12 minute read
Summer Guide
Pasadena is kicking open the doors for summer fun
By Rohit Lakshman Pasadena Weekly Staff Writer
With restrictions lifting daily, notable organizations are beginning to open their doors. It’s been an arduous time, but families can rest assured that there’s plenty to do in Pasadena — still.
Lanterman House Outside-In Tour 4420 Encinas Drive
With an updated safety policy, The Lanterman House has “outside-in” tours with docents of the Arts & Crafts historic house. Established in 1990, The Lanterman Historical Museum Foundation has worked hard to encourage Pasadeneans to dive into the city’s history. The tours are $3 to $5. Reserve tickets at lantermanhouse.org.
Available tour times are: • Tuesdays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. • Thursdays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. • The first and third Sundays of every month, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Gamble House Exterior Tour 4 Westmoreland Place
Like the Lanterman House, The Gamble House is open for tours of the home’s exterior. Built in 1908 for David and Mary Gamble as a retirement home, the house has been run by Pasadena since 1966. Today, it stands as a classic example of the nature-inspired Craftsman style of home, as well as a landmark of Pasadena.
Tickets are $15 and can be reserved at gamblehouse.org
Available tour times are: • Thursdays, 2 p.m., 3:15 p.m. • Sundays, 2 p.m., 3:15 p.m.
Tournament House and Wrigley Gardens 391 S. Orange Grove Boulevard
After a long hiatus, the Tournament House is offering free tours of the premises again. Surrounding the historic building are the dazzling Wrigley Gardens — 4.5 acres with 1,500 types of roses, camellias and annuals. In fact, one rose unique to Pasadena can be found in the Wrigley Gardens, a pink rose resistant to black spots, so look carefully. Reservations are not required, but The Pasadena Tournament of Roses asks that participants arrive 10 minutes before the starting time:
Old Pasadena commUNITY Dining Big Bang Theory Way
With indoor dining restricted in California, the city of Pasadena has stepped in to make sure that guests still have places to congregate for food. On Big Bang Theory Way, look for the orange umbrellas to eat at tables that are socially distanced and sanitized often. Open for service nearly all day, these tables provide a place for customers to enjoy the food of almost 200 different restaurants, all while on one of Pasadena’s signature streets. With atmospheric lighting hung along each side of Big Bang Theory Way, plus dozens of wonderful restaurants to choose from, commUNITY dining is a perfect way to spend time in this part of the city.
Available time to dine are: • 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Summer Art Classes at The Armory 145 N. Raymond Avenue
The Armory is back. With an array of summer classes for adults, teens and children, The Armory is back to business as usual, lifting the creative spirits of area residents. For adults, the Armory offers a standard array of introductory classes, but for the more experienced amateur painter, classes such as “Exploring the Cyanotype Process: Blue and White Cameraless Photography” as well as “Latin American Art and Portraiture by Women Artists” provide interesting dives into specific visual arts. For teens and children, an array of visual arts as well as creative writing classes are available during the months June through August. Lastly, some classes are available for whole family, such as “Art for Two: Painting Stories,” which incorporates common household items like Q-tips, salt, straws and tape into the curriculum.
Times and prices may vary, information on enrollment can be found at armoryarts.org.
FilmWeek & Chill: “Airplane!” Virtual Event
Despite restrictions, FilmWeek with KPCC continues. On June 3, FilmWeek’s cinematic comedy masterpiece of choice is the 1980 parody film “Airplane!” Like a virtual book club, Larry Mantle invites guests to watch “Airplane!,” then join him and a panel including co-directors of the film and film critics for a discussion. With pay-what-youwant tickets, a panel of qualified guests, and a hilarious film to pick apart, there is no reason not to join fellow KPCC listeners in a discussion of one of the 1980s’ funniest movies.
Info: https://bit.ly/3hxB7Ll
The Bunny Museum 2605 Lake Avenue
Since 1998, one of Altadena’s best and strangest museums has been showing guests the beautiful and off-putting beauty of bunnies. This wonderful little museum has more than 40,000 bunny objects, and all of them are on display. The mission statement of the Bunny Museum can be found on its website, “Bunnies aren’t just special for Easter. Bunnies are a part of our everyday lives from literature to film to advertising to slang.” Along with the floor-to-ceiling presentation of the bunny items, there are items for sale in the Hop and Stop gift shop, and for intrepid explorers 13 or older, the Chamber of Hop Horrors awaits, a walk through exhibition of the abuse bunnies have experienced throughout time. Open for business at 50% capacity, The Bunny Museum offers an interesting and unique experience for museumgoers looking for an unorthodox but fascinating experience.
Tickets are available at the door, with adult tickets being $12, seniors and military being $10, children five and older being $8, and children younger than five are free.
Pacific Asia Museum 46 N. Robles Avenue
For most of the quarantine, the Pacific Asia Museum had its doors closed. However, to celebrate its 50th anniversary, its doors are bursting open with a summer full of new exhibitions. Along with its vast art collection, the museum is housing new exhibitions. First, Nick Dong presents a sorrowful tribute to the lives lost to COVID-19 and the increased hatred toward Asian-Americans during the pandemic. Through the medium of Buddhist traditions, Dong presents to museumgoers “Divine Immersion,” a collection of art meant to heal after such a long and difficult year. Then, diving further back into the annals of Asian history, the museum presents “Crossroads: Exploring the Silk Road,” an exhibit focusing on the legendary trade route and in particular, Dunhuang, an important point of cultural diffusion between hundreds of traditions. Beginning May 29, art lovers can once again return to one of the most dazzling museums in the city.
The Norton Simon Museum 411 W. Colorado Boulevard
Like the Pacific Asia Museum, The Norton Simon is finally opening its doors after a long period of quarantine. The Norton Simon is one for those who appreciate fine art, and with two year-long exhibitions, there is a lot happening with the newly reopened museum. In the museum’s collection of impressionist art from the 19th century, a new piece is on loan from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art: Paul Gaugain’s 1888 painting “The Swineherd.” As well as that, an exciting exhibition of abstract photography is available for perusal by museumgoers in “Beyond the World We Know: Abstraction in Photography.” Tickets can be purchased at nortonsimon.org.
Kidspace Children’s Museum 480 N. Arroyo Boulevard
The Kidspace Children’s Museum is a family-friendly museum experience that aims to engage Pasadena’s kids in fun creative activities. It is truly a perfect time for the Kidspace Children’s Museum to reopen—just in time for butterfly season. Every summer for the past 25 years, the museum has opened a 3.5-acre outdoor campus to the public. From trike courses to caterpillar hunts, Butterfly Season is a fun time for any curious kid. The museum offers hours of entertainment, from crawling around in a giant hawk’s nest to rockets and giant levers. For tickets, visit kidspacemuseum.org.
Coffee and Plants patio dining in the One Colorado Courtyard.
What’s going on… Only in Old Pasadena
By Janet Swartz Director of Marketing & Events
Old Pasadena is open. For those who haven’t visited in a while, there are many new options for outdoor dining, including street, sidewalk and even the commUNITY Dining area on Big Bang Theory Way.
Old Pasadena has provided picnic tables for guests to eat under the umbrellas during the day or enjoy the café-lighting in the evening. Diners will be surprised by the new restaurants that have opened recently. Old Pasadena is a truly culinary destination offering a range of experiences from fast-casual to chef-driven, and from international cuisine to local favorites.
One Colorado’s Food District added Naughty Vegan Panda and Tacos 1986 to its Union Street row of grab-and-go options. Critically acclaimed Union Restaurant recently expanded with U Street Pizza next door, offering authentic New York pies.
Upscale Japanese kitchen Kaviar Sushi Bar joined the Raymond Avenue restaurant row. Nearby, Bodegon No. 69 opened with an authentic Peruvian menu, and Chakra Indian Kitchen reviewers rave about its genuine flavors.
Check out Delight Pastry for European-style desserts and baked goods. With its health-conscious menu of delicious bowls and juices, Brazilian Acai Bowls & Juice Bar rounds things out on Holly Street.
Most recently, Jake’s Trustworthy Burgers & Beer returns to the iconic location on Colorado Boulevard, where, in 1947, Jake’s appeared serving its classic double-patty Angus burger. The new menu includes the classic burger as well as Trustworthy craft beer on tap. Also on Colorado Boulevard, Noodle St. brings its traditional Chinese noodles, all hand-pulled in varying shapes and textures for a variety of dishes.
Coming later this summer, the much-anticipated Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery will open on Green Street. The lovingly designed space includes a fine cheese store, as well as a market café featuring wood-fired hearth cooking and an open kitchen. A large patio dappled in greenery is the perfect spot for Sunday brunch.
Old Pasadena is home to more than 100 restaurants, and we are so pleased to welcome these new additions to the roster. See the complete directory at oldpasadena.org.
Personal trainers at The Exercise Coach help customers navigate their workouts with the AI-enabled machines.
The Exercise The Exercise Coach, a national fitness chain that combines AI-driven equipment and personal training, opened its first franchise in San Marino May 5. The location brings the brand’s signature 20-minute workouts to the area as part of the brand’s push to enter the West Coast market. The Exercise Coach’s workout regimen aims to provide a more efficient and personalized workout than traditional gyms. When customers make their first appointment, they are taken around the studio to perform a series of benchmark tests on
Coach computerized workout machines. These machines register a user’s baseline. According to Peter Young, owner of the San Marino franchise, the equipment processes the client’s data and establishes a profile for the user. After finding an optimal resistance, users then build their strength while not overextending their muscles or range of motion. Alongside visual feedback on the expands to machine’s screens, this means during biweekly 20-minute workout sessions, customers can be confident they won’t injure themselves or find their fitness progress stagnating. “It’s very straightforward,” Young said. “If you think about it, it’s simple, but it’s tremendously powerful. It combines all the latest high-tech features with some artificial intelligence. Some people are overwhelmed or intimidated by the equipment in San Marino a regular gym. Here, people just need to come and give their best effort.” A personal trainer guides customers through the session. These trainers can make further adjustments based on users’ individual concerns, be it previous injuries, new goals or general preferences. The trainers provide a personal touch in a studio full of large, austere screen-laden machines. “The progression becomes much more linear and consistent rather than you not
By Andrew Checchia Pasadena Weekly Contributing Writer CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
Even with the distance necessary for the one-on-one training, The Exercise Coach’s new San Marino location took extra precautions to ensure COVID-19 safety, like a newly outfitted HVAC system.
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knowing,” Young said. “With the screens and getting that instantaneous feedback, it’s motivating. People like to know where they are. They can make adjustments based on the targets that are set for them so they can get the maximum results. That adds to the whole efficiency profile.”
Efficiency is the name of the game, especially as the Exercise Coach enters an extremely competitive LA market. Young hopes the combination of personal attention and new technology will help his franchise stand out against competitors like Orangetheory Fitness. He remains confident about the brand’s California expansion and plans to open other franchises, with concrete plans for at least one more in Studio City.
Young, who has spent years in the business world, most recently sold a manufacturing company he worked with for 17 years. He took it from local to national.
Thinking about making a difference in the surrounding community, Young also stressed the new location’s COVID-19 safety precautions — even as LA moves closer to an end on its pandemic restrictions.
He stressed the studio’s high ceilings, space for distancing and renovated HVAC system, replete with brand new filtration. The measures are meant to give people confidence as they emerge from pandemic isolation, given many haven’t worked out in a public setting for over a year. That confidence may be especially important to The Exercise Coach’s older demographic, which generally services 40- to 80-year-old professionals. But the studio’s conscious efforts and the limited number of customers in the same place at the same time made Young’s COVID-19-proofing job a matter of principle as much as precaution.
“I made a number of decisions when I was looking at real estate. I wanted to have enough space and enough volume where there was no sense of close or closeness,” Young said.
With safety measures in place and restrictions laxed, Young hopes to introduce the Pasadena-area to this new form of personalized, machine-driven workouts. To do so, the studio is running a promotion now through June 19 for two complimentary, obligation-free promotional sessions to give interested customers a chance to get a feel for The Exercise Coach’s alternative workout program.
“All we ask is that you show up with a little bit of curiosity and a desire to improve your fitness,” Young said.
