Arroyo Monthly March 2013 by Southland Publishing

FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA MARCH 2013

HOT HOMES AND ‘HOODS REAL ESTATE ON THE REBOUND THE HOUSING MARKET’S New Gold Rush THREE NEARBY NEIGHBORHOODS Poised to Soar

A GARDENING WRITER Experiments With Sustainability

arroyo VOLUME 9 | NUMBER 3 | MARCH 2013

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HOMES AND LAND 12 HOME SELLERS, REJOICE! Arroyoland real estate is experiencing a new gold rush: Prices are up, properties are scarce and cash is king. —By Bettijane Levine

15 HOT ’HOODS Eagle Rock, Highland Park and Glassell Park make real estate website Redfin's list of the country's 10 "hottest" neighborhoods for 2013. —By Elizabeth McMillian

33 GREEN’S GARDEN Garden writer Emily Green experiments with sustainability at her Altadena home. —By Ilsa Setziol

PHOTOS: Top, Emily Green

DEPARTMENTS 11

FESTIVITIES L.A. Chamber Orchestra Gala, Pasadena Museum of History opens “I Do! I Do!”

ARROYO HOME SALES INDEX

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS International chefs duke it out in the prestigious Bocuse d'Or culinary competition.

WINING AND DINING Two new take-out spots for superb home dining

THE LIST “MatheMagic!” comes to Caltech, Dan Flavin at the Norton Simon Museum and more

ABOUT THE COVER: Gardens and Gardener’s Cottage of Vintage Tudor Estate. Renovation by HartmanBaldwin Design/Build. Photography by Alex Vertikoff.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE HAS BEEN A VERITABLE hot button in any discussion of the causes and impact of the Great Recession that erupted in 2008. Today, we’re happy to report that home sales — both in and around Arroyoland — are (finally) hot in a considerably more welcome sense: Some houses on the shrinking marketplace are attracting multiple bidders who push up the sales price above asking. Bettijane Levine went to local experts to find out what’s fueling the fire, who’s likely to become one of those lucky sellers and what aspiring buyers can do to stay in the game. Arroyoland’s desirability has even lifted three adjacent neighborhoods — Eagle Rock, Glassell Park and Highland Park — onto real estate website Redfin.com's list of the country’s 10 hottest neighborhoods, likely to produce solid investments in 2013. Elizabeth McMillian, a design book author and real estate pro herself, with prior stints as a developer and Architectural Digest editor to her credit, delved into the reasons why our next-door neighborhoods are so promising. One she found is their proximity to Arroyoland — “the spillover effect,” which attracts buyers priced out of more alluring and mature neighborhoods. Looking at land from another angle, we tip our sun hat to seasoned gardening writer Emily Green, who gave Ilsa Setziol a tour of her possibly unique backyard in Altadena. There Green conducts experiments designed to improve her property’s sustainability — and eventually yours. —Irene Lacher

EDITOR IN CHIEF Irene Lacher ART DIRECTOR Kent Bancroft JUNIOR DESIGNER Carla Cortez PRODUCTION Richard Garcia, Rochelle Bassarear COPY EDITOR John Seeley CONTRIBUTORS Leslie Bilderback, Michael Cervin, Scarlet Cheng, Mandalit del Barco, Lynne Heffley, Noela Hueso, Carole Jacobs, Kathy Kelleher, Carl Kozlowski, Bettijane Levine, Elizabeth McMillian, Brenda Rees, John Sollenberger, Nancy Spiller, Bradley Tuck

arroyo FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA

SOUTHLAND PUBLISHING V.P. OF FINANCE Michael Nagami V.P. OF OPERATIONS David Comden PRESIDENT Bruce Bolkin CONTACT US

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Dina Stegon

ADVERTISING dinas@pasadenaweekly.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Brenda Clarke, Joseluis Correa, Leslie Lamm

EDITORIAL editor@arroyomonthly.com

ADVERTORIAL CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Joanna Dehn Beresford

PHONE (626) 584-1500

ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Richard Garcia, Rochelle Bassarear

FAX (626) 795-0149

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Andrea Baker

MAILING ADDRESS 50 S. De Lacey Ave., Ste. 200, Pasadena, CA 91105

PAYROLL Linda Lam

ArroyoMonthly.com

ACCOUNTING Alysia Chavez, Monica MacCree OFFICE ASSISTANT Ann Weathersbee PUBLISHER Jon Guynn 8 | ARROYO | 03.13

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FESTIVITIES

Peter Seymour and Greg Pattillo

Gabe Hobson and Luna Pearson

Jennifer and Michael Frain

Warner and Carol Henry and Terri and Jerry Kohl

Greiman with her work

June Li and Andrea Laguni

Ann Moore Mulally, Eugene Shutler and Rachel Fine

Carrie Kennedy and Joel Pargman

Pasadena’s classical music angels Carol and Warner Henry chaired Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s annual dinner gala, dubbed “Taking a Chance on Love,” at the California Club on Feb. 2. LACO honored two couples who’ve been longtime supporters — Jennifer and Royce DiDavid K. and Kay Duke Ingalls and Jennifer and Royce Diener

ener and David K. and Kay Duke Ingalls. After an eclectic concert that included a virtuoso performance by 10-year-old violin and piano prodigy Ray Ushikubo, guests dined on veal, rosemary polenta and

Kyra, Michael and Linda Rosen

Allan Vogel, Kenneth Munday, Fine and

Margaret Batjer and Jeffrey Kahane

mushroom ragout and sipped French wines donated by the Henrys... That sticky wicket known as love also inspired “I Do! I Do!, Pasadena Ties the Knot,” the Pasadena Museum of History’s two-part exhibition of vintage wedding gowns, dating from 1850 to the present. Part one, which covers 1850-1950 and runs through July 14, opened on Feb. 16 with a reception and preview of the show curated by PMH trustees Dr. Elizabeth Smalley and Janet Kadin and volunteer Suzanne Ehrmann.

Roberta Dumas, Jeannette O’Malley, Suzanne Ehrmann, Janet Kadin and Sheryl Peters

Brigitte Bergmann

Suzie and Bryan Schwartz

PHOTOS: Lee Salem (LACO); Jim Staub and pnphotodesk1 (I Do! I Do! )

Karen and Paul Hackett with Kevin Casey (center)

Cynthia and Gale Davis Roberta Dumas

John and Helen Baatz

Dr. Michael Kadin, Natalie Edmondson, Janet Kadin and Mark Kadin 03.13 | ARROYO | 11

Home Sellers, Rejoice! Arroyoland real estate is experiencing a new gold rush: Prices are up, properties are scarce and cash is king. BY BETTIJANE LEVINE

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A NEARLY 1,900-SQUARE-FOOT HOME IN SOUTHEAST PASADENA WAS LISTED FOR SALE ON JANUARY 15 AT $708,000. WITHIN A WEEK, THE 1949 RESIDENCE HAD 43 OFFERS. THREE WEEKS LATER, IT HAD SOLD FOR $941,500, AFTER A 10-DAY ESCROW. THOUGH THE HOUSE WENT FOR MORE THAN ONE-THIRD ABOVE THE ASKING PRICE, IT DID NOT GO TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER (MORE ON THIS TRANSACTION LATER). That’s just one example of the roller-coaster ride Arroyoland’s current real estate scene has become. And, like Wall Street and horse racing, the San Gabriel Valley’s residential market is best navigated with tips from insiders. Charts and graphs can provide the big picture, but there are nuances familiar to experts that can be crucial for those aiming to sell high or buy low in the current climate, where inventory has plummeted and demand has surged. Although it may still be a buyers’ market elsewhere in the country, that is not the case here, according to Arroyo Monthly’s informal survey of local real estate savants. In fact, national statistics have little relevance to California as a whole or to our little patch of it, experts say. From February 2012 to February 2013, for example, the number of homes for sale nationally decreased by 24 percent; the number of homes for sale in California decreased by 51.5 percent. The nation’s median home price increased by 3.4 percent; California’s median home price increased by 29 percent. Arroyoland’s median prices also climbed by almost 30 percent, accompanied by a deep plunge of more than 50 percent in number of homes sold. (The average price per square foot and inventory sold dipped around the holidays, which is typical of the season.) But dry statistics don’t begin to convey the human tumult caused by factors that converged to create a perfect property storm. Interest rates are still low but are predicted to escalate. Home prices are rising but are still relatively affordable. Buyers of all stripes, foreign and domestic, see this as perhaps their last best chance to strike a deal that may seem like a huge bargain within a year or two, the experts say. But those same factors so positive for buyers can be negatives for sellers. If home prices are rising, they reason, why sell now? Those who can wait have apparently decided to do so, intent on reaping higher profits down the road. So buyers are plentiful, but available real estate is not.

Average Price per Square Foot

arroyo ~HOME SALES INDEX~

It’s a kind of stalemate, says broker Jenny Liu, who manages four of seven Re/Max offices in the San Gabriel Valley. Inventory is at a perilous low, she says. “With so few houses on the market, it’s as tough for brokers as it is for buyers. Clients can’t believe there’s so little to look at. They wonder if we’re holding back, not showing them everything. Maybe we’re saving the best houses for VIP clients. Of course we’re not doing that. We show them everything, but we also explain what’s happening” to prepare them for the inevitable bumps in the road. One of those bumps: Cash is king these days, Liu says. There are so many buyers who can pay all cash that even the most highly qualified non-cash buyers may not have the slightest shot at getting the houses they want. “There’s more overseas money coming in because the whole world knows we’ve been in a downward real estate cycle” that’s turning around, she says. Foreign investors (many from Asia) out to score a bargain will find a property, offer all cash and close the deal with a 10-day escrow, she says. That kind of swift, clean transaction usually beats out even higher-price offers from buyers who want longer escrows and may present unforeseen problems. Another developing trend: Today’s buyers are sometimes choosing to work directly with the listing agent rather than an agent who represents them. “It’s not new, but it’s happening more because competition is so fierce and listings so few,” Liu says. “Buyers think, ‘If I work directly with the agent who’s holding the listing, I may have a better chance of getting my offer reviewed and maybe accepted.’” Does that work? “Perhaps in some cases,” says Liu. Is she daunted by all this? “Not at all. We develop our own competitive edge,” she says. For her that includes social media and ongoing education in real estate law and finance. –continued on page 14

arroyo ~HOME SALES INDEX~

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Seasonal blips aside, the above graphs based on data from the Arroyo Home Sales Index clearly show increasing prices while overall sales remain steady – underscoring increased demand against limited inventory in Arroyoland. See this month’s AHSI on page 31. Source: AHSI March 2012-Jan 2013. The Arroyo Home Sales Index is calculated from residential home sales in Pasadena and the surrounding communities of South Pasadena, San Marino, La Canada Flintridge, Eagle Rock, Glendale (including Montrose), Altadena, Sierra Madre and Arcadia. Individual home sales data provided by CalREsource. Arroyo Home Sales Index © Arroyo 2013.

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“Social media is hugely important,” she says. “I can attest to that. I found my husband on Match.com. People nowadays are finding their houses on Facebook and Twitter.” Itza Aguilar, a Realtor with the John Aaroe Group’s Pasadena office, thinks potential sellers who are holding out might want to rethink their strategy. “Some really ought to list their homes right now, while there’s so little inventory available. It’s a great time to sell, and some who may think they’re upside-down may not be at all. They may have equity they’re not aware of.” Irina Netchaev, the founder and managing broker at Pasadena Previews Real Estate Team in San Marino, scored the deal mentioned at the top of this story. Also a huge believer in online exposure, she blogs, tweets, attracts clients from reviews on Yelp and has about 4,000 followers on her fan page, called “365 Things to do in Pasadena,” which is linked to her listings and Facebook page. “Over 90 percent of buyers start their home searches online, and if an agent has an online presence locally, people will find it,” she says. As for the homes those aspiring buyers want, “honestly, every area you can think of is low on listings,” Netchaev explains. “In January this year, the entirety of San Marino had only eight listings. Year over year, from January 2012 to January 2013, listings in Arcadia dropped from 177 to 67. Glendale’s dropped from 111 to 48. Pasadena went from 427 listings last year to 211.” Yes, there’s big competition among firms right now, she admits, “but that’s always been the case no matter what the market condition. And each agent markets homes a little differently. Some still do the same old, same old. They put a sign on the house and a listing in the MLS, and that’s it. We do features on Realtor.com, which is very popular right now. We entice buyers and sellers to our site. We generate excitement about our properties.” What was so special about the home she sold that received 43 offers in a week? It wasn’t the home per se, she says. It was the desirable Michillinda Park neighborhood combined with the ample lot size — almost half an acre, unusually large for Pasadena, Netchaev says, adding that there’s intense competition among investors and developers for those big lots. They frequently tear down the existing structure and build much bigger ones — 5,000 or 6,000 square feet — homes they will sell for up to $3 million. “Out of 43 offers for that particular house, 38 or 39 of them were all cash, mostly from investors and developers,” Netchaev says. “Statistically in Pasadena, we are seeing about 30 percent of sales in all-cash right now.” The offer she accepted for the seller was the secondhighest bid, Netchaev says, because the terms were the best: all cash and a 10-day escrow. So where does all this leave the ordinary bloke, who is pre-qualified by a lender but lacks a satchel full of cash? “I work successfully with regular people all the time, people bank-qualified and seeking fine homes in a moderate price range,” Netchaev says. “There are always houses they will love at prices they can afford. Sometimes they have to lose a few before they get into the right one, but we prepare them for that.” Equally sanguine about the current crunch is Pasadena agent John Matthes of Crosby Doe Associates. Matthes specializes in architecturally distinguished homes along the Arroyo Seco in west Pasadena. He says he and his clients are principally concerned with the “quality of architecture and the way a property sits on the land, meaning how it is sited.” Matthes says he has noticed a recent trend among buyers toward downsizing. “Less is more these days, and clients seem to be favoring smaller but very well-conceived properties. Often a smaller home with great siting and architecture commands a much higher price per square foot than a much larger but less distinguished home, Matthes says. “I sold a Buff, Straub & Hensman property on Poppy Peak for about $865,000 about 18 months ago. It’s about 2,000 square feet, and was in disrepair. It’s been fully restored and is now on the market for $1.5 million. That’s about $750 per square foot.” Of the affluent Linda Vista neighborhood where Matthes lives, he says, “There’s nothing of real [architectural] quality available right now at entry-level price, which is about $1.5 million. The last listing was $2.8 million.” Has the inventory crunch and competition affected him? “Not really,” he says. “Yes, inventory is low and properties are moving faster, often with multiple offers. But there are plenty of good homes and good values out there.” |||| 14 | ARROYO | 03.13

Hot ’Hoods Eagle Rock, Highland Park and Glassell Park make real estate website Redfin’s list of the country’s 10 “hottest” neighborhoods for 2013. BY ELIZABETH MCMILLIAN

YOU KNOW YOUR LOCAL REAL ESTATE

Some Highland Park homes offer valley views.

MARKET IS HEATING UP WHEN PRICES IN ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOODS START SOARING. AND ACCORDING TO NATIONAL REAL ESTATE WEBSITE REDFIN.COM, THREE OF THE COUNTRY’S HOTTEST UP-AND-COMING MARKETS ARE ARROYOLAND-ADJACENT — EAGLE ROCK, HIGHLAND PARK AND GLASSELL PARK. “We refer to this as the ‘spillover effect,’ when homebuyers get priced out of their first-choice neighborhood, or simply get frustrated competing with dozens of other homebuyers for the same homes,” says Scott Nagel, Redfin’s chief of real estate operations. “Last year, L.A. homebuyers saw a shrinking selection of homes to choose from, coinciding with rising home prices,” he adds. “Because of these factors outside their control, many of our clients expanded their home searches to neighborhoods in close proximity to, or with similar amenities to, the most desired areas.” With the help of the site’s 600-plus agents, Redfin real estate analyst Tim Ellis blogged in January about predictions for the country’s 10 hottest markets in 2013, and the Los Angeles area dominated the list (which also included a fourth L.A. community — Faircrest Heights). “We compiled this list of ‘hot,’ ‘spillover’ or ‘up-and-coming’ neighborhoods to give homebuyers who are new to the market some places to consider where they can still get into homes with relatively low home prices and the potential for increasing values,” Nagel says. “Many of these areas are also home to new commercial centers with local bars, restaurants and coffee shops popping up nearby, making the neighborhoods even more convenient and livable.” Donna Baker, an agent with Teles Properties, considered the Redfin ratings of the three Arroyo neighborhoods and ran some tech reports to confirm the info. “From what I’ve seen over the last two years, prices continue to inch higher as inventory dwindles and demand continues to grow,” she says. “I believe that low interest rates have fueled that fire, but distressed properties continue to affect pricing. The inflated prices during the mortgage debacle probably will never occur again in our lifetime, in my opinion, because homes are long-term investments and were never intended to be used as a bankroll.” Arroyoland satellites Highland Park, Eagle Rock and Glassell Park are inhabited by a variety of ethnic and socio-economic groups and have attracted creative folk, such as writers, artists and filmmakers, who began moving into the general area in the 1920s.

Gentrification of those communities has accelerated over the past decade as young professionals relocated from pricier Los Feliz and Silver Lake, which are nearby. “Highland Park, Eagle Rock and Glassell Park are three L.A. neighborhoods where we’ve noticed particularly marked growth during the past year, with augmenting sales and rising house prices,” says Redfin agent Earnest Watts, who specializes in the Glendale-Burbank area. “While these neighborhoods don’t boast beaches or ocean views like some of the more prestigious L.A. neighborhoods, they are much more affordable and very close to downtown — with only about a 10-to-15-minute commute by car. As a result, they have become increasingly popular among first-time homebuyers.” All three have shrinking inventory, along with rising sales and prices. As of the end of 2012, trendy appeal, better amenities and growing interest have driven up home prices in Eagle Rock, Highland Park and Glassell Park, more than in nearby areas. This is projected to continue and likely increase over the coming year. “Each neighborhood has its own unique ambiance and particular growth rate,” Watts says. “The key factor is that these neighborhoods are central and reasonable. However, as a result of the low inventory and high demand we’ve been experiencing, homes in these neighborhoods are sometimes selling for as much as $30–40,000 more than their asking price.”

Highland Park Highland Park is a historic neighborhood in a verdant, hilly area of Northeast Los Angeles, formerly Rancho San Rafael during the Spanish-Mexican era. It is located along the Arroyo Seco with boundaries that are roughly the 110/Arroyo Seco Parkway, Oak Grove Drive, Avenue 51 and the Pasadena city limits. Highland Park was created after the Mexican-American War ended in 1848, when California joined the –continued on page 16 03.13 | ARROYO | 15

HOT HOODS BY THE NUMBERS It was a matter of simple statistics that focused the nation's lens on these red-hot communities. Redfin's 600-plus agents were asked to identify neighborhoods or cities in their markets as the most up-and-coming. Then they narrowed down their choices to their three hottest neighborhoods and drew up lists, based on year-over-year trends at the end of 2012, in four categories: (1) on-market listings, (2) sales vol–continued from page 15

ume, (3) median price per square foot and (4) sale-to-list ratio.

U.S. and Rancho San Rafael was subdivided. One of the Below is Redfin's final list with trends for listings, sales volume and price expressed in percentages: Northeast’s oldest settled areas, it was a haven for artists and Rank Metro Area Neighborhood Listings Sales Price intellectuals who led the American Arts and Crafts movement 1 Los Angeles Highland Park* +48% +73% +31% more than 100 years ago. 2 San Diego Mira Mesa +69% +48% +21% The completion of the Arroyo Seco Parkway in 1940 trig3 Los Angeles Faircrest Heights +63% +17% +29% gered changes in Highland Park that continued throughout the 1950s, with the artsy enclave dispersing, replaced by predomi4 Los Angeles Eagle Rock* +54% +44% +11% nantly Latino residents. By the mid-1970s, the neighborhood 5 Bay Area Livermore +71% +13% +20% was a haven for numerous racial and ethnic groups. In the fol6 Bay Area Willow Glen +60% +9% +32% lowing decades gang violence marred the landscape, claimed by 7 Los Angeles Glassell Park* +64% +31% +17% the Avenues criminal street gang, as was adjacent Glassell Park. 8 Chicago Logan Square +10% +94% +20% Since the millennium, local and federal law enforcement stepped 9 Bay Area The Mission +29% +17% +80% up efforts to convict gang members of murder, drug and hate crimes. Recent years have seen a dramatic decrease in violent 10 Seattle N. Maple Leaf +44% +15% +22% crime in both neighborhoods. — Elizabeth McMillian Highland Park began returning to its hipster roots in the early 2000s, when a diverse population began to rent or buy its reasonably priced built on rolling hills interspersed with several park and recreation areas, such as the Craftsman homes. (At presstime, Redfin reported the median value of all Highland Glassell Park Recreation Center on Verdugo Road and the Rio de Los Angeles State Park homes was $439,000 [or $380 per square foot], well under Los Angeles’ median of Park in nearby Cypress Park. A good number of elementary, charter and private schools $600,000.) While numerous older Highland Park homes were razed in the 1950s and have also attracted growing families. 1960s, many escaped demolition and continue to attract new residents, also drawn to Historically, Glassell Park, like Highland Park, was originally part of Rancho San its convenient location and fast freeway access to downtown Los Angeles. “There’s AnRafael, granted in 1784 to Spanish army corporal José María Verdugo. In the lawsuit geles Crest Park for hiking, which is just 10 to 15 minutes away, and quick easy access known as the Great Partition of 1871, attorney Andrew Glassell received part of Rancho to downtown and Pasadena on the Metrolink Gold Line,” says Watts. “York Boulevard San Rafael. Glassell settled in the area with his family, after whom Toland, Drew, Andrita is the main thoroughfare for this neighborhood and boasts an influx of hip restaurants, and Marguarite streets are named. However, the main development of Glassell Park didn’t bars, boutiques and parks. begin until 1907,when subdivisions between Verdugo and San Fernando roads began to be “Highland Park has been highlighted as a very active neighborhood for property insold off. By 1916, the City of Los Angeles had annexed all of Glassell Park. vestors who buy and resell properties,” Watts continues, “It’s also a popular neighborThe neighborhood is now bordered by Glendale, Atwater Village and the Los Anhood for first-time homebuyers. Though housing prices in Highland Park still remain geles River, Cypress Park, Eagle Rock and Mount Washington. York Boulevard and more reasonable than they are in those neighborhoods, it’s likely that prices will conDivision Street provide “trade routes,” as the neighborhood continues to be all about tinue to rise; they’ve already seen a 30 percent increase in the past year. Because of the connections and accessibility. Glassell Park was once served by a line of the Los Angeles rising demand for houses in Highland Park resulting in bidding wars, houses are selling Railway, which traveled to Eagle Rock along Eagle Rock Boulevard’s median during above list price.” the first half of the 20th century. Now Verdugo Road connects the historical trade route that once tied the Verdugo Rancho to the Pueblo of Los Angeles. And the area boasts a designated bike lane on Eagle Rock Boulevard, south of York Boulevard. Located only Glassell Park five miles north of downtown, Glassell Park also offers high-speed auto access to many Today many young middle-class professionals have joined Glassell Park’s working-class parts of Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley and San Gabriel Valley via the Glendale Latinos, whites and Filipinos in its relatively low-priced Craftsman homes. (Redfin lists Freeway, which runs through Glassell Park and connects to both the Golden State and the neighborhood’s median house price at $470,000 or $347 per square foot.) They’re Ventura freeways. “Glassell Park has had a relatively slower Eagle Rock’s skyline includes the majestic San Gabriel Mountains. growth rate than both Eagle Rock and Highland Park,” says Watts. “The commercial center is growing, but at a slower rate than our other featured neighborhoods. That said, the location of Glassell Park, with its proximity to downtown and Highland Park, is a huge selling point for this up-and-coming neighborhood. I, myself, purchased a home here recently and have discovered a few great new businesses very close by (including a great bakery, Lemon Poppy, with delicious snacks and homemade sodas). What is notable about Glassell Park is that it seems to be a hotbed for investors. On my street alone, I’ve seen two houses get bought up by investors and three or four others nearby.” 16 | ARROYO | 03.13

A large home in Eagle Rock

PHOTO: John Venti

Eagle Rock Of these three neighborhoods, Eagle Rock was the first to undergo gentrification and currently has a median home price of $587,250 or $388 per square foot, according to Redfin. Now there’s a wide array of great shops, restaurants and bars along Colorado and Eagle Rock boulevards. The neighborhood also has quick, easy access to downtown L.A., the San Fernando Valley and Pasadena. Eagle Rock is especially popular among families drawn to its schools, notes Redfin agent Watts. The neighborhood includes four public elementary schools, two public high schools and President Obama’s alma mater, Occidental College. (Occidental’s beautiful 1914 campus was designed by prominent Pasadena architect Myron Hunt.) Between Glendale to the west and Pasadena to the east, and bordering the foothills to the north, Eagle Rock was originally home to the aboriginal Tongva people. When the Spanish settled the area in the late-18th century — like Highland Park and Glassell Park — it was part of Rancho San Rafael. Following the Great Partition of 1871, Benjamin Dreyfus was awarded the parcel. Above the oak-filled valley in the San Rafael Hills sits a massive boulder (now on the northern edge of the 134 freeway). At certain times of day, an indentation casts the bird-shaped shadow on the rock that gave the neighborhood its name. L.A.’s growth late in the 19th century led to Eagle Rock’s evolution from a farmland community to a semi-rural community. Soon the Los Angeles Railway trolley transformed Eagle Rock into a full-fledged suburb. The neighborhood was incorporated as an independent city in 1911 but annexed by the City of Los Angeles in 1923. By the 1950s, new streets extended into the hillsides, allowing for development of large homes with city views. Today these streets continue to support grand, expensive houses built on wide lots. Eagle Rock is known for many historic and architectdesigned custom homes, which range in style from Mission Revival, Craftsman and Georgian to Streamline Moderne and Art Deco. As of 2008, the neighborhood supports a median household income of $67,253, above average for the City of Los Angeles but average for the county. Relatively affluent Eagle Rock is among L.A. County’s most racially diverse. “There seems to be a good mix of investors and homeowners selling their properties in Eagle Rock, but inventory here is especially low,” Watts says. “Eagle Rock also has a wide range of homes, with prices ranging from a few hundred thousand dollars to $1 million–plus. While this neighborhood is definitely hip and still growing, its recent growth hasn’t been as explosive as Highland Park. In the last year, home sales have increased by 44 percent as opposed to a 73 percent increase in Highland Park.” |||| 03.13 | ARROYO | 17

arroyo HOME & DESIGN SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

OPEN HOUSE SELECT READERS WELCOME US INTO THEIR PRIVATE PARADISE BY JOANNA DEHN BERESFORD

PHOTO: Courtesy of Beryl Meiron, interiors by Rozalynn Woods Interior Design

窶田ontinued on page 21

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PHOTO: Courtesy of Beryl Meiron, interiors by Rozalynn Woods Interior Design

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 18

“DO YOU LOVE YOUR HOME? IF YOU DO, WE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHY!”THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF AN INVITATION WE RECENTLY EXTENDED TO OUR READERS IN ANTICIPATION OF OUR MARCH, HOMES AND LAND ISSUE OF ARROYO. WHETHER YOU LOVE YOUR HOMES BECAUSE OF RECENT REMODELS, FAVORITE ROOMS, BEAUTIFUL BACKYARD GARDENS – OR FOR ALL OF THESE OR ANY OTHER REASONS, WE WANTED TO READ ALL ABOUT IT. IT CAME AS NO SURPRISE TO LEARN THAT MANY SAN GABRIEL VALLEY RESIDENTS DO IN FACT CHERISH THE INTIMATE, CREATIVE, UNIQUE SPACES THAT SHELTER THEM DAILY. WE’RE THRILLED TO INCLUDE THE WORDS AND PHOTOS THAT TWO OF OUR “NEIGHBORS” SUBMITTED TO US; IT’S AN HONOR TO BE WELCOMED INTO THEIR DELIGHTFUL HOMES. –continued on page 23 03.13 | ARROYO | 21

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PHOTO: Courtesy of Anthony Guthmiller

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 21 STARTING OVER… Anthony Guthmiller describes his Pasadena home in lavish and loving detail. For him, the creation of this residence, both the interior and exterior, gave him an opportunity to start over in life, thus providing him with a vibrant metaphor for reinvention. The photos he includes with his narration capture the magical, almost sacred quality of the residence. From the verdant front yard, porch and entry, through simple rooms full of color and light, to the backyard gazebo enhanced by lanterns and roses, every object seems to sing with meaning. Here’s what Anthony writes: –continued on page 26

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PHOTOS: Courtesy of Anthony Guthmiller

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 23 I moved into my home in Pasadena almost four years ago. I had gone through a nasty breakup and decided to get out of 'Dodge', so to speak, and picked Pasadena and the little house I am in. It wasn't very well kept up and that's putting it mildly. The previous tenant had lived here four years with two large dogs and the house showed. Nothing in the yard was living; everything was dead, dead, dead! I knew what it could be though and I poured my soul into it, both as a healing from my previous relationship and I LOVE design. I only had two pieces of furniture to move, so it was all a blank canvas so to speak. The old carpet came out, hardwood floors went in. I painted the entire inside, hung shutters on the outside, installed a weather vane on the roof, trimmed bushes, relocated mail boxes, planted trees and over the next three years rescued 65 rose bushes, a fountain, installing a brick path, gazebo with wisteria and bordered the entire property with a privacy hedge. I became a regular at the PCC Flea Market,The Huntington Collection and Hughes Estate Sales, filling my little home with treasures and making it the retreat that it is today. My neighbors think I'm the new owner, because what crazy renter would put so much work into a house that wasn't theirs? ME. It's my home and I live here. Walking into my home is like walking into my soul. –continued on page 29 26 | ARROYO | 03.13

03.13 | ARROYO | 27

28 | ARROYO | 03.13

PHOTO: Courtesy of Beryl Meiron, interiors by Rozalynn Woods Interior Design

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–continued from page 26 I do admit that I have to stop buying Buddha’s (30 so far) and I still have a list a mile long of continuing projects that I want to do. But the chandelier I made over the baby grand piano I love. The 300 Swarovski crystals that I glued to the walls of the piano room make it magical. Painting the 1970's kitchen cabinets white changed the entire kitchen. Relocating the ugly light and installing another treasure over the table, another fun experience. Almost everything in this house I've gotten for $100 or less. My friends joke that it's “the $100 house”. Stone fountains, mirrors, Japanese side tables, oriental salon chairs, kitchen table, a corner hutch, paintings at flea markets ..... My home is my heaven. I LOVE my home and I love my neighborhood. MOVING ON… Like Anthony Guthmiller, Beryl and Dan Meiron were encountering changes in their life when they decided to remodel their family home in Arcadia. Although their particular situation differed from Anthony’s, their goal was similar: to reinvent the residence so that it more beautifully and adequately reflects the way they live now. After careful saving and planning, the Meirons transformed the spaces in their home with clean surfaces, an abundance of natural –continued on page 30 03.13 | ARROYO | 29

PHOTO: Courtesy of Beryl Meiron, interiors by Rozalynn Woods Interior Design

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 29 light, and generous use of a black, white and neutral palette with dramatic splashes of color. Their words and photos depict the comfort and elegance of these renovations. As the number of years of raising and putting the kids through school added up, the tired, out-dated condition of our 1950 ranch-style home in Arcadia spiraled down and down. The house had never been remodeled over the decades, and after the kids achieved their academic goals and moved out, we had the house to ourselves. We saved funds for a number of years aimed specifically to renew, restore and reinvent the classic modern house in a lovely neighborhood. When we had our savings in order, we were able to create an inviting home that is warm and beautiful for the two of us--as well as large groups for friends and family. Every time we walk through the doors, one of us is likely to say, "I love our home." We hope you do, too. Both Anthony Guthmiller’s and Beryl and Dan Meiron’s homes glow with the passion, vision and effort that the homeowners invested in making these residences their own. Even without their testimony, anyone who steps across the thresholds of their houses – virtually or in brick, mortar and flesh – knows that these are beloved spaces where the residents and their families and friends can share treasured moments. Which is, after all, one of the fundamental functions of such a refuge. Their stories bear witness to the idea that creating a home, like creating a life, is a process; it’s never done, it just keeps getting better. AH&D 30 | ARROYO | 03.13

™

arroyo

SPONSORED BY

~HOME SALES INDEX~ HOME SALES

dec

jan

2012

2013

+8.9% ALTADENA HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. ARCADIA HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. EAGLE ROCK HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. GLENDALE HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. LA CANADA HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. PASADENA HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. SAN MARINO HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. SIERRA MADRE HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. SOUTH PASADENA HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. TOTAL HOMES SOLD AVG PRICE/SQ. FT.

DEC ‘12 37 $485,000 1602 DEC ‘12 31 $888,000 1933 DEC ‘12 14 $520,000 1394 DEC ‘12 115 $500,000 1467 DEC ‘12 21 $1,150,000 1910 DEC ‘12 149 $530,000 1301 DEC ‘12 12 $1,700,000 2352 DEC ‘12 15 $585,000 1659 DEC ‘12 16 $726,750 1486 DEC ‘12 410 $445

HOMES SOLD

410 278

AVG. PRICE/SQ. FT.

RECENT HOME CLOSINGS IN THE ARROYO FOOTPRINT

HOMES SOLD

+32.2%

HOME SALES ABOVE $750,000

JAN ‘13 34 $462,500 1340 JAN ‘13 20 $674,000 1669 JAN ‘13 10 $466,000 1356 JAN ‘13 72 $474,500 1448 JAN ‘13 10 $1,170,500 2211 JAN ‘13 104 $482,000 1323 JAN ‘13 9 $2,620,000 2852 JAN ‘13 6 $542,500 1377 JAN ‘13 16 $726,750 1372 JAN ‘13 278 $405

ADDRESS

CLOSE DATE PRICE

SOURCE: CalREsource

BDRMS. SQ. FT. YR. BUILT PREV. PRICE

PREV. SOLD

ALTADENA 3605 Canon Boulevard

01/08/13

$850,000

$216,000

10/04/1996

2331 Glen Canyon Road

01/11/13

$885,000

2174

1931

$546,000

06/25/2001

756 La Vina Lane

01/24/13

$815,000

2844

1997

$1,053,000

08/18/2006

1052 New York Drive

01/24/13

$860,000

5841

1925

462 East Las Flores Drive

01/30/13

$799,000

2220

1935

$460,000

12/21/2001

ARCADIA 1703 South 10th Avenue

01/04/13

$780,000

1804

1928

628 East Longden Avenue

01/08/13

$1,880,000

1355

1947

$630,000

09/15/2011

2000 South 2nd Avenue

01/09/13

$2,580,000

6397

1989

$1,080,000

09/05/2003

809 East Camino Real Avenue

01/10/13

$1,050,000

2395

1922

$845,000

03/08/2006

601 Hampton Road

01/16/13

$4,900,000

9958

2010

$1,250,000

12/23/2005

1017 South 2nd Avenue

01/18/13

$1,625,000

5359

2005

$712,000

04/30/2004

$518,000

12/24/2002

2107 South 5th Avenue

01/23/13

$850,000

1944

1951

1807 South 10th Avenue

01/31/13

$810,000

1316

1948

146 East Pamela Road

01/31/13

$1,080,000

2023

1957

1301 Corona Drive

01/09/13

$775,000

2469

2006

$879,000

02/15/2008

221 Spencer Street

01/10/13

$1,400,000

2914

1930

$1,100,000

12/14/2010

1415 Del Monte Drive

01/11/13

$750,000

2164

1935

746 Cavanagh Road

01/11/13

$1,335,000

3693

1928

$895,000

02/28/2011

1960 Deermont Road

01/23/13

$1,495,000

3327

1967

$1,625,000

03/27/2007

2416 Sylvan Lane

01/25/13

$770,000

3026

1936

$1,165,000

04/04/2006

3220 Beaudry Terrace

01/25/13

$805,000

2927

1975

$708,000

04/01/2003

2241 Hollister Terrace

01/30/13

$820,000

2322

2005

740 West Kenneth Road

01/30/13

$915,000

2506

1948

$538,000

07/16/1998

1101 Olive Lane

01/11/13

$2,060,000

3815

1935

$2,647,000

10/06/2006

328 Mellow Lane

01/04/13

$1,098,000

1722

1956

1331 Journeys End Drive

01/08/13

$2,001,000

6901

2001

$2,000,020

04/16/2002

4190 Hampstead Road

01/09/13

$1,100,000

2253

1957

$1,181,000

07/31/2008

5306 Palm Drive

01/09/13

$1,191,000

2074

1948

$1,005,000

11/02/2005

1112 Uintah Street

01/11/13

$1,200,000

1344

1951

$740,000

05/08/2012

5302 Ivafern Lane

01/14/13

$1,300,000

2940

1963

$106,000

04/01/1975

1005 El Vago Street

01/15/13

$1,135,000

2169

1967

$93,000

04/12/1979

4810 Hill Street

01/30/13

$1,150,000

1793

1950

$810,000

09/13/2010

GLENDALE

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE

PASADENA 840 East Green Street #301

01/08/13

$840,000

2141

2006

$999,000

10/03/2006

366 Allendale Road

01/08/13

$1,000,000

2141

1928

$510,000

08/16/2011

$659,000

10/28/2003

155 Cordova Street #501

01/08/13

$2,450,000

3840

2010

429 South Santa Anita Avenue

01/09/13

$835,000

1724

1927

continued on page 32

The Arroyo Home Sales Index is calculated from residential home sales in Pasadena and the surrounding communities of South Pasadena, San Marino, La Canada Flintridge, Eagle Rock, Glendale (including Montrose), Altadena, Sierra Madre and Arcadia. Individual home sales data provided by CalREsource. Arroyo Home Sales Index © Arroyo 2013.

03.13 | ARROYO | 31

continued from page 31

HOME SALES ABOVE $750,000 RECENT HOME CLOSINGS IN THE ARROYO FOOTPRINT ADDRESS

CLOSE DATE PRICE

SOURCE: CalREsource

BDRMS. SQ. FT. YR. BUILT PREV. PRICE

PREV. SOLD

PASADENA 2033 Rosemont Avenue #1

01/11/13

$817,000

1989

1982

$725,000

09/15/2004

374 South Grand Oaks Avenue

01/14/13

$760,000

1536

1926

$590,000

07/14/2003

1845 Kinneloa Canyon Road

01/15/13

$852,500

3307 Fairpoint Street

01/16/13

$800,000

4351

1950

$695,000

09/06/2001

1533 East Mountain Street

01/18/13

$960,000

2391

1916

448 South Oakland Avenue #11

01/18/13

$1,030,000

2480

2004

$1,500,000

09/08/2005

250 South De Lacey Ave #406A

01/22/13

$900,000

1580

2007

$886,000

12/24/2009

1340 Carnarvon Drive

01/22/13

$1,380,000

3252

1964

$1,717,500

08/31/2006

25 Los Altos Drive

01/22/13

$2,375,000

7579

1930

$1,750,000

07/16/2009

1020 South Oak Forest Lane

01/28/13

$840,000

112 South Roosevelt Avenue

01/28/13

$1,450,000

4475

2004

$325,000

04/01/1994

$1,400,000

02/09/2005

SAN MARINO 2415 Lorain Road

01/16/13

$1,338,000

2277

1937

$1,115,000

07/10/2009

1900 South Euclid Avenue

01/18/13

$1,004,500

1474

1925

$364,540

02/24/1993

$917,500

07/11/2003

935 Huntington Drive

01/18/13

$2,620,000

3954

1959

1354 Bedford Road

01/18/13

$2,638,000

3427

1948

1409 Pasqualito Drive

01/22/13

$5,230,000

6368

1933

$2,000,000

03/28/2002

1705 Oak Grove Avenue

01/23/13

$3,150,000

4337

1926

$3,525,000

09/20/2007

1015 Avondale Road

01/25/13

$2,800,000

$2,380,000

03/31/2009

1915 Sycamore Drive

01/29/13

$1,150,000

2255

1940

$950,000

10/17/2005

572 La Paz Drive

01/29/13

$1,308,000

1741

1927

$929,000

09/17/2012

01/31/13

$831,000

1850

1953

$140,000

08/19/1980

2070 Milan Avenue

01/14/13

$790,000

1987

1914

$853,000

09/15/2005

1327 Mountain View Avenue

01/16/13

$1,175,500

1982

$395,000

03/15/1999

1253 Huntington Drive #A

01/23/13

$790,000

1716 Camino Lindo

01/23/13

$1,420,000

SIERRA MADRE 1965 Vista Avenue SOUTH PASADENA

32 | ARROYO | 03.13

2734

1967

GREEN’S GARDEN Garden writer Emily Green experiments with sustainability at her Altadena home. BY ILSA SETZIOL

HAD THE HOME ON FAIR OAKS AVENUE ALREADY BEEN ACQUAINTED WITH ITS NEW OWNER, SURELY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SUSPICIOUS OF EMILY GREEN. FOR DECADES, THE HANDSOME EARLY-MIDCENTURY HOUSE IN ALTADENA LOOKED CONTENT WITH ITS LOT OF MATURE CITRUS, STATELY DEODAR CEDAR AND RECUMBENT LAWN. THEN CAME GREEN. THE ENVIRONMENTAL WRITER, KNOWN FOR HER LOS ANGELES TIMES DRY GARDEN COLUMN AND CHANCE OF RAIN BLOG, PURCHASED THE PROPERTY IN LATE 2010 AS A SPOT TO WORK, PLAY AND EXPERIMENT. “MY GARDEN IS THE PLACE I MAKE THE MOST MISTAKES AND CONSEQUENTLY WHERE I LEARN THE MOST,” SHE SAYS. GREEN’S HOME WOULD BE A LABORATORY OF SUSTAINABILITY; IT WOULD EARN ITS KEEP.

PHOTO: Emily Green

–continued on page 34

03.13 | ARROYO | 33

White sage around which wildflowers grow

–continued from page 33

“It’s not a show garden,” she says, giving me a tour one chilly morning not long ago. “It’s a working garden.” And yet it’s a beauty, all the more so for its unusual virtues. First, Green killed the water-greedy backyard lawn — without herbicides or remorse. After buzzing it to the quick with a lawn edger, she smothered it with thick layers of mulch (which worked because it wasn’t as tenacious as commonly cultivated Bermudagrass). Then she tucked in young native plants such as sages, ceonothus and manzanita, as well as fruit trees (Santa Rosa plums, Red Baron peach, Anna apple). Next, in a stroke of yellow brilliance, she scattered some 200,000 native sunflower seeds (Helianthus annuus). The fast-growing annuals suppressed remnant grass and weeds, perhaps by outcompeting with them for sunlight. They’re also thought to be alleopathic, deploying chemicals that inhibit the growth of nearby plants. The native sunflowers — a shrubby kind with multiple flowers — also sheltered the young, slowergrowing perennials from harsh sun and attracted a flurry of birds and other pollinators. “When the sun hits the sunflowers,” she wrote in her Dry Garden column, “the garden smells like a pan of freshly baked cookies.” Like many Southern California garden aficionados, Green is an advocate of native plants, but a clear-eyed one aware of the realities: acknowledging, for instance, that even drought-tolerant landscapes need upkeep. “You can see a lot of really bad-looking native gardens around L.A. that are giving the whole movement a bad name because of this no-maintenance myth,” she says, adding that the benefits are primarily environmental. “You do it because it’s got tremendous benefit for the birds, for lizards,” she says, “and you don’t have the pollution of lawn-grooming equipment.” The sunflowers are gone now, but remnants are still at work in the garden. “You can

Fruit trees get regular water, while the native Salvia clevelandii offers a rugged fill that keeps bees happy but does not need much summer water.

34 | ARROYO | 03.13

see there are sunflower carcasses here,” she says pointing to a barrier made of dried plants. “I’ve got wildflowers coming up — lupines, clarkia — and I don’t want them trampled by dogs.” Green devoted days to sorting and bundling the wattle so it could be neatly stored instead of trucked away. She has also used the twigs for erosion control, poking them into the ground to create spiky borders downslope of young trees. Near the salad bed, there’s a bean trellis fashioned from tree limbs. This kind of thoughtful tinkering has earned Green fans among conscientious gardeners, such as Altadena artist and garden designer Leigh Adams. “I admire the way Emily is taking responsibility for the waste and the water,” she says. “I think the key is that she is experimenting. And if we give ourselves that permission, we can try new things and share information with other people.” Strolling among 100-year-old fruit trees (lemon, Valencia orange, Fuerte avocado, pummelo), Green notices a broken limb. “Poor baby,” she coos, inspecting a tree she has taken pains to revive. From the get-go, she was besotted with the grove of stout citrus, polka-dotted in bright orange, yellow and pale green. “It never occurred to me that this yard was going to produce about 6,000 pounds of fruit a year,” she says. When Green moved in, the orchard was sagging under the weight of unpicked fruit. In late December, she drove a car full of fruit to a homeless shelter on Colorado Boulevard. “I saw lines and lines of people with sleeping bags” and assumed they’d appreciate an orange, she recalls. “I thought, ‘Who knew there was all this homelessness in Pasadena!’” The hordes turned out to be people camping out for the Rose Parade. An attempt to sell the fruit at the Altadena farmers market last summer was a bust — too much work for too little money. Plus, the endeavor had a “coals-to-Newcastle” aspect, Green says. “Every other person up here has the same complement of trees,” she says with a laugh. “I’m going back to food banks.” The granddaughter of a UC Riverside citrus farm consultant, Green was born in Covina in the San Gabriel Valley. After college, she worked as a reporter in the U.K., covering agriculture and food, among other things. And she gardened — which the English cherish as a pastime, not a chore to be farmed out. So on returning to California in 1998, she didn’t see the point of hiring a mow-and-blow crew. “I’m always amazed that people don’t do their own gardening [here],” she says, “but they do go off and work out on a treadmill in a gym.” At the West Adams home where she lived for a dozen years, Green gradually adapted the garden to suit the dry climate. She wrote for the Times, taking on the garden beat in 2002. She grew increasingly aware of how Southern California’s profligate use of imported water imperiled fish and wildlife and exacerbated climate change (moving and treating water uses a lot of energy). “So I feel morally obligated to meet the highest possible standard

PHOTOS: TOP LEFT: Ilsa Setziol, TOP RIGHT and BOTTOM LEFT: Emily Green

Emily Green with the rain chains and metal sculpture that send surplus water to the right spots.

PHOTO: Emily Green

The concrete around the garage was removed and decomposed granite paths created.

of beneficial use,” she continues. “It’s the gardening equivalent of remembering when you eat meat, say, that something died for your dinner.” “She is in many ways our environmental conscience,” says landscape architect Rhett Beavers, who discusses Green’s gardening and writing in his UCLA class on the history of designed landscapes. The West Adams Craftsman was too large for one person, though. Casting about for a smaller house on a generous lot, she settled on Altadena. The mountains were enticing, as were the good drainage (ideal for most native plants) and active garden community. Yet Green sees a dark side to gardening in the foothills. “We really are some of the biggest water users,” she notes. “We’ve got fast-draining soil, we’ve got big lots. And this is really where the community needs to work hardest.” Which brings us to one of Green’s most ambitious experiments. Like many L.A. homes, the Altadena house was designed to channel storm water out to the street. We now know the cost of that: wasted water and polluted beaches. Green wanted to direct the water where it was needed — to the garden. But the hand-built red-cedar home lacked gutters, and the prefabricated kind would clutter the home’s elegant floating eaves. So, inspired by a Buff & Hensman home in the San Rafael Hills, Green commissioned welder Ruben Ruiz to fabricate sleek steel gutters that were taller and narrower and would perfectly cap the eaves. “The house looks like a ship that’s floating,” she says, explaining that the gutters funnel water to rain chains — descending links of metal. “It’s almost like moorings, these chains.” To direct flow away from the foundation, Green asked Ruiz to create flower-shaped sculptures that catch water at the bottom of the chains. Water gushes into their cupped centers, then spills out metal leaves. In the front yard, it flows into shallow ditches leading to flowerbeds (with native irises, penstemons, monkey flower and hummingbird sage). The driveway asphalt has been replaced with decomposed granite that’s more permeable. Rain hitting the north side of the roof is piped about 40 feet along a fence to reach backyard fruit trees. Adams, who consulted on the project, describes the gutter system as “a joyful expression of water harvesting…Instead of being perfunctory and mechanical, it augments the natural beauty of that house.” Other water projects are in the works on Green’s property, including ponds that will store rainwater. Wine barrels are likely to replace the series of green trash bins currently holding runoff from the garage. In years of average rainfall, Green hopes to keep every drop onsite. But the property is sloped and there are neighbors to consider, so in a wetyear deluge, some will inevitably shunt to the street. Conspicuously absent is an irrigation system. Green insists on hauling around hoses (for occasional deep watering), cursing when they kink. She insists that garden work offers “the richest possible environment” for people to learn about nature and consider the implications of their own actions. “Would we have modern genetics if Mendel’s peas had been on an automated drip system?” she muses. “Do we have more to learn by watching plants? I think we do.” This spring will find Green lying amongst her wildflowers, weeding them with tweezers. If it rains, she’ll be outside, studying how water works its way around her yard. “A garden is never finished,” she says. What luck for those who’d like to learn from Green’s experiments. |||| Green’s garden and environmental writing can be found on her website, chanceofrain.com. 03.13 | ARROYO | 35

36 | ARROYO | 03.13

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

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& ENRICHMENT AND SUMMER CAMPS

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03.13 | ARROYO | 37

ed es,

mts ee sn-

on d

inr

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

Beaucoup de Bocuse Paul Bocuse, the first celebrity chef, is still at it with an international culinary competition chefs’ dreams are made of. BY LESLIE BILDERBACK

LAST MONTH, DEVOTEES OF COOKING HELD THEIR COLLECTIVE BREATH FOR FIVE HOURS, MANY WATCHING LIVE ON THE INTERNET

gredients, manipulated by hand and instrument to look more like modern art than modern food, are the norm. The judges are looking at taste and presentation, but also for an understanding and mastery of classic techniques. Innovation within reason is

(AT 3 IN THE MORNING ON THE EAST COAST), DURING WHAT ESSEN-

applauded, and while molecular gastronomy does appear occasionally, it is not as prevalent at the Bocuse d’Or as it is in general fine dining. Such trends are considered

TIALLY AMOUNTS TO THE OLYMPICS OF FOOD. IT WAS THE BIENNIAL BOCUSE D’OR, NAMED FOR THE FAMED FRENCH CHEF, WHOSE EPONYMOUS RESTAURANT IN LYON HAS CARRIED THREE MICHELIN STARS SINCE 1965. YOU MAY NEVER HAVE HEARD OF PAUL BOCUSE

a passing craze in France, and Monsieur Bocuse is the face of classic French gastronomy. Of course, to say that Paul Bocuse is the face of French cuisine is like saying Joe Namath is the face of American football. The man is hardly innovative and is barely known by the young up-and-comers. Still, he is universally beloved. Here’s why. His restaurant l’Auberge du Pont de Collonges (also called, simply, Paul Bocuse) is in the vast home he grew up in, the same venue run by the Bocuse family of chefs since the 1700s.

(SINCE HE HASN’T APPEARED ON OPRAH), BUT HE IS TO CLASSI-

After serving in World War II, Bocuse apprenticed with Ferdinand Point (a chef known to culinary students, nerds and historians, though hardly anyone else) at the famed La Pyramide

CALLY TRAINED CHEFS WHAT CAPTAIN KIRK IS TO TREKKIES.

in Vienne, France . For you lay foodies, Point trained all the great French chefs of the 20th

There are many other high-level international culinary competitions, including some

century, including the Troisgros Brothers, Alain Chapel, Georges Perrier (Le Bec Fin in Philadel-

actually named “Culinary Olympics.” But no competition ranks higher in the hearts and

phia) and Jean-George Vongerichten (Jean Georges in New York City). Point himself trained

minds of the white-toqued set than the Bocuse d’Or. Bocuse conceived the competition

at Foyot, the post-revolution landmark that inspired the restaurant in Disney’s Ratatouille.

in 1983 as an event to draw professionals to Lyon’s hotel and restaurant trade fair. And it

(Foyot, by the way, is named for the chef who ate so much he was buried in a piano box.)

worked. Although there were already cooking competitions, the Bocuse d’Or was the

Point was the first to move away from classic Escoffier (another oldie-but-goodie)–style

first to welcome a live audience, and it has become quite a substantial crowd. When

dishes with heavy, ingredient-concealing sauces that were the style of the day. Point appre-

you see video footage, you understand why the contestants train by cooking to record-

ciated fresh, local ingredients and used them to create his menu, which was handwritten

ings of raucous soccer stadiums. Air horns, cowbells, vuvuzelas, flags, banners and crazy

daily (unheard of in the 1940s). Bocuse developed his own style there, rooted in the classics,

headwear are standard. The Mexican team brings a Mariachi band.

but lighter and more dependent on the quality of the raw ingredients.

Judges include a revolving list of international Michelin-starred chefs, with a dais

Bocuse is often credited as one of the creators of nouvelle cuisine — the fussy, mini-

that has hosted England’s Heston Blumenthal of The Fat Duck fame, Ferran Adrià from El

malist food that we made so much fun of in the 1980s. The nouvelles may have taken

Bulli in Spain and Wolfang Puck, who makes pizzas. This year, California’s own Thomas

a cue from the French master, but it in no way describes the fare served by Bocuse in

Keller — of the three-star restaurants Per Se and The French Laundry — was a judge. He

Lyon. There, the menu has barely changed in 50 years. (Nor has the décor… or the

also served as president of the U.S. team, heading up training and recruitment. (Appar-

waiters.) All are wonderful throwbacks to the classic dining of mid-century France —

ently the motto of the American team was “conflict, schmonflict.”) Contestants are cho-

though not everyone shares my admiration, as evidenced by online reviewers. (Unfor-

sen in regional competitions and are all veteran food competitors. But don’t look for

tunately, Yelp has indeed infiltrated the upper echelon.)

your favorite Iron Chef in their midst. It is a completely different level of cooking and, I

Those who don’t enjoy such dining clearly haven’t done their homework. Those of us

hate to admit, not at all the type you see on the Food Network. Ingredients are known

in the know appreciate the Restaurant Paul Bocuse for what it is: a living culinary museum.

in advance, and dishes are planned and practiced for months before the event. This

Still served on a daily basis are dishes like Black Truffle Soup V.G.E. — a double beef con-

year, the U.S. team captain, Richard Rosendale, constructed and practiced in an exact

sommé scented with truffles and encased in puff pastry. Simple and elegant, it was cre-

replica of the competition kitchen in the basement of The Greenbrier resort in West Vir-

ated in 1975 for French President Valery Giscard d’Estaing as a thank-you for Bocuse’s

ginia, where he serves as executive chef. Though it is just a game, the stakes are high.

appointment as a Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur. (Sure beats that chowder your

The American team spent half a million donated dollars to prepare, a mere fraction of

mom slopped in honor of your report card.) His signature dish, Volaille de Bresse truffée

what the top international teams spend. This is a deadly serious business.

en vessie, is the region’s superior hen stuffed with truffle (yeah, they use a lot of truffles)

The competition’s creations are considered by some to be of the nouvelle cuisine style, although that is not technically accurate. Silly portions and unrecognizable in38 | ARROYO | 03.13

and cooked, slow and moist, in a pig’s bladder; it’s carved tableside and served twice — white meat with a buttery morel sauce and dark meat with a simple mixed green salad.

Beef Consommé with Truffles en Croute This classic dish is a riff on Black Truffle Soup V.G.E.Truffles are available, but, in my opinion, not always worth the money. I prefer using fresh assorted wild mushrooms instead. It’s hearty, savory and still superspecial. INGREDIENTS 5 egg whites 1 pound lean ground beef 1 yellow onion, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped 2½ quarts finest beef stock ½ yellow onion brûlée (a French term meaning browned; do so on the cut side) 1 bay leaf ½ teaspoon dried thyme ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper ¼ cup chopped parsley stems 1 whole clove (the spice, not garlic) Salt to taste 8 thin shavings of truffles, or 1 cup of sautéed mixed mushrooms 4 sheets of puff pastry, 5-inches square 1 egg, beaten

METHOD 1. Whip the egg whites until frothy. Mix with raw ground beef, chopped onion, carrots, celery and tomatoes, and place in a stockpot. Add cold beef stock and mix well. (It won’t look good at all at this point.) 2. Bring the mixture to a simmer (not a boil). Add the onion brûlée. Combine the bay, thyme, pepper, parsley and clove in a cheesecloth bundle and add to the pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally. As it cooks, the beef and vegetable mixture will harden and float to the top. Don’t break it up or stir it once it forms a “raft” — this mixture is clarifying the broth, removing its cloudiness. Break a hole in the raft and allow the broth and steam to simmer through. Simmer this way for 90 minutes. 3. Using a ladle, scoop out the broth and strain it through a cheesecloth. Add salt to taste. 4. Preheat oven to 400˚. Place into 4 ovenproof individual soup terrines two pieces of truffle, or ¼ cup of sautéed mushrooms. Cover with consommé. Prick holes decoratively in the sheets of puff pastry, and place one on top of each terrine, like a lid. Brush lightly with beaten egg, place on a sturdy baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the pastry is well browned and puffed. 5. To serve, carefully transfer each terrine to a napkin-lined saucer.

Everything is served on signature dishes, with the name and image of the Great One emblazoned on linen, glassware, china, corkscrews, even, I have heard tell, the toilet paper. (What sort of ego did you expect?) The dining rooms are floor-to-ceiling Versaillesesque opulence, a gaudy parody of what you’d expect an old-timey French restaurant to look like. But to me, that’s the point. Gilt mirrors, Limoges scones, velvet and silk, silver and gold. It is the legacy of France’s culinary contribution, and if you can’t see how modern cuisine is derived from this, then you’re just not looking hard enough. Beyond the food itself, Bocuse is arguably the first real celebrity chef. He was the first to take advantage of name recognition and market his eponymous items around the world. He has a culinary school, runs a string of restaurants and brasseries in France and Japan and recently ventured across the Atlantic to open another one in Orlando’s Epcot Center. (Yep... you can find a guy in a Ratatouille costume there.) And there is, of course, the Bocuse d’Or. Did I mention he’s in his late 80s? Bocuse was wounded in World War II and was tended by a U.S. Army medical unit. He says he still holds a special place in his heart for Americans and has always flown the Stars and Stripes at his restaurant. Our culinary Captain Kirk sent a lot of encouragement to the American team, hoping they would earn a spot on the podium. Alas, this year we placed seventh, dashing the dreams of the culinary geek squad. Now the clock is set for 2015. It’s still a European man’s world but, oh, how I dream of infiltrating it. There have been just a couple of women competitors over the years, though the fact that their existence is noteworthy is a little sad in 2013. You can send your donations for my training to suburbanmomhasdelusionalpipedream.com. |||| Leslie Bilderback, a certified master baker, chef and cookbook author, can be found in the kitchen of Heirloom Bakery in South Pasadena. She also teaches her techniques online at culinarymasterclass.com. 03.13 | ARROYO | 39

WINING & DINING

Tempting Treats To Go Two recent arrivals offer all you need to savor an ambrosial meal at home.

The Market on Holly’s Bodega 57 E. Holly St. Pasadena (626) 844-8811 themarketonholly.com/bodega/ Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

La Monarca Bakery 1001 Mission St. South Pasadena (626) 403-6860 lamonarcabakery.com/pasadena.php Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

BY BRADLEY TUCK

THE MARKET ON HOLLY’S BODEGA

needed to be Rancho Gordo’s heirlooms, and your olive oil a single-estate Tuscan. They’ve

Every town deserves a place like The Market on Holly — somewhere to meet with friends

recently expanded, and in a space to the east there’s now the Bodega at The Market on

and grab a cappuccino in noncorporate surroundings, a place to dunk a croissant into

Holly. The Bodega is designed to be a total one-stop shop for fresh-baked bread, farm-fresh

the froth of a steamy hot chocolate while perusing the newspaper. Owner Marty Davich

eggs, cheese, charcuterie, imported pastas and, yes, single-estate olive oils. There will soon also be sustainably sourced fresh flowers and produce from The Pro-

the spring of 2011, offering Brandmeyer’s great selection of light and healthy dishes

duce Project. So expect to see that leaf du jour, kale, along with shallots, fresh veggies

(salmon with Chinese black bean sauce being a particular standout) along with a mar-

and citrus. In the spring, The Produce Project will mount its Pop-Up Farmstand there every

ket selling carefully selected gourmet goodies. It’s the place you’d go if your dried beans

Friday, with live jazz and samples.

Artisan pickles are among the Bodega’s tasty offerings.

40 | ARROYO | 03.13

PHOTO: Courtesy The Market on Holly’s Bodega

and his partner and chef, Mary Pat Brandmeyer, opened their gourmet food emporium in

LA MONARCA BAKERY The residents of South Pasadena are a fortunate lot. Whenever I jump off the Gold Line and stroll along its sidewalks, I feel as though I’ve taken a day trip to a little town where time has slowed down, and the woes of the world can be cast aside for an hour or two. It reminds me, especially the area right around Mission, of some of the small towns on the Central Coast. There’s a lovely farmers’ market on Thursdays, teeming with families. Older buildings have been sympathetically preserved and restored. And just opened in one such building is La Monarca Bakery. I know we talked about a bakery last month, the wonderful Bittersweet on Colorado, but La Monarca is so extraordinarily good that to ignore its debut in South Pasadena would be reckless. This is the fourth location for the founders, Ricardo Cervantes and Alfredo Livas, the others being in Huntington Park, East L.A. and Santa Monica. Cervantes and Livas grew up in Monterrey, Pan de Muerto from La Monarca Bakery

Mexico. A spell of studying in the U.S.

led to cravings for the pastries and sweets they enjoyed back home. Unable to find the good stuff on this side of the border, they decided to make it themselves. I popped into the South Pasadena location one afternoon to pick up some goodies to take to a friend’s house.The first thing I spotted were polvorones. My eyes nearly popped out of my head. Polvorones are a crumbly (from the Spanish word, polvo: powder or dust), heavy but small cookie. Where I grew up in Gibraltar, they’d usually appear at the local bakeries around holiday time. Sometimes you’d find them boxed or in a tin, with wonderfully decorative paper wrappers somewhat like those that coddle Italian amaretti biscuits. We would wash them down with a strong cup of tea, so as to avoid choking on the sugary “dust.” In a case near the polvorones was a delicious-looking pile of conchas, a sweet pan dulce. Tempting slabs of dulce de leche bread pudding were lined up in another case. I grabbed one of each to go. I left without polvorones, worried that their reality might not live up to my childhood recollections. My friends and I gobbled up the bread pudding and washed it down with homemade cappuccino. If that was any measure of the quality of the shop’s other items, I needn’t have worried. Polvorones, here I come. ||||

Rosca de Reyes from La Monarca Bakery 03.13 | ARROYO | 41

THE LIST

A SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER

HIGH-IQ ENTERTAINMENT

space; that and the theoretical endless-

March 1 — Magi-

ness of fluorescent light captivated the

cian/educator

artist for most of his career. Norton Simon

Bradley Fields pre-

Curatorial Associate Tom Norris organized

sents “MatheMagic!,”

the show.

using magical illu-

The Norton Simon Museum is located at

sions to demonstrate

411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 449-6840 or visit nortonsimon.org.

the history, power and beauty of the language of math, at 7 p.m. Admission costs

FESTIVAL SALUTES WOMEN AUTHORS

$15, $10 for youth under 18. March 15 — The Aquila Theatre Company

March 9 — The 5th

presents a one-night performance of

annual Pasadena

Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, a

Festival of Women

16th-century comedy about Petruchio, a

Authors features four

gentleman from Verona who courts the

Aimee Bender

award-winners from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

headstrong shrew Katherina. The curtain rises at 8 p.m. Ticket prices range from $15

at the Pasadena Senior Center. The di-

to $45.

verse group includes Aimee Bender, Bo

Beckman Auditorium is located on Michigan Avenue south of Del Mar Boulevard, on the Caltech campus, Pasadena. Call (626) 395-4652 or visit events.caltech.edu.

FRACKING FRACAS FOCUS OF AUTRY PREMIERE

MARCH JUST A BOWL OF CHERRIES AT DESCANSO

Caldwell, Gabrielle Pina and Kathleen

March 23 and 24 — Descanso Gardens’ Cherry Blossom Festival offers a week-

and sign their fiction, nonfiction or plays.

end of free activities with regular admission. The following events are scheduled

Tickets cost $85 per person, including

for Saturday and Sunday: A cherry tree and Japanese rose sale runs from

lunch. Proceeds benefit the senior center

Sharp. Reyna Grande, Pasadena City College's writer-in-residence, opens the discussion. Participants will answer questions

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A cherry blossom walk and talk takes place at 11 a.m. and

and PCC’s writer-in-residence program.

— Native Voices at

1 p.m. The Camellia Lounge offers bento box lunches, beverages and specialty

The Pasadena Senior Center is located at

the Autry presents

cocktails for purchase from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. From 2:30 to 5 p.m., Caltech Play-

85 E. Holly St., Pasadena. Visit pasadenafestivalofwomenauthors.org.

March 1 through 17

The Bird House by

ers bring to life Japanese director Akira Kurosawa’s classic 1950 film, Rashōmon,

Diane Glancy

the story of the meeting of a woodcutter, a thief, a young woman and a samurai

(Cherokee) at 8 p.m.

by an ancient gate among the cherry blossoms. The performance takes place

GAMBLE LECTURE EXPLORES MIDCENTURY DESIGNERS

in the Autry National Center’s Wells Fargo

in the Under the Oaks Theater. On Saturday only, origami master Yami Yamauchi

Theater. The play was written for and stars

teaches the traditional art of paper folding in the Japanese Garden from

March 9 — At 6 p.m.,

Native Voices co-founder and Producing

11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

local artist Leslie

Artistic Director Randy Reinholz as evan-

Descanso Gardens is located at 1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. Call

Williamson lectures

gelical preacher Reverend Jonathan

(818) 949-4200 or visit descansogardens.org.

on the private worlds

Hawke. Hawke fights to save his family,

of prominent person-

church and community from an eco-

alities in the design,

A “MONUMENTAL” INSTALLATION

nomic crisis, as natural gas production

even more amicable from 6 to 10 p.m.

from the controversial practice of fracking

with the return of ArtNight. The city’s most

March 8 — The Nor-

new ground in the 1950s and ’60s. The

appears to offer a lifeline to his small Texas

prominent cultural institutions open their

ton Simon Museum

lecture,“Handcrafted Modern,” also fea-

town. Robert Caisley directs. The play con-

doors for free admission to exhibitions,

presents an installa-

tures Williamson’s photographs of resi-

tinues at 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Sat-

music and a variety of presentations. Par-

tion of minimalist

dences of such designers as Jerome and

urdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through

ticipants include the Armory Center for

light sculptor Dan

Evelyn Ackerman, Charles and Ray

March 17. There will also be a perform-

the Arts, Art Center College of Design, Al-

Flavin’s 1966 work

Eames and Wharton Esherick, to illustrate

ance at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 14. Tickets

liance Française, artWORKS Teen Center,

“monument” on the survival of Mrs. Rep-

how they incorporated their unique ideas

cost $20, $12 for students, seniors and mili-

Lineage Performing Arts Center, Norton

pin, on view through Aug. 19. Considered

into their own homes and workspaces.

tary members and $10 for Autry members.

Simon Museum, Pacific Asia Museum,

one of Flavin’s best works, “monument”

The talk at the Neighborhood Church is a

architectural and art worlds who broke

The Autry National Center is located at

Pasadena Museum of California Art,

consists of two white fluorescent lights of

Sidney D. Gamble Lecture presented by

4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park.

Pasadena Museum of History, Shumei Arts

equal length mounted along two con-

Friends of the Gamble House. Tickets cost

Call (323) 667-2000, ext. 299, or visit na-

Council and Side Street Projects. Free

verging walls plus a third one spanning

$20 ($15 for Friends).

tivevoicesattheautry.org.

shuttles will stop at each venue during

the distance between the two, and a

The Neighborhood Church is located at

the event.

small red light in the middle. Flavin stud-

301 N. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena. Call

FOR THE LOVE OF ART

Call (626) 744-7887 or visit artnight-

ied Russian Constructivist Vladimir Tatlin’s

(626) 793-3334 or visit gamblehouse.org.

March 8 — Art-friendly Pasadena gets

pasadena.org.

use of gallery corners to serve as exhibit

42 | ARROYO | 03.13

–continued on page 45

03.13 | ARROYO | 43

44 | ARROYO | 03.13

THE LIST

"Noble Blue" by Donald Hildreth

ART FOR A CURE Through March 30 — Pasadena’s Tirage Fine Art Gallery has partnered with the Bachmann-Strauss Dystonia & Parkinson Foundation to help fight both diseases. Dystonia is a movement disorder that causes muscles to contract and go into spasm involuntarily. The gallery got involved after receiving a letter from teen Lauren Von Der Ahe about her class project to raise funds to fight dystonia on behalf of her sister, Kristin, who is afflicted with it. The gallery will donate 10 percent of its retail purchases to the foundation through March 30. Commissioned pieces, portraiture, shipping charges and federal and local taxes are excluded.

Tirage Art Gallery is located at 1 W. California Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 4051020 or visit tirageart.com. –continued from page 42 free for children with a paid adult.

ECLECTIC ART AND ANTIQUE SHOW AT GLENDALE CIVIC

The Glendale Civic Auditorium is located at 1401 N. Verdugo Rd., Glendale. Call

March 9 and 10 —

(626) 437-6275 or visit antiquesandob-

Roadside America

jects.com.

LLC presents the “Antiques, Objects and Art L.A.” show and sale at the Glendale

MUSE/IQUE HOSTS GRAMMY GREAT AND GUESTS March 11 —

Civic Auditorium. Collections are dis-

MUSE/IQUE, the cross-

played in furnished room settings to show

genre orchestra

how contrasting elements can enhance

headed by Artistic Di-

a home or office environment. Genres in-

rector Rachael Worby,

clude ethnographic and tribal arts from

presents the latest in-

around the world, plus midcentury mod-

stallment in its “Uncorked” series of music

ern, 20th-century industrial, folk art, Native

and conversation, with Grammy-winning

American, Spanish Colonial and Spanish

songwriter and producer Tena Clark

Revival, pop culture, fine art, devotional

(seen above) at 7 p.m. on the stage deck

items, vintage guitars, photography, signs

of the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Power-

and advertising, Chicano art and country

house from the Firehouse: The Legendary

furniture. The show runs from 10 a.m. to

Tena Clark Backstage features an ap-

6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun-

pearance by Clark with music by surprise

day. Admission costs $12 for both days,

artists and friends. Clark wrote and pro–continued on page 46 03.13 | ARROYO | 45

THE LIST

–continued from page 45 duced hits for Aretha Franklin, Patti La-

Pari. A $25 donation is suggested.

Belle, Chaka Khan, Natalie Cole, Gladys

St. Philip the Apostle Church is located at

Knight, Dionne Warwick and many others.

151 S. Hill Ave., Pasadena.Visit artemusica.us.

She has also programmed music for three presidents on Air Force One. She manages her musical empire from her

CLASSIC GREEK MYTH GETS STAGE MAKE-OVER

Pasadena studio, Studio Express. The

March 16 — A Noise

event starts with a wine reception at 7

Within presents Eury-

p.m. followed by the performance at 7:30

dice, an adaptation

p.m. Tickets cost $60.

by Pulitzer Prize finalist

The Pasadena Civic Auditorium is located

Sarah Ruhl of the

at 300 E. Green St., Pasadena. Call (626)

classic Greek myth,

539-7085 or visit muse-ique.com.

at 8 p.m., continuing through May 19. The playwright employs a unique poetic style

JANIS JOPLIN LIVES

to recreate the myth of Orpheus through

March 15 — The

the eyes of his new wife, Eurydice, in a tale

Pasadena Playhouse

exploring matters of the heart. Geoff Elliott

and One Night Pro-

directs. Tickets cost $40 to $52.

ductions present

A Noise Within is located at 3352 E. Foothill

One Night with Janis

Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 356-3100 or

Joplin, opening this

visit anoisewithin.org.

evening and continuing through April 11. Written and directed by Randy Johnson, the story of the late blues/rock icon offers

CHAMBER ORCHESTRA GOES FOR BAROQUE AND BACH

a full-on concert experience, recreating

March 21 — Los An-

such Joplin hits as “Piece of My Heart,”

geles Chamber Or-

“Mercedes Benz” and “Me and Bobby

chestra’s “Baroque

McGee.” The musical highlights the influ-

Conversations” series

ences on Joplin of African-American

explores the evolving

blues artists, including Bessie Smith, Etta

orchestral repertoire

James and Aretha Franklin. Mary Bridget

from early Baroque schools through the

Davies performs the title role. Tickets cost

pre-classical period. Music Director Jeffrey

$64 to $125. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Tues-

Kahane conducts the orchestra in Bach’s

days through Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m. Satur-

Prelude and Fugue in A minor, selections

days and 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays.

from the composer’s The Well-Tempered

The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39

Clavier and Busoni’s piano transcription

S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Call (626)

of the Chaconne from Bach's Partita in D

356-7529 or visit pasadenaplayhouse.org.

minor for solo violin. Kahane discusses the works before the performance; a wine re-

ARTEMUSICA PERFORMS MOZART March 16 — The inter-

46 | ARROYO | 03.13

ception for ticketholders starts at 6 p.m., followed by the 7 p.m. performance. Tick-

national choral group

ets cost $55.

Artemusica presents

Zipper Concert Hall, at the Colburn

an 8 p.m. concert of

School, is located at 200 S. Grand Ave.,

Baroque and Roman-

Los Angeles.

tic works, including

March 23 — LACO presents works by

the entire Mozart Requiem, at St. Philip the

Stravinsky, Mozart, Bach and Handel at

Apostle Church in Pasadena.The choir's 35

8 p.m. at Glendale’s Alex Theatre. Kahane

members include natives of Italy, Denmark,

conducts and is featured on piano, along

Portugal, Austria, the Netherlands and

with soloists Margaret Batjer on the violin

Canada.The chorus will be accompanied

and Davis Shostac on the flute. Tickets

by a full orchestra, as well as professional

cost $25 to $110.

soloists flown in from Italy, including so-

The Alex Theatre is located at 216 N.

prano Diana Trivellato, alto Silvana Benetti,

Brand Blvd., Glendale. Call (213) 622-7001

tenor Fabio Buonocore and bass Oliviero

or visit laco.org. ||||

03.13 | ARROYO | 47