Treasure in Our Midst

Pasadena Antique Mall

309 E. Green St., Pasadena

(626) 304-9886

It looks like a small store from the outside, but once you walk into Pasadena Antique Mall you’ll be overwhelmed with the sheer size of the place — and the amount of merchandise it carries. You can shop for vintage clothing, books, jewelry, furniture and decor and accessories — some of it truly antique, some of it not quite as old. The mall’s Facebook page provides more information about the store. 

 

Reader Recommended

Novotny’s Antiques & Estate Sale Services

2552 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 577-9660 |  www.novotnysestatesales.com 

 

Pasadena Antique Center

480 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena

(626) 449-7706 | www.pasadenaantiquecenter.com 

 

Pink Plum

2580 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 584-0046 ‎

 

BEST ART/FRAMING STORE

Pasadena Picture Framing

605 E. Walnut St., Pasadena

(626) 356-4013 ‎

To paraphrase the old saying, a picture is worth a thousand words, but it may be less valuable if it’s not properly framed and mounted. Pasadena Picture Framing, located on Walnut Street just west of El Molino Avenue, offers a large selection of frames, and the store’s owner and staff have earned a reputation for friendly service, high-quality work and a genuine knowledge of and interest in picture framing.   

 

Reader Recommended

Aarnun Gallery

603 E. Green St., Pasadena

(626) 793-4805 | www.aarnumgallery.com 

 

Source on Lake

1565 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena

(626) 794-1740 | www.sourceonlake.com 

 

BEST AUTO DEALER

Rusnak Auto Group, Headquarters

267 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 449-2400 | www.rusnakautogroup.com 

Owner Paul Rusnak has been selling automobiles for 50 years, and in that time his business has expanded to 15 dealerships throughout Southern California. The majority of the stores are in the Pasadena area, including a string of dealerships along West Colorado Boulevard featuring high-end brands like Bentley, Jaguar, Porsche and Rolls-Royce, as well as Audi and Volvo stores and locations in East Pasadena and Arcadia.

  

Reader Recommended

Honda of Pasadena

1965 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena

(888) 829-4089 | www.hondaofpasadena.com 

 

Toyota Pasadena

3600 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 795-9787 | www.toyotapasadena.com

 

BEST BICYCLE SHOP (TIE)

Incycle Bicycles

175 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena

(626) 577-0440 | www.incycle.com  ‎

Renewed interest in environmentalism has literally driven an increasing number of people to abandon their cars for bicycles. The Pasadena franchise of Incycle Bicycles features a wide selection of bikes — including children’s, mountain, road and tandem bicycles — as well as bike-related products, like car racks, pumps, helmets, tires and pedals. This merchandise is available both in-store and online, and Incycle’s Web site provides tips about buying a bike, fixing a flat tire and gives special advice for newbie bicyclists.

 

Pasadena Cyclery

1670 E. Walnut St., Pasadena

(626) 795-2866 | www.pasadenacyclery.com 

This bicyclist-friendly, Pasadena-based shop not only sells a wide selection of all types of bicycles, but also offers tires, helmets, car racks, bike parts, clothing and many other items. The store’s Web site contains buyers’ guides for road, mountain and BMX bikes, as well as information about rides and events and local trails and maps showing actual and proposed bicycle paths, lanes and bikeways in the city of Pasadena.   

 

Reader Recommended

Steve’s Bike Shop

859 E. Mariposa St., Altadena

(626) 798-8703 | www.stevesbikeshopaltadena.com  

 

BEST BRIDAL/TUX SHOP

Marylinn’s Couture Bridal

82 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena

(626) 585-8200 | www.marylinn.com 

Marylinn’s staff helps brides select the perfect dress for their Big Day. The store features bridal gowns created by 30 designers, as well as dresses for bridesmaids and the bride’s mother. Evening gowns and prom dresses are also for sale. Mary Linn’s is open seven days a week, by appointment only. Information about trunk sales held at the Pasadena store and other locations is available on its Web site.

 

Reader Recommended

Friar Tux Shop

1000 S. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia

(626) 445-0540 | www.friartux.com

 

BEST COSTUME SHOP

StarMakers Costumes & Vintage

1380 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena

(626) 797-6384 | www.starmakerscostumes.com 

Ancient Mayan shaman may not be among the costumes listed on StarMakers’ Web site, but if anybody in Pasadena could devise such an outfit, it would be the folks at this shop. 

Customers can buy or rent costumes from the store, and its staff also designs costumes and provides professional make-up services. StarMakers is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, with later hours scheduled during the Halloween season.  

 

Reader Recommended

Pok-A-Dots

115 E. Huntington Drive, Arcadia

(626) 445-0254 | www.pokadotscostumes.com 

 

BEST ELECTRONICS/CAMERAS

Samy’s Camera

41 E. Walnut St., Pasadena

(626) 796-3300 | www.samys.com  ‎

Cameras, lenses and other accessories for photography, video camcorders, computers, printers, scanners, televisions and Blu-Ray players — all this and more is available at Samy’s Cameras. Samy’s sells and rents a range of cameras, electronics and accessories both online and in its stores. The store’s staff is patient and willing to show customers how to use the various products. The chain schedules events at its Pasadena store and other locations, where customers can learn more about photography techniques and equipment.

 

 

BEST EYEWEAR

Linden Optometry

477 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 796-1191 | www.lindenoptometry.com 

It’s easy to see why Linden Optometry has been voted the city’s best eyewear shop for the past 18 years. Linden offers a range of optometric services, including eyeglasses, contact lenses, laser vision correction consultation and treatment for eye infections and minor eye injuries. Customers have their choice of more than 10,000 eyeglass frames and 20,000 contact lenses. The store is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and there’s a drive-thru lane for customers to pick up contact lens refills.  

 

Reader Recommended

Old Focals

45 W. Green St., Pasadena

(626) 793-7073 | www.oldfocals.com 

 

Spectacular Fine Eyewear

13 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena

(626) 584-5859

 

BEST FARMERS’ MARKET

Pasadena Certified Farmers’ Market

Various locations, Pasadena

(626) 449-0179 | www.pasadenafarmersmarket.org   

If going to the supermarket has become drudgery, you might have more fun food shopping at the local farmers’ markets. Here, shoppers can buy fruits, vegetables and other products from the local farmers who’ve grown and raised these items. Proponents of farmers’ markets maintain the items sold there are fresher than products languishing on supermarket shelves and are also free of pesticides. Farmers’ markets at Villa Parke and Victory Park are held year-round on Tuesdays and Saturdays, respectively, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A third market, on the northeast corner of El Molino Ave. and Union St., is held Wednesday afternoons from mid-April to late September.

 

Reader Recommended

Altadena Farmers’ Market

600 W. Palm St., Altadena

www.facebook.com/AltadenaFarmersMarket

 

South Pasadena Farmers’ Market

1121 Mission St., South Pasadena

(626) 403-2820

www.southpasadenafarmersmarket.org 

 

BEST FLEA MARKET

Rose Bowl Flea Market

1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena

(323) 560-7469 | www.rgcshows.com 

The New Year’s Day football game is not the only long-standing activity held at the venerable Rose Bowl. For more than 40 years, the Rose Bowl Flea Market has been open for business on the second Sunday of each month. The market’s organizers, R. G. Canning Attractions, boast that the flea market features 2,500 vendors and 15,000 to 20,000 customers monthly. Expect a mixed bag of merchandise — everything from vintage clothes and jewelry to vendors offering home remodeling services — but there are some great deals available if you have the patience to track them down and negotiate a price.  

 

Reader Recommended

PCC Flea Market

1570 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 585-7906 | www.pasadena.edu/fleamarket  

 

BEST FLOWER SHOP

Jacob Maarse Florist

655 E. Green St., Pasadena

(626) 449-0246 | www.jacobmaarse.com

Jacob Maarse Florist can provide flowers for any occasion, from the design of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade Court to the creation of floral arrangements for weddings, funerals and corporate events. The store’s signature roses are grown on three acres of the Maarse family home, with hundreds of roses cut and sold in the store each year from about April through December. Customers can have their flowers delivered to a specified location or can pick them up at the florist shop, located in a converted Cadillac dealership in the Playhouse District.      

 

Reader Recommended

Brad Larsen Florals

55 W. Green St., Pasadena

(626) 792-6167 | www.bradlarsenflorals.com  ‎

 

The Flowerman

2450 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 795-1508 | www.theflowerman.net 

 

BEST FURNITURE/

ACCESSORIES STORE

Fedde’s Furniture

2350 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 796-7103 | www.fedde.com 

Fedde’s, a family-owned and operated business for three generations, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. The store is located in two 20,000-square-foot showroom at the intersection of East Colorado and Sierra Madre boulevards. In addition to furniture for all rooms of the home, Fedde’s sells children’s furniture, Arts-and-Crafts-style items designed by the Stickley Furniture Company and home lighting. The staff can also provide interior design services for homes and offices. 

 

Reader Recommended

The Sofa Company

100 W. Green St., Pasadena

(888) 778-7632 | www.thesofaco.com 

 

BEST GIFT BOUTIQUE

Lula Mae

100 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena

(626) 304-9996 | www.lulamae.com 

There’s no better way to describe Lula Mae than to use a quote from its Web site: “We are the retail equivalent of that friend of yours who never leaves the house without lipstick on, cracks you up over coffee, and always remembers your birthday.”  Marci Toombs, the store’s owner, brings this humorous spirit to her selection of “gifts of wit and whimsy,” including purses, books, jewelry, accessories, greeting cards, candles, paper goods and soaps. There’s also some vintage gag gifts, like a box of “random crap from here and there” and peppermint-flavored cat butt gum.   

 

Reader Recommended

Fancy That!

2575 Mission St., San Marino

(626) 403-2577 | www.fancythat.us.com

 

Simply Fresh

2628 Mission St., San Marino

(626) 441-7250

 

BEST HARDWARE STORE

Crown City Hardware

1047 N. Allen Ave., Pasadena

(626) 794-1188 | www.restoration.com   

Crown City Hardware has the usual products you’d expect to find in a hardware store, but it also specializes in hard-to-find items used to restore the Craftsman bungalows and other historic homes in Pasadena. Since it opened in 1916, the store’s stock has expanded to include more than 100,000 items. Staffers are also available to help customers restore old or damaged hardware, reproduce items when originals cannot be restored or found, replace locks and keys and create custom finishes.

 

Reader Recommended

Berg Hardware

495 N. Altadena Drive, Pasadena

(626) 793-6161

 

Pasadena True Value Hardware and Paint

409 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena

(626) 792-2196 | www.pasadenatruevalue.com  

 

BEST HOBBIES AND CRAFT (TIE)

little junebugs

27 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena

(626) 440-7300 | www.littlejunebugs.com   

little junebugs gives kids an opportunity to express their creativity, while giving their parents a chance to chill out. This combination boutique and studio schedules classes, private parties and monthly craft nights, where children ages 3-10 can work on arts-and-craft projects, while their parents can relax or purchase toys and other items in the gift shop. Parties can be held at the store or at another location and include varied activities like storytelling, face painting, glitter tattooing and scavenger hunts. Unless another event is scheduled, the studio is open for crafting every day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 

Stats

120 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena

(626) 795-9308 | www.statsfloral.com  ‎

During the holiday season Stats is like an enormous Christmas tree, elaborately decorated for the occasion. Stats sells holiday decorations and craft supplies, including items that can be used to make decorations for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and other holidays. The Pasadena store, located across the street from the Hotel Green, opened in 1962. Since then, owners Dan Stathatos, Jr. and his brother, Jerry, have added stores in Redondo Beach and Seal Beach and own Fishbecks Patio Center, located down the street from Stats and voted this year’s Best Outdoor Furniture Store.

 

Zinnia

1024 Mission St., South Pasadena

(626) 441-2181 | www.zinnia.biz  ‎

Multimedia artist Tamara Tolkin opened Zinnia, a gift store and crafts studio, in 2004 and describes it as “a space for contagious creativity.”  The store sells handmade gifts and cards, as well as craft supplies and crafting books. Among Zinnia’s many classes are instruction in making sock creatures, kitchen fairies, vintage tin dolls, journaling and decoupage. Zinnia is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. and Monday by appointment.   

 

BEST JEWELRY

Wayne Jason Jewelry Designs

105 W. California Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 795-9215 | www.wjasondesigns.com 

Another accolade for Wayne Jason, voted 2012 Best Business Person of the Year. Customers can bring in older jewelry pieces for “repurposing,” or just a mental picture, and work with Jason to design and make a custom creation start to finish. “Our niche is custom pieces,” he explains. “That’s something people can’t do on the Internet and most jewelry stores don’t do.” Jason not only knows clients’ individual tastes, but can nudge husbands, who have no clue what to get their wives, in the right direction.

 

Reader Recommended

Arnold’s Fine Jewelry

350 S. Lake Ave., Pasadena

(626) 795-8647 | www.arnoldsfinejewelry.com  

 

Tiffany & Co.

68 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 793-7424 | www.tiffany.com 

 

BEST LOCAL BOOKSTORE/NEWSSTAND

Vroman’s

695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 449-5320 | www.vromansbookstore.com 

Vroman's Hastings Ranch

3729 E. Foothill Blvd, Pasadena

(626) 351-0828

In the age of Amazon.com, “real“ bookstores have become an endangered species. But after 118 years in Pasadena, Vroman’s remains alive and well. In addition to its large selection of books, it offers gifts, pens, stationery and greeting cards. Best-selling authors appear at the store’s regularly scheduled book signings and a range of newspapers and magazines are available at the outdoor newsstand. There’s also a coffee shop where shoppers can grab a latte and stop to read the books they’ve purchased.

 

Reader Recommended

Cliff’s Books

630 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 449-9541

 

The Battery Books & Music

1005 B Mission St., South Pasadena

(626) 376-9913

 

BEST LOCAL MEN’S CLOTHING

PM Jacoy

2650 Mission St., San Marino

(626) 799-4600 | www.pmjacoy.com

Men who don’t count shopping and errands among their favorite things to do will appreciate the business approach of San Marino outfitter PM Jacoy. By offering several complimentary services in one location — from men’s clothing and accessories to luggage and a full-service, on-site tailor — they let you take a serious bite out of your to-do list. This is also an ideal destination for anyone looking for a gift for the man who has everything, as the store sells ties, watches, cologne and other male must-haves.

 

BEST LOCAL PET STORE

My Pet Garden

2245 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 449-1600 | www.mypetgarden.com 

Every dog — and cat — has its day at My Pet Garden, Pasadena’s palace for pampered pets. My Pet Spaw provides basic bathing and grooming services, as well as some less-than-basic extras, like blueberry facials, whitening shampoos and “nail pawlish.” The store carries a selection of holistic, grain-free, organic and raw foods to meet each dog’s nutritional needs. The staff is also available for consultations about a pet’s diet. In addition, My Pet Garden offers doggie daycare, non-anesthetic teeth cleaning and consultations with a pet psychic.

 

Reader Recommended

Centinela Feed & Pet Supplies

3120 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena

(626)795-9858 | www.centinelafeed.com

 

Steve’s Pet Store

2395 N. Lake Ave., Altadena

(626) 797-4247 | www.stevespetstore.com

 

BEST LOCAL RECORD STORE

Canterbury Records

805 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 792-7184 | www.canterburyrecords.com 

Canterbury Records has been selling albums — be they vinyl or compact disc — since 1956. This year it opened a Web store, which is undergoing construction on the Internet. The retail outlet on Colorado Boulevard features hundreds of thousands of records, organized by musical genre, such as big band, vocal, jazz, classical, blues, theater organ, country and world music. If you can’t figure out the sorting system, or can’t locate what you’re looking for, the friendly staff is available to assist you.

 

Reader Recommended

Poo Bah Records

2636 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 449-3359 | www.poobah.com

 

BEST LOCAL SHOE STORE (TIE)

Neo 39 Active Footwear

39 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 683-1257 | www.neo39footwear.blogspot.com  ‎

Shopping for sneakers is a kick at Neo 39 Active Footwear, which specializes in athletic footwear and accessories like caps and sunglasses. According to its Web site, Neo 39 carries “the latest and most talked about releases from the biggest sports and lifestyle brands including Nike, Jordan, Converse, Puma, and Adidas.”  Located in Old Town, Neo39 is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

 

Rangoni Shoes

400 S. Lake Ave., Pasadena

(626) 792-7191 | www.rangonishoes.com  

“Fine quality footwear for the fashion-conscious woman” — that’s how Rangoni describes the shoes it manufactures in Florence, Italy, and sells at its South Lake Avenue store. You won’t find trendy five-inch stiletto heels, or much of anything for less than $100. But if you’re looking for classic pumps, sandals, low-heeled casual shoes or boots, then this is the store for you.  

 

Reader Recommended

New Balance

270 S. Arroyo Parkway, Pasadena

(626) 793-7900 | www.nbla.com 

 

Run With Us

235 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena

(626) 568-3331 | www.clubrunwithus.com 

 

BEST LOCAL SPORTING GOODS

Run With Us

235 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena

(626) 568-3331 | www.clubrunwithus.com 

Customers have been running to Run With Us since 2000, when owner Peter Van Gansen opened Pasadena’s first store specializing in shoes and apparel for running. In addition to carrying numerous brands of running shoes, the store sponsors Club Run With Us, a team of runners ranging from newbies to participants in the Boston Marathon. The store also collects customers’ old sports shoes and donates them to Pasadena’s Union Station Homeless Services.

 

BEST LOCAL TOY STORE

San Marino Toy and Book Shoppe

2424 Huntington Drive, San Marino

(626) 309-0222 | www.toysandbooks.com 

At San Marino Toy and Book Shoppe, you’ll find just about any toy you can think of for kids of just about any age. The store features one of the largest selections of children’s books in the area and a wide range of educational toys, as well as toys that are just plain fun. Customers can also order toys from the Web site, which organizes items in age ranges (from “up to 12 months” to “10 years and up”) and by categories (such as first toys, dolls and dollhouses and games for all ages).

 

Reader Recommended

Dinosaur Farm

1510 Mission St., South Pasadena

(626) 441-2767 | www.dinosaurfarm.com

 

little junebugs

27 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena

(626) 440-7300 | www.littlejunebugs.com   

 

BEST LOCAL VIDEO STORE

Vidéothèque

1020 Mission St., South Pasadena

(626) 403-6621 | www.vidtheque.com 

People who truly love films will also love Vidéothèque. The store was designed as a one-stop shop for customers wanting to rent or buy independent, cult, foreign, rare, and classic cinema, as well as recently released films and television programs. About 20,000 DVDs and Blu-Ray discs are available, with new releases arriving every week. These items are listed alphabetically or by category on Vidéothèque’s Web site, enabling customers to track down their selections before they come to the store.

 

Reader Recommended

Interact!

350 S. Lake Ave., #112, Pasadena

(626) 578-7282

 

Star Video

1456 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 791-9708 | www.starvideorentals.com

 

BEST LOCAL WOMEN’S CLOTHING

The Loved One

2 E. Holly St., Pasadena

(626) 304-0009 | www.thelovedone.net 

Maybe it’s our fascination with period-specific shows like “Mad Men,” which offer us a delicious glimpse into the private thoughts and lives of people in generations past, that’s behind America’s recent obsession with fashion trends from the ‘50s and ‘60s. Or maybe it’s the personal passion of vintage glam lovers like Elvia Lahman and Hannah Metz, who opened The Loved One as a vintage wholesale business in 2009. In no time, demand for more creations led to an online business, pop-up shops in New York and LA and, eventually, the opening of the pair’s new Holly Street shop in Old Town.

 

Reader Recommended

Elisa B

12 Douglas Alley, Pasadena

(626) 792-4746 | www.elisab.com

 

Il Teatro

54 S. De Lacey Ave, Pasadena

(626) 796-2313 | www.hometown-pasadena.com/shops/il-teatro/8990

 

BEST NURSERY

Bellefontaine Nursery

838 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena

(626)796-0747 | www.bellefontainenursery.com

They can’t sell you a green thumb, but the folks at Bellefontaine Nursery can provide you with the products and services you need to have a beautiful home garden. Those products include plants, flowers (especially roses), pots and containers, seed packets, planting mix and organic plant foods. Bellefontaine also stocks a variety of citrus, stone fruit and tropical fruit trees, plants that are well-suited to grow in Southern California and trees for landscaping your home.  

 

Reader Recommended

Burkard Nurseries

690 N. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 796-4355 | www.burkardnurseries.com 

 

Lincoln Avenue Nursery

804 Lincoln Ave., Pasadena

(626) 792-2138 | www.pasadenagardening.com

 

BEST OUTDOOR FURNITURE STORE

Fishbecks Patio Center

150 S. Raymond Ave,, Pasadena

(626) 796-9255 | www.fishbecks.com  ‎

Fishbecks is the place to find the perfect furniture for sitting on the patio or lounging by the pool. The store features designer brands and its own signature collection of chairs, sofas, tables and other furnishings, as well as grills and shade products. Fishbecks has been selling outdoor and casual furniture in Pasadena since 1899. In 1981, brothers Dan and Jerry Stathatos acquired Fishbecks, down the street from their Stats Floral Supply store.

 

Reader Recommended

Pasadena Patio

78 S. Rosemead Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 405-2334 | www.pasadena-patio.com 

 

BEST RESALE/CONSIGNMENT SHOP

Huntington Collection

766 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena

(626) 535-2468 | www.thehuntingtoncollection.com 

The Huntington Collection obtains donated items and merchandise on consignment, sells it to customers, then gives the proceeds to Huntington Hospital’s Senior Care Network, a program to assist seniors and disabled adults. The collection offers shoppers a broad range of merchandise, including furniture, jewelry, boutique items, collectibles and tableware. Hours of operation are Monday through Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday from noon to 6 p.m. A Saturday sale, featuring half prices on regular clothing, is held the last Saturday of the month, except holidays, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

 

Reader Recommended

Crossroads Trading Co.

104 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 793-2000 | www.crossroadstrading.com

 

Ritz Resale

46 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena

(626) 449-3528 | www.ritzresale.com 

 

BEST SMOKE/TOBACCO SHOP

Shop Therapy

38 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena

(626) 605-2855  ‎| www.shoptherapy.com/pasadena.html 

Shop Therapy’s tie-dyed clothes are not its only connection to the hippie lifestyle. The back of the store resembles a 1960s head shop, carrying almost everything you need to enjoy a smoke (except, of course, for one illegal product). The store’s stock includes thousands of pipes, rolling tobacco, pipe tobacco and tobacco for hookahs. It also carries rolling papers and a selection of incense burners and incense.

 

Reader Recommended

Captain Tobacco

2371 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 795-4714 | www.captaintobacco.com 

Cigars by Chivas

58 S. De Lacey Ave., Pasadena

(626) 395-7505 | www.cigarsbychivas.com

 

BEST SPECIALTY FOOD STORE

Beyond the Olive

10 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena

(626) 844-3866 | www.beyondtheolive.com

Chip and Crystal Reibel take olive oil seriously, which is why in 2009 they opened a store in Pasadena where customers could learn about the health benefits and great taste of high-quality extra virgin olive oil. The olive oil sold at Beyond the Olive is almost exclusively produced and bottled in California. The store also features a selection of gourmet vinegars, gourmet foods and beauty products. 

 

Reader Recommended

Trader Joe's

Various locations

www.traderjoes.com

 

Whole Foods

465 S. Arroyo Parkway, Pasadena

(626) 204-2266 | www.wholefoodsmarket.com

 

BEST STATIONERY

Vroman’s

695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 449-5320 | www.vromansbookstore.com 

Earlier this year Vroman’s closed its fine writing, gifts and stationery store, located at the corner of El Molino Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. However, the book store down the street now features a pen and stationery department on the first floor, between the parking lot entrance and the travel section. The department carries customers’ favorite brands of stationery and the same selection of pens and special-order stationery as the old store and provides in-house printing services.

 

Reader Recommended

Lula Mae

100 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena

(626) 304-9996 | www.lulamae.com 

 

Webster’s Fine Stationers

2450 N. Lake Ave. ste. B, Altadena

(626) 797-1135  | www.webstersfinestationers.com

 

BEST THRIFT SHOP

ACTS Thrift Store

1382 Locust St., Pasadena

(626) 577-4477 | www.actsthrift.org

ACTS is a Christian-based nonprofit thrift store, which contributes all of the net proceeds from the sale of its items to community organizations serving at-risk children and families. The store’s merchandise includes clothing for men, women, children and infants, shoes, furniture, housewares, toys and games, electronics, sporting goods, small appliances and boutique items. The merchandise is constantly changing, with more than 16,000 new items for sale each week. Consult the shop’s Web site for information about where and how to donate items.

 

Reader Recommended

Goodwill

183 N. Altadena Drive, Pasadena

(626) 564-0335 | www.goodwillsocal.org 

 

Out of the Closet

1726 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 440-1719 | www.outofthecloset.org 

 

 

BEST WINE/BEER SHOP

Mission Wine and Spirits

1785 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena

(626) 797-0500 | www.missionliquor.com  ‎

Hundreds of bottles of booze on the wall, hundreds of bottles of booze! That may not be an accurate description of the merchandise, but it gives you an idea of the range of products available at Mission Wine and Spirits. Domestic and imported beer and wines, sparkling wines and champagne, ports and sherries and spirits ranging from absinthe to whiskey — it’s all available in-store or online. In addition, the store features a smoke shop, where customers can purchase tobacco, cigarettes, pipes and similar products. 

 

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