Dog walk bag dispenser on Green Street

Picking up after our four legged friends is part of being a responsible pet owner. In addition, the Pasadena Municipal Code requires that you clean up after your dog within five minutes, whether your pooch leaves their “business” on public or private property. So as a service to our residents and visitors, Old Pasadena Management District has installed dispensers, throughout the District, which provide pet owners with (biodegradable) bags to retrieve and dispose of pet droppings. These dispensers can be found at the following locations:

• 50 East Green Street (Castle Green Hotel)
• 33 West Green Street (Aaardvark’s Odd Ark)
• 67 West Dayton Avenue
• North Side of Dayton Avenue (Condo Complex)
• South Side of Green Street (Westgate - Sares-Regis Project)
• 54 South Pasadena Avenue (Harmony Nails)

Please be a good neighbor, obey the law and pick up after your pets. Thank you.

Posted by: Anna Addis, Vice President of Operations

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

Several examples of the great efforts that the Pasadena Police Department puts forth follow:

Nixle – A Community Information Service
by Anna Addis, OPMD Vice President of Operations

After meeting with our friends at Pasadena Police Dept. the other day, they told us about a very useful and free website called Nixle that you may want to try. Nixle is a community information service that helps you stay connected to the information that matters to you and is keyed to your physical location. You can stay connected to your local police department, your children’s schools, sports and club teams, local community agencies and organizations and get information about each instantly. Nixle provides you with information immediately on your cell phone via text messages, by email and over the web. Your account can be customized so you only receive the information that matters to you most.

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We recently received the February newsletter from the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and found a piece written by Paul Little, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, to be particularly timely and very pertinent to the businesses of Old Pasadena.  Paul Little is on the Planning Division Committee, so he is well informed as to the importance of this revision.  Old Pasadena Management District urges the business and property owners and management to participate in the revision process to ensure that your interests and concerns are represented and addressed in the updated General Plan.  Paul says it well… here is the complete article.

Pasadena General Plan Revision Requires Attention of Business Community

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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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On Friday, January 1, 2010 at 8:00am, millions of spectators around the world celebrated the New Year with the 121st Rose Parade, themed 2010: A Cut above the Rest. With nearly a half mile of the 5.5-mile parade route and the greatest concentration of spectators along the route running through the heart of Old Pasadena, the volume of trash left behind is enormous. Yet before noon on New Year’s Day, less than two hours after the last float passed through Old Pasadena, the District was completely clean. With a team of less than 20 people, Anna Addis, VP of Operations for Old Pasadena Management District (OPMD) had the streets and sidewalks spic and span. By noon, merchants were able to open for business without their patrons having to step over trash and debris.

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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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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.

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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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