When the Parade is over, it may take you longer to get home than the time it took to get to the Parade!
By Brian Rodriguez
You’ve got many choices after the Parade. You can head to the ‘Rose Parade Showcase of Floats’ (Washington & Sierra Madre Blvd) to view the floats up close. Or you can start heading to the Rose Bowl and enjoy the game. Or you can linger a bit in town and check out the taste and flavor of our City. Here’s our advice on how to avoid the “After the Parade” traffic.
Right after the Parade!
As Pasadena streets will be fully packed, many Business Districts in the city will have their businesses open for a ‘bite and wait for traffic to die down’. Here’s a sample of what you might find:
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Green Street Village
This area (Catalina Ave. & Green St.) offers a feel of New York away from New York. Visit Century Bookstore and check out the local flavor. Up the street, on Colorado Blvd., is the Academy Theater that shows second run movies ($5.50 -$7.50).
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Playhouse Village
This area (in and around El Molino & Colorado Blvd) boasts Landmark Pasadena, Great selections at Monopole Wine, Blaze Pizza, Arcade Lane, and Urth Cafe (Madison Ave & Colorado Blvd). Drive a bit beyond Lake Ave. and you’ll get to Hummus Labs (950 E Colorado Blvd, Site 104).
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South Lake Ave
This area (in and around Del Mar & South Lake Ave.) has Urban Plates, Float at the British inspired Burlington Arcade, Lemonade Restaurant (@The Commons,) and Magnolia House.
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Old Pasadena
This district has Shopping, Dining, Bars and much more, you ask for it, we got it at Old Pasadena (some may still refer to it as old town). With that many shops and bars we are confident that you will find something to occupy your time and have fun. (Check out Neon Retro Arcade, a favorite hangout of young and young at heart writers).
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North Lake Ave toward Altadena
Go up on North Lake Avenue for more shops and make sure to check the Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena in the evening. Also, make sure to check the Christmas Tree Lane Model Railroad Society.
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South Pasadena
If you’ve taken our advice and you parked on side streets, an alternative close-by city is South Pasadena’s Mission Street, a friendly-pedestrian street (between Diamond Ave. and Meridian Ave).
When will traffic subside?
Usually traffic flow takes three to four hours to become normal again, so enjoy your stay and have fun. Life is too short to be spent stuck in traffic!
Enjoy Pasadena!
I am a native Pasadenan, though I’ve lived away for 30 years. Thanks to your newspaper, my daughter and I spent a lovely hour or so at Century Books on New Year’s Day.
A creatively curated collection of old and new, eclectic, classic, and far flung,
The owner, Judith, is a delight—genuine and generous.
A neighborhood shop like this is hard to find these days.
I wasn’t even looking for books but I found a few treasures I had to buy, and it felt so nice to support a local shop that was open on New Years Day!
Thanks for the post.