Lamanda Park, Pasadena, CA

Lamanda Park is the working east side of Pasadena, a stretch of warehouses, lumber yards and small shops along East Colorado Boulevard that feels nothing like the city's historic districts. Rose's Sunny Slope Ranch, where vineyards and wineries ran until Prohibition, and some of the street names still nod to the grapes. Most homes here were built in the late 1950s or later. They sit on side streets behind the commercial frontage, and factories and yards are close neighbors, so a quiet block can end at a loading area. The wine history has a small echo today. Wild Parrot Brewing on East Colorado runs a taproom with Czech lagers, IPAs and sours, a pretzel and bratwurst menu, and a beer garden where leashed dogs are welcome. Rosebud Coffee shares its address, which makes it the easy morning stop. Eaton Blanche Park on Del Mar Boulevard is the main green space, and the Eaton Wash runs along the eastern side. It's a neighborhood where people walk to lunch more than to a trail, and the bigger outdoor spaces are a short drive north. Errands are simple. Vons is on East Colorado, Smart & Final is farther east, and the Sierra Madre Villa station on the Metro A Line sits at the east end with a parking structure on Halstead Street. Metro, Pasadena Transit and Foothill Transit buses all cross the area. The tradeoff is plain. This is not a leafy district, and trucks, traffic and industrial work are part of the daily sound. In exchange, Lamanda Park puts a brewery, a supermarket and a train platform close to most front doors.