Communities of Los Angeles

Altadena   Altadena sits in what was once the northern most part of the Rancho San Pasqual which also included present day Pasadena and South Pasadena. Manuel Garfias, the last Rancho owner of Spanish decent, sold great portions of his rancho to Benjamin Wilson and Dr. John Griffin who eventually subdivided the land. In 1873 a large portion along the Arroyo was sold to Dr. Daniel Berry of Indiana. To sweeten the deal Wilson through in close to 2000 acres to the north believing the foothill section of his property to be useless since the terrain made it difficult to plant or graze livestock. Dr Berry´s purchase to the south would become Pasadena. In 1880 Capt. Frederick Woodbury and his brother John purchased the western half of this acreage. Plans to subdivide the Woodbury Ranch were created by the establishment of the Pasadena Improvement Company in 1887. A grand footprint for the area above the burgeoning city of Pasadena included a train terminal after a deal was secured with the railroads, a large luxury hotel and a plot for residential development known as the Woodbury Subdivision. Needing a proper name for the community, Woodbury contacted the owner of a nursery who had left the area and asked permission to use the name Altadena which had been coined for his business. Once approved the name Alta (upper) dena (for Pasadena) became the moniker for the new subdivision as well as the hotel to be built in a large central square. As happens in Real Estate, there are up markets and there are down and in 1888 the Southern California land boom busted. The Woodbury´s idea of high dividends from the plot they´d created dwindled. The hotel was never built nor was the train terminal. Only a portion of track was laid but the entire idea had caught the eye of wealthy eastern investors. The area did flower into a series of larger estates that lined Piedmont (now Altadena) Drive, Mendocino Street, Calaveras Street, the largest being built on Mariposa Street which was known as Altadena´s Millionaire Row. R   The Mt. Lowe railway opened in 1893 and took tourists into the mountains above to hotels and an Observatory. The hotels succumbed to fire quite early on but the Observatory remained for some time. The railway became part of the Pacific Electric Red Car System and functioned in Altadena until 1941.   The acreage to the east of Woodbury´s was sold to a series of ranchers. The Craig, Grogan, Sphinx and Fair Oaks ranches were all eventually subdivided in the early 20th century. The Altadena Town and Country Club was established in 1911 and the area south of Altadena Drive between Lake Avenue and Pepper Drive was divided into several developments surrounding the golf course. This area remains the most affluent part of Altadena. Character homes on large lots, many designed by well known architects of the period, are plentiful. Despite many attempts at annexation by Pasadena, Altadena remains an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County. It is serviced by three private water companies, in which homeowners own stock. There is an Altadena Los Angeles County Sheriffs Station which provides excellent police protection 24 hours, 7 days a week. The Pasadena Fire Department is sub-contracted with stations located locally. Altadena is part of the Pasadena Unified School District with three elementary, one middle school and one K through 12 charter school. The Aveson Charter School has received excellent reviews from parents of students attending there.   If nature appeals to you there are many hiking trails throughout the canyons. The quiet and solitude of Altadena makes it an excellent retreat from the busy L.A. metropolitan area to the south.