North Pasadena Heights, Pasadena, CA

North Pasadena Heights sits just above the 210 Freeway in northeast Pasadena, a landmark district since 2006 that stretches from Paloma Street up to Whitefield Road between Hill and Allen avenues. Lot sizes and house styles change from block to block instead of repeating a single bungalow pattern. The largest homes line Mountain Street and Casa Grande Street, both unusually wide, which gives those blocks a roomier feel than the side streets. Elsewhere the houses are smaller early 20th century homes on lots of varying size, and the landmark designation keeps that mix from being rebuilt into something uniform. Jefferson Park on Villa Street is the neighborhood's green space, and it is the site of a city stormwater capture project. Most daily walking happens on the wide streets themselves, which are easy to cover on foot. Food is close without being inside the boundaries. East Washington Boulevard, just north, has Bloomfield Creamery, a family shop that makes its own ice cream in flavors like pistachio saffron and ube coconut. For coffee, Jameson Brown Coffee Roasters roasts its own beans a short drive south on Allen. Errands run up Allen Avenue to the Stater Bros. near Washington, or down to the shops along Colorado Boulevard. The Metro A Line stop at Allen Avenue is just across the freeway, which makes a car-free trip to Old Pasadena or downtown Los Angeles realistic. Along the widest streets of North Pasadena Heights the extra street width changes how a walk feels, with room to spread out and houses set well apart from one another.