Beverly Hills Charm at Small Town Prices

This could be a day trip or an overnight trip for L.A., Orange, and Riverside county residents. However for those travelers living close, an overnight stay still lends itself to a less hectic and more enjoyable stay at the traveler's leisure. We discovered the charm of the much bally-hooed Beverly Hills in a small town called Arcadia.

Quick Tips:

If your destination happens to be Pasadena rather than Arcadia, I still recommend staying in Arcadia then driving into Pasadena. Pasadena hotels tend to be crowded and more expensive than neighboring cities. Its a quick 6 mile trek from Arcadia into Old Town Pasadena where the hub of activity is.

Best Way To Get Around:

Car is the preferred method of getting around especially if staying in neighboring cities, however once there, walking is the best way to expereince the splendor of Old Town Pasadena. be sure to bring a good pair of walking shoes if you plan to do street walking and shopping along Colorado Boulevard, which is a good one mile stretch both sides of the Blvd.

The Hampton Inn, Arcadia is located in northeastern Los Angeles, just minutes from Pasadena. Restaurants and shopping are within walking distance. The location allows easy access to all area attractions, such as Santa Anita Race Track, Universal Studios, Old Town Pasadena and the Rose Bowl/Parade. The hotel itself is very new with excellent facilities including a pool, exercise facilities, laundry/valet service, and even a refrigerator in our room.

This was one of the best Sushi bars we've experienced yet. The atmosphere is intentionally dark and rustic to give it a romantic flare, with many tables to sit at in the event the sushi bar is not your cup of tea. Nevertheless, this sushi bar actually had the fatty tuna I have been looking for that most sushi bars never serve. Prices were reasonable considering the location in Old Town pasadena and the crowds that it attracted. Try the Spider Roll as well, which is one of their specialties.

The main reason for our stay in Arcadia was to be within a short distance of Old Town Pasadena, our primary objective for the trip and secondly to experience the quaintness of the city of Arcadia, which we discovered driving through earlier in the year. Plus, I noticed prices for the same hotel chains are cheaper in Arcadia than Pasadena. The short 8-mile drive was worth the savings for us.

Old Town Pasadena mainly revolves around East Colorado Blvd in Pasadena between Hwy 19 and Hwy 710. The heart of Old Pasadena emanates from a town square surrounded by shops and restaurants. The square is a walking promenade only and highlights some of the best trendy shopping and restaurants I've ever seen. It was similar in stature to our trip to Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive. We happened to be in Old Pasadena at the right place at the right time. On that weekend the city was conducting its official Christmas tree lighting ceremony and had an appearance made from Santa Claus himself. A string band was playing Christmas music throughout the evening, culminating with the lighting ceremony later. It was a sight to see. We figured out afterwards that the tree lighting ceremony was actually in the L.A. Times Calendar of Events section of the newspaper weeks prior. By the turn out of people, I'd hold this to be a fact.

Take time out of your visit to Pasadena to stroll the one mile or so length of East Colorado Blvd, enhanced at night with the shop lighting along the street. We felt this was similar to walking Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Each block had a multitude of ritzy boutiques, perfume shops, and trendy restaurants (like famous Thai Chef Tommy Tang's on Food Network). We opted for one of many Japanese sushi bars along the strip, Sushi Roku's, which actually had the fatty tuna I was looking for (see my restaurant entry).

It was amazing at the amount of trendy restaurants within 100 Yards of the new Hampton Inn. Everything from the famous chains like Tony Romas, Souplantation Red Lobster, Outback Steakhouse, Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill and Claims Jumper to trendy California/Asian cuisine like Sesame rill and Tokyo Wako. There was even an excellent Vietnamese restaurant across the parking lot from the hotel serving exotic fare.