Old Pasadena’s Act Two
As a teenager, Ingrid Peña saw a struggling part of Pasadena morph into the poster child for the revival of historic business districts in Southern California. Little did she know that years later, she’d revisit this period for her USC master’s thesis, Saving Old Pasadena: Where Locals Took on City Hall and Won. The story of Old Pasadena is the story of the early days of the SoCal preservation movement, the extraordinary effort it takes to breathe new life into an entire commercial district, and how the work never really ends. Hear all this and more from Ingrid, from her firsthand experience to the many details she uncovered in her research.
Colorado Blvd. 1970s. Photo Courtesy of Pasadena Museum of History.
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Ingrid Peña is an Architectural Historian for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), receiving her Master of Heritage Conservation degree from USC in 2019. She grew up in Pasadena, attended its public schools, and now lives there with her family. As part of the public school system, Ingrid had the unique opportunity of going to the Rose Bowl for every homecoming football game, a tradition that continues today. With this amazing experience, Ingrid developed a great sense of pride for the City of Roses, ultimately writing her thesis about this wonderful city. |
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Our producer Willa Seidenberg recently interviewed Ingrid. Not only is she a long-time professor of radio journalism for the USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, but she is also earning her Master’s degree in Heritage Conservation. |
Want to know more about some of the ideas and places mentioned in this episode? Check out:
Thesis: Saving Old Pasadena: Where Locals Took on City Hall and Won
National Register listing for Old Pasadena
Old Pasadena – Business Improvement District
