Around TownPasadena

Before selling, homeowners often begin looking at their property as if they were about to buy it themselves.

The kitchen feels dated. The hardwood floors have scratches. The bathroom tile is no longer fashionable. Soon, the seller has a growing list of projects—and no reliable way to know which improvements buyers will actually reward.

The right question i...

Some places matter to us even when we don’t use them very often.

You may not hike Eaton Canyon every week. You may never have run around the Rose Bowl. But knowing that the mountains, trails, gardens and open spaces are there is part of having the outdoors in Greater Pasadena woven into everyday life.

For longtime residents especially, they becom...

People sometimes talk about Old Pasadena as though it arrived fully formed—the restored brick buildings, restaurants, shops, courtyards, and busy sidewalks.

It didn’t. Hem-young and I were there while it was taking shape.

I founded Dominic deFazio & Associates, and Hem-young and I worked from our Old Pasadena office during the district’s early revival....

You find a promising home, study the photographs, and then notice it has been listed for 47 days. Other homes nearby appear to be selling much faster.

The first thought is almost automatic: What is wrong with it?

Sometimes there is a problem. Sometimes there is an opportunity. And sometimes the number is far less revealing than it appears.

For bu...

The Small Rituals That Make Living in Greater Pasadena Feel Like Home

Visitors usually meet Greater Pasadena through its best-known attractions: the Rose Bowl, Huntington Gardens, major museums, historic architecture and notable restaurants. Those destinations help explain the area’s appeal.

But people considering living in Greater Pasade...