Old Pasadena Blog

Holly Street Clock and the Shops on Holly signage

A stately vintage-style corner clock has taken its proud perch at the corner of Holly Street and Fair Oaks Avenue to anchor what property owner, Jim Plotkin, has christened “The Shops on Holly”. Jim conceived of this project about a year ago and has been working diligently with historians, design experts, and city officials to design, manufacture and install an authentically styled clock to crown the unique independent mix of stores and restaurants that line Holly Street.

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by Tony Nino, Pasadena Advertising owner
Old Pasadena Management District – Chairman of the Board of Directors

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.

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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.

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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.

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Jim Plotkin - Old Pasadena stakeholder

Jim Plotkin has made a significant investment in Old Pasadena and is as committed as anyone to keeping the District vital and competitive, particularly in this tough economy.  Jim started out in retail in 1964 as the owner of the Pasadena Vacuum and Sewing Company located in the Stanton Building at 80 East Colorado Blvd.  He purchased the building and then refurbished the property in 1972.  The Stanton Building is now the home of the Sprint store.

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