Times are hard, and doing business anywhere is a challenge, but as far as Old Pasadena is concerned, the rumors of the economy getting better seem to be true.  Like anywhere else, to take full advantage of that, you not only have to work harder, you have to work smarter and in Old Pas, we also work together.  Cooperation is what gave Old Pasadena its start in the late ’80s, and it’s what is keeping us ahead of the curve today.

This was a very good holiday season for our 21-block district.  Even though we don’t have all the figures in from all the stores, we can see that our garages were consistently at full capacity, unique visitors to our web site nearly doubled from last year, and merchants have come to us with thanks and stories.

Lula Mae on Fair Oaks Avenue

Marci Christensen, proprietor of Lula Mae, an award-winning Old Pasadena gift boutique saw a dramatic increase in profits over last year.  She is not only a smart merchant but also an active marketer.  Since OPMD research had predicted that virtually all our customers would be spending less, she changed her product line to take full advantage the situation.  To attract more customers, she participated in all our holiday events beginning with the Halloween Trick-or-Treat weekend.  To maximize her visibility with limited ad funds, she developed a website and blog as fun and quirky as her store.  She linked it to the OPMD site, offered on-line coupons from both sites, then gave the coupon discount to all her customers, whether they knew about them or not.  “I see the look in their eyes when they get the added discount.  I know they’ll visit my site now, and they’ll come back to the store.”

Crowned Studio on Green Street

Andrea Auman, owner of the Crowned Studio Salon not only experienced a 35% increase in business, she did it overcoming an additional challenge.  In the middle of the worst recession in anyone’s memory, she decided to move and start up her business all over again.  “It was the best possible timing as far as I was concerned,” she remarks.  “I knew my best customers would follow me, and with Pasadena rents at an all time low, I knew I could find a great place in a great city.”  Andrea not only took full advantage of the OPMD web connections and events to bring in customers, she started up networking and cross-promotional events of her own.  To maximize her electronic presence Andrea links to her partners and fellow merchants from her home page and maintains FacebookTwitter accounts and a blog.

As diverse, and sometimes eccentric, as the merchants of Old Pasadena are, all of our success stories share this aspect of working harder, working smarter and working together.  No magic potions (that we know of), no lucky Leprechauns, and no behind-the-scenes buyouts or bailouts have been employed to give us the upper hand.  Just good research, good marketing and good business.  The Old Pasadena Management District is proud to be the hub of this activity, and is working hard to keep giving our merchants and business owners ahead of the game.

As part of our Holiday Celebration which kicked off the holiday shopping season on Friday, November 27, we initiated our $1,000 Shopping Spree Sweepstakes for shoppers spending $50 or more in Old Pasadena. We received hundreds of entrees from local and visiting shoppers. An entry was awarded to every $50 spent over that weekend; so many people had several opportunities to win.

The opportunity drawing was held in our offices on Tuesday, December 1st and the winner of the $1,000 shopping spree giveaway was Lynn of Pasadena. When she received the news, Lynn explained that she and her husband ended up in Old Pasadena “on a fluke” Sunday afternoon to make a return at Crate & Barrel. They couldn’t resist making a few purchases and while shopping in Scarpa d’Oro were informed of the sweepstakes. Lynn said that she never won anything before so she was thrilled to win $1,000. She chose to spend her winnings at Scarpa d’Oro (in appreciation of their role in her sweepstakes participation), Lula Mae, Crate & Barrel, and Abercrombie & Fitch. Our warmest congratulations to Lynn!

Interesting Headline

From the Pasadena Star-News: Jennifer Jones Simon, Academy Award-winning actress who transformed the Norton Simon Museum, dies.

Until my boss Steve Mulheim pointed this out, I was unaware (as some of you may be) that Jennifer Jones was married to Norton Simon.  She is credited with bringing Frank Gehry on for the completion of the $3 million renovation of the Norton Simon Museum and with instituting a lending program to local arts institutions, including the Armory Center.  You can read her entire obituary here.

The Shops on Holly

Old Pasadena’s Holly Street, known for its unique independent boutiques and restaurants has been officially donned “The Shops on Holly.”  Signage has been installed on the brick building above where the delightful Lula Mae store is located.  I am told by property owner Jim Plotkin that soon to follow is a retro-styled clock installed at the corner of Holly Street and Fair Oaks Avenue.  We will follow up with a picture and more details when it is installed sometime within the next few weeks. To quote Pasadena Now: The street is perfect for shoppers seeking something different, a great foil to the chain stores on Colorado Blvd.

Holiday Spirit

I took a few photos of some holiday décor that caught my eye recently.  While checking on the new signage on Holly Street, I took a picture of the vintage Santa Claus and decorations in the always charming windows of Lula Mae at 100 N. Fair Oaks Avenue.  Along Colorado Blvd., I also found the ubiquitous blue boxes in front of Tiffany’s gorgeous art deco doors to be very stylish decked out with matching live Christmas trees (posted above).  Of course, these are only two examples of the wonderful holiday spirit that abounds in Old Pasadena.

Our wonderful Old Pasadena Holiday Celebration kicks off this Friday, November 27 with Santa’s Arrival and Tree Lighting in One Colorado Courtyard.  Saturday and Sunday, more than 50 merchants and restaurants are participating in our Holiday Open House by offering special in-store promotions, treats and events. Every $50 you spend in Old Pasadena on Saturday and Sunday qualifies you to enter our drawing for a $1,000 Old Pasadena shopping spree.  More details here.

To prepare for the festivities, we have been working hard to “set the stage” in Old Pasadena.  Last week Anna Addis, our VP of Operations, stayed up all night long to oversee the annual installation of the Reindeer Decorations, which are placed on four rooftops in Old Pasadena via cranes and careful maneuvering.  This is done in the wee hours of the morning so as not to disturb the regular traffic flow.

Then Barton Designs installs the spotlights to highlight our reindeer friends in their perches above the hustle and bustle of Colorado Boulevard.  They also install projected lighting (“gobos”) of snowflakes and other holiday themes to cascade along the sides of Old Pasadena buildings and alley walkways.  This year we’ve added more locations around the intersection of Fair Oaks Avenue and Colorado Blvd.  Locations include Pottery Barn, Louise’s Trattoria, Crate and Barrel, Distant Lands, Schoolhouse Parking Garage, and several alley walkways.  So, look for them when you visit us.

Dekra-lite, another team of specialists, installs the  lit snowflake falls on the streetlights to round out the holiday decor.  Last year they installed the lighting on the glorious Ficus trees of Green Street.  It was such a success with residents, merchants, and visitors alike, that we decided to leave the lighting up year round.  Don’t miss this great evening photo op.

To top things off, this year we added almost 150 poinsettias to our landscaping around the parking garages and alley walkways.  We’ve even switched out the music on the alleys to light holiday fare… so don’t miss the celebration this upcoming weekend.  We are ready for the holidays to begin.