 2023 and has been as low as four in 2002. The fact remains that Pasadena’s Police Department and its officers are doing an excellent job of protecting our residents and businesses. No one and no organization is perfect, but we have much to be proud of in the officers who protect us. (Likewise the firefighters who are often medical first responders as well as firefighters.)

Responding to lawsuits generated by the anti-growth initiative, Pasadena voters overwhelmingly passed a General Plan that focused higher density development downtown and adjacent to transit hubs. Pasadena protected its neighborhoods from encroachment while allowing for economic activity downtown. There are still challenges and issues, but by-and-large that plan has worked.

The Gold (now A) Line opened to Pasadena in 2003. Even while under construction, the train brought economic vitality and growth to Pasadena. From the beginning of construction to the opening of the rail line, more than $3 billion in development was planned within walking distance of light rail stations. Much of that housing-condos and apartments-but also offices and shops.

In addition to the 2023 Tony Award-winning Pasadena Playhouse (excellent under Artistic Director Danny Feldman), we now have multiple live theater venues with a broad range of production content. A Noise Within stages first-rate productions in repertory with a cast of resident and visiting artists. (If you didn’t get to Sweeney Todd, you missed out!) Boston Court Pasadena hosts music performances and contemporary plays in a cozy 99-seat theater.

Yes, we do have to find some way to help house the unhoused and work to find solutions for those who refuse to be housed (for whatever reason). We also need to find a workable and humane solution to the mentally ill people who annoy, harass, threaten and sometimes hurt innocent people.

But Pasadena’s challenge is miniscule compared to some of our neighbors to the west. (In fact, Pasadena has seen a significant drop in our unhoused population since 2000. Though there has been an increase during and since the pandemic, we are still able to find solutions here and work to place those who need housing under a roof.)

Pasadena was one of the first cities in California (if not the first) to institute inclusionary housing regulations that require at-market condo and apartment developers to provide affordable units onsite or pay into a fund that is dedicated to building affordable housing. As a result, Pasadena has built more than 1,700 affordable units in the past four years.

Sure, there are water main breaks and electricity outages, but having our own Water and Power Department ensures quick responses and fast solutions. Yes, the rates we all pay are likely going up, but probably not as much as those outside Pasadena.

Perhaps most important, we have several reliable and trustworthy news sources here, some traditional media and some utilizing technology and the internet. We have two daily news sources, PasadenaNOW and the Pasadena Star-News. for weeklies, we have Pasadena Weekly and Hey SoCal (that publishes the Pasadena Independent) as well as the Outlook where social event and school news can be found. And we have LAist (KPCC) Southern California’s leading NPR radio station, as well as Pasadena Media that streams and broadcasts local content and government meetings.

Things Change.

Sometimes for the worse but often for the better.

Paul Little is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association. He represented District 2 on the Pasadena City Council from 1995 to 2007 and probably reads too many newspapers, magazines and novels (mostly mysteries).