California Institute of Technology

BC has been a hangout for Techers for generations and not just for the bellydancers. Burgers with an international flair, mainly Middle Eastern. All-you-can-eat salad bar, indoor and beer-garden seating.

One of Pasadena's oldest traditional Mexican restaurants, El Portal is set in a pleasant pedestrian lane for atmospheric dining indoors or out. The family's new restaurant, Yahaira's Cafe, is just 100 yards away, for those who prefer a more contemporary Mexican menu. Nearby are Sushi of Naples and Sachi Sushi; Maison Akira (French-Japanese); Zona Rosa Cafe.

Fashionable retail stores and eateries span several blocks of Pasadena� landmark Old Town district. The main drag is Colorado Blvd., a nationally recognized art deco main street. Here you will find all sorts of food, several movie theaters, and lots of national retailers, like Crate and Barrel, Barnes and Noble, GAP, and Patagonia.

The historic Playhouse District is an excellent all-purpose destination, with stellar restaurants and coffee, shopping, theater, and film-going opportunities. Featured retailers include Vroman's Books (Pasadena's best and oldest bookstore), Bamboo Tea House, and Bookhouse Used Books. Laemmle's Playhouse 7 is Pasadena's best art-film theater.

Upscale shopping in this innovative new commercial/residential development on the edge of Pasadena� Playhouse District. Retailers include Coach, Gelson� Market, Harry & David. Pacific Paseo Stadium 14 shows current general release films and there are many cuisine options.

As the name implies, pie, burgers, sandwiches, breakfast; counter seating and a few tables; an overall good diner, only one block from Caltech.

Come to this country-style eatery and order the popular

High-end to low-end shopping for anything from clothes to electronics. Selected stores include Pier One, Macy�, Ross, Blockbuster Video, Express, and Borders Books. Lots of eating opportunities.

This is good, honest pizza in a good old Pasadena pizzeria--authentic right down to the red-checkered tablecloths.

Directly north of Caltech, reckoned by many to be the best Thai food in Pasadena. Also in the same vicinity, to accommodate a variety of tastes, are the New Delhi Palace and the Euro Pane Bakery.

This small canyon runs from the San Gabriel Mountains to the Los Angeles River through Pasadena, South Pasadena, and Los Angeles. A variety of activites is available here, including hiking, horseback riding, archery, and fly-casting.

The park has a playground, picnic area with barbecue, restrooms, 3 lighted baseball fields, a lighted multi-use field, a volleyball court, 5 lighted tennis courts, a driving range and an 18-hole golf course. Brookside is also the frequent practice area of the Pasadena Rugby Football Club and of local cricket clubs. Brookside Golf Course Clubhouse offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner overlooking the driving range.

Central Park is a small urban greenspace immediately south of Old Town. It is the home of frequent arts fairs, music events, and The Pasadena Lawn Bowling Club, which offers free lessons at 9 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Central Park is directly across the street from the Gold Line station at Raymond and Del Mar.

Eaton Canyon Nature Center's complex contains many displays about local flora and fauna, ecosystem concepts, and prehistoric animals. Nature walks are conducted by docent naturalists, and the local chapter of the Sierra Club holds many of its meetings here.

Nearly 150 acres of sweeping lawns and vistas interspersed with statuary, tempiettos, and benches. Enjoy a huge variety of garden styles from all nations. An excellent and elegant walking opportunity, with refreshments available at the Tea House.

This beautiful 30-acre park is often the site of musical concerts and civic events. Within the park are open green areas and many varieties of trees and shrubs. Recommended on a weekday for a quiet retreat. ('Note:' if you're not a San Marino resident, there is a $3 charge to use the park on Saturday and Sunday. Weekdays are free.)

Lessons, public skating sessions, broomball, hockey--just about everything you'd ever want to do on ice you can do here.

Located in the Arroyo Seco south of Brookside Park, the AAF Rose Bowl Aquatics Center is a world-class, public-access aquatic facility designed for fitness, swimming, diving, Olympic training, and healthy recreation.

The Armory Center for the Arts is a community arts center that offers innovative approaches to creating, exploring, and presenting the visual arts to students of all ages. In addition to providing an outlet for contemporary art exhibitions and performances, the Armory offers studio art classes and a variety of educational outreach programs to schools and in the community.

Completed in 1816 as a grist mill for the Mission San Gabriel, the two-story oven-baked brick and adobe structure is a testament to Southern California history. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.

Nearly 150 acres of sweeping lawns and vistas interspersed with statuary, tempiettos, and benches. The art collections are the most comprehensive collections in this country of British and French art of the 18th and 19th centuries. The Library is one of the largest and most complete research libraries in the United States in its fields of specialization.

One of the world� finest private collections of European, American, and Asian art. A lecture program is offered to members.

The Pacific Asia Museum collection contains more than 14,000 rare and representative examples of art and artifacts from Asia and the Pacific Islands, spanning a period of 5,000 years.

Founded in 1924 as the Pasadena Historical Society, the Pasadena Museum of History provides educational resources for the public to increase understanding and appreciation of history, culture, and science in Pasadena and neighboring communities.

The Pasadena Museum of California Art (PMCA) is dedicated to the exhibition of California art, architecture, and design from 1850 to the present. PMCA exhibitions and educational programs will explore the cultural dynamics and influences unique to California that have shaped and defined art in all media.

The Pasadena Symphony is lauded as one of Southern California� cultural treasures. Diverse programming, musical excellence, exceptional artistic leadership, and deep community support are among the hallmarks that have made the orchestra a major success among its peers.

This is one of the most active chamber music ensembles in the United States, presenting concert series at the Norton Simon Museum, The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, and other venues.

The David B. Gamble house, constructed in 1908, is the internationally recognized masterpiece of the turn-of-the-century Arts and Crafts Movement in America. Built for David and Mary Gamble of the Procter and Gamble Company, the house is the most complete and best preserved example of the work of architects Charles Sumner Greene and Henry Mather Greene, who made a profound impact on the development of contemporary American architecture.

One of Pasadena's art-film complexes. There are quite a few restaurants, coffee joints, and retail shops within walking distance. If you have time to kill before or after the movie, be sure to check out Vroman's next door. It's Pasadena's original independent bookstore, and still one of the best anywhere (plus it has its own coffee bar, Zeli, instead of the stardard Starbuck's).

The Academy 6 offers a chance to see films that are not current releases. Located in an area rich in low-priced, ethnically oriented restaurants.

Built in 1931, the Civic Auditorium is home to the People's Choice Awards and the Pasadena Symphony. It has also hosted the Annual Prime Time Emmy Awards more than 25 times. Look here for operas, auctions, musicals, specialist conventions, national speaking tours, and more.

The Pasadena Jazz Institute is dedicated to promoting jazz education, preservation, and participation. Concerts are offered in a variety of locations in Pasadena.

The historic Pasadena Playhouse offers good repertory theater (and a wide variety of restaurants nearby).

Located at Paseo Colorado, this stadium-seating 14-plex offers all the current releases amid good eating and shopping opportunities.

This Pasadena institution is the oldest comedy club in the United States. Founded in 1960, the building formerly housed an ice factory (hence its unusual name). It then became a club featuring folk singers, and finally evolved into a venue for stand-up comics.

Like the Playouse 7, this is another Laemmle complex--but it's in Old Town and offers a different selection of art and/or hard-to-find films. It's also surrounded by lots of shops and restaurants. Try Gordon Biersch for microbrews, Sushi Roku for pricey Japanese and creative cocktails, Cafe Santorini for Mediterranean dishes, or Johnny Rocket's for burgers and fries. Nearby retail outlets include Crate and Barrel, Gap, Banana Republic, Victoria's Secret, and Barnes & Noble.