Arroyo March 2015

FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA March 2015

Edible Gardens Move Front (Yard) and Center Arcadia Goes Boom Mansionization Comes to Town

The Real Estate Forecast for 2015 Whistler’s Mother At the Norton Simon

Photo by Alexander Vertikoff Š HartmanBaldwin, Inc. Lic.653340

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arroyo

VOLUME 11 | NUMBER 3 | MARCH 2015

31

38

46

HOMES AND LAND PHOTOS (top): Orly Olivier for FormLA Landscaping, (bottom right): courtesy of Lana Huckabee

12 ARCADIA GOES BOOM The recent influx of Chinese money into the real estate market has prompted some to call the city “the Chinese Beverly Hills.”

—By Bettijane Levine

17 BUYER POWER IS BACK — BUT NOT HERE While prospects are brighter for traditional home buyers statewide in 2015, cash is still king in Arroyoland.

—By Kathleen Kelleher

31 GARDENS THAT PLEASE THE EYE AND THE STOMACH Once considered eyesores relegated to backyards, edible gardens are moving front (yard) and center.

—By Martin Booe

35 WHISTLER’S MOTHER COMES TO PASADENA America’s iconic symbol of motherhood visits the Norton Simon Museum from its home in Paris.

—By Scarlet Cheng

DEPARTMENTS 11

FESTIVITIES Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra gala, The Blue Ribbon dines beneath the Endeavour

38

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS Love pasta? Hate the calories? Swap bad carbs for healthier vegetable “noodles” with a spiralizer.

46

THE LIST Descanso’s Cherry Blossom Festival, The Pasadena Playhouse stages Pygmalion and more

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Home ownership in one of California’s most desirable areas can certainly be a mixed blessing. If you’re a seller in Arroyoland, congratulations — this is still a red-hot real estate market with high demand. That means you’re likely to see more bidding wars that push sales above asking price.

That’s especially true for Arcadia, which has recently witnessed an influx of Chinese money that’s turning the city into a refuge for wealthy Asians and their assets. Bettijane Levine reports that the process is changing the very character of the once-bucolic town, not just ethnically but also economically. Developers are snapping up humble homes so they can tear them down and build high-ticket mansions. Levine explores Arcadia’s changing landscape and its sometimes surprising ripple effects on the local community.

Also changing is actual landscaping, which more and more gardeners are enhancing with edible plants they once shunned for aesthetic reasons. Martin Booe talks to experts about ways to incorporate more greens into your green lifestyle without sacrificing natural beauty.

Speaking of edibles, Kitchen Confessions columnist Leslie Bilderback puts a new spin on eating your vegetables with an excerpt from her latest cookbook, The Spiralized Kitchen. Now there’s no excuse for skipping your daily five.

—Irene Lacher

EDITOR IN CHIEF Irene Lacher ART DIRECTOR Carla Cortez ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Stephanie Torres PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Tim Oliver, Rochelle Bassarear EDITOR-AT-LARGE Bettijane Levine COPY EDITOR John Seeley CONTRIBUTORS Leslie Bilderback, Martin Booe, Michael Cervin, Scarlet Cheng, Carole Dixon, Lisa Dupuy, Lynne Heffley, Tariq Kamal, Kathleen Kelleher, Rebecca Kuzins, Brenda Rees, John Sollenberger, Nancy Spiller ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Dina Stegon ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Gladys Campanile, Brenda Clarke, Leslie Lamm ADVERTORIAL CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Bruce Haring ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Tim Oliver, Stephanie Torres HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Andrea Baker PAYROLL Linda Lam ACCOUNTING Alysia Chavez, Kacie Cobian OFFICE ASSISTANT Ann Weathersbee PUBLISHER Jon Guynn 8 | ARROYO | 03.15

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 dinas@pasadenaweekly.com EDITORIAL editor@arroyomonthly.com PHONE (626) 584-1500 FAX (626) 795-0149 MAILING ADDRESS 50 S. De Lacey Ave., Ste. 200, Pasadena, CA 91105 ArroyoMonthly.com ©2015 Southland Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

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FESTIVITIES

Judith Rosen and LACO Music Director Jeffrey Kahane

Taiwanese pianist Steven Lin and Agnes Lew

Julia S. Gouw and LACO board members Mahnaz Newman and Ann Mulally

Julia S. Gouw, president and COO of Pasadena-based East West Bank, and philanthropist Judith Rosen were honored for supporting the arts at the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s Feb. 8 gala celebrating the lunar new year. “Under a Chinese Moon: A Celebration of Harmony, Happiness & Health” drew more than 300 music lovers to downtown L.A.’s California Club for a Pat and Sandy Gage

black-tie fundraiser in honor of the Year of the Ram. The

(From right) LACO board member emeritus Joyce Fienberg with her husband, Mal

event, chaired by Agnes Lew of San Marino and Pat and Sandy Gage, raised a record-breaking $535,000 for the orchestra’s concerts, radio broadcasts and community outreach programs... NASA astronaut and Caltech grad PHOTOS: Jamie Pham for Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, John McCoy for The Blue Ribbon of The Music Center

Garrett Reisman treated 200 Blue Ribbon of The Music Center guests to tales of outer space on Jan. 28 at the California Science Center’s Samuel Oschin Pavillion, where they dined beneath the space shuttle Endeavour.

Lyn Campbell and Frank Campbell with Valerie Foster Hoffman

Garrett Reisman and Hoffman

Phyllis and Michael Hennigan

Space shuttle Endeavour

Blue Ribbon President Carla Sands, Chris Newman, Reisman, Joan Hotchkis and Betsy Ulf 03.15 | ARROYO | 11

Arcadia Goes BOOM The recent influx of Chinese money into the real estate market has prompted some to call the city “the Chinese Beverly Hills.”

BY BETTIJANE LEVINE

“A

rcadia’s in a McMansion Boom and It’s Completely Insane” was the headline five months ago in Curbed L.A., the real estate blog that tracks Southern California property sales and values. The city has made national news, possibly for the first time in its uneventful history — not because of mansionization, which is nothing new, but because of the way it has happened. And the boom continues, with just a slight slowdown.

The speed (and what some call stealth) with which the city has been transformed from a classic American ranch-house suburb into a mansionized mecca for Chinese multimillionaires is highly unusual. Prices paid for older homes have skyrocketed as developers and real estate agents literally troll the streets, looking for homes on desirable lots whose owners they can cold-call with an outrageously high cash offer, hoping to induce them to sell.

Many who had no intention of selling cannot seem to resist. And who can blame them?

Those who bought their homes years ago, for what now seems like a pittance, are being suddenly offered $2 million or more. In cash. They can buy a fine home in a nearby neighborhood and still put a profit of $1 million or more in the bank. The builder who buys the old home tears it down, erects a new mansion on the site and sells it for whatever the market will bear. A 2,500-square-foot Arcadia home at 1427 San Carlos Rd., for example, was

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built in 1955 and had never been updated by its owners. It sold for $2 million in December 2012, in an all-cash deal with a 14-day escrow. An 8,522-square-foot mansion was erected in its place and is now listed at $6,780,000.

“This house will definitely sell, probably to a Chinese buyer who will consider it a bargain,” says Phil Daniels of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokers in Arcadia. He represented the original homeowners and says they received “multiple offers from builders vying to acquire the property. We went with one who could perform with all cash and quick escrow,” Daniels says. He also represents the builder who is selling the new home.

“That’s just not right,” says a (possibly envious) competing Realtor who does not want his name used and has no current listings in Arcadia. “How can you represent both sides in a transaction and do the best for both of them?” More on that subject later.

Realtors who spoke with Arroyo Monthly all agreed that, unless there is something tragically wrong with the home’s feng shui, a mansion like the one on San Carlos Road will probably find an all-cash buyer among the rising tide of super-rich Chinese who have chosen Arcadia as a place to park their money.

And in a December 2014 news video on the financial blog Zero Hedge, Arcadia-based ReMax Realtor Peggy Fong Chen tells a reporter that she sold $71 million worth of real

estate in just the past year, mostly to mainland Chinese buyers and mostly for cash. Realtor Rudy L. Kusuma, on one of his Team NuVision Re/Max websites, claims to have hundreds of buyers-in-waiting for San Gabriel Valley homes; on another site, his calendar lists trips to Asia to recruit cash-burdened potential buyers. Such trips for Realtors aren’t unusual.

How these tycoons sneak the funds out of China, which has restrictions on such moves, is an unanswered question. But there are plenty of theories floating around in such publications as Bloomberg Business Week, which has been tracking the Arcadia situation.

“Chinese nationals hold roughly $660 billion in personal wealth offshore, according to Boston Consulting Group, and the National Association of Realtors says $22 billion of that was spent in the past year acquiring U.S. homes. Arcadia has become a hotbed of the buying binge,” the publication reports.

But if the Chinese government finds a way to crack down on cash leaving the country, or if the Chinese economy suddenly tanks, the buying spree could end precipitously. That’s why so many homeowners are choosing to accept the generous offers and sell quickly, experts say.

Arcadia’s population of about 60,000 has gone from 4 percent Asian in 1980 to 59 percent in 2010, and has since exceeded even that percentage. Incorporated in 1903, its 11.1 square miles evolved from farm and ranch country into sylvan suburb, an area of simple, mostly modest-looking homes surrounded by lush lawns and populated by predominantly conservative white homeowners. Like the region in ancient Greece from which it took its name, Arcadia seemed to embody its Dictionary.com definition: “any real or imaginary place offering peace and simplicity for its residents.” The Literary Encyclopedia defines it as “a retreat from the complexities of sophisticated life.”

Simplicity has departed, as has peace. The streets are alive with the noise of demolition and construction, and the real estate transactions are said to be anything but simple.

Realtors who spoke off the record say that deals happen fast, in secret, and many are not publicly listed. Some say they worry that older homeowners who really don’t want to sell are coerced into moving. Others talk of rumors that the Chinese government itself may be funding some of the purchases, and that groups of Chinese investors have formed to buy many of the Arcadia mansions, which remain uninhabited. At a community meeting with the Police Department last spring, Arcadia residents expressed concern about the number of burglaries at the many uninhabited new mega-homes. City officials agreed that they, too, are concerned and sometimes have problems finding the identity of the home’s owner when a crime or other problem has occurred.

Arcadia is now known in some circles as “the Chinese Beverly Hills,” because the new homes are not just palatial in size but equipped with marble halls, twirling staircases,

BEFORE

A 1,500-square-foot home at 924 S. 4th Ave. that sold in 2013 for $754,000 was replaced in 2014 with a 3,200-square-foot mansion boasting four large bedroom suites.

The asking price is $2,210,000.

coved ceilings and amenities equal to those found in only the showiest new construction in the country’s most upscale zip codes. (One Realtor confided that some of her Asian clients won’t house hunt in Arcadia even if affordable properties are available because they say they want their children raised in a “more multicultural environment.”) Arcadia has also been dubbed “Mistress City,” some Realtors say, because Chinese kajillionaires are apparently buying Arcadia homes for their inamoratas.

Of course, all these high prices and supposedly secret dealings leave most traditional buyers out in the cold. In response to another Curbed L.A. story on Arcadia’s metamorphosis, a reader commented: “I have been trying to buy a house in this area for almost a year now. We’re shopping in the $800K to 1 million range with more than 30 percent down and we get outbid every. single. time. by cash buyers. Who the **** has that kind of cash?... it is so frustrating.”

But the overall impact of mansionization has had positive effects on the city’s coffers and the many residents, both old and new, who remain. In the fiscal year ending last June, fees from building permits and development reached $7.9 million, a 72 percent increase from the previous year. The highly rated public Arcadia High School received a new $20 –continued on page 15

AFTER

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–continued from page 13

“THERE’S TREMENDOUS INTEREST IN ARCADIA BECAUSE OF THE CLIMATE, THE EXCELLENT PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC SERVICES AND A WONDERFUL EASE OF LIFESTYLE, WHAT I DEFINE AS DAY-TO-DAY LIVING.” — Jenny Liu million performing arts center along with other updates, the city’s library is undergoing renovation to become state of the art and many shops, restaurants and businesses have benefited from the influx of new cash. Of course, Realtors with the right connections have had a financial heyday as well.

Jenny Liu has a historical perspective on Arcadia’s transformation. She is a co-owner of two real estate firms in the area, Re/Max Eite Realty in Alhambra and Premier Properties in Arcadia, San Marino and Pasadena. “It’s true that most transactions are all cash,” but there are lots of misperceptions floating around, she says. “Transactions aren’t hidden. Who buys a home is a matter of public record. Anyone can go down to the courthouse and get that information.” It’s also not true that most people are simply parking their money, she says. “There’s tremendous interest in Arcadia because of the climate, the excellent public schools, public transportation, public services and a wonderful ease of lifestyle, what I define as day-to-day living. It’s also an easier transition here for new immigrants who don’t speak English. We have restaurants, shops and many businesses geared toward those who speak Chinese, and many Mandarin-speaking public services.

It’s a natural instinct to want to live where you feel comfortable, among people who are like you and with whom you can communicate.” As their children assimilate, she says, they may move into more diverse communities.

It’s all just cyclical, she says. Moneyed Chinese are only the latest in a long line of wealthy immigrant groups who have enriched the San Gabriel Valley. She remembers when Japanese and South Americans were the big spenders and says there’s already been a slowdown in sales to Chinese buyers. “I’m looking forward to seeing which currency will top the list next.”

Liu moved to Arcadia five years ago, she says, because she wanted her children, now 4 and 5, to attend Baldwin Stocker Elementary School. The transformation she’s witnessed since arriving has been “very, very quick,” and full of construction dust, but “it has changed the esthetic and increased the value of Arcadia overall. With that said, I can tell you that the house next to me and one across the street are vacant. In fact, five houses on our little street are unoccupied. I have no idea why.”

Coldwell Banker’s Phil Daniels, who represented the original seller of the San Carlos Road house and now represents the builder he sold it to, says there’s no secrecy or impropriety involved. “That’s the protocol now. When you secure a tear-down for a developer, you get the listing back. That’s why so many [Realtors] are trolling for transactions.”

Asked why he thinks the $6.8 million price tag is a bargain, he explains, “Over in Shanghai or Beijing, to buy a cramped, 2,000-square-foot house on a tiny, postagestamp-size lot, they’d pay about $12 million. Here they get six bedrooms, six-and-a-half baths, an elevator, home theater, pool, outdoor kitchen and two interior kitchens — one American, the other for wok cooking. In other words, a spacious, well-built home with exceptional amenities, and for much less money. With the complexities of what’s going on over there, they feel their money is safer here.”|||| 03.15 ARROYO | 15

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BUYER POWER IS BACK — BUT

NOT HERE While 2015 prospects are brighter for home buyers statewide, cash is still king in Arroyoland.

BY KATHLEEN KELLEHER

T

he 2015 real estate outlook for California promises to be brighter for buyers. Fewer all-cash-wielding investors will snap up houses throughout the state, restoring some negotiating power to home buyers, experts say.

But red-hot competitive, high-priced markets in Southern California — including Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, La Cañada Flintridge, Arcadia and other parts of the San Gabriel Valley — will likely be exceptions, with buyer demand (which may still include cash-flush contenders) continuing to outpace available inventory, triggering bidding wars that end in sales above asking prices.

“I don’t think it is quite a buyers’ market yet, unfortunately,” said Catherine “Tink” Cheney, an agent with Pasadena’s Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage who has been selling properties for more than 20 years. “In South Pasadena, there is very little inventory, and in Pasadena, I don’t think we have the inventory we had in 2008. Houses have sold within a week and at all price points.”

This year, California is projected to have more homes for sale and fewer investors brandishing cash, leading to a more balanced, “normal” market, according to real estate economists and prognosticators. Home sales are expected to rise only modestly throughout the state, producing the slowest price gain in four years and flattening out later in 2015 as the market becomes generally less volatile.

Existing home sales statewide are projected to increase 5.8 percent for 2015, totaling 402,500 homes, up from estimated 2014 sales of 380,500 homes, according to the 2015 California Housing Market Forecast published by the California Association of Realtors (CAR), a real estate trade organization based in Los Angeles.

The California median house price is forecast to increase 5.2 percent to $478,000, up from $455,000 for 2014. The average sale price of Pasadena-area homes last year was $818,000, almost double the state’s median home price for the same period.

Those increases compare to 2013’s price drop of 8.2 percent for existing single-family homes in California. Driving the shift are increased job growth among young adults forming households, historically low interest rates and increases in gross domestic product (3 percent in 2015), all of which should bolster home-buyer confidence.

“Stringent underwriting guidelines and double-digit home-price increases over the past two years have significantly impacted housing affordability,” CAR President Kevin Brown declared on the group’s website late last year. “However, next year [in 2015], homeprice gains will slow, allowing would-be buyers who have been saving for a down payment to be in a better financial position to make a home purchase.”

Southern California home sales jumped 22.8 percent from November to December 2014 (they usually do that time of year), marking one of just two months in 2014 posting a year-over-year increase in sales, according to Andrew LePage, an analyst with Irvine–continued on page 18 03.15 ARROYO | 17

PRICES ARE ALREADY HIGH ENOUGH IN THE ARROYO’S HOTTER MARKETS TO BE A NEARLY INSURMOUNTABLE HURDLE FOR A LOT OF BUYERS. –continued from page 17

based CoreLogic DataQuick and author of a just-released December 2014 home sales report and forecast. September 2014 also showed an increase (1.2 percent) on a year-overyear basis. The total number of homes sold in Southern California for all of 2014 fell by 8.7 percent compared with 2013, but the median house price for the region in December was $415,000, up .7 percent month-over-month from $412,000 in November, and up 5.1 percent from $395,000 for December 2013. Prices in the region have still not reached pre-2007 levels.

“December’s uptick in home sales might indicate renewed interest in housing, thanks to lower mortgage rates and job growth in recent months,” explained LePage. “The gain came despite a continued decline in the share of homes sold to investors and cash buyers.

If demand continues to build we will need more supply to keep up with it. One of the big questions hanging over the housing market is whether higher demand and home values will lead to a lot more people listing their homes for sale, as well as more new-home construction, which remains well below average.”

Whether or not market dynamics will conspire to prompt more people to list their homes and thereby boost inventory is an open question, but added inventory in highly desirable communities such as Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, Arcadia and La Cañada Flintridge would likely improve buyers’ negotiating power. Lee Cuellar, a Keller Williams agent in Pasadena specializing in midcentury homes, predicts there will be tight inventory for the foreseeable future in Arroyoland.

Desirable South Pasadena, in particular, will continue to appreciate, he added, perhaps even rising 6 percent by the end of the year. Zillow reports that South Pasadena home values increased 3.6 percent last year and forecasts flat home values for 2015. The median list price of houses in South Pasadena is $860,700, or $470 per square foot, Zillow reported around press time. By contrast, houses in the Los Angeles metro area have a median list price of $335 per square foot.

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For many buyers — especially first-timers — coming up with a down payment on houses listed above $800,000 requires long-term personal austerity measures, the gift of family money, considerable creativity or some combination thereof. In other words, prices are already high enough in the Arroyo’s hotter markets to be a nearly insurmountable hurdle for many buyers.

“I am seeing far less developers and more well-heeled buyers, whether they are from China or elsewhere,” said Cuellar, who noted that San Marino properties are about $950 per square foot (still a relative bargain compared to New York’s average of $1,421, according to Trulia.com). “For the last two years, all my listings have sold for over the asking price. I would say the competition is not nearly as fierce as it was last January, but there still is plenty of competition. I know the projected uptick in value in the C.A.R. report is 5.6 percent but it seems like we always outpace that.”

Of course, Arcadia is a different story. Known colloquially as the “Chinese Beverly Hills,” the San Gabriel foothills suburb is a highly sought destination for Chinese nationals (see “Arcadia Goes Boom” on page 12). “I put one house on the market in Arcadia at $2.5 million and it was sold in five minutes in December,” says Mikki Porretta, an agent with Dilbeck Real Estate in Pasadena. “It was an all-cash offer. The sellers bought another house, about 1,440 square feet on a small lot in Arcadia, and there were eight cash offers and 14 offers on loan contingency. It has become nearly impossible to buy in Arcadia unless you have all cash and a lot of it.”

Whatever the real estate future holds, when buyer demand outstrips houses for sale, sellers hold the cards. There may be shifts in certain communities’ real estate, but with real estate markets in South Pasadena, San Marino, Arcadia and La Cañada (where prices jumped 12.3 percent over the past year and the median home value is now $1.45 million) still so competitive, it may be a while before buyers feel they have any leverage at the negotiating table. ||||

arroyo

™

~HOME SALES INDEX~

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 CAÑADA 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.

JAN ‘14 30 $490,000 1206 JAN ‘14 27 $938,000 1952 JAN ‘14 14 $618,500 1507 JAN ‘14 77 $561,000 1493 JAN ‘14 19 $1,365,000 2466 JAN ‘14 100 $537,500 1436 JAN ‘14 6 $2,060,000 2357 JAN ‘14 9 $987,000 1960 JAN ‘14 15 $875,000 1668 JAN ‘14 297 $493

2015 HOMES SOLD

+6.49%

2014

230

AVG. PRICE/SQ. FT.

jan.

297

-22.56%

jan.

HOMES SOLD

HOME SALES

JAN ‘15 33 $620,000 1406 JAN ‘15 15 $1,115,000 2221 JAN ‘15 5 $605,000 1413 JAN ‘15 63 $600,000 1491 JAN ‘15 11 $1,175,000 2670 JAN ‘15 77 $615,000 1432 JAN ‘15 4 $2,250,000 2720 JAN ‘15 15 $925,000 1884 JAN ‘15 7 $880,000 1526 JAN ‘15 23 $525

HOME SALES ABOVE RECENT HOME CLOSINGS IN THE PASADENA WEEKLY FOOTPRINT ADDRESS

CLOSE DATE

BDRMS.

SQ. FT.

$2,500,000 $1,350,000 $1,200,000 $1,200,000 $925,000 $900,000 $887,000 $855,500 $793,500 $779,000 $760,000 $755,000 $750,000

1 5 3 5 4 3 3 4 3 2 2 3 3

10650 3886 2575 3311 2086 863 1778 2328 1716 730 1656 2042 1745

1950 1997 1964 1997 1913 1928 1901 1989 1948 1939 1959 1911 1949

01/06/15 01/08/15 01/26/15 01/23/15 01/21/15 01/02/15 01/20/15 01/30/15 01/23/15 01/09/15 01/30/15 01/21/15

$2,500,000 $2,480,000 $1,689,000 $1,618,000 $1,330,000 $1,145,000 $1,138,000 $1,115,000 $975,000 $960,000 $920,000 $750,000

3 2 4 3 3 4 5 3 3 5 3

2843 864 3480 2486 1808 2173 2934 1448 1778 2920 2268

1952 1947 1996 1961 1948 1955 1998 1955 1950 1974 2009

EAGLE ROCK 2426 Yosemite Drive 1347 Hill Drive

01/23/15 01/21/15

$1,150,000 $840,000

3 3

2972 1413

2008 1926

GLENDALE 1316 South Glendale Avenue 3532 Emerald Isle Drive 1209 Viscano Drive 1710 Heather Ridge Drive 4103 Rincon Avenue 2723 Hermosita Drive 2219 Lenore Drive 1321 Imperial Drive 1405 Greenmont Drive 230 South Jackson Street #310 1445 Melwood Drive 1507 Western Avenue 2630 Piedmont Avenue 403 Caruso Avenue 3301 Crail Way 1411 Moncado Drive 3203 Sparr Boulevard

01/15/15 01/09/15 01/02/15 01/26/15 01/12/15 01/30/15 01/21/15 01/15/15 01/21/15 01/26/15 01/05/15 01/30/15 01/16/15 01/07/15 01/09/15 01/22/15 01/29/15

$2,700,000 $1,314,500 $1,200,000 $1,160,000 $1,133,000 $1,119,000 $1,080,000 $1,050,000 $1,000,000 $950,000 $935,000 $865,000 $860,000 $835,000 $815,000 $795,000 $775,000

4 3 5 2 3 3 4

5031 3128 2676 2977 2694 2177 2599 2183 2775 2400 2226 1793 2207 1307 1822 1920 1915

1914 1971 1929 1964 1941 1927 1975 1936 1956 2010 1940 1942 1955 2008 1967 1927 1951

LA CAÑADA 5271 La Canada Boulevard 756 Greenridge Drive 334 Meadow Grove Street 840 Milmada Drive 4827 Carmel Road

01/13/15 01/06/15 01/13/15 01/30/15 01/23/15

$4,295,000 $3,600,000 $2,625,000 $1,490,000 $1,360,000

3 5 5 6 4

5672 5591 4134 3350 2897

2006 1985 1940 1951 1947

ALTADENA 2391 Lake Avenue 816 West Gabrielino Court 1171 East Altadena Drive 3620 Giddings Ranch Road 2189 Santa Rosa Avenue 211 West Las Flores Drive 3116 Fair Oaks Avenue 3151 Glenrose Avenue 1826 Midwick Drive 2 West Pine Street 4010 Canyon Dell Drive 392 East Palm Street 2052 Pepper Drive

01/09/15 01/05/15 01/13/15 01/30/15 01/30/15 01/29/15 01/09/15 01/15/15 01/22/15 01/23/15 01/13/15 01/09/15 01/27/15

ARCADIA 601 Gloria Road 1905 South 6th Avenue 1296 South 8th Avenue 247 Hillgreen Place 1531 Hyland Avenue 418 Robbins Drive 702 Country Oaks Circle 221 Altern Street 136 Loralyn Drive 24 Alice Street 150 Fano Street #B 148 Eldorado Street #A

PRICE

source: CalREsource

3 4 5 4 3 4 3 5

YR. BUILT PREV. PRICE PREV. SOLD $2,100,000 $989,000 $675,000 $420,000

08/29/2006 03/05/2010 04/22/2003 04/01/1998

$225,000 $245,000 $610,000

11/03/2000 11/01/1996 01/26/2004

$330,000 $685,000 $570,000

07/05/2013 08/02/2005 01/20/2012

$800,000 $1,165,000 $970,000

05/17/2013 04/05/2006 09/26/2006

$960,000

08/21/2007

$395,000 $785,000

12/18/2001 06/13/2013

$180,000 $670,000

04/05/2005 07/25/2012

$869,000 $364,500 $1,050,000 $990,000 $915,000 $600,000 $1,060,000 $825,000

11/06/2003 09/08/1993 09/23/2014 10/21/2004 05/14/2009 11/05/2012 06/26/2007 01/08/2009

$250,000

05/20/1998

$720,000 $735,000

07/22/2011 02/26/2010

$210,000 $3,650,000 $1,250,000

06/06/1983 08/07/2007 07/01/1997

$1,185,000

03/17/2005

–continued on page 20

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 2014. Complete home sales listings appear each week in Pasadena Weekly.

03.15 ARROYO | 19

–continued from page 19

HOME SALES ABOVE RECENT HOME CLOSINGS IN THE PASADENA WEEKLY FOOTPRINT LA CAÑADA 828 Milmada Drive 4916 Hampton Road 4335 Vista Place 2344 Conle Way PASADENA 1661 Lombardy Road 370 West Del Mar Boulevard 1336 Inverness Drive 10 Los Altos Drive 303 Markham Place 1004 South Euclid Avenue 636 Prospect Boulevard 3649 Yorkshire Road 920 Granite Drive #209 1120 La Loma Road 675 Westbridge Place 1802 North Mar Vista Avenue 1565 Glen Oaks Boulevard 920 Granite Drive #207 2815 Thorndike Road 1415 South Marengo Avenue 1691 Brigden Road 920 Granite Drive #210 1620 Rose Villa Street 448 South Oakland Avenue #3 748 South Euclid Avenue 539 North Los Robles Avenue 1140 Wotkyns Drive 475 East Del Mar Boulevard 1000 South Orange Grove Blvd.#19 320 Cherry Drive 1404 North Holliston Avenue 95 North Wilson Avenue 1119 East Topeka Street SAN MARINO 1364 Waverly Road 2657 South Oak Knoll Avenue 2304 Melville Drive 2085 Del Mar Avenue SIERRA MADRE 75 North Canon Avenue 624 Ramona Avenue 515 West Montecito Avenue 391 East Grandview Avenue 227 South Baldwin Avenue 334 Grove Street 1900 Santa Anita Avenue 2161 Santa Anita Avenue 1910 Santa Anita Avenue 602 North Michillinda Avenue 70 South Sunnyside Avenue 262 West Grandview Avenue SOUTH PASADENA 1222 Chelten Way 366 Camino Del Sol 2053 Edgewood Drive 2051 Meridian Avenue

20 | ARROYO | 03.15

source: CalREsource

01/15/15 01/16/15 01/09/15 01/30/15

$1,175,000 $925,000 $896,000 $850,000

3 2 4 4

2044 1146 2670 2144

1953 1936 1990 1970

$760,000

04/21/2003

$320,000

09/26/1996

01/05/15 01/15/15 01/27/15 01/15/15 01/12/15 01/26/15 01/26/15 01/29/15 01/29/15 01/09/15 01/21/15 01/21/15 01/23/15 01/22/15 01/21/15 01/26/15 01/12/15 01/22/15 01/23/15 01/02/15 01/22/15 01/08/15 01/07/15 01/02/15 01/13/15 01/05/15 01/15/15 01/21/15 01/27/15

$5,350,000 $2,700,000 $2,045,000 $1,868,000 $1,800,000 $1,785,000 $1,700,000 $1,696,000 $1,558,000 $1,500,000 $1,500,000 $1,458,000 $1,300,000 $1,285,000 $1,250,000 $1,230,000 $1,200,000 $1,145,000 $1,127,500 $1,088,000 $1,075,000 $965,000 $962,000 $942,000 $900,000 $862,000 $810,000 $806,000 $780,000

5 6

4458 5725

1924 1917

$4,050,000 $1,300,000

08/21/2009 09/07/1995

4 5 3 5 3 3 3 5 a6 4 3 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 3 2 4 2 4

2609 2711 1199 3276 3373 2070 2478 2892 3559 2424 2030 1790 3142 2790 1990 2009 2120 1196 2448 1826 2516 1870 1371 1626 1790 2618

1922 1901 1954 1915 1937 2009 1956 1956 1920 1957 2009 1951 1923 1995 2009 1914 2004 1921 1908 1920 1923 1957 1951 1923 2008 1934

$1,500,000

06/22/2012

$800,000 $1,095,000 $621,000

07/25/2013 12/05/2013 06/30/2000

$1,375,000 $497,500 $434,000

04/13/2005 03/19/1997 09/09/1996

$969,000 $654,000

02/23/2010 12/14/2012

$929,000

03/04/2010

$369,000 $375,000 $895,000 $886,500 $195,000 $697,000

12/28/1988 11/12/2002 10/29/2013 12/09/2005 07/12/1995 07/08/2005

$805,000

03/19/2009

01/30/15 01/20/15 01/02/15 01/23/15

$3,200,000 $2,700,000 $1,800,000 $1,350,000

5 4 4 2

4852 3048 2392 1528

1931 1939 1939 1948

$3,100,000 $1,960,000

03/04/2013 12/01/2005

$688,000

06/07/2011

01/08/15 01/08/15 01/06/15 01/22/15 01/27/15 01/07/15 01/07/15 01/23/15 01/16/15 01/23/15 01/22/15 01/21/15

$1,400,000 $1,400,000 $1,250,000 $1,200,000 $1,138,500 $1,050,000 $938,000 $925,000 $910,000 $900,000 $868,000 $758,000

3 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 2

2774 3293 2429 2129 1884 2457 1842 1830 1696 2049 2261 1460

1937 1939 1929 1910 1906 1927 1956 1960 1952 1960 1961 1958

$1,135,000 $230,000 $555,000 $770,000 $695,000 $195,000

09/17/2013 08/16/1996 07/20/1990 06/18/2004 12/03/2004 01/23/1998

$922,000 $330,000 $459,000 $197,000 $670,000

01/23/2015 10/27/1994 11/30/1999 07/03/1986 05/03/2010

01/26/15 01/30/15 01/22/15 01/16/15

$3,000,000 $1,586,000 $1,400,000 $880,000

4 4 5 3

4367 3613 2334 1526

1949 1965 1923 1904

$2,300,000 $1,237,000 $130,000 $600,000

05/07/2008 12/04/2007 08/14/1981 08/26/2013

ARROYO

HOME & DESIGN SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

HOMEWORK IS A MAJOR PART OF HOME RENOVATION Your home’s history helps determine its value and your course of action

BY BRUCE HARING

EARLIER THIS YEAR, A HOUSE IN THE LOCAL AREA DESIGNED BY FAMED ARCHITECT A.C. MARTIN WAS DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR A STRING OF NEW HOMES. Martin, who designed Los Angeles City Hall, Bullock’s Wilshire and other notable Southern California architectural landmarks, was discovered late in the permitting game to be the architect of record for the building, one of the few examples of single-family residences he designed. But efforts to have the house declared a landmark were unavailing, and just hours after a demolition permit was granted, the house was torn down. Local preservationists were stunned.

While not every home torn down is of historic value, every older home lost PHOTO: Courtesy of Hartman Baldwin

and replaced by an out-of-scale or avant-garde structure changes a neighborhood’s look and feel. That’s why many homeowners established in an older home, or those looking to buy in an historic neighborhood, have to do their homework before embarking on any renovation project.

Determining if a house has historic value means finding out if the home was associated with a famous architect, builder or famous resident. But beyond that, you may find that your home is valuable simply because it represents a style that is coveted in the marketplace.

03.15 ARROYO | 22

–continued on page 25

Photo courtesy of James Coane

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 22

Alan Brookman, the Senior Project Architect for HartmanBaldwin Design/ Build of Claremont, notes that “what was once commonplace and passé can become rare and valuable as examples are torn down or altered over the years.

The Craftsman Bungalow, for example, fell out of favor after the First World War, but is once again in demand. Even the Ranch House may one day be regarded as historic. It’s simple to let time sort out whether a house is historic, but most homeowners can’t wait that long. A candidate for historic value, if not associated with someone famous, will be built well enough to last, with details that set it apart from its contemporaries.”

Getting the right local architect in place early in the process is a huge help in determining whether your home can be renovated to your desired level of comfort, or is, in fact, a candidate for a tear-down. He or she can advise on the structural integrity of the house, the extent of the proposed work, zoning issues, development fees, and the project budgets. Keep in mind that while tying new work into an existing structure may be tricky (and therefore expensive), building something new can trigger other costly fees, such as increased sewer and school fees.

“It’s not strictly necessary that an architect be from the area of the project, but it helps greatly,” said Brookman. “Architecture is primarily a visual endeavor, and having the architect on-site as the building goes up can be critical to the success of the project. Two-dimensional plans are, at best, an imperfect method for communicating how to build a three-dimensional environment, and it’s never clear how well the client or contractor understands the architect’s vision until it starts to become real.”

James Coane of James V. Coane and Associates – Architects in Pasadena said the relationship with clients becomes very close over the life of a project.

“It’s a really personal thing,” Coane said. “This is people’s homes. There’s a whole different attitude when you’re building something for yourself versus building to rent or invest. It’s really a friendship that goes on. From the time I meet these people to the time the project is done, many times, it’s three years. It’s people I talk to every day.

The most-requested features in a home renovation include kitchens, great rooms, and upgrading the overall mechanical systems of the home. “Consumers are far more educated about products and materials, so it’s not a surprise that more folks ask about making their home more energy efficient and convenient for modern living,” said Karla Rodriguez, Marketing Director of HartmanBaldwin.

Adds Coane: Almost all the homes we remodel involve a kitchen and family room combination. We tend to be lucky enough to be working on bigger houses. So we’re doing a lot of outdoor areas, plus we do movie rooms, bars, gyms, temperature-controlled wine rooms. But the kitchen is in almost every project.

Nobody seems to be happy with their kitchen.”

–continued on page 28 03.15 | ARROYO | 25

Photo courtesy of James Coane

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 25

There are restrictions on renovations if your home is deemed to have historic value. The National Trust for Historic Renovation has a book, “Appraising Historic Properties,” available at its web site, www.preservationbooks.org. You can also contact the American Appraisal Institute, an organization of professional real estate appraisers, or the National Association of Independent Fee Appraisers, a non-profit professional organization of appraisers. There are also many statewide preservation organizations, sometimes referred to as state Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs).

TAKE A LOOK AT CONDITIONS

Before anything is done, an architect, structural engineer or building inspector with renovation experience should take a close look at your house. These trained professionals can advise on what’s possible, but also can help you map out what you want to accomplish and help you budget.

The best advice for someone considering a renovation versus a tear-down?

“How do you want to live versus how do you live?” said Walter Faustlin, Project Architect for HartmanBaldwin Design/Build. “What I mean by this is what is your ideal Sunday morning or Tuesday evening? How do you want to inhabit your space? Most people conform their lives to the space they have. A renovation or tear-down allow you to alter your space to how you want to live.”

Ultimately, it’s your call on whether your house can be renovated to your satisfaction or is a candidate for tearing down and starting over. Faustlin advises that you find out if the bones of the house and how you want to use it will allow a renovation.

“You never know,” he said. “With a little creative thinking, some really amazing spaces can be created with far less impact on your lives than a full tear down. Architects are trained and truly enjoy thinking about space, the physical and psychological aspects of space, thinking, drawing, considering, thinking some more, turning the drawing upside down, these are the things that make for late nights and early mornings and is as important to us as breathing and coffee.”

Finding funds for your renovation is always a challenge. But there are times when specific funds for renovation are available to help restore and preserve older homes deemed of historical value. Not every city or state offers the same financial aid packages, so it’s best to contact several agencies that may offer assistance. Start with your local Planning Department, and proceed to the Historic Development Commission and State Historic Preservation Offices.

Of course, many clients will watch the numerous renovation shows on television and come back bursting with ideas. “TV and the shows about renovations are creating a half-hour or hour of emotional drama,” said Faustlin. “We strive to create a pleasant experience. It’s boring for TV, but great for the client.” AMH&D 28 | ARROYO | 03.15

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PHOTOS: Mandy Gamble

PHOTOS: Orly Olivier for FormLA Landscaping

Gardens that Please the Eye and the Stomach Once considered eyesores relegated to backyards, edible gardens are moving front (yard) and center.

BY MARTIN BOOE 窶田ontinued on page 32

03.15 ARROYO | 31

“From high-end landscaping to community gardens, everyone seems interested in eating healthy, involving their kids and integrating edibles into their broader vision of a sustainable lifestyle.” -Cassy Aoyagi

FormLA integrated edibles with native foliage that doesn’t need chemical fertilizers or pesticides at the 2013 Pasadena Showcase House Willow Pavilion.

–continued from page 31

A

California transplant from rural Minnesota, Shari Thomas certainly shed few tears for the bitter Midwestern winters. But there was at least one aspect of her bucolic roots that she continually pined for: fresh fruits and vegetables pulled straight from the family garden and placed on the dinner table.

The opportunity to recreate that tasty slice of Americana came in 2004 when she and her husband, Brian Thomas, bought a quaint 1940s ranch-style house in northeast Pasadena. It was built on an expansive but unloved lot that begged for tender loving care. So when the couple began developing an elegant landscaping plan composed of four separate quadrants, each featuring sustainable, Californiafriendly plants, they dedicated one to an edible garden. They put it right up front, close to the street, where passers-by could admire it for both its bounty and its beauty.

Once a wartime initiative or an economic necessity, the longtreasured American tradition of the backyard garden is alive and well (partly thanks to the efforts of First Lady Michelle Obama), and more and more often can be found on proud display in the front yard.

Many are a luscious combination of the luxurious and the practical in which the unabashedly edible is interspersed with the purely esthetic. Not surprisingly, the trend is thriving in the San Gabriel Valley, where the naturalistic suburban landscape and abundan space for gardens make it a no-brainer.

High-end landscaping fi rms are seeing demand surge not just for the gardens’ design and installation, but also for their continuing maintenance and harvest. Doit-yourselfers are flocking to classes at places like Urban Homestead and the Th roop 32 | ARROYO | 03.15

Learning Garden. You could say it’s the dawning of a new era for the gentleman (and gentlewoman) farmer. It goes along with a heightened emphasis on sustainable, ecologically friendly practices such as drought-conscious planting, eschewing chemicals for organic fertilizers and concern for the watershed. For those who desire a lush and attractive garden but are concerned about the environment, an artfully designed edible garden provides an opportunity to do good and do well.

The motives may be lofty, but the rewards are as earthy as a steaming plate of fresh turnip greens. “The fruit-andvegetable garden makes me feel far more connected to the whole property,” says Thomas, a Water and Power official for the City of Pasadena. “We don’t eat at home as much as we’d like, but now every weekend we unwind with what’s become a big cooking ritual. And because of it we also have more contact with our neighbors.”

These days, requests for food-producing plots are included in almost every project, according to Cassy Aoyagi, president of FormLA Landscape Design, which created an edible garden for the 2013 Pasadena Showcase House. “From high-end landscaping to community gardens, everyone seems interested in eating healthy, involving their kids and integrating edibles into their broader vision of a sustainable lifestyle,” she says. Most of the harvests are reaped by professional caretakers, but a significant portion of her clientele — including hyper-busy doctors, lawyers and entertainment types — embrace their personal gardens as a form of family therapy.

Cabbage and blueberries at the 2013 Pasadena Showcase House

“It’s wonderful to see these very career-driven people getting their hands dirty and exploring a whole new side of themselves,” she continues. “I hear my clients say more and more often that they see the garden as a way to interact with their children, and I see it with my own young child. Kids love to see things grow, to pick fruit right off the stem to eat it. What could be a stronger statement than growing it themselves? They like to play with the worms and get dirty — it’s a wonderful experience.”

Strawberries are by all accounts the most popular edible plant of all; kale, with its frilly texture and undulating hues of green, runs a close second.

In professionally landscaped projects, edible gardens are most frequently incorporated in the design scheme as a discrete component, standing as something of a statement amidst more conventionally manicured garden schemes. But when it comes to fruits and vegetables, beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder, and the taste of a home-grown tomato may or may not render the plant’s unruly tangle of fuzzy vines, along with the required trellises, an esthetically pleasing prospect. But to groom nature’s homelier edible plant life into a portrait worthy of Monet, the trick is in the creative use of garden architecture, says Melissa Carson of Carson-Magness Landscapes, a prominent firm in Glendale.

“Anything that’s climbing, you can mount on a trellis or on a decorative pillar,” says Carson, who herself is partial to the classic Mediterranean garden. “That way you’re getting the benefit of the architecture of the pillar, as well as having something to eat.

For example, we might have a vining plant on one of those big pillars, intertwine it with a rose or a different vegetable, then around the base we’ll have either herbs or lettuce.”

Large decorative pots are both practical and pleasing to the eye, providing an opportunity to play with space and color, she adds.

Anais Dervaes, of Pasadena’s Urban Homestead family, blogs about creating the perfect “front yard garden” on urbanhomestead.org and helps conduct community classes on the pursuit. “The San Gabriel Valley has such a rich gardening tradition, and it’s wonderful to see people of all walks of life taking that up again,” she says.

“These days people want gardens that are pretty and practical, that flatter the view of their homes.” Because veggies are mostly annual with a relatively short growing season, Dervaes says, perennials and flowering herbs serve to anchor the landscaping.

Medicinal plants such as lavender, echinacea and even roses are desirable, as are bee-attracting wildflowers and fennel. The result is an undercover food garden. “You can pass by our yard and you don’t even know it’s edible,” she says.

All in all, the trend represents the nexus of California’s obsession with beauty and its history of environmental consciousness. Edible plants interspersed with native California species like sage — and nurtured by organic, chemical-free growing methods — have innumerable ecological benefits, says January Nordman, co-manager of Pasadena’s Throop Learning Garden. Nordham starts an edible garden plan by determining what native plants would have inhabited a given space, and then adding edibles among them. “Then you have foods for the local insects, and that makes the gardens wonderful bee attractors,” she says. “Southern California has 600 varieties of native bees and, with the decline of honeybees, these local pollinators are very important. Sages are good for this. We are getting so much fruit, it’s amazing. And these plants are lovely. Beans and peas have beautiful little blossoms, and you add tall pole beans or short borscht beans, as well as peas. Some of the squashes are just spectacular, and they smell so sweet.”

Beans provide nitrogen for trees.

Beauty does have its price, however, as Shari Thomas will attest. Back in the fall, she walked outside to find a family of four happily munching away on strawberries, peas and other delectables. “I think they found the garden so irresistible they didn’t stop to think who it might belong to,” says Thomas. “But after an awkward moment, we all had a good laugh about it.” ||| 03.15 ARROYO | 33

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© Musée d’Orsay, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt

Whistler’s Mother comes to Pasadena.

America’s iconic symbol of motherhood visits the Norton Simon Museum from its home in Paris.

BY SCARLET CHENG

–continued on page 32 03.15 ARROYO | 35

Previous page: Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1, also called “Portrait of the Artist’s Mother,” 1871, by James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Left: Self Portrait, by Whistler

Nature contains the elements, in colour and form, of all pictures, as the keyboard contains the notes of all music. But the artist is born to pick, and choose, and group with science, these elements, that the result may be beautiful — as the musician gathers his notes, and forms his chords, until he bring forth from chaos glorious harmony. – James Abbott McNeill Whistler Whistler’s Mother is one of the most famous paintings in American cultural history — we’ve seen it thousands of times in postcards, posters, art history books and even in satirical cartoons and comedy sketches. And while many may be able to identify James Abbott McNeill Whistler as the artist, few can identify where this American icon resides.

Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1, as it is officially titled, is in the collection of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. This spring Southern Californians have the chance to view it in their own backyard — at the Norton Simon Museum of Art in Pasadena — as part of an art exchange with the Musée d’Orsay (March 27–June 22). It’s a rare opportunity to see this renowned work up close and personal.

Whistler was a flamboyant and controversial man who fully enjoyed the trappings of the artist’s life. Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1834, he spent most of his life abroad.

He was raised partly in Russia, where his father worked as a construction engineer for the St. Petersburg–to-Moscow railroad. In St. Petersburg, the boy took private art lessons, and at 11 enrolled in the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts. When his father died, the family moved back to Connecticut and Whistler attended West Point, where his father had taught math. But after three years of poor grades and insubordination, he was kicked out.

Whistler briefly found a job as a mapping draftsman but finally decided to pursue an art career in — where else? — Paris. He arrived in 1855 and quickly integrated himself into the art scene, befriending the likes of Henri Fantin-Latour and Gustave Courbet. He was a self-promoting dandy who spent freely, but he didn’t sell much work and was usually in debt. Four years later he moved to London, where he would reside the rest of his life.

His pious mother, Anna McNeill Whistler, arrived in 1864 to live with him in Chelsea. The 30-year-old artist had been indulging in the typical bohemian life, replete with mistress, and had to clean up his act. “General upheaval!!” he wrote in a letter to Fantin-Latour. “I had to empty my house and purify it from cellar to eaves.” Despite their differences, he cherished her compassion and her very face, in which he saw “grace wedded 36 | ARROYO | 03.15

to dignity, strength enhancing sweetness.”

The portrait of Anna Whistler, done in his studio in the fall of 1871, shows an elderly woman sitting in a chair, assisted by a footstool. (She was 65 at the time.) She is shown in profile, her hair held back by a white bonnet and her hands primly in her lap, holding a white lace handkerchief. Legend has it that he painted her when another model fell ill and that he initially intended to depict her standing, but his mother couldn’t hold the pose for long.

Emily Beeny, associate curator at the Norton Simon, calls the portrait a “spare, pared-down picture, very much about Whistler’s radical simplification and admiration for Japanese art.” In that era Japanese art, which had been seen in magazine reproductions and ukiyo-e woodblock print and painting exhibitions, was all the rage in the art world.

The influence is reflected in the carefully balanced composition of Whistler’s painting and also in the curtain seen on the left as a counterpoint to Mrs. Whistler’s form on the right; the curtain material has a Japanese print. (To see his Japonisme at its height, visit the Peacock Room at the Freer Gallery of Art the next time you are in Washington, D. C. — this former dining room, brought from London, was decorated by Whistler with lush green-on-gold designs of peacocks and stylized waves.)

Arrangement barely made it into the prestigious annual show at the Royal Academy of Art in London in 1872. “The painting got mixed reviews when it was shown at the Royal Academy,” says Beeny. It didn’t suit the tastes of the times and was perceived as “a little strange, not a conventional portrait.” Whistler’s own opinion was indicated by the unsentimental title he gave the work (using a format common among his painting titles); he maintained that his primary concern was creating a harmonious composition with form and an almost monochromatic palette. In his 1890 book, The Gentle Art of Making Enemies, he wrote: “Take the picture of my mother…as an Arrangement in Grey and Black. Now that is what it is…what can or ought the public care about the identity of the portrait?”

Regarding a portrait as just an arrangement of colors was out of sync with Victorian sensibilities, so the title “Portrait of the Artist’s Mother” was appended (although the author’s identity has apparently been lost to time). Beeny does not think it a cold depiction, despite its austere look. “If we look at it closely, it’s a rather tender portrait of his mother,” she says. The painting is larger than most people expect — 4½ feet tall and over 5 feet wide.

Top left: © Musée d’Orsay, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt

Below: Whistler’s Mother postage stamp

Left: Emile Zola, 1868, by Edouard Manet

Top left: © Photo RMN-Grand Palais (Musée d’Orsay) / Herve Lewandowski; Top right: © Musée d’Orsay, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt

Above: The Card Players, circa 1892–96, by Paul Cézanne

Perennially broke, Whistler pawned the painting, but after his mother’s funeral in 1882, he borrowed 50 pounds to buy it back and took her maiden name as his middle name. He was so proud of it that he liked sending it on tour. It was first shown in the U. S. later that year, as part of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ traveling “Special Exhibition of Paintings by American Artists at Home and in Europe,” which stopped in Philadelphia and New York. There Whistler tried to sell Arrangement for $500 but found no takers. The next year, his friend Edgar Degas arranged to have it shown at the noted Salon de la Société des Artistes Français in Paris, where it earned a much warmer reception than in London, winning a third-class medal and boosting Whistler’s reputation enough to achieve his ultimate goal — having it accepted by a French museum. Léon Bourgeois, then minister of fine arts, was skeptical of his low asking price of 4,000 francs (then about $625). But the artist persuaded him of his sincerity in a letter, declaring that of all his paintings, he wanted his mother’s portrait to receive “that solemn consecration.” And with the help of the poet Stéphane Mallarmé and future Premier Georges Clémenceau, the Musée du Luxembourg, Paris’ contemporary art museum of the day, agreed to buy the masterpiece in 1891. The French state also declared him an officer in La Legion d’Honneur.

Whistler was ecstatic. “Just think — to go and look at one’s own picture hanging on the walls of Luxembourg — remembering how it was treated in England,” Whistler said, “to be met everywhere with deference and treated with respect…and to know that all this is…a tremendous slap in the face to the academy and the rest! Really, it is like a dream.” In 1927, 24 years after his death, the painting joined the collection of the Musée du Louvre.

In 1986, it passed to the Musée d’Orsay, then the new museum for 19th-century art.But that doesn’t entirely account for the painting’s iconic status. The picture was known in the U.S. after its 1882 tour, and it made several subsequent trips here. In 1932, it returned for a coast-to-coast tour, commemorated in 1934 by the U.S. Postal Service, which issued a postage stamp with an edited image in honor of Mother’s Day. “In memory and in honor of the mothers of America” read the text, while a vase of flowers was added to the lower left corner of the frame. (No more print on the wall, no more Japanese-print curtain!)

That established the painting as an icon of motherhood. In 1938, a Pennsylvania town honored mothers with an 8-foot statue inspired by it. The work went on to be frequently

reproduced, appearing everywhere from a Canadian World War I recruitment poster to movies as varied as Babette’s Feast and Naked Gun 2½, where it inspired a birthmark.

Along the way, it earned a status arguably greater than Whistler’s ambition to see it hang in a Paris museum. As the Art Institute of Chicago’s Martha Tedeschi has stated, Whistler’s Mother, Grant Wood’s American Gothic, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Edvard Munch’s The Scream have all achieved something that most paintings — regardless of their art-historical importance, beauty or monetary value — have not: they communicate a specific meaning almost immediately to almost every viewer. These few works have successfully made the transition from the elite realm of the museum visitor to the enormous venue of popular culture.” ||||

Also at the Norton Simon Arrangement is one of three paintings in the new exhibition “Tête-à-Tête: Three Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay.” The other two are also celebrated works: Édouard Manet’s portrait of the eminent man of letters Émile Zola, holding a book while seated at a table, and Paul Cézanne’s late painting The Card Players, with two working-class chaps facing each other over a game of cards. All three will hang in one room in the 19thcentury European art wing, along with some related works from the Norton Simon’s own collection, including Manet’s portrait of his wife, Madame Manet (Suzanne Leenhoff).

In exchange, the Norton Simon has sent three paintings across the Atlantic for viewing at the d’Orsay. Those are masterpieces, too --- Vincent van Gogh’s Portrait of a Peasant (Patience Escalier), Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s The Pont des Arts, Paris and Édouard Vuillard’s epic tableau First Fruits, a landscape more than 14 feet wide. — S.C.

The special exhibition will be included in the price of admission, but visitors will need a special timed ticket to enter. Admission costs $12, $9 for seniors 62 and above; youth 18 and under, members and students and active military personnel with I.D. are admitted free. Hours are noon to 5 p.m, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m, Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The Norton Simon is located at 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 449-6840 or visit nortonsimon.org.

03.15 ARROYO | 37

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

Pumpkin mac and cheese

Spiral Mania Love pasta? Hate the calories? Swap bad carbs for healthier vegetable “noodles” with a spiralizer.

BY LESLIE BILDERBACK

I

am not usually one to get ssucked into using the latest kitchen gadget. In culinary school my chef told us all we needed to be great chefs was a good chef knife. Everything else was for amateurs. (Now I realize he was little hard-core, although it was impressive rhetoric at the time.) But when an idea or product catches on and successfully rides the Internet wave, I can no longer ignore it. Such was the case with the spiralizer. Not only did I buy one — I wrote a book about it. The following is an excerpt from

The Spiralized Kitchen (St. Martin's Griffin), which hits bookstores this month. I hope you find it as inspiring as I did.

WHAT IS A SPIRALIZER? The spiralizer is a kitchen tool, similar to a grater, but designed to make long noodle-like ribbons out of vegetables and fruits. Spiralizers are fairly new, but fancifully shaped fruits and vegetables are very old. Until recently, long noodle-shaped vegetables were –continued on page 39

38 | ARROYO | 03.15

created with a paring knife, a vegetable peeler or a mandolin. If you don’t have a spiralizer, these old-time, tried-and-true methods are perfectly adequate.

WHO IS THE SPIRALIZER FOR? Besides people who just like gadgets, and those who like to play with their food, the spiralizer has been marketed to those looking for ways to replace starchy, highcarbohydrate pasta with something more healthful. Carbs have long been touted as a food to be avoided (thanks to Dr. Atkins), and this trend has been boosted by the recent onslaught of gluten-free foods. Whether you have a real aversion to gluten, or you’re just looking for a way to add more vegetables to your diet, a spiralized meal is fun and healthy.

There are also those looking for a way to add more vegetables to their daily meals.

While these recipes achieve that end, you will not be able to successfully “trick” anyone into mistaking these recipes for pasta dishes — nor should you. They are clearly vegetables, and should be advertised as such. Why? Because vegetables should be eaten and enjoyed! Trying to trick someone into eating them will not cultivate an appreciation. It will only build resentment toward them — and you. So be honest with your eaters, and enjoy these spiralized recipes for what they are — beautiful and delicious.

CHOOSING YOUR SPIRALIZER If you are setting out to purchase a spiralizer, you will find several options on the market. Regardless of the make and model, pay attention to a few key attributes:

ideal for odd-shaped produce, and is great for really firm vegetables that might otherwise damage a more expensive tool. The downside is that it does not create long spirals, but straight julienne strips that are only as long as the vegetable.

Once you have picked your spiralizer, there are a couple of tips to learn before you start spiralizing fruits and vegetables. Produce with fi rm, solid flesh makes the best “noodles.” For instance, zucchini is a fairly solid-fleshed vegetable throughout. It makes a better long noodle than yellow crookneck squash, which has larger seeds in its soft center cavity. Anything soft and juicy, like tomatoes, will make a mess, and the result is no better than simply using a knife.

Small produce, like radishes, are dangerous to spiralize unless your spiralizer has a protective guard for your hand. The tabletop models work best for many small items, but often there is more waste than there are useable spirals. Look for the larger versions of these small vegetables.

Large produce is difficult too. The item being spiralized needs to first fit in the spiralizer. Usually this means that you simply need to cut the produce in half or in chunks.

When cooking very thin spiralized vegetables and fruits, remember that they cook quickly. Really quickly. Vegetables should be cooked until just tender, but not so tender that the noodle falls apart. The goal is to keep the length intact. Many spiralizer cooks keep their veggie noodles raw, which is fine in many cases.

Now that you are fully versed in the idiosyncrasies, here are a few recipes to whet your whistle: |||| Leslie Bilderback, a certified master baker, chef and cookbook author, lives in South

Safety Look for spiralizers that easily advance the vegetable through the mechanism, without forcing your fingers to come in contact with the blade. There should be a safety guard or handle that lets you push the produce through without touching it.

Uniformity and Speed The spiralizer should easily create shapes of even thickness with little effort. You should not have to work hard to push the produce through, and the resulting shapes should be the same every time. If the blade bends out of shape after your first carrot, it’s no good.

Pasadena and teaches her techniques online at culinarymasterclass.com.

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

The key to this dish is mise en place. That is the French term for “putting in place,” and it refers to getting all your equipment and ingredients ready before you start a recipe. The cheese sauce for this dish, which is essentially béchamel sauce, needs your undivided attention.

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 2)

Easy to Use and Clean Too many parts make any gadget cumbersome. If you need to refer to the instruction manual every time you use your spiralizer, it’s probably too complicated. And if you are anything like me, the lack of ease of operation and cleanup is a deal breaker.

Price As with most products, price is a good indication of quality — you get what you pay for. That said, there are some very durable spiralizers that come pretty cheap. I suggest you check the myriad reviews posted online for the best indication of quality.

Styles The simplest and least expensive spiralizer is the hand-held model. There are several makers and, as with most things, the price often determines reliability and durability. These look and work essentially like a pencil sharpener and can produce two “noodle” sizes. They are perfect for foods like zucchini, carrots and cucumbers. But if your vegetable isn’t thin and long, this model is useless. (For example, it is near impossible to spiralize a beet with it.)

The tabletop spiralizers offer three blade options and can create not only long thin or thick “noodles,” but thin, flat corkscrews. This is the more reliable tool, and the one I find most durable. It sticks to your counter with suction cups, and the vegetables advance through the blade easily on a sliding platform with the help of a handle that is oriented away from the blade. It is also surprisingly easy to clean and store, considering that it has several parts.

There is also a hand-held julienne peeler that works like a potato peeler. Th is tool is

1 medium pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into large chunks 3 tablespoons butter 1 yellow onion, diced fi ne 1 teaspoon dried thyme 2 tablespoons whole-wheat fl our (any glutenfree fl our is fi ne too) 1 cup milk (plain almond or soy milk are fi ne here too)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese ½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

METHOD 1. Preheat oven to 375°. Spiralize pumpkin into thick shreds using the largest holes. Break the strands into pieces about 1 inch long, either by hand or with a knife. Set aside.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add pumpkin and cook until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and set aside in the colander to continue draining as it cools.

3. Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions and thyme, and cook until they just begin to brown. Whisk in flour to make a roux. (The mixture will quickly thicken into a paste.) Slowly drizzle in milk, stirring, until a thick white sauce is created. (If it still seems too thick for you, continue to slowly add more milk until desired consistency is reached.) Remove from heat and stir in mustard, nutmeg and grated cheese.

Season with salt and pepper.

4. Fold cooked pumpkin into cheese sauce, and transfer to a baking dish. Top with Parmesan cheese and bake, uncovered, until brown and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

VARIATIONS Cheese Options There are so many cheeses that make great mac. Stay away from the stringier varieties, like jack and mozzarella. But do try any cheddar, Fontina, muenster — or make a blend. And don't overlook the pungent cheeses. Goats and blues are quite delicious here!

Protein Additions This dish is great with an added handful or two of diced smoky ham, chorizo or andouille sausage, succulent lobster, shrimp or crab. Stir it into the cheese sauce just before you add the pumpkin.

Truffles The addition of truffles (the fungus, not the chocolate bonbons) or truffle oil is a popular addition to mac these days. But be careful with the truffle oil. It is too frequently used with a heavy hand, which can be overwhelming.

All good things in moderation.

–continued on page 41 03.15 | ARROYO | 39

40 | ARROYO | 03.15

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

Apple fennel salad

–continued from page 39

Zucchini with Sweet Roasted Kale and Red Onions

There are two kinds of kale generally available in the market. One is curly, which is generally too fibrous for salads, and the other is Tuscan or dinosaur kale, which is preferable for this recipe. Baby kale is also available occasionally, which is the bomb if you find it!

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 2) 6 to 8 large kale leaves, stems removed 1 red onion 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup sliced almonds 1 clove of garlic Grated zest and juice of 1 orange 1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 3 large zucchini squash ½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon white pepper ¼ teaspoon or more red chile fl akes

METHOD 1. Preheat oven to 375°. Roughly chop the kale leaves. Spiralize the onion into thin shreds using the smallest holes. Combine the kale and onion in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until well coated. Spread out onto a baking sheet and roast until the leaves are charred and the onions begin to brown. Spread almonds onto a second baking pan and toast in the same oven until fragrant and golden, about 5 minutes.

2. Spiralize zucchini into thin shreds using the smallest holes. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until softened. Stir in orange zest and juice, honey, vinegar, salt, pepper and chile flakes. Add zucchini and cook, tossing to coat, until just tender, about 2 minutes.Toss in kale and onion just before serving with a garnish of toasted almonds.

Kohlrabi Shiitake “Soba” Noodle Soup

Soba noodles are thick Japanese noodles made from buckwheat (which isn't wheat at all, but a seed from a plant related to rhubarb). This is a great recipe if you are trying to avoid all pastas. But if you’re not, and you’re game to try, see the variation below using traditional soba noodles.

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4) 6 cups dashi (store-bought or homemade) 6 to 8 pieces dried shiitake mushrooms (or 1 teaspoon shiitake powder) ¼ cup miso 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root 1 large kohlrabi 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce 2 green onions 2 cups baby bok choy, thinly sliced Shichimi chile spice blend or red chile fl akes Bonito fl akes Ponzu sauce

METHOD 1. Combine the dashi and dried shiitake mushrooms in a large soup pot. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove mushrooms and set aside to cool.

2. Add miso and ginger to the simmering broth and stir until well dissolved.

3. Spiralize kohlrabi into thick shreds using the larger holes and add them to the simmering liquid. Slice rehydrated dry mushrooms and add them, along with the sliced fresh mushrooms, to the liquid. Add tamari, green onions and bok choy. Simmer until warmed through. Serve warm, and offer optional toppings of shichimi, bonito and ponzu sauce.

VARIATIONS Adding Soba Noodles Bring a separate pot of water to a boil. At the boil, add the soba noodles, and stir them to submerge. When they return to the boil, cook for 5 minutes. Drain off the hot water, then submerge them in cold water. Gently rub off the accumulated excess starch. Drain again, then add to the soup recipe with the vegetables.

(At this point you could also use them in other recipes, dress them as a salad or add to other soup broths.)

Mushroom Medley Try a variety of mushrooms for a fungi-licious variation.

Seafood Any fresh seafood would be great in this soup. Consider adding cleaned and chopped shrimp, tuna, squid or octopus. Whatever you add, be sure it is fresh!

03.15 | ARROYO | 41

taste

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

select flavors from our area's best restaurants

NEW MOON

at other restaurants. At the same time,

2148 Huntington Dr., San Marino 626-284-8877, http://newmoonrestaurants.com/

without burning your tongue. It’s a bal-

there’s enough spice to pique interest ance Goldilocks would term “just right”

In a comfortable corner of San Marino, New Moon offers a

and has me eager to try the other family-

modern twist on Chinese cuisine without sacrificing traditional

named entrees.

tastes. And, it pleases your wallet as much as your tummy.

Also tasty is the Spicy Garlic Shrimp

One of four locations in this family-owned chain, proprietor

on a Bed of Spinach, another flavor-

Colin Tom describes his menu as “Contemporary Chinese,” a

ful concoction that’s neither heavy nor

lighter touch for 21st Century tastes that still honors authentic

overbearingly hot.

Chinese fare.

Aside from an array of Chinese appe-

Two of New Moon’s best sellers exemplify that mission: Chi-

tizers, New Moon’s long menu offer three

nese Chicken Salad and Braised String Beans. My wife and I

salads, 11 soups, a full compliment of Mu

sampled both during a recent visit and were thrilled. The salad

Shu, Chow Mein, Lo Mein and Chow Fun

was seasoned with just a delicate touch of sesame oil and salt. The string beans, a

choices and more than 40 other entrees. Shrimp dishes are in the $14-15 range; most

favorite dish of manager Nicole “Nikki” Hayes, brings fresh flavor, avoiding the over

other selections cost less.

saturation of oils you find at lesser restaurants.

The chain’s signature dishes pay homage to members of the owner’s family: Wally’s Grilled Shrimp is named for his father, who opened the first New Moon, while Shelby’s Sweet & Spicy Chicken or Beef and Chloe’s Shrimp are named for his daughters.

Of those four, Sandra and I tried Shelby’s Chicken and were pleased with its nuance. It’s sweet, without being too sweet, like Orange Flavored Chicken often is

42 | ARROYO | 03.15

Cuisine: Contemporary Chinese: a light but honorable approach to Chinese fare with lots of choices. This New Moon has no bar, but there’s just a $3 corkage fee if you bring wine.

Vibe: Not fancy, but a clean and simple elegance inside, with delightful outdoor seating in front of the restaurant. Friendly and attentive wait staff. Dinner reservations suggested on Fridays and Saturdays.

– Geoff Mayfield

03.15 ARROYO | 43

taste KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

select flavors from our area's best restaurants During a recent lunch, I tried

PINOCCHIO’S PIZZA

one that’s far more California

1449 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena 626-791-7591 http://www.pinocchios-pizza.net/

than NYC, Pinocchio’s Famous Pizza, topped with broccoli, spinach, tomato, artichoke, chicken

Soon after our family moved to Pasadena, my wife and I were pleased to

and white sauce. It’s light and

fi nd Pinocchio’s Pizza practically walking distance from our door, a mom-and-

absolutely delicious on their just-

pop alternative to big-name pizza chains.

right crust.

Back then its small utilitarian quarters reminded me of the pizza joint I

I also found the Minestrone

frequented when I lived in Brooklyn; neither fancy nor conducive to dining in,

soup yummy and the Greek Salad

but the service was friendly and the pizza was closer to New York City stan-

as tasty as the ones we enjoyed

dards than national brands ever achieve. Another advantage: Pinocchio’s

when we fi rst discovered Pinoc-

sold fresh and ample salads, an option that’s missing from so many pizza outlets.

Years later, we were pleasantly startled to fi nd Pinocchio’s transformed

chio’s.

This place parties, too, offering 22 wines by the bottle, more than half of them sold by the glass; 19 high-end beers (nine on tap, 10 in bottles), plus a

into a spacious and spiffy spot: nice tables and booths, fl at screen TVs and

variety of popular beers. On Saturdays, Pinocchio’s becomes a club, with a

a lounge anchored by a beer/wine bar. Later, we realized this wasn’t just

jazz or blues band starting live sets at 8 pm.– Geoff Mayfi eld

remodeling and expansion; it had moved just up the street from the original location.

Size wasn’t Pinocchio’s only growth. Its menu swelled to include six pasta dishes, another six stuffed and baked pastas, seven entrees (including Egg-

Cuisine: Italian; pizza plus more than a dozen pasta or dinner entrees, sandwiches, calzones, antipasti and great salads. Impressive selection of wines and high-end beers. Lunch specials offered until 4 pm.

Vibe: Casual and homey with a touch of class; bright by day, cozy at

plant, Chicken or Veal Parmigiana), nine sandwiches, seven salads plus a

night. Fun lounge. Ample seating most nights but reservations suggested on

variety of calzones, antipasti, desserts and, of course, lots of different pizzas.

Saturdays when live music plays.

– Geoff Mayfield

44 | ARROYO | 03.15

03.15 ARROYO | 45

A SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER

THE LIST

Road Trip at the Old Mill

also experience Roman history, visit the

Patricia Morison

Vatican, observe classic artworks (includ-

Ongoing through

ing Michelangelo’s David) and see how

May 3 — The Califor-

wine and olive oil are made. Rates start

nia Art Club launches

at $3,149 and include eight breakfasts,

its Road Trip series of exhibitions exploring

five dinners, all hotel stays, round-trip air

the best the Golden State has to offer

fare from Los Angeles, bus travel between

with “Unrivaled Grandeur: California’s

destinations, English-speaking guides, taxes

National Parks” at its Old Mill gallery. The

and surcharges.

exhibition features some 40 works created

Call the Chamber of Commerce at (626)

by 26 plein-air artists who sought out stun-

795-3355, visit pasadena-chamber.org or

ning sights and scenes from California’s

email leanne@pasadena-chamber.org.

national parks, seashores and recreation

Chamber Orchestra Highlights Flutes, Cello

areas. Images of Yosemite are featured as the park celebrates its 125th anniversary.

Other works highlight unique geological features and the biodiversity of life throughout the state.

March 14 — A Los An-

The California Art Club Gallery at the Old

Marino. Call (626) 449-5458 or visit californiaartclub.org.

Tea for Kids at Langham Huntington March 1 — The Lang-

SPEAKING WITH A BROADWAY LEGEND March 15 — The Pasadena Playhouse presents “A Conversation with Patricia Morison,” the original star of Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate, in celebration of the Broadway legend’s 100th birthday. Director/producer John Bowab joins Morison at 1 p.m. for a discussion of her stage and film career and her Broadway col-

zart and Prokofiev,” features Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2, with special guest violinist Joseph Swensen; Mozart’s Flute Concerto No. 1, featuring LACO Principal Flute David Shostac; plus music by Haydn.

The concert also includes “Gran Turismo” for eight solo violins by the orchestra’s composer-in-residence, Andrew Norman.

laborations with Porter and The King and I co-star Yul Brynner. She will perform

It starts at 8 p.m. at Glendale’s Alex

dena hosts a quarterly Imagine Tea event

two musical numbers, and guests will be able to ask her questions. Tickets cost

Theatre. Ticket prices start at $25.

for children. Look for junior performers from

$100 (proceeds benefit the playhouse).

The Alex Theatre is located at 216 N.

The Magic Castle making close-up magic

The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Call (626)

Brand Blvd., Glendale.

as kids enjoy a specialty tea menu of ham,

737-2852 or visit pasadenaplayhouse.org.

March 26 — The orchestra’s Baroque

ham Huntington, Pasa-

Conversations series at Zipper Hall in

turkey and peanut butter–and-jelly sandwiches, whimsical desserts, pink lemonade,

March 21 — The period-instrument en-

port its Classics Live! education program,

downtown L.A. features LACO Principal

fruit-infused decaffeinated tea and other

semble of Tesserae explores the world of

which serves more than 12,000 Southern

Cello Andrew Shulman performing and

delights. Children are invited to dress as

the Renaissance Venice courtesan, who

California students annually. Guests dine

leading cello sonatas by Bach, Marcello,

their favorite character, person or animal,

held a unique social position, able to

with company artists on the set of the

San Martini, De Fesch and Vivaldi. Other

and the event includes a photo opportu-

escape many of the era’s patriarchal

company’s production of The Threepenny

featured artists are cellist Trevor Handy

nity. Cost is $48 for adults, $36 for children 12

restrictions against women making music.

Opera. The event starts with a cocktail re-

and Principal Keyboard Patricia Mabee

and younger. Seatings are at 10 a.m. and

The program includes madrigals by Bar-

ception at 6 p.m. followed by dinner and

on harpsichord. Tickets for the 7 p.m. con-

1:30 p.m. Reservations are required.

bara Strozzi, Adrian Willeat and Cipriano

a paddle auction at 7 p.m. Tickets cost

cert cost $56 and up.

The Langham Huntington, Pasadena

de Rore, lively carnival songs and the lost

$350 each, with tables of eight for $2,500

Zipper Hall is located at 200 S. Grand Ave.,

Hotel is located at 1401 S. Oak Knoll Ave.,

art of the aria as practiced during the

and corporate tables of eight for $5,000.

L.A. Call (213) 622-7001 or visit laco.org.

Pasadena. Call (626) 585-6218 for reser-

Renaissance. The concert runs from 5 to

To receive an invitation, email Libby Dye at

vations and visit pasadena.langhamho-

6 p.m. Both events are free with museum

ldye@anoisewithin.org. To purchase tickets,

tels.com/restaurants for information.

admission of $12 for adults and $9 for

call her at (626) 356-3103 or visit the web-

Jupiter’s Orbit Hits Caltech

seniors; free for members, students and

site’s events page to download a form.

March 15 — The

Period Pieces at Norton Simon

visitors 18 and younger.

A Noise Within is located at 3352 E. Foot-

Jupiter String Quartet

Norton Simon Museum is located at 411

hill Blvd., Pasadena. Visit anoisewithin.org.

comes to Caltech for

March 6 — The Nor-

W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626)

ton Simon Museum

449-6840 or visit nortonsimon.org.

Traveling to Tuscany

works by Mozart, Bartok and Brahms. The

Gala Benefits Theater for Students

March 12--21 — The

Auditorium. Tickets cost $20 to $49.

Pasadena Cham-

Beckman Auditorium is located on Michi-

March 11 — The clas-

ber of Commerce

gan Avenue south of Del Mar Boulevard,

presents That Hamilton Woman, a gripping film about the affair between Lord Horatio Nelson (Laurence Olivier) and the beautiful but married

a Coleman Chamber Music Concert of

concert starts at 3:30 p.m. in Beckman

Emma, Lady Hamilton (Vivien Leigh), set

sical theater company

hosts a trip to Tuscany in a 10-day tour

Pasadena. Call (626) 395-4652 or visit

during the Napoleonic Wars of the late

A Noise Within hosts an

of Rome, Assisi, Montecatini Terme, Siena,

events.caltech.edu.

1700s, from 5 to 7:10 p.m.

46 | ARROYO | 03.15

intimate gala dinner on its stage to sup-

San Gimignano and Florence. Guests

–continued on page 49

PHOTO: Patricia Morison, Lana Huckabee

Mill is located at 1120 Old Mill Rd., San

geles Chamber Orchestra concert,“Mo-

03.15 | ARROYO | 47

48 | ARROYO | 03.15

THE LIST

CHERRIES BLOOM AT DESCANSO March 21 and 22 — Descanso Gardens’ Cherry Blossom Festival blooms for two days this month. Activities both days include a cherry tree sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the Cherry Blossom Walk and Talk at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.; origami instruction from Yami Yamauchi from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Japanese-inspired cuisine by Patina at the Camellia Lounge from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and June Kuramoto, a founding member of Japanese-American fusion ensemble Hiroshima, performing on the koto, Japan’s national instrument, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Free with Descanso admission of $9, $6 for students and seniors 65 and older and $4 for children 5 to 12; children under 5 are admitted free. .

Descanso Gardens is located at 1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. Call (818) 949-4200 or visit descansogardens.org

–continued from page 46

Pygmalion Visits the Pasadena Playhouse

Pasadena Symphony Celebrates Beethoven and More

March 17 — The Pasadena Playhouse offers a fresh interpretation of George Ber-

March 21 — The Pasadena Sym-

nard Shaw’s classic Pygmalion, which first

phony’s Classics Season continues

appeared onstage in 1912. It’s the classic

with “Beethoven 6,” a concert of works

tale of phonetics professor Henry Higgins’

including Rameau’s Ballet Suite from

transformation of the cockney flower seller

Naïs, Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 and

Eliza Doolittle into a lady who passes for

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, which

a duchess at an ambassador’s garden

expresses the composer’s love of nature.

party. The story takes aim at the rigid British

Geneva Lewis is the featured violin

class system and serves as a commentary

soloist. Nicholas McGegan conducts.

on women’s independence. Jessica Kub-

Performances are at 2 and 8 p.m. at the

zansky directs. Pygmalion opens at 8 p.m.

Ambassador Auditorium. Ticket prices

and continues at 8 p.m. Tuesdays through

start at $35.

Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 and

The Ambassador Auditorium is located

7 p.m. Sundays (except March 22) through

at 131 S. St. John Ave., Pasadena. Call

April 12. Ticket prices start at $30.

(626) 793-7172 or visit pasadenasympho-

The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39

ny-pops.org.

S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 3567529 or visit pasadenaplayhouse.org.

–continued on page 50

03.15 | ARROYO | 49

THE LIST

JULIUS CAESAR RESURRECTED March 22 — A Noise Within presents Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar at 2 p.m., continuing through May 8. The classic tragedy, written near the end of the 16th century, was based on actual Roman history. The psychological drama explores Brutus’ internal conflicts over honor, patriotism and friendship. Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott co-direct. Tickets start at $40.

A Noise Within is located at 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 356-3100 or visit anoisewithin.org.

–continued from page 49

Shostakovich. Tickets cost $15 to $100.

Big Voodoo in Arcadia

The First Baptist Church of Glendale is

March 27 — The season rolls along at

located at 209 N. Louise St., Glendale.

Arcadia Performing Arts Center as Big Bad

Call (323) 663-3601 or visit glendalephil-

Voodoo Daddy works its magic starting

harmonic.com.

at 8 p.m. The nine-piece band made its

cal wind and playing upbeat swing music.

An American Classic Resurrected

The band’s latest album is Rattle Them

March 28 through

Bones. Tickets cost $29.50 to $99.50.

April 19 — Our

name at the height of the 1990s grunge era by going against the prevailing musi-

Arcadia Performing Arts Center is located

American Cousin, the classic comedy by

at 188 Campus Dr., Arcadia. Call (626)

Tom Taylor more famous for its associa-

821-1781 or visit arcadiapaf.org.

tion with Lincoln’s assassination than for its box office success, is being staged by

50 | ARROYO | 03.15

Musical Memorial for Armenian Genocide

Parson’s Nose. Artistic Director Lance Taylor

March 28 — As part

English household of eccentrics. The 1852

of its Positive Motions

play was a hit in the U.S. in its day, but it

adapted the play about an American rube with a heart of gold, visiting an

concert series, the Glendale Philharmonic

is most noted for a performance in April

Orchestra performs a 7 p.m. chamber

1865 at Washington’s Ford’s Theater, where

music concert in memory of Armenian

actor John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln as he

genocide victims. The concert at the First

watched the performance.It runs at

Baptist Church of Glendale features L.A.

7 p.m. Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays today

Opera Concertmaster Roberto Cani, pia-

through April 19 at Lineage Performing Arts

nist Armen Guzelimian and cellist Ruslan

Center. Tickets cost $5 to $25.

Biryukov performing with the Glendale

Lineage Performing Arts Center is located

Philharmonic Trio. The program includes

at 89 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena. Call

works by Arno Babajanian and Dmitri

(626) 403-7667 or visit parsonsnose.com.||||

03.15 | ARROYO | 51

03.15 | ARROYO | 55