Oak Knoll is, arguably, one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in Pasadena. (The argument would come from people who live overlooking the Arroyo Seco.) When the original homes in Oak Knoll were built, many were in the bungalow style. Famous architects were employed. No details were spared. And money was generally not an issue. Today, these architecturally distinguished estates on winding, oak tree-shaded streets come up for sale once in a generation or, sometimes, once in a lifetime -- and they are snapped up quickly even with multi-million dollar asking prices. At the southern end of Oak Knoll is the Huntington Hotel and Resort, one of the three remaining resorts from the era when Pasadena had a reputation for having a therapeutic climate and thousands of people came from across the U.S. to restore their health. (The other two buildings are the Green Hotel and the Vista del Arroyo -- both converted to other uses. The Vista del Arroyo is now the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.) To visit Oak Knoll go to Wilson and California and drive south.
Madison Heights is adjacent to Oak Knoll and the homes, while generously sized, are not quite as grandiose as the more notable ones in Oak Knoll. Like Oak Knoll and many other Pasadena neighborhoods, the streets in this area are lined with century-old oaks. It is illegal to cut down trees in Pasadena without city permission -- even trees on private property. The result: the city is heavily forested.
To visit Madison Heights start at Los Robles and California and go south and east. |
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