Just 15 miles from downtown Los Angeles, Pasadena is the iconic town from “The Graduate.” Home to the Rose Bowl and the preceding parade held on New Year’s Day, the compact city is full of history, culture and plenty of places to shop, eat and drink.
The Gold Line light rail makes it easy to get around without a car, but don’t forget your coffee as you park and ride around. If your travel mug needs a refill, stop at a coffee shop in any of the best Pasadena neighborhoods for coffee lovers. They’ve got a lot more to offer than just coffee but will keep you caffeinated as you explore.
5. Playhouse District
Source: Facebook/Urth.Caffe
Combining finance and theater, Pasadena’s Playhouse District is both the premier entertainment area of town and the headquarters of Community Bank. Seems like a weird mix, but the neighborhood is full of public art and independent businesses. Visit an actual record store, art gallery and bookstore all without traveling too far.
Make sure to bring along a coffee from Urth Caffe, a popular local chain. Serving breakfast, lunch and pastries, they have espresso drinks inspired by Italy and Spain. For those wanting to mix work, fun and coffee in a single neighborhood, the average rent in this area is $2,931 per month.
Apartments for rent in the Playhouse District
4. Grant Park
Source: Facebook/PhilzCoffee
A short distance from the California Institute of Technology sits Grant Park. Named for the actual park, Grant Park is a great fit for everyone with tennis and basketball courts, softball diamonds, horseshoe pits and areas to spread out for a picnic. The surrounding area has a lot of restaurants ranging from French to Argentinian to Italian.
Sample some California cuisine after a long day outside, but kick things off with a cup of coffee at Philz Coffee. This laid-back, local chain offers three different blends of coffee, as well as a variety of teas.
Apartments for rent in Grant Park
3. Raymond Hill
Source: Facebook/JonesCoffeeRoasters
Once the site of the city’s most luxurious neighborhoods, the most surprising thing about Raymond Hill is its size. It’s big and charming, with a lot of multi-family homes from the 1940s and 1950s. Enjoy a walk up the hill to explore the neighborhood, but take care to watch out for cars driving by. There are no sidewalks.
Carry a coffee with you from Jones Coffee Roasters to keep your energy up. The funky design of their coffee shop also makes it a special place to visit.
Apartments for rent in Raymond Hill
2. Old Pasadena
Source: Facebook/Cafe86Official
Often referred to as Old Town, Old Pasadena is the original commercial center of the city. Spanning 22 blocks, it offers shopping, dining and entertainment for all ages. This pedestrian-friendly area of town will keep you busy for hours.
Take a coffee break, and grab some Filipino food at Café 86. In addition to espresso drinks, you can whet your whistle with milk teas and milkshakes.
Apartments for rent in Old Pasadena
1. Pasadena Civic Center District
Source: Facebook/CopaVida
Containing City Hall, the Central Library and the Civic Center, this district is a busy place. Another heavily historic area, the Pasadena Civic Center District has amazing architecture that tells the story of how Pasadena grew.
A lengthy tea menu and variety of espresso drinks make Copa Vida a great place to stop in when in the area. Try a cortado from their hot pressure drinks or an iced freddo on the cold side.
Apartments for rent in the Pasadena Civic Center District
The best neighborhoods in Pasadena for coffee lovers
Taking pride in preserving the history of their town, Pasadena is a great place to see a lot while enjoying a nice cup of coffee. No matter which neighborhood you’re in, make sure to keep a lookout for that old, restored architecture.
If you like sipping java in a city with history, check out the other cities that topped the list for coffee lovers. Which ones have you visited?
Methodology
To determine the best neighborhoods for coffee in Pasadena, we scored every neighborhood on Apartment Guide by business density (coffee shops divided by land area) and coffee shops per capita (coffee shops divided by population). Each score was weighted at 50 percent and combined to come up with an overall coffee score for each neighborhood. The neighborhoods with the highest combined score were determined to be the best neighborhoods for coffee in our quantitative study.
Neighborhoods with fewer than two coffee shops and 500 residents were excluded.
Coffee shop totals come from commercially licensed business listings and my not reflect recent openings or closures. Population and area come from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Rent prices are based on a rolling weighted average from Apartment Guide and Rent.com’s multifamily rental property inventory from June 2019 to June 2020. We use a weighted average formula that more accurately represents price availability for each individual unit type and reduces the influence of seasonality on rent prices in specific markets.
The rent information included in this article is used for illustrative purposes only. The data contained herein do not constitute financial advice or a pricing guarantee for any apartment.
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