I moved to Altadena in 1987; a great place to live, even though there are no sidewalks in the residential neighborhoods. There is a strong community spirit. I do most of my work on the Internet, so the Coffee Gallery is a great place to work, hang out, meet friends and make new friends.
Harold http://haroldtotten.com
When I was younger I always wanted to experience moving away from the hometown. As I grew I realized finding a small town as diverse as Altadena would be a major challenge, so this is home. It's a fantastic small town nestled on the peripheral of a vast sea.
Ben McGinty www.galleryattheendoftheworld.com
I grew up on the Pasadena – Altadena border, on the Pasadena side. I went to school for my first 8 years in Altadena at St. Elizabeth school, just over the border from Pasadena into Altadena. When there was something to buy, something to do, some entertainment to be sought, it seems that everyone went south to downtown Pasadena. All the stores and the parade and the bowl and the schools were all down in Pasadena, right?
But I always looked up into my backyard, up at the towering mountains above Altadena, and was often drawn to the hills and canyons in search of solitude, learning, or adventure. More and more, I found more value in the hills above Altadena than I did in the glitter of Colorado Blvd. I grew tired of the Rose Parade after seeing it a million times, and would prefer to spend the New Years in the mountains camping, listening not to horns but to coyotes in the distance and the deer foraging in the hillsides.
Yes, Altadena was long my big backyard, the entryway to the Angeles National Forest, the little community a bit slower and bit more quiet than the bustle of south Lake and Colorado.
After my father died, I lived closer to Altadena again, and "discovered" a little coffee shop one morning where I would sneak in with my dog and walking stick and purchase my morning coffee. It was in this nexus of Altadena where I met many friends and comrades, and came to hear quality music, participate in a writing group, and enjoy hours of vigorous conversation.
Eventually, I moved to NW Altadena and for a long time I wondered when someone would pinch me and wake me up from my pleasant camp-out in the foothills of these mountains. I can walk from my home down a mountain trail, or do a morning walk in the quiet neighborhood. It is a place I walked every morning with my dog, often seeing coyotes, deer, and the other smaller animals of this near-wilderness.
I still worry a bit for Altadena, as I do for the off-the-beaten path places everywhere, where developers more driven by blind greed (rather than thoughtful growth of a community) occasionally eye the "non-performing real estate" and salivate at the idea that they might turn such a lot into another slice of downtown L.A. But I am buoyed with hope that idealism and activism is still alive in this vibrant community, as evidenced by the diversity of folks who frequent Altadena’s nexus, the Coffee Gallery.
Christopher Nyergeswww.ChristopherNyerges.com
Altadena is a community rich in cultural, artistic and natural diversity. As such, it attracted my parents, both immigrants, over 45 years ago, and has attracted me back over 10 years ago. It’s burgeoning underground and more recently above ground art and music scene along with it’s natural setting in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains, make it a special place to live and thrive. It provides a unique place to be creative, be close to nature and “out of the city”, but at the same time close enough to take easy advantage of all the big city can provide. I have additionally found Altadena to be home to a thriving entrepreneurial technical scene, which has recently become important to me in my recent endeavors of bridging new paradigms of the music industry with the power of online and mobile technologies. Altadena is truly a unique and fun place to call home.
Mohan Chhabra
jaamoo
Jaamoo Ventures, LLC
www.jaamoo.com
