South Pasadena Unified (SPUSD) is its own district, with three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.
South Pasadena
“The City of Trees”. I just love South Pasadena. South Pasadena does what it wants, and knows that it’s great. A small yet mighty, independent city of about three and a half square miles.
Last updated Sep 15, 2026
South Pasadena is its own city, and it feels like it. Mission Street is the heart of it: the Thursday farmers’ market with some incredible vendors, small shops and restaurants, and the Metro A Line stop that puts Old Pasadena and downtown L.A. a train ride away.
The streets around it are lined with charming Craftsman bungalows and Period Revival homes under old camphor and oak trees, which is why so many movies and shows have been filmed here. Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” was filmed at the historic Rialto Theatre, and “Halloween”, “Back to the Future”, “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure”, and scenes from “Old School” have also been filmed in South Pas.
What to compare on a tour
Mission Street and Fair Oaks Avenue is where you’ll find most of the shops and restaurants, along with multi-family housing (hello, condos and townhomes!)
Historic preservation is taken seriously here, so check what a home’s designation allows before planning changes.
Local notes for South Pasadena
With kids · The Foothills
What to do with kids in the Foothills this weekend
Parks, playgrounds and the outdoor spots my kids ask to go back to.
Things to do · The Foothills
Small shops worth a stop
The gift shops, tea rooms, bookstores and plant shops I send friends to, most of them family- or women-owned.
Food · Montrose
Montrose and other food stops worth returning to
The places I actually go back to, from a casual sushi spot to the fine-dining room the town waited years for.
Food · The Foothills
Markets, wine shops and the weekend haul
Three farmers’ markets, two wine shops with tastings, and where I pick up meat for Korean BBQ at home.
Talk with Jean
A short conversation about where you are, what matters and what would make sense next. No obligation.