The San Gabriel Valley is a wonderful place to live, with vibrant urban centers such as Oldtown Pasadena, world class gardens including the LA arboretum and Huntington Gardens, and endless hiking in the San Gabriel mountains. Historic craftsmen and bungalow style homes are prevalent in the area. And most cities consist of quaint business districts and historic neighborhoods beaming with charm. This page will give an overview of some of the popular cities and unincorporated communities within the San Gabriel Valley that you might consider for your next home.
San Marino is one of the most exclusive cities in the San Gabriel Valley. Located in the San Rafael Hills most homes date between 1920 and 1950. To avoid social disruption, the city is highly restrictive of commercial operations and also prohibits apartment buildings, as well as overnight parking.
Popular attractions within San Marino include the famous Huntington Gardens and Library as well as Lacy Park. Formerly a lake that is the name sake of Lake Avenue north in pasadena, Lacy Park includes picnic areas, two walking loops, and tennis courts within about 30 acres of grass and trees.
The San Marino Unified School District is top notch and between 2013 and 2017 the district achieved the distinction of the highest percentage of students that met or exceeded the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress standards of any district in the State.
Situated in the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley, the “Wisteria City” as it is known, has just under 11,000 residents. Downtown Sierra Madre offers a cheerful assortment of quaint restaurants and shops. The homes of the Lower and Upper Sierra Madre Canyons feature spectacular views of the San Gabriel Valley and are nestled on the edge of the Angles National forest.
A popular attraction is Bailey Canyon Wilderness Park, which includes a Native Botanical Area and a picnic area. The Park also provides access to numerous trials that sprawl the the Angeles National Forest immediately north of the City.
Sierra Madre is part of the Pasadena Unified School District, and is primarily served by Sierra Madre Elementary School, Sierra Madre Middle School, and Pasadena High School.
Located in the West San Gabriel Valley South Pasadena is known for its highly rated schools and convenient access to Downtown Los Angeles. With the historic U.S. Route 66 running through the city, a combination a mom and pop stores and historic venues line the streets, situated behind native California trees including redwoods, sequoias, ash, walnut, and sycamore.
The city boasts a total of five parks including Garfield Park, Eddie Park, Library Park, Orange Grove Park and War Memorial Park. Another notable feature is the the Arroyo Seco Canyon which features a golf course and racquet club. The trials along the the Arroyo Seco river run up to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, continue to Jet Propulsion Laboratories, and into the Angeles National forest.
South Pasadena has its own school district, although earlier in its history it shared a high school with San Marino. The South Pasadena Unified School District is made up of three elementary schools (Monterey Hills, Marengo and Arroyo Vista), one middle school (South Pasadena Middle School), and one high school (South Pasadena High School.) Every school in the city is highly rated.
Situated at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, Arcadia is home to the Santa Anita Park racetrack and the the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. It is not uncommon to encounter a peacock, hailing from the Arboretum, wandering the neatly kept neighborhoods of the city. Arcadia’s Upper Rancho neighborhood has been ranked as one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Southern California
In 1885 the rancho that is now modern day Arcadia was purchased by a proprietor who went by the nick name of Lucky Baldwin, that made his fortune during the California gold rush. Baldwin’s former estate is now the LA arboretum and his final home, the Queen Anne Cottage, can be visited there to this day.
Arcadia is also home to the massive Westfield Santa Anita mall which includes one of two Arcadia locations of some of the San Gabriel Valley’s best dim sum, Din Tai Fung.
The Arcadia Unified School District is highly rated and boasts reading and math scores that are 76.6% and 67.9% higher than the state average respectively. Arcadia has six elementary schools, three middle schools, and one high school. The high school has achieved a distinguished GreatSchools Rating of 10 out of 10.
The second oldest city is Los Angeles County after the City of Los Angeles itself, Pasadena is known for its scientific and cultural institutions including Cal Tech and the Norton Simon Museum, historic architecture, and nationally renowned events such as the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade.
Historical Bunglow and Craftsman properties are prevent throughout the city. And with approximately 30% more annual rainfall than nearby Los Angeles, Pasadena maintains an urban forest with uniform species of trees on each street.
Lush neighborhoods give way to booming Oldtown Pasadena which features the wide variety of upscale restaurants and stores as well as the Pasadena Convention Center. A second business district, on the east side of the city, in Hastings Ranch offers further options for shopping and dinning. Four public golf courses can be found within the city in addition to other recreational activities such as extensive nearby hiking trails and several parks.
The Pasadena Unified School District has a large variety of schools including 17 elementary schools, one K-8 school, five middle schools, two 6-12 schools, and two high schools. Several private schools are also located within the city.
Founded in 1924, Pasadena City College is a highly rated junior college with a successful track record of transfers to top 4-year schools including USC, UCLA, and nearby Cal Tech.
Located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, Monrovia has developed from a small community of orange ranches to a thriving community of over 37,000 people.
Monrovia is home to Monrovia Canyon Park which features scenic waterfalls and serves as gateway to the many trails of the Angeles National Forest.
Monrovia Unified School District offers 5 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, one K-8 school, and two high schools. There are also 5 private schools located within the city.
Altadena is an unincorporated area just north of Pasadena and south of the Angeles National Forest. The name Altadena comes from a mix of two languages. The Alta come from Spanish meaning “Upper.” The “Dena” is borrowed from nearby Pasadena, which is named for the Chippewa native american word meaning “crown of the valley.”
Points of interest include the Mount Lowe Railway ruins which run from Alta Dena up Echo Mountain and Mount Lowe to a landmark known as Inspiration point. In the early 20th century passengers could take the railway up the mountain with stops at an inn at the top of Echo Mountain and then up to a lookout at Inspiration Point on the higher Mount Lowe. Another notable site is Christmas Tree Lane which has been a holiday attraction since 1920 and is considered one of the oldest outdoor Christmas light venues in the world.
Altadena is part of the Pasadena Unified School District.
Located below the Angeles National Forest, in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, Bradbury is a tiny city of just over 1000 residents. The community encompasses just 1.9 square miles. Bradbury has a strong equestrian community and prides itself in its rural tranquility.
The city is served by the Duarte Unified School District.
Peter Ryan Real Estate