Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Pasadena

Help me plan a fun solo Thanksgiving

Xere — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:49:03 -0800

Kinda excited at the prospect of my first Thanksgiving alone. Where can a twentysomething girl go, or do, for Thanksgiving - both day and night? I'm in the Los Angeles/Pasadena area. Previous similar question, and I've taken all answers to heart. But mine has a twist: I can't stay in. Staying in is not an option, I have to get out of the house. My live-in landlords are having their family Thanksgiving. Yes, I am invited, but I have no wish to participate. This is because of their current family feud, which will doubtlessly implode over Thanksgiving dinner. I do not wish to be there for the carnage and awkwardness. I don't even want to stay in my room while they bash it out over the dinner table.

So I would like to experience a lovely solo Thanksgiving. What can I do? Surely there must be something. So far, my morning options consist of either exploring the Santa Anita Canyon, or the hiking trails around Pasadena's Rose Bowl or Eaton Canyon. Any other options? Nightlife? Bars?

I have too much garbage!

onich — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:08:36 -0800

Please recommend how I can get rid of trash in Pasadena, CA. I just moved to Pasadena, CA. Between the trash that the previous occupant left and the crap that I've cleaned (yard waste and junk) that I need to get rid of, I have an unmanageable garbage to deal with after considering the stuff that I can recycle.

Am I allowed to just leave all of this garbage in the curb and the collectors will pick it up?

Are there trash collection services that you can recommend that can pick up the garbage? How much do they normally cost.

Nothing in my pile will be other people's "treasure" because it's mostly yard waste and a few construction debris.

Thank you.

Pasadena? Huh?

supercoollady — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:44:48 -0800

I'm vaguely thinking of applying for a job in Pasadena, CA, and never having been to southern California I have no idea what it's like, culturally OR geographically. Also (and I know this is an easy question but not knowing the geography over there I'm not getting a good sense from looking online) how far is it from nice beach, mountains, outdoor area, and what's the cost of living like in the area? Do people typically live in houses or apartments? I'd look for a pretty short commute, and ideally something that's not too too far from the beach. I know, I'm clueless, but any thoughts?

FYI: I'm a woman in my mid-30s, married, and we have a dog. We like doing stuff outdoors but we're not hard-core mountain bikers, hikers, or swimmers...we just like to meander about. I currently live in New York and in the past have lived in Boston, Chicago and Ann Arbor, Mich (for context). I'm part of the liberal elite, work in non-profit media, am a vegetarian, and don't like Starbuck's coffee. So there you go.

Local Bike Shops in Pasadena, CA

onich — Sun, 24 May 2009 18:44:32 -0800

Please recommend a bike shop near Pasadena, CA I'll be moving to Pasadena, CA and the commute to work will be about 7 miles in local roads. AskMe has convinced me to buy a bike and commute to work so my question is: Where do I go to buy a bike? I'd like to go to find a local bike shop so that I can pick someone's brain about which bike to buy. I'd appreciate recommendations of knowledgeable staff, decent prices and a good selection of bikes and parts.

I'll also appreciate it if you can also get me started with a few questions to ask. I really have no idea of what I'm looking for in a bike.

Aside from work, there will be hiking/biking trails near where I'll live so I'd like to be able use the bike for both.

I'll appreciate bike and bike trail recommendations as well. It's going to be my first bike since I was a child.

If it's relevant, I'm not in great shape, but hopefully, biking to work will help.

Thanks in advance, folks.

Need a quiet place to write

Nattie — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:18:49 -0800

Deserted places to write near Arcadia, CA or Pasadena, CA? I recently moved to Arcadia, CA with my fiance for his work. I need a quiet, calm place I can go during the day to write. Anything in Arcadia, Pasadena, or the surrounding areas is convenient.

What I'm Looking For:
- As much quiet as possible.
- As few other people as possible.
- Places that have ways to block things from my peripheral vision is a plus, because this is very distracting to me. For example, I used to write at a library that had those cubby style desks facing a wall and that was great. Places where the desks/tables are not in a big open area, and are instead along the walls in secluded places, are great.
- A place to plug in a laptop is a big plus, but I can get by without it. I don't need internet access or even want it; it's too distracting.
- Somewhere pretty safe, or otherwise I'll feel paranoid the whole time. (Stupid, yes, but true.) I'm a relatively defenseless young female, and I've had a few close calls with being abducted so I can't help but prioritize this.

What I'm Not Looking For:
- Places that are crowded.
- Places that are noisy.
- Places that serve food or drinks; I don't want food, I don't want to smell food, I don't want to worry about paying for something to be able to stay, etc.
- I would rather not have to pay for anything.

Places I have already ruled out:
- The Arcadia Public Library is too noisy and crowded. Lots of people walking around and talking, so it felt more like a book store.
- The Hastings branch and La Pintoresca branch of the Pasadena Public Library aren't terrible, but they don't have secluded places to work. If I find nothing else I will have to settle, but I'd rather look at all my options first.
- Home. We are subletting a rather small apartment and my parrots are too loud and attention-hungry for me to focus. Home is generally too distracting anyway.

The hours of the place aren't crucial as long as they're mostly open during the day. I will be there from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, but I don't care if I have to move outside for a few hours in the beginning or end.

I've been focusing on libraries, but only because I'm used to writing in them and it's harder to Google general public areas that might work well. Thank you for any suggestions!

CPA in Pasadena?

charlesv — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:06:26 -0800

Can you recommend a good CPA in Pasadena? My wife and I are looking for a reputable, honest, reasonably priced CPA in Pasadena, California to do our state and federal income taxes for this year. They are only a bit more complex than the average return, involving multiple states and multiple investment accounts and trusts.

Normally I would not make this kind of super-specific post, but the CPA that I was planning to use canceled on me today because he is not familiar with tax practices in some of the states where I need to file.

Mom-friendly massage in LA?

dreamyshade — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 11:34:23 -0800

Los Angeles-filter: What's a nice, casual massage place near Eagle Rock/Pasadena? We'd like to get a gift certificate for mom, but she wouldn't feel comfortable at some fancy West LA spa, and the budget is around $40. What's your favorite neighborhood massage place in reasonable driving distance from Eagle Rock/Pasadena? (There are similar questions, but I didn't see one about this area.)

What should I do in Pasadena?

eviltiff — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 11:37:40 -0800

What should I do in Pasadena? I'll be in Pasadena, CA for about a week in mid-August. I will be attending a conference there, so my days will be booked. But what is there to do in or around Pasadena after 5:00 pm? I like the outdoors, food, music, and cultural events and my tastes run more to the adventurous side than the conservative.

(P.S. I have been to L.A. and Hollywood and am not fond of either. Amusement parks, i.e. Knotts Berry Farm, are a no-no, as well.)

Traveling from Tuscon to Pasadena

andrew cooke — Tue, 10 Aug 2004 08:09:36 -0800

i have a meeting in tucson, az, until friday 6pm, 22 oct. i need to be in pasadena, ca, by 9am next sunday (24th), so have the saturday free. i like travelling by bus/coach during the day (staring out of the window calms me ;o), but geyhound schedules seem to be overnight for tucson-pasadena. is there somewhere i could get to from tucson on friday evening, stay in a hotel there, and travel on to pasadena next day? i could fly, but would prefer to see something on the way, don't drive and know nothing about america... any other solutions? thanks.