What’s new in Pasadena, California

The streets of Pasadena were alive with activity as over 700,000 visitors attended America’s New Year Celebration.

There is so much more to Pasadena than annual Rose Parade. Temperatures are moderate and its an ideal seasonal escape.

Pasadena has recently been recognized as a top-ranked destination by Smart Meetings, earning the 2022 Platinum Choice Award. The city was also named the fourth most creative city in the country by a report conducted by Workamanji analyzing the state of different cities’ creative economy and atmosphere.

Check out the myriad of new experiences in Pasadena for 2023.

NEW ATTRACTIONS

Ice House Comedy 

The oldest comedy club in the country, iconic since 1960, just got a huge makeover under new ownership. Under Johnny Buss, co-owner of the LA Lakers, Ice House Comedy Club has two bars, a VIP lounge with direct views of the main stage, and a brand new entryway. From renowned comics to fresh faces, the entertainment lineup expands to include music, dancing, and live entertainment.
https://icehousecomedy.com/

Pasadena Playhouse

Pasadena Playhouse, the official California State Theatre, is kicking off 2023 with a six-month celebration of Stephen Sondheim. Performances will include Sunday in the Park with George and multi-award winning musical theatre actor Larry Owens’ Sondheimia,

https://www.pasadenaplayhouse.org/

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens

See the new Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts exhibit to capture the early inspirations behind Disney Studios’ creations and examine Walt Disney’s fascination with European art.

https://huntington.org/

NEW RESTAURANTS & EATERIES

Popular Nashville hot chicken eatery Howlin’ Rays has debuted a huge second location in Pasadena with beer, wine, seating, and ample parking. The new space on Arroyo Parkway is the group’s only full-service restaurant and will expand to experiment with new menu items like scallops, shrimp and grits, or tomahawk steaks.

In the South Lake Shopping District, new coffee shop Mandarin Coffee Stand offers an exciting blend of Yunnan province coffee beans and Guatemalan coffee, as well as teas and pastries in the picturesque Burlington Arcade. Down the street, a new Italian restaurant opens with an impressive wine selection and a modern twist at Marina Pasadena.

In Old Pasadena, get a taste of the lavish dim sum scene reminiscent of Guandong’s finest at Chef Tony, housed in a historic building with dazzling chandeliers. In the same historic neighborhood, Dos Besos is a popular new spot serving tapas focusing on the coastal cooking of Spanish port city Valencia,.

In the Civic Center District, Fogo de Chao has opened a new location in a historic bank building serving their popular churrasco experience with various gauchos and an elevated soup and salad bar. This location showcases dry-aged meat lockers for in-house aging and a lively indoor Bar Fogo area.

https://www.liftedbotanicalbar.com/

NEW HOTELS

New historic boutique hotel: Pasadena Hotel & Pool

Located on Colorado Boulevard and the Rose Parade route, the 1926-built hotel once known as the Constance Hotel reopened this year as the Pasadena Hotel & Pool with an incredible renovation and a rooftop pool and pool deck. The property features an impressive Presidential Suite with a 1,000 square feet terrace. With many grandiose historic features, including an ornately refinished display of the original phone booths in the lobby, the hotel also has 13,771 square feet of meeting space.
https://www.pasadenahotel.com/