On Sunday, November 15, Colorado Boulevard goes car-free from Pasadena Avenue to Allen Avenue for CicLAvia–Pasadena, which runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's the first time in 11 years the open-streets nonprofit has brought an event to the city. The last one ran on May 31, 2015, along Colorado with spurs on Raymond Avenue and Lake Street.
The City of Pasadena's route announcement gives 2.7 miles in total: Colorado from Pasadena Avenue to Allen, plus a short Raymond Avenue spur from Pacific Alley to East Dayton Street. One activity hub sits at Memorial Park, at 145 N. Raymond Ave. The other is at 1778 E. Colorado Blvd., at Allen. CicLAvia's event page puts them 2.2 miles apart. Most of the car-free street, and half the infrastructure, sits east of Old Town, through Playhouse Village and past the top of South Lake Avenue toward Allen. A Pasadenan with a free Sunday gets a rare chance to see the stretch of boulevard they usually drive past on the way somewhere else.
The Sunday Clock, If You Live or Park Near Colorado
The closure starts well before the fun does, and the earliest deadline is the one that costs money. Here's the day in order, according to CicLAvia and the city:
- 4 a.m. No parking on the route. Restrictions get posted in advance, and towing starts at 4.
- 6 a.m. Streets near the two activity hubs may close to cars this early.
- 7 a.m. The rest of the route closes to cars.
- 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event itself.
- 3 p.m. The deadline to collect a towed car from the Pasadena Police Department at 207 Garfield Ave. After that, it gets impounded.
- About 5 p.m. Streets fully reopen to cars.
The two pop-up bike lanes follow the same 4 a.m. to 5 p.m. parking restriction, though cars can still drive on them. Streets next to the route stay open for local access, and drivers can cross Colorado at six intersections marked on the route map. There are no freeway closures. CicLAvia hasn't posted bus detours yet, and the city's Pasadena Transit service alerts page is the place to watch as the date gets closer.
Start at Raymond and Let the Grade Do the Work
CicLAvia's elevation map shows the route climbing from the Colorado Hub up to Raymond Avenue. Heading east from Memorial Park, the boulevard tilts gently downhill toward Allen. That matters if you're bringing a child on a balance bike, a grandparent on foot, or anyone who would rather end the day coasting.
Getting back up is the second half of the plan. The A Line runs close to both ends. CicLAvia lists Memorial Park and Del Mar stations at under 0.1 mile from the route, Lake and Allen at 0.4 mile, and Fillmore at 0.8 mile. Free pedicabs also run between the two hubs' info booths, first come, first served. Riders need to be able to step or transfer into the cab.
Each hub has water refill stations, ADA-compliant restrooms, first aid, basic bike repair and bike parking. LAist plans a booth at the Memorial Park Hub. At the Colorado Hub, the city's Department of Transportation is running a community-engagement pop-up for its Citywide Active Transportation Plan all day, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you've ever had thoughts about how you get around this city on a bike or on foot, that's the table to stop at.
The route is for people-powered travel. Electric scooters, e-skateboards and hoverboards aren't allowed. Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes are fine, Class 2 e-bikes are allowed with the throttle off, and Class 3 with pedal-assist off. Manual and motorized wheelchairs are welcome.
A West-to-East Tasting of What Opened This Summer
This is where the eastern tilt pays off. Several of the restaurants Pasadena's Economic Development Division counted among its notable recent openings sit right on the closed blocks. Pasadena Now covered that report in August. CicLAvia has also posted event-day specials from businesses along the route. Here they are in the order you'd pass them heading downhill:
| Stop | Address | Why stop on November 15 |
|---|---|---|
| Bar Method Pasadena | 32 Mills Place | Free class pass for anyone who walks, bikes or rolls in |
| Bokãos Aveda | 52 Hugus Alley | Free sidewalk consultations and styling, 15% off, and a drawing for a $1,000 extensions transformation |
| Jenette Bras | 18 E. Holly St. | $50 gift certificates for the first 10 visitors, 15% off sports garments |
| Tierra Caliente | 115 E. Colorado Blvd. | Mexican restaurant in Old Town, soft-opened July 24, with live mariachi some days |
| Milk Brew | 263 E. Colorado Blvd. | Coffee steeped overnight in milk, including corn milk and banana milk versions, opened the weekend of Aug. 1 and 2 |
| Carbon Health | 600 E. Colorado Blvd., Ste. 120 | Water, Liquid IV, first aid supplies, and priority walk-in care for participants |
| The Daily Catch | 927 E. Colorado Blvd. | Sicilian-style seafood, the Boston company's first West Coast location, ribbon cutting July 16 |
| Eye Speak Vintage | 927 E. Colorado Blvd. | New Playhouse Village shop for vintage clothing and children's items |
| Strong Sports Gym | 985 E. Colorado Blvd. | Store open, with mini lessons in the gym |
| Tea Spots | 1443 Colorado Blvd. | 10% off for Pasadena residents |
The Daily Catch sits at the center of the eastern stretch. According to the city report, the restaurant brings in fresh seafood from New England several times a week, which makes a late lunch on a car-free Colorado a fair reward for the first mile. Eye Speak Vintage shares the 927 address, so one stop covers lunch and a browse.
Lake Avenue crosses the route, and a short detour south reaches Mehfil at 82 S. Lake Ave. The city calls it Pasadena's newest chai shop, serving warm chai, iced teas and lattes. Lake Avenue itself isn't part of the car-free route.
More specials may still go up. CicLAvia asked businesses on the route to stay open, move activities outdoors and post event-day offers, and the September deadlines Pasadena Now reported gave restaurants until October 9 to request one-day food permits and until October 16 to request sidewalk canopies. CicLAvia's interactive map on the event page can be filtered by offers on the day.
The Edges Reach the Rose Bowl and Lamanda Park
Allen Avenue isn't really the eastern end. The city is setting up two one-mile "Slow Streets," pop-up bike lanes separated from traffic by cones and signage. One runs along Colorado from Allen to San Gabriel Boulevard, linking the route to Lamanda Park. The western one follows Walnut Avenue from Raymond to Orange Grove Boulevard, then continues to Rosemont Avenue, a few blocks from the Rose Bowl. Taken together, residents from Lamanda Park to the edge of the Arroyo have a protected way to get onto the route without loading a bike into a car.
CicLAvia Executive Director Romel Pascual explained the choice of street in the city's announcement. "The historic and iconic Colorado Blvd is celebrating its 150th Anniversary, and is part of Route 66 which is celebrating its centennial this year," he said. The Lamanda Park Slow Street follows the boulevard east, along the same corridor Pascual is talking about.
Saturday in Central Park, Sunday on the Boulevard
The day before gives you a reason to make it a weekend. Old Pasadena's Jackalope Indie Artisan Fair runs Saturday and Sunday, November 14 and 15, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Central Park. Admission is free, with more than 200 local artisans, food, live local music and family activities. Organizers suggest pairing Sunday with CicLAvia. On Sunday, the Raymond spur of the route runs to East Dayton Street, 0.3 mile from the Memorial Park Hub.
For a slower start on Sunday, One Colorado's calendar lists a 10 to 11 a.m. session at 41 Hugus Alley with Somer Skye Energy Works: guided breathwork, then a sound bath. It ends an hour into the event.
A full Sunday could start with the sound bath at 10, followed by a coffee at Milk Brew, a slow roll through Playhouse Village to The Daily Catch, a stop at the Colorado Hub at Allen, then the A Line or a pedicab back to Memorial Park before the 3 p.m. finish.
If CicLAvia has you looking at East Colorado and Playhouse Village with fresh eyes, Sarah would be glad to compare notes on the blocks you loved riding. SJLA Real Estate keeps close track of these Pasadena corridors, and when you're curious what life along them looks like on an ordinary Tuesday, let's connect.