Vertical Wine Bistro on Raymond Avenue

Old Pasadena is home to two varieties of the Tabebuia, or Trumpet Tree as it is more commonly known.  There are approximately 100 different species of the Tabebuia, mostly from South America and other tropical locales.  Tabebuia chrysotricha , one of the many species with yellow blooms, is the national flower of Brazil, and Tabebuia rosea, with a pink bloom, is the national tree of El Salvador.  The wood from the Tabebuia tree, known as Ipê, is in high demand for furniture, particularly in the United States, and conservationists have expressed concern that Ipê wood from the Amazon rainforest continues to be harvested illegally.

De Lacey Avenue

Currently the Golden Trumpet Trees along Raymond Avenue and the Pink Trumpet Trees along Holly, Union and De Lacey Avenue are in full bloom. Although the slow arrival of Spring seems to have impacted the timing and perhaps the amount of blooms this year, the vibrant color and quantity of blossoms are still glorious and well worth a visit to see.

Here are some photographs from our archives and some recent shots of our colorful flowering trees.

POP Champagne & Dessert Bar on Union Street

Lulu Brandt in the Van der Vort Building on Raymond Avenue

Bird Pick Tea on De Lacey Avenue

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.

Neon and metal - manufacture of the new clock

The clock was designed by Hunt Design, a prestigious Pasadena firm specializing in signage and exhibit design. Synced to the official atomic clock, it will always show the exact time.  Constructed of aluminum and including neon and LED lighting, it is regally mounted on the Holly Building corner and looks east down Holly toward our City Hall, crowning Lula Mae, one of the delightful independent retailers that has seven years success at that location.

Brackets installed on the corner of the Holly Building

James Macpherson, editor of Pasadena Now, recently wrote a wonderful piece titled “A New Icon Is Born”.   Click here to read it.

Two cranes hoisted the clock into place

As Jim would like to hear everyone to say, “See you under the clock…”

Neon and LED lighting glows in the night

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.