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Posted on 10:49 AM by Wanto and filed under
By James Gilbert Pynn

Good morning, class -- pop quiz. What do Albert Einstein, Amelia Earhart, Kevin Costner, Julia Child, George S. Patton, Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth, and Paul McCartney all have in common? Yes, they all had (and have) great hair, but more than that, they are (or were at one time), residents of sunny Pasadena, California. If you've ever visited or lived in the City of Roses, you'll know why they all chose to call this fabulous city home.

Why is this town so darned fabulous? Sure, there are lots of nice places to live in Southern California, but none of them blend their past with their present as effectively as Pasadena. Once home to Hahamog-na tribe, a branch of the Tongva Nation, the first European settlers would not appear until the arrival of the Indiana Colony in 1873. Soon, Pasadena was a popular cattle town, weaving itself into the narrative of the Old West, which it still relishes to this day.

Before long, the city was cultivating a cultural and scientific place for itself on the national scene. Though San Francisco was considered the first cosmopolitan city in California, Pasadena wasted no time giving it a run for its money. In 1922, the Norton Simon Museum was founded, while the Pasadena Playhouse was erected five years earlier. The Art Center of College and Design, a well-respected art school, was established in 1930 with a mission to produce students who would work to change the world. And of course, there is the JPL or Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which got its start in 1936. The JPL is, of course, one of the preeminent centers for rocket and space technologies in the world.

The evolution from an orange grove to a cattle town to an international arts and education center, has not been an easy one. The building boom, which began in 1886, doesn't seem to have stopped more than hundred years later. You can still see the grand facades of Old Pasadena clustered on Colorado Boulevard. As you wax philosophical about the history of human progress, keep in mind the renown Tournament of Roses, a New Year's Day parade, that has been held every year since 1890.

Though the Rose Bowl has long been affiliated with the Parade, it did not get started until 1902. Until that time it was customary to have chariot races and fun and games for the family after the Parade. With the growing popularity of American football, especially on the collegiate level, the Rose Bowl soon became the "The Granddaddy of them All." Book your tickets by plane train or automobile and come see why Pasadena, California is great place to visit, learn and live.


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