Once You Are at Caltech
Disclaimer: The information provided in this web site is for general information only. Caltech does not endorse or recommend any of the organizations mentioned on the web site. The information provided is also non-exhaustive. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Please feel free to contact us.
General Grocery Stores | Farmers Markets | Gourmet Food Stores | Fish Markets | Wines | Ethnic Foods
Pharmacies | Shopping Malls | Department Stores | Other Stores | Libraries | Restaurants | Preschool Play Groups
Children's Activities | Family Activities | Outdoor Activities
General Grocery Stores
You can find grocery products as well as medicines over-the-counter (with no medical prescription), cigarettes, magazines.
Von’s and Ralphs have also a pharmacy inside the shop to get your prescription.Vons/Pavilions
845 East California St., Pasadena (walking distance from Caltech)
355 East Colorado Blvd
1390 North Allen AvenueRalphs
160 North Lake Avenue, Pasadena (walking distance from Caltech)
3601 East Foothill Blvd., PasadenaTrader Joe's
345 S. Lake Ave, Pasadena
610 S. Arroyo Parkway, Pasadena
467 Rosemead Blvd, Pasadena
Farmers Markets
There are markets which sell fresh and organic products for a very reasonable priceAlhambra Farmer’s Market (5 miles south from Pasadena)
Monterey and East Bay State streets, Alhambra
Sunday from 8:30am to 1:00pmLa Canada Farmer’s Market (5 miles North West from Pasadena)
Foothill Blvd, across Memorial Park
Saturday from 9am to 1:00pmPasadena Victory Park Farmer’s Market
Between Sierra Madre and Paloma streets
Saturday from 8:30am to 1:00pmPasadena Villa Park Farmer’s Market
East Villa and Garfield Avenue
Tuesday from 9:30am to 1:30pmSouth Pasadena Farmer’s Market
Between Meridian and Mission streets
Thursday from 4:00pm to 8:00pm
Bristol Farm
606 Fair Oaks, South PasadenaWhole Food Market
3751 East Foothill blvd, Pasadena
1452 Raymond Avenue, PasadenaNicole Gourmet Food
Great selection of French wines and cheeses
921 Meridian avenue, South PasadenaGelsons
Paseo Colorado, Colorado Blvd, Pasadena
Pasadena Fish Market
181 East Orange Grove Blvd, Pasadena
Tel: 626-792-9233Cameron Sea Food
1978 East Colorado Blvd, PasadenaFishking
722 North Glendale Avenue, Glendale
Wines
Chronicle Wine Seller
919 East Colorado, Pasadena 91106
Tel: 626-577-2549Colorado Wine Company
2114 Colorado Blvd, Eagle Rock 90041Yellow pages for wine shops in Pasadena
Ethnic Foods
Some of these ethnic markets have no web sites; so we give the address and the telephone number; for those with a web site we direct you directly to their link.African
Yinkus African & Caribbean Market - 869 E. Washington Blvd, Pasadena (626-798-5212)Ngoma Restaurant
Pan-African restaurant in Los AngelesLittle Ethiopia is located along Fairfax Avenue near the Miracle Mile, between Olympic and Pico Boulevards. The area is filled with Ethiopian businesses and restaurants, as well as a significant concentration of residents of Ethiopian ancestry. Check out the Ethiopian Community Association web site for a list of businesses and community information.
Armenian
Many Armenian grocery stores and bakeries are located in the square of Washington Boulevard., Hill Avenue, Allen Avenue and Mountain Avenue in Pasadena.
Two popular grocery stores are:
American Armenian Grocery - 1442 East Washington Blvd, Pasadena
Tel 626-794-9220Good Food Market - 1876 East Washington Blvd, Pasadena
Tel: 626-794-5367Asian
San Gabriel Superstore - 1635 South San Gabriel Blvd, San Gabriel 91776
Tel: 626-280- 9998Brazilian
Supermercado Brazil - 10826 Venice Blvd # 10- Culver City, CA 90232
Tel: 310- 837-4291British
Tudor House British tea room, bakery and dry goods store in Santa Monica (also useful for Canadians, Australians or New Zealanders)Canadian
CanadianFavoritesFoodCentral / South America
Argentina Supermarket – 1272 East Villa street, Pasadena
Tel: 626 449-0980Nuevo Rincon Salvadoreno El - 3827 W Sunset Blvd # C - Los Angeles, CA 90026
Tel: 323- 912-1909El Mezcalito - 2422 W Whittier Blvd - Montebello, CA 90640
Tel: 323-722-0558La Casita Columbiana - 4903 Melrose Ave - Los Angeles, CA 90029
Tel: 323-463-8542Chinese
99 Ranch Market – 140 West Valley Blvd, San Gabriel
Tel: 626-307-0062Hawaii Supermarket
120 E. Valley Blvd., San Gabriel.
Tel: 626-307-0062European / Swedish Bakery
Berolina bakeryArcadia supermarket – 645 West Duarte Road, Arcadia
Tel: 626-447- 6282French
Monsieur Marcel French and gourmet shop at the Los Angeles Farmer's Market (the market and the adjacent Grove are very cool places to visit in general)Nicole Gourmet Food
Great selection of French wines and cheesesGerman
Schreiner’s Fine Sausages - 3417 Ocean View Blvd, Glendale
Tel: 818-244-4735Greek
Papa Cristo's Greek deli/market and restaurant
India
Indian Grocery StoreIndian Sweets and Spices (multiple locations- the closest is in Glendale)
Italian
Roma Italian Deli and Grocery – 918 North Lake Avenue, Pasadena (crossing street with Mountain)
Tel: 626-797-7748Claro's Italian online supermarkets
Japanese
Japanese supermarketYama Seafood – 911 West Las Tunas Drive, San Gabriel
Tel: 626-281-8045Mitsuwa The closest store is in San Gabriel
Jewish
Gelson
Paseo Colorado, PasadenaMiddle Eastern
Good Food Market - 1876 East Washington Blvd, Pasadena
Tel: 626-794-5367Produce Land Market & Deli
16137 Devonshire Street, Granada Hills
Tel: 818-891-0100A&S Market – 10867 West Venice Blvd, Los Angeles
Tel: 310-838-3771Persian
Heidar Baba – 1511 East Colorado Blvd, Pasadena
Tel: 626-844-7970Russian
RussianTable.comThai
Bangluck – 5170 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood
Tel: 323-660-8000Silom Market
5321 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood
Tel: 323-993-9000
Pharmacies
You can purchase many medicines in grocery stores “over-the-counter”, which means without prescription. Nevertheless, if you have a prescription filled by your doctor, you will have to drop it at a pharmacy and you’ll be given the exact number of pills you need for your treatment (as opposite to Europe for example where you are given prescript medicines in boxes and most of the time, you have more than necessary). You might be patient sometimes as there are other prescriptions ahead of you and come back in 2 to 3 hours after you dropped it off.Rite Aid
Walgreens
CVS (24h/day – 7 days a week)
Many grocery stores also have pharmacies that prescribe medicines, e.g., Vons, RalphsIndependent Pharmacies within walking distance from Caltech:
Brown and Welin Pharmacy
937 East Green, Pasadena 91105California Pharmacy
555 South Lake Avenue
Pasadena 91101
Shopping Malls
There are two major shopping malls within a eight-mile radius from Caltech where you will find a variety of shops, restaurants, large department stores, and theaters.Paseo Colorado in Pasadena
Westfield Santa Anita Mall in Arcadia (about 8 miles east of Pasadena)Besides the two shopping malls, there are also two major shopping areas in Pasadena:
Old Town Pasadena (along Colorado at Fair Oaks)
South Lake Avenue shopping district (South Lake Avenue, north of California Boulevard)
Department Stores
Large department stores usually offer "departments" by products: baby needs, ladies clothing, men's clothing, shoes, home appliances, electronics, outdoor recreational supplies, gardening supplies, linen and bedding, casual furniture, stationery and greeting cards, school supplies, movies and magazines, etc. Most department stores also operate on-line stores.
KMart
Books, Newspapers, Music, DVDs, Gifts
Vromans Bookstore
BordersElectronic
Caltech Bookstore and Caltech Wired Full-service computer and book store on campus
Best Buy Major and small electronics
Radio Shack Small electronics
Fry's Electronics Huge selection of electronics, from computers to major appliancesSchool Supplies
Caltech Bookstore
Office Depot
Office Max
StaplesCellular Phones
Verizon
T-Mobile
Sprint
AT&TOutlet Shops and Malls (many manufacturers sell their products at discounted prices at outlet stores)
Ross Dress For Less (Pasadena)
Marshall’s (Pasadena and Monrovia)
Citadel Outlet ( Los Angeles)
Camarillo (Santa Barbara)
For other outlets in US Outlet Locator
The California Library system is very easy to use and very resourceful. Libraries are accessible to everybody; you can borrow up to 50 books and audio CD’s for up to 3 weeks. If you need to renew some of the borrowed items, then you just go online and do it. There is at least one library in each city. Pasadena itself has 7 libraries. Libraries offer for free weekly stories time for kids age 6 months and above
Altadena Library
Pasadena Library
San Marino Library
South Pasadena Library
Pasadena is Southern California's premier dining and entertainment destination and over 500 restaurants offer a mix of cuisines. The following web sites offer an array of foods and dining experiences:
Dorothy's Los Angeles Food Guide
Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau
Pasadena.com
Zagat Online The Zagat ratings and reviews list all different types of restaurants in and around Los Angeles; each restaurant is rated about its food quality, the welcoming, and decoration/ambiance. You can also buy the Zagat book
Pasadena Weekly Dining Directory
LA Weekly
Caltech Women’s Club Preschool Playgroup Every Tuesday, from 10am to 12pm at Tournament Park (behind the Brown Gym Center). Every Tuesday, toddlers and preschoolers (from walking age to 5 years) gather to enjoy songs, story time, crafts and free play. Parents and caregivers sign up in advance to bring snacks and organize crafts. Membership limited to the Caltech and JPL community.
Caltech Women’s Club Wednesday in the Park Every Wednesday from 10 am to 12pm at Tournament Park. Drop by for playtime in the park for little ones- infant through school age – and conversation for grown-ups. This is a great way to meet people from around the world, learn more about the area and share practical information about services and activities available for families.
Pasadena City College Parent Education Classes Free classes once a week. Parents and caregivers can bring their child/children (from birth to 5 years) and enjoy playtime, crafts, songs and discussions. It’s also a nice way to meet new people.
Pasadena offers a wide range of different kind of activities for kids starting at the infant/toddler age (like yoga class) .
As these clubs and organizations evolve constantly, it is difficult to keep the posting updated. Nevertheless, if you go over the Yellow Pages and choose arts, music, sports…you’ll have the most recent information.The City of Pasadena Comprehensive information online about the after schools programs, sports and recreation. For entertainments and events calendar for kids and teens events in and Around Pasadena. For family leisure in or around your city, visit GoCityKids.org
There are places that offer children's workshops for free, for example, Lakeshore, Michael's, Vromans Bookstore, and most local libraries. Please check their schedules.
If you want to read reviews about children activities or being given advices about different clubs for children, you can go over the Caltech Women’s club / Pasadena area guide
For more information/clarification, you can also contact Barbara Avouac.
Family Activities - Entertainments Amusements
Entertainments/ magazines and web sites to find information and calendar
City of Pasadena/Visiting/Cultural Pasadena
City of Pasadena/Visiting/Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Orange Cat A calendar with current listings of local happenings
Southern California Fun Places .com
Entertainments/ Parks and Amusements in Pasadena, Greater Los Angeles, and San Diego Areas
DisneylandSan Diego Wild Animal Park (San Diego)
Museums and Gardens in Pasadena, Greater Los Angeles, and San Diego Areas
City of Pasadena/Visiting/AttractionsPasadena Museum of California Art
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
Autry National Center of the American West
American Museum of Natural History
Page Museum / La Brea Tar Pits
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA)
The Getty: The Getty Center in Los Angeles and The Getty Villa in Malibu
Tip: Many museums require an admission fee. Please check out the cost of an annual membership. It may be worthwhile to purchase an annual membership. Membership fee for a non-profit organization is normally tax deductible, and it allows you access to the museum any time during the year without having to pay additional entrance fees.
Beaches
Caoutdoors beaches.com
Southern California Fun Places
BeachesCalifornia.comIf you are member of the AAA, you can get free comprehensive maps with all the beaches in Southern California. There are also reviews written.
Parks and Camping
There are different campgrounds located in county parks, state parks and national forest parks.
Camping is very popular in US and it is a cheap way to enjoy outstanding vacation.Parks and Camping
National Parks Services
Angeles National Forest
California State ParksCamping
Camp California.com
Southern California Camping.com
Camp Site Reservation
National Park ReservationsNote: Some parks require paying a fee entrance; you can also buy a yearly membership if you plan to visit more than three national parks in the year.
If you are member of the AAA, you can get free comprehensive maps and camp books in California and all around USA. You can also get free brochures about parks with outdoors activities offered. Note that there are different sort of parks: national, state and county parks. It’s usually easier to get a spot at the last minute in a county or state park since there are less popular. Also, national parks offer “first comes first serves” campground space; thus, if you are lucky you will get a spot without going through reservation.
The Caltech Women's Club provides a Pasadena Area Guide that reviews and gives valuable information on various camping sites. Please see: Pasadena Area Guide
The Caltech Y offers a wide range of rental equipment at little to no cost for the Caltech community. Please check the Caltech Y web site for details.
Hikes in the Mountains
Hiking in Southern CaliforniaTrail Descriptions and Trail Maps
Hiking books to read:
Trails of the Angels by John Robinson
Day Hikes around Los Angeles by Robert StoneSki (45mns to 5 hours drive from Pasadena)
Mount Baldy (45 minutes)Big Bear Lake (1.5 hour)
Mountain High (2 hours)
Mammoth (5 hours)
Shops for Outdoor Gears and Activities