Pasadena without the Rose Parade

Nestled at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains in northern Los Angeles County, palm-friendly Pasadena is roughly 20 miles east of Hollywood and Universal Studios. Other than the Rose Parade, Pasadena is perhaps best known for its shopping – particularly along the main drag, Colorado Boulevard – and for its almost bewildering number and variety of restaurants. The Pasadena Civic Auditorium and Convention Center is right at the center of town and supplies many of the shoppers and diners that flood “Old” Pasadena every day. The “Old” in “Old Pasadena” refers to the many restored Art Deco buildings, dating from the first quarter or so of the 20th century, that line 22 blocks of a National Register Historic District. (Raised on the East Coast, “old” has an entirely different connotation for me – “old” is someplace George Washington slept!). If you like antiquing, there are many antique shops in and around Old Pasadena.

Quick Tips:

Public parking is abundant and affordable, so don’t be afraid to bring your car.

Best Way To Get Around:

Walk! With plenty of parking, a car is also an option.

Il Fornaio is one of a chain of Italian restaurants located in the heart of the upscale Old Pasadena shopping district. The address is W. Union Street, but it can be easily accessed from W. Colorado Boulevard via one of two chic alleyways near the corner of N. Fair Oaks Avenue. These alleyways lead to a chichi outdoor mall of boutiques, restaurants and a movie house.

Il Fornaio is a massive, bright, and modern affair that offers terrace as well as indoor dining and a full-size bar. (I overheard one of the restaurant’s maitre d’s claim that Il Fornaio routinely serves 600 people per night, and I believe it.) The food was okay and moderately priced for an Old Pasadena restaurant. Service was friendly and adequate. Dining on the terrace was a very pleasant experience, but also a bit surreal: A young woman at the table next to mine got bored waiting for the check and plopped herself on her boyfriend’s lap. They proceeded to, uh, kiss passionately. Just when things seemed to be degenerating into soft porn, their check arrived. This spectacle raised no eyebrows among the other diners or the waiters, who totally ignored the developing situation. Call me a prude, but if I wanted porn with my ravioli, I would have stopped at Le Sex Shoppe first (conveniently located on E. Colorado Boulevard!).

The Norton Simon is a gem of a museum at the edge of Old Pasadena, right off the Ventura Freeway (Route 134). It’s not the Uffizi, but the L.A. Times claims (rightly so) that the Norton Simon Museum has the "greatest painting collection in the Western United States." The van Goghs alone will take your breath away – don’t miss "Portrait of a Peasant (Patience Escalier)" and "The Mulberry Tree." Check out van Gogh’s disturbing portrait of his mother, painted from a photo after her death. (The only ear showing is devoid of detail and looks unfinished.) Like Degas, especially his dancers? There are over 100 works, including many bronzes.

The artwork in the museum’s Upper (main) Level spans 7 centuries, from the 14th through the 20th. There are true masterpieces by Henri Rousseau ("Exotic Landscape"), Modigliani ("Portrait of the Artist’s Wife", "Jeanne Hebuterne") Picasso, Cezanne, Gauguin: the list goes on and on. Rembrandt and other Dutch masters are also represented (the floral "vanitas" still-lifes by de Heem, Brueghel, and Bosschaert are stunning).

There are also other "lesser-known" artists who have unforgettable works here: Check out "Self-Portrait" by Marie-Genevieve Bouliar, "Landscape with Ruins and Animals" by Roelandt Savery, "Vase of Lilacs, Roses and Tulips," and "Cliffs at Etretat, La Porte D’Aval" by Gustave Courbet. If you are a dog lover, don’t miss Il Guercino’s portrait of "The Aldrovandi Dog."

I’m naming the really good pieces because the museum does show some art that is boring or second-rate and, frankly, not worth looking at. However, considering the excellence of so many other art works in the Norton Simon collection, showing the "duds" is a venial sin at best.

The museum also has a Sculpture Garden and a South Asian collection that I wasn’t able to visit (just ran out of time). Fortunately, I didn’t miss the larger-than-life Rodin bronzes that greet visitors at the Museum’s entrance. The Norton Simon is open daily except Tuesday. Hours are noon to 6pm (they’re open late on Fridays, till 9pm). There is a well-stocked museum store that can accommodate all price ranges and ages. Bring the kids – there’s a self-guided audio tour for families and adults for only $3. The Museum provides more info at its website, www.nortonsimon.org. Phone: 626/449-6840