Arroyo Monthly January 2015

FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA JANUARY 2015

BEAUTY Wigs Take Root

No More Bad Hair Days

TOP FITNESS TRACKERS to Rev Up Your Workout

What’s New in Anti-Aging Technology And It Isn’t a Facelift

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arroyo

VOLUME 11 | NUMBER 1 | JANUARY 2015

PHOTOS, TOP: Courtesy of The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, BOTTOM RIGHT: Courtesty of Fitbit

35 11

27

BEAUTY

11 FAUX HAIR TAKES ROOT Celebrities and everyday women are flipping for wigs that take the pain out of bad-hair days.

—By Bettijane Levine

17 BEAUTY WITHOUT THE NIPS AND TUCKS New noninvasive technologies are taking the artifice and downtime out of helping grown-ups look younger.

—By Irene Lacher

27

THE FITNESS-TRACKING CRAZE Fitbits and other popular tracking devices are getting people to move more and thrive.

—By Kathleen Kelleher

35 THE HUNTINGTON’S NEW WELCOME MAT The San Marino cultural institution unveils its new $68 million Education and Visitor Center this month.

—By Scarlet Cheng

DEPARTMENTS 9

FESTIVITIES The Music Center celebrates its 50th anniversary.

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ARROYO HOME SALES INDEX

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KITCHEN CONFESSIONS Do we need to note that the White House appointed its first female executive pastry chef?

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THE LIST The Missing Pages of Lewis Carroll at Boston Court, Three Dog Night comes to Arcadia, Cookie Con launches in Pasadena and more

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EDITOR’S NOTE

The French may be the inventors of chic, but they’re losing ground in the beauty category. Their much-repeated pronouncement that On doit souffrir pour être beau (you must suffer for beauty) has never been less true, thanks to galloping new technology. No longer do older women and men have to go under the knife to restore their youthful looks. The new century has brought a banquet of convenient, noninvasive options to help you turn back the clock.

Starting from the top, synthetic wigs have become so persuasive that their wearers need not worry about onlookers whispering, Does she or doesn’t she? As Bettijane Levine discovered, healthy hair is not the barrier to wig ownership it once was. Having a bad hair day? Plop on a wig.

No time for the hairdresser? You know what to do.

Even plastic surgeons are putting down the knife for a lot of patients who are just beginning to look like their mother (or father). Where a decade or more ago, you might go in for a nip or a tuck, now you can opt for increasingly sophisticated options in noninvasive therapies — both energy-based and fillers. We tell you about some of the latest developments that doctors in cosmetic medicine are excited about.

Of course, when it comes to beauty below the neck (and also above it), there’s still no replacement for working hard on physical fitness (and I don’t mean watching TV while you’re hooked up to a Mad Men–era Relax-A-Cizor). But there is new technology to help you make sure you’re getting the most out of your workouts — fitness-tracking devices. Kathleen Kelleher explains what’s out there and what they do (and don’t do) to help you become your best self.

—Irene Lacher

EDITOR IN CHIEF Irene Lacher ART DIRECTOR Nadeen Torio ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Carla Cortez PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Tim Oliver, Kristin Skaggs-Kirby EDITOR-AT-LARGE Bettijane Levine COPY EDITOR John Seeley CONTRIBUTORS Leslie Bilderback, Michael Cervin, Scarlet Cheng, Carole Dixon, Lisa Dupuy, Lynne Heffley, Tariq Kamal, Kathy Kelleher, Rebecca Kuzins, Brenda Rees, John Sollenberger, Nancy Spiller ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Dina Stegon ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Brenda Clarke, Joseluis Correa, Leslie Lamm ADVERTORIAL CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Bruce Haring ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Tim Oliver, Stephanie Torres HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Andrea Baker PAYROLL Linda Lam ACCOUNTING Alysia Chavez, Kacie Sturek OFFICE ASSISTANT Ann Weathersbee PUBLISHER Jon Guynn

arroyo FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA

SOUTHLAND PUBLISHING V.P. OF FINANCE Michael Nagami V.P. OF OPERATIONS David Comden PRESIDENT Bruce Bolkin CONTACT US ADVERTISING dinas@pasadenaweekly.com EDITORIAL editor@arroyomonthly.com PHONE (626) 584-1500 FAX (626) 795-0149 MAILING ADDRESS 50 S. De Lacey Ave., Ste. 200, Pasadena, CA 91105 ArroyoMonthly.com ©2014 Southland Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

CORRECTION: A story about Sam Nicholson in the November issue misstated the source of his charitable contributions. He donates 25 percent of his fine art proceeds to Hillsides.

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FESTIVITIES

Paul and Beatrice Bennett with Warren and Alyce Williamson, co-chair of the 50th Anniversary Gala Committee

Valerie Hoffman

Judith Light and John Glover

World-class artists and glamorous audiences are nothing new at the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles, but the 50th-anniversary celebration Dec. 6 had something more — an ebullient look back at many years of great performances and gratitude to the patrician families who made the arts complex possible. Indeed, many thanks were offered to the late Dorothy Chandler, who spearheaded the campaign to build the Music Center and lent her name to the pavilion that’s now the home of L.A. Opera.

“Her vision and her determination to build a home for the performing arts is legendary,” actor Judith Light told the audience. “She knew all great cities had a cul-

PHOTOS: Craig T. Mathew/Mathew Imaging, Jonathan Liebson/Getty Images, Will Ttee Yang, all for the Music Center

tural hub at their heart.”

After a nearly three-hour performance of highlights from past productions by the resident theater and music companies, as well as the Glorya Kaufman dance series, some 1,000 guests entered an elegant four-storyhigh tent on the Music Center Plaza for a black-tie dinCarol and outgoing Music Center President Stephen Rountree

Terri and Jerry Kohl

ner of shrimp or steak, capped by dancing. The event raised more than $5.3 million for the Music Center.

50th Anniversay Celebration finale

Edward and Alicia Clark

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Faux Hair Takes Root Celebrities and everyday women are flipping for wigs that take the pain out of bad-hair days.

BY BETTIJANE LEVINE

hen Sony Corp. applied for a SmartWig patent a few months back, even tech experts scratched their heads. The patent request states that the wig could contain a global positioning system, laser pointer, heart-and-blood pressure monitor and camera, and would connect with all other devices, permitting a full range of communication. Of course, there’s plenty of wearable technology on the market already — SmartGoggles, smartwatches and apparel that checks vital signs — but this was the first item anyone had heard of that actually pretends to be a part of human anatomy. It seemed as strange as proposing an electronic third ear.

The idea didn’t sound so strange to many in the beauty industry who already know that faux hair is becoming one of America’s most popular, effective (and noninvasive) beautifiers. As much as makeup, wardrobe or even a few filler injections to pump up the

W

cheeks, an attractive wig — which takes no time at all to plop on one’s head — in the right style can dramatically improve one’s appearance. Why not add some technology?

In big cities, wigs are becoming commonplace, although most look so real you can’t tell who is and who isn’t wearing them. A recent story in New York magazine put it this way: “It’s likely the average New Yorker encounters as many wigs on a morning commute” as knockoff designer handbags. Skeptics reading this may rightly wonder why women would choose to wear false hair if their own hair is luxuriously thick and healthy? The answer is complex, a convergence of social, economic and technological factors that make wigs acceptable, affordable and often quite sensible for today’s women of all ages and financial brackets. The short-form answer is that wigs are fast and fun, and can save time and money.

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We met Arroyoland resident Kathy M., 42, at a wig shop where we thought she was wearing her own hair. It turned out she was sporting a $250 synthetic wig — the fourth in her collection, all of them approximately the same color and style.

Why the wigs? “I have three kids, I’m a teacher and I tutor on the side. I got tired of spending time and money at the hair salon and the blow-dry bar,” she said. She whipped off the wig to show us a healthy head of hair, pinned in a bun at the back. How did she make the decision to wear wigs? “I came to the shop with a friend who was losing her hair due to chemotherapy. I tried some wigs on and bought one to wear on bad-hair days.

It looked and felt so good that I started wearing it to work every day and wanted a second one as an alternate.” She now has extras to ensure she’ll look good on family vacations. “I have stopped my weekly hair appointments. My husband and kids think my wigs look great. My students have no idea I wear a wig, which is why I can’t let you use my real name. They’d have a field day making fun of me.”

Kathy is not a rare case. In the past 10 years the wig business has taken off, thanks to advances that make much synthetic hair look amazingly real. And the bases to which hair is attached are now featherweight, lacy and so comfortable that wearers say they forget they’re wearing a wig. Those two innovations together have fostered a new firmament of

artificial hair that costs anywhere from a few dozen dollars to a few hundred.

Of course, fine human hair is still the gold standard, but even top hair experts say the wash-and-wear convenience of the better synthetics make them preferable for busy, budget-conscious women.

As all the improvements in the look and feel of wigs kicked in, many pop and rock music stars — Nicki Minaj, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga — started performing with blatantly fake hair in shapes and colors not known to nature. They’ve inspired a whole younger generation to consider wigs as forms of artistic self-expression, and as perfectly acceptable fashion items.

Reality-show stars and talkshow hosts who wear wigs have also taken to talking publicly about them, while reassuring viewers that their own natural hair is healthy and the wigs help them keep it that way. That’s a better grooming strategy than sitting for hours every day while a stylist tortures your hair into shape for the show, as talk-show host and wig-wearer Wendy Williams, who has also come out with her own wig collection, told The New York Times.

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Celebrity hairstylist Joshua Brown recently told The Daily Beast that wigs are “a woman’s greatest accessory. Almost like a great pair of pumps or great handbag. Every woman needs a good wig in her wardrobe.”

With the profusion of moderately priced wigs now available from dozens of different brands, it might not be long before wig bars start popping up at Walmarts, drugstores and fashion malls. But right now, wig shops aren’t plentiful. First-time wig wearers often want to be able to choose from a complete selection and a full range of colors. That’s an impossible quest. Wigs are sold in limited space at many beauty-supply shops, party stores and dedicated wig boutiques that carry large but incomplete selections. That’s because there are too many brands, styles and shades to stock — many companies offer up to 200 styles of wigs in 150 different shades.

Brick-and-mortar stores tend to carry only the best-sellers from recognized brands, and even then have to edit their choices carefully due to space limitations. Online wig shopping is now preferred by many women because almost every style made by every brand is available to view and order. Return policies are often generous. If you try it and don’t like it, just ship it back and most of your purchase price will be refunded.

We spoke with a few Arroyoland wig purveyors to get the lowdown on local tastes.

The manager at Pasadena’s Two Boys Beauty Supply, who declined to give her name, says, “More local women are wearing wigs because it’s less expensive than going to get their hair done. Also because the cost of good-looking wigs has dropped dramatically. It’s an affordable investment. They can wash it and take care of it themselves, and they put it on whenever their own hair doesn’t look good. We carry about 150 styles in prices from about $50 to $500. We don’t have private booths because women seem to like getting feedback from other shoppers. They try a few wigs, ask which ones look best and generally have a good time. Sometimes they worry about whether their boyfriend or spouse will like it. We tell them, ‘It’s your head, you can wear whatever you want on it.’”

At California Wigs in Glendale, manager Susan tells us, “Times have changed.

Wigs aren’t just for chemo patients or balding women anymore. They’re for young, old and middle-aged women who may have great hair but hate the bother of getting it to look good. We have 350 different wigs available, a few from each of the top companies. Some synthetic, some real hair, some a mixture. Prices start at $150 and go to about $350. We have some at $1,500, but those are special-order. We get customers who want wigs for all different kinds of reasons — vacation, special occasions or to change how they look.”

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Margaret at Pasadena Beauty Supply says, “Technology is so improved that synthetics look amazingly real. And there’s a variety of inexpensive human hair now that wasn’t available before. It’s a whole new world, and customers nowadays go for the quick hairdo that doesn’t take so much time and money as a hair salon. We have some who buy wigs just for fun, to change their look without getting dye jobs or extreme cuts. We have businesswomen who specifically look for wigs to wear to work. Others just want to stop messing with their hair for a while. They can buy a $50 wig, wear it a few months and avoid the stylist. In the old days, you were stuck with whatever part your wig came with.

Now you can part it on right, left or center. I myself wear a wig because I really can’t afford to get my hair done that often.”

Experts sometimes differ about what constitutes a good wig.

European human-hair wigs, made to order, are still the choice for many well-heeled women. They can cost $5,000 or more, require expensive professional maintenance and must be cut and styled by an expert to suit the wearer.

But the bulk of wigs sold these days are synthetic or combinations of synthetic and less-expensive human hair that comes from many different continents. They are permanently pre-styled and can cost from $75 to a few hundred dollars.

After a woman finds a style and color she likes, she can have a hairdresser give it a customized cut. From then on, she’s on her own. She shampoos her wig before bed and hangs it up to dry; it falls back into place, ready to wear by morning. She can throw it into a plastic bag when she travels. Many synthetic wigs can be parted anywhere the wearer chooses, and the part will reveal a realistic looking “scalp,” which adds verisimilitude.

The blogosphere and Twitter are rife with conjecture about which famous women secretly wear wigs to maintain the illusion of constant perfection.

Near the top of that list is Anna Wintour, 64, the Vogue editor and Condé Nast creative director whose hairstyle has become her signature. Some bloggers assert that Wintour’s glossy brown chin-length bob with brow-covering bangs couldn’t possibly look so good day and night, in all sorts of weather, if it weren’t for wigs. Gayle King, co-anchor with Charlie Rose and Nora Roberts on CBS This Morning, wears an assertive coppery fluff that has quickly become her signature asset. “What’s with the wig?” one tweeter asked, evidently certain that King wears one. Neither Wintour nor King are likely to spill the beans about their hair.

But other successful women have no problem divulging their grooming secrets.

Sara Blakely, 43, is on Forbes’ list of the world’s wealthiest people and, in 2012, the magazine declared her the world’s youngest self-made woman billionaire. She’s the creator and president of Spanx, which revolutionized the underwear world. In a recent Wall Street Journal interview, she was asked about her beauty regime and said, “When I’m bored or tired of being blond, I’ll throw on a wig.

It’s a lot less of a permanent way to change your look, and I have about 10 — all different colors, shapes, bobs, long hair, short, feathered.”

Cancer patients are understandably the most sensitive wig shoppers. Most hospitals with cancer centers have affiliated wig shops where women with hair loss due to chemotherapy are offered privacy and personalized care as they try on affordable wigs. At Huntington Memorial Hospital, it’s the Constance G. Zahorik Appearance Center, located in the Huntington Pavilion, where patients receive fitting and styling of synthetic wigs from trained personnel. Those who prefer custom human-hair prostheses are referred elsewhere.

It’s doubtful that the majority of America’s women will start wearing wigs on a regular basis anytime in the near future. But it’s probable that in the next few years, many millions will buy at least one flattering faux hairpiece, just as backup for those inevitable days when they want to look good and their own hair just isn’t cutting it. |||| 16 | ARROYO | 01.15

Beauty Without the Nips and Tucks New noninvasive technologies are taking the artifice and downtime out of helping grown-ups look younger

BY IRENE LACHER n our youth-obsessed culture, it’s hard to face the eventual arrival of wrinkles and jowls without some misgivings. Last century, rolling back the clock mostly involved a surgeon’s snips. But the technological revolution of the 21st century that brought you your much-beloved smartphone is also adding noninvasive techniques to doctors’ antiaging arsenals. Here are a few new technologies for rejuvenation that will help keep the surgeon away (unless she’s wielding a syringe or energy technology) for many years — and possibly forever:

I

VOLUMA The full name of this new filler is Juvéderm Voluma XC from Allergan. (The anti-aging injectables giant also makes Botox and, of course, Juvéderm.) Like the better-known Juvéderm and Restylane, Voluma is made of hyaluronic acid, a viscous substance our bodies produce. What’s different is Voluma’s larger molecules, enabling its manufacturer to claim, with FDA approval, that it’s the first filler that can “temporarily correct age-related volume loss in the cheek area of adults over the age of 21.”

What makes that so anti-aging friendly is doctors’ relatively recent discovery that loss of facial fat makes us look older. Remember the wind-tunnel look endured by facelift patients of an earlier era? That was caused in part by pulling skin against gaunt cheeks.

Injectables that give the face a youthful fullness have been around since 1980, when bovine collagen was introduced to the market. It required an allergy test and didn’t last long, so its role was taken up by Juvéderm and Restylane, both of which are hypoallergenic and last longer, averaging six months.

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Before and after Ultherapy

PHOTOS: Robert Ulrich, Courtesy of Dr. Leif Rogers

Dr. Leif Rogers inserts Voluma into a patient’s cheeks.

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–continued from page 17

Voluma, however, keeps its, well, volume, for much longer. A study of 235 patients demonstrated that it lasted in cheeks for up to two years, lead investigator and Beverly Hills dermatologist Derek H. Jones told Allure magazine.

So for those who can afford it — a one-cc syringe can cost a hefty $1,000 or more – Voluma is becoming the injectable of choice for consumers who want to correct sagging cheeks and reverse facial volume loss due to fat and bone absorption. (Doctors point out that while the upfront charge is higher than other hyaluronic acid fi llers, Voluma offers more value because it lasts longer.)

Dr. Narinah Zohrabian, a Pasadena dermatologist, says Voluma has several advantages over Sculptra, another volumizing product that was initially approved by the FDA in 2004 on the basis of studies on HIV patients, whose use of anti-viral medications led to facial fat loss. “The results are immediate,” she says. “You’re getting the volumizing right after the placement, whereas the Sculptra takes time. Sculptra stimulates your own body to build the collagen, so it can take a series of injections and it takes a month or so for it to start building, whereas the Voluma is immediate.”

Voluma is also used differently than other hyaluronic acid injectables because it’s firmer. “With Restylane, you put it into the dermis, which is the second layer of the skin, whereas with Voluma, it’s meant to be placed deep, almost on top of bone,” says Dr. Zohrabian. “What you’re targeting with the two products is different. So with Restylane, you’re targeting fine lines to moderate lines. With Voluma, you’re revolumizing. When we’re younger, we have apple cheeks. And as we grow older, those fat pads in the cheeks shrink and cause the skin to sag and have marionette lines and a jowly look. With the injections, not only do you replace the collagen and fat that’s been lost, it also helps you build collagen after getting those procedures done.”

Dr. Narinah Zohrabian

Voluma is popular on realself.com, where 87 percent of 114 reviewers reported that it was worth the money. Lynne Schneider, a middle-aged woman in Atlanta, wrote that thanks to Voluma, she “got my pretty back...My cheeks had dropped, hollows under my eyes could not be covered with makeup and my jawline was this odd square shape.

Voluma fi lls in the shadows that age you in pictures. Yes, it is so worth it.”

But a Michigan woman, who had Voluma injected to help her “slightly noticeable” undereye circles, wrote that it left her “deformed and disappointed...Results: black eyes, worse than before, have to wear make up all the time! I wish I could just wake up from this nightmare.”

Clearly the skill of the person wielding the syringe is important to a good result. And finding the right doctor is not necessarily a matter of money, which, after all, doesn’t buy taste.

“There’s only so much filling you can do to lift the skin before you start looking puffyfaced,” says Dr. Leif Rogers, a plastic surgeon with offices in Pasadena and Beverly Hills.

“It’s been a trend lately in Hollywood — people have been overdoing it. A lot of these people, who are presenting Academy Awards, for instance, and people are making comments about it, it’s because they’ve been overfilled.”

ULTHERAPY AND THERMI Ultherapy is another new technology that’s popular with consumers, if realself.com is any guide. Almost 70 percent of 478 reviewers said they thought it was worth the money, which averages $2,675 nationwide.

Ultherapy uses ultrasound to tighten skin, which can be a boon for consumers concerned about jowls. It’s FDA approved for the face and chest. Even though new protocols are being developed for the body, Dr. Rogers doesn’t recommend using Ultherapy beyond those areas. “It can become cost-prohibitive, because we get charged per pulse, and if you have to do a lot of pulses, it starts getting expensive.”

For the face, however, “Ultherapy is probably my go-to,” he says. “It tends to be the most effective [skin-tightening technology] that’s not invasive. If someone’s willing to go through something a little more invasive, I would do The rmi.”

Thermi RF, also known as ThermiTight, is a probe that penetrates the skin and uses radio-frequency energy to heat skin and fat from the inside. “You numb [the area to be treated], you make a little needle hole and put the probe underneath and heat the tissues as you withdraw,” Dr. Rogers says. “And you can do any part of the body. It will cause skin tightening for sure, it will cause fat loss if you want it to. It is very good for the jawline but it is more invasive [than Ultherapy]. But it’s not as invasive as full-blown surgery and it can be done in the office for the most part. It is more effective than less invasive [technologies], depending on what you’re treating.”

That’s borne out by the 93 percent of realself.com’s 19 reviewers who’ve undergone Thermi and decided it was worth its cost, an average of $2,700.

Rand Rusher and Dr. Rogers consult with a patient.

These noninvasive technologies will probably roll back the clock about fi ve to 10 years, depending on one’s physiology and the doctor’s skill. None will make a middle-aged woman or man look like a recent college grad — but then it’s probably a bad idea to overdo it and make people wonder whether you’ve been living on formaldehyde cocktails.

“The goal is to make you look like a better version of yourself,” says Dr. Zohrabian.

“And you can’t rewind to 20. I guess you can, but you want it to look natural.”

What does the future hold? One promising area for researchers is stem cells, which are believed to have great anti-aging potential. And noninvasive technologies may eventually replace facelifts altogether.

“We’ll get to the point where we understand these things well enough that we can keep you looking young, as long as you come [for noninvasive anti-aging therapies] on a regular basis forever,” says Dr. Rogers. “You won’t ever have to have surgery. I don’t think we’re quite there yet, but I suspect in the next 10 to 15 years, we’ll approach that.” |||| 01.15 ARROYO | 19

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~HOME SALES INDEX~

ALTADENA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. ARCADIA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. EAGLE ROCK Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. GLENDALE Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. LA CAÑADA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. PASADENA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. SAN MARINO Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. SIERRA MADRE Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. SOUTH PASADENA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. TOTAL Homes Sold Avg Price/Sq. Ft.

NOV ‘13 31 $542,500 1281 NOV ‘13 22 $877,500 2157 NOV ‘13 8 $550,000 1149 NOV ‘13 90 $580,000 1610 NOV ‘13 19 $1,090,000 2053 NOV ‘13 114 $616,500 1443 NOV ‘13 10 $1,740,000 2323 NOV ‘13 14 $685,000 1352 NOV ‘13 5 $645,000 1656 NOV ‘13 313 $464

HOMES SOLD

+19.61%

2014

293

AVG. PRICE/SQ. FT.

2013

nov.

313

-6.39%

nov.

HOMES SOLD

HOME SALES

NOV ‘14 20 $597,500 1430 NOV ‘14 14 $797,500 1613 NOV ‘14 18 $674,500 1274 NOV ‘14 91 $553,000 1393 NOV ‘14 16 $1,362,500 2072 NOV ‘14 101 $681,000 1583 NOV ‘14 7 $1,850,000 2556 NOV ‘14 11 $580,000 1095 NOV ‘14 15 $856,000 1816 NOV ‘14 293 $555

HOME SALES ABOVE RECENT HOME CLOSINGS IN THE PASADENA WEEKLY FOOTPRINT ADDRESS CLOSE DATE ALTADENA 1586 Meadowbrook Road 11-10-14 3439 Lincoln Avenue 11-14-14 2821 Glenrose Avenue 12-01-14 750 Ventura Street 11-07-14 ARCADIA 975 Hampton Road 11-19-14 755 Singing Wood Drive 11-21-14 1520 Louise Avenue 11-19-14 549 West Foothill Boulevard 11-10-14 1318 Greenfield Avenue 11-21-14 1004 Mayflower Avenue 12-02-14 248 South 2nd Avenue 11-18-14 328 North 4th Avenue 11-04-14 EAGLE ROCK 5302 Sierra Villa Drive 11-12-14 1391 Hill Drive 11-04-14 5412 Kincheloe Drive 11-10-14 1231 Eagle Vista Drive 11-24-14 4956 Mt. Royal Drive 11-21-14 4517 Ellenwood Drive 11-05-14 GLENDALE 114 Franklin Court 11-06-14 $ 701 Bohlig Road 12-01-14 1601 Capistrano Avenue 11-03-14 1230 Cortez Drive 11-07-14 1623 Ard Eevin Avenue 11-03-14 1405 Andenes Drive 11-18-14 726 West Glenoaks Boulevard #A 11-17-14 320 West Loraine Street 11-17-14 515 Nolan Avenue 11-25-14 2222 Waltonia Drive 11-26-14 3537 Foxglove Road 11-03-14 2131 Bonita Drive 11-19-14 809 North Adams Street #B 11-13-14 1936 Bel Aire Drive 11-13-14 225 West Kenneth Road 11-14-14 2322 Florencita Avenue 11-21-14 940 Hillcroft Road 11-12-14 1539 Western Avenue 11-05-14 604 North Verdugo Road 11-20-14 1953 Erin Way 11-21-14 937 North Jackson Street 11-10-14 1238 Cordova Avenue 11-19-14 4424 Young Drive 11-12-14 2651 Hollister Terrace 11-12-14 3302 Fullbrook Court 11-26-14 918 Pelanconi Avenue 11-13-14 1222 Oakridge Drive 11-13-14 LA CAÑADA 860 Flintridge Avenue 11-25-14 $ 5180 Princess Anne Road 11-18-14 1925 Tondolea Lane 12-01-14 4801 La Canada Boulevard 11-10-14 2117 Sunnybank Drive 11-03-14 4721 Las Colinas 11-18-14 5102 Palm Drive 11-13-14

SQ. FT.

source: CalREsource

PRICE

BDRMS.

YR. BUILT PREV. PRICE PREV. SOLD

$965,000 $835,000 $809,000 $800,000 3

3 4 3

1840 2730 1692 2218 1

1956 1964 1912 923

$7,700,000 $5,050,000 $1,800,000 $1,630,000 $1,210,000 $960,000 $835,000 $760,000

7 6 5 4 3 2 3 3

10455 7320 3804 3004 2169 542 1981 1573 1

2012 1956 2001 1950 1960 1920 2002 945

$849,000 $802,000 $790,000 $773,500 $771,000 $755,000

3 3 3 2 1 2

1386 1857 1 1848 1600 528 1668

1920 955 1959 1958 1927 1923

2,987,000 $1,590,000 $1,445,000 $1,285,000 $1,180,000 $1,180,000 $1,115,000 $1,110,000 $1,080,000 $1,075,000 $1,070,000 $985,000 $980,000 $965,000 $938,000 $900,000 $899,000 $889,000 $884,000 $850,000 $825,000 $815,000 $799,000 $787,500 $785,000 $777,000 4 $765,000

2 3 5 4 4 5 8 6 3 4 4 4 6 3 4 4 3 4 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 3

1192 2814 4350 2861 2952 3122 5016 3105 2320 2787 3023 2406 3162 2491 1947 2172 2212 1984 2195 3198 1740 1662 1848 1496 2759 2132 1826

1912 1933 1937 1940 1928 1937 1930 1995 1930 2000 1987 1926 1947 1924 1958 1946 1959 1941 1936 1989 1925 1928 1949 1930 1986 1937 1929

5,574,500 $3,425,000 $2,725,000 $2,500,000 $2,050,000 $1,876,000 $1,680,000

6

10033

1975

4 3 3 3 3

4012 2088 1764 3802 2666

2009 1923 1953 1991 1924

$325,000 1 2/17/1996 $720,000 06/27/2011 $310,000 06/25/2002 $7,100,000 09 /12/2013 $1,300,000 08/26/1994 $789,000 0 2/21/2002

$455,000

12/31/2002

$305,000

09/30/2013

$270,000 0 8/24/1998 $450,000 10/05/2011 $375,000 1 2/17/2013 $550,000 1 2/23/2004

$620,000 0 $450,000 $750,000 0 $1,200,000 $480,000 0 $900,000

2/22/1995 03/04/1988 4/16/2009 06/14/2013 9/01/1992 06/10/2004

$900,000 1 $191,500 0 $1,100,000 0 $590,000 0 $785,000 $125,000 1 $580,000

0/10/2007 5/12/1992 5/10/2005 8/06/2002 04/30/2004 1/04/1987 07/28/2000

$395,000 0 9/22/1992 $900,000 1 2/30/2010 $577,000 0 9/05/2002 $219,000 10/26/1994 $775,000 08/ 09/2007 $830,000 0 3/03/2005 $815,000 0 5/08/2007 $320,000 1 1/05/1993 $160,000 1 2/09/1983

$1,360,000 10/04/2012 $1,340,000 0 4/19/2007 $1,060,000 08/16/2013 $925,000 09/06/2013 $600,000 03/3 1/1992 $810,000 0 1/25/2002

The Arroyo Home Sales Index is calculated from residential home sales in Pasadena and the surrounding communities of South Pasadena, San Marino, La Canada Flintridge, Eagle Rock, Glendale (including Montrose), Altadena, Sierra Madre and Arcadia. Individual home sales data provided by CalREsource. Arroyo Home Sales Index © Arroyo 2014. Complete home sales listings appear each week in Pasadena Weekly.

20 | ARROYO | 01.15

ADDRESS

CLOSE DATE

PRICE

BDRMS.

SQ. FT.

YR. BUILT PREV. PRICE PREV. SOLD

LA CAÑADA 1120 Green Lane

11-13-14

$1,450,000

4

2597

1950

2215 San Gorgonio Road

11-03-14

$1,275,000

3

2072

1957

$600,000 03/ 18/2003

4427 Chevy Chase Drive

11-26-14

$1,034,000

3

1969

1921

4118 Lanterman Lane

11-04-14

$990,000

2

2223

1966

$400,000 04/2 8/1999

756 Galaxy Heights Drive

11-13-14

$970,000

3

1974

1976

$400,000

4624 Lasheart Drive

11-21-14

$930,000 2

1562

1941

03/22/2000

4602 Grand Avenue

11-03-14

$905,000

3

1268

1947

$700,000 06/

732 Galaxy Heights Drive

11-03-14

$850,000

3

1932

1974

$230,000

05/23/1986

4619 Ocean View Boulevard PASADENA

11-17-14

$760,000

2

1494

1955

$619,000

07/31/2009

850 El Campo Drive

11-03-14

$5,050,000

4

7274

1992

2804 East California Boulevard

11-18-14

$4,500,000

3

4993

1958

$3,680,000

12/07/2011

1485 San Pasqual Street

11-12-14

$4,304,500

6

4396

1922

$1,405,000

12/18/1998

1361 Ridge Way

11-07-14

$3,886,000

2

3412

1909

$1,625,000 0 8/09/2004

735 Oak Knoll Circle

11-21-14

$2,650,000

4

3960

1953

$2,395,000 1 0/16/2009

2970 East California Boulevard

11-12-14

$2,600,000

4

3527

1951

651 North Hill Avenue

11-10-14

$2,165,000

6

2803

1948

1191 Madia Street

11-21-14 $

2,100,000

4

2554

1935

645 Rockwood Road

11-07-14 $

1,910,000

2

3102

1952

180 South Euclid Avenue

11-14-14

$1,890,000

2

3328

1908

3171 East California Boulevard

11-12-14

$1,765,000

3

3612

1947

760 Laguna Road

11-06-14

$1,756,500

2

2322

1956

1196 Rancheros Place

11-20-14

$1,650,000

2

2597

1978

875 Laguna Road

11-21-14

$1,450,000

3

1673

1955

$1,090,000 06/ 06/2012

827 Linda Vista Avenue

11-12-14

$1,375,000

4

2752

1955

$1,300,000

415 Cherry Drive

11-18-14

$1,258,000

4

2839

1991

344 West Bellevue Drive #9

11-03-14

$1,250,000

3

2185

1973

$1,150,000

01/08/2008

694 South Oak Knoll Avenue

11-03-14

$1,149,000

3

1838

1920

$319,000

08/24/1999

2194 Garfias Drive

11-21-14

$1,125,000

4

3165

2004

$930,000 0

1109 East Orange Grove Boulevard 155 Cordova Street #304 120 Patrician Way 1833 Villa Rica Avenue 2023 Rosemont Avenue #3 920 Granite Drive #403 1110 Las Riendas Way #30 1356 Marianna Road 1674 Brigden Road 2112 Oakdale Street 410 South Meridith Avenue 1585 Riviera Drive 414 Mooresque Street 93 North Craig Avenue 3540 Mountain View Avenue 1144 Tierra Alta Drive 1819 Fiske Avenue 2080 Fox Ridge Drive 428 Redwood Drive 1124 Las Brisas Way 955 Medford Road 1123 South Orange Grove Boulevard 735 Hamilton Avenue SAN MARINO 2512 Raleigh Drive 2160 South Oak Knoll Avenue 2250 Melville Drive 1354 Garfield Avenue 2915 Canterbury Road 2755 Monterey Road 2045 San Marino Avenue SIERRA MADRE 734 Skyland Drive 11 East Bonita Avenue 413 Pleasant Hill Lane 619 West Alegria Avenue SOUTH PASADENA 237 Monterey Road 710 Grand Avenue 1800 Marengo Avenue 1615 Bushnell Avenue 111 Warwick Place 1930 Milan Avenue 1232 El Cerrito Circle 1010 Sycamore Avenue #216 353 Monterey Road 809 Meridian Avenue #S

11-21-14 11-04-14 11-18-14 11-04-14 11-20-14 11-18-14 11-05-14 11-05-14 11-19-14 11-17-14 11-19-14 11-14-14 11-21-14 12-02-14 11-21-14 11-24-14 11-26-14 12-01-14 11-14-14 11-25-14 12-02-14 11-18-14 11-12-14

$1,125,000 $1,125,000 $1,100,000 $1,100,000 $1,038,000 $980,000 $948,000 $929,000 $920,000 $920,000 $912,500 $902,000 $900,000 $899,000 $875,000 $866,000 $862,500 $845,000 $838,000 $813,000 $765,000 $750,000 $750,000

4 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 4 4 2 2 3 2 3

3196 1920 2125 2004 2016 1910 2243 1996 1 1689 1457 1764 2014 1 1612 1092 1837 1724 2938 1940 1341 1866 2021 1 1905 2044

1922 2010 1948 1959 1982 2009 1974 961 1965 1927 1926 958 1955 1920 1941 1929 1961 1954 1926 1974 951 1964 1931

$900,000

12-02-14 11-14-14 12-01-14 11-13-14 12-02-14 11-25-14 $ 11-04-14

$3,100,000 $3,100,000 $2,500,000 $1,850,000 $1,650,000 1,540,000 $1,300,000

4 3 3 4 3 3 3

3456 2574 3109 2556 2322 1998 1540

1947 1951 1938 1926 1948 1927 1950

11-17-14 $ 11-25-14 11-26-14 11-24-14

1,139,000 $998,000 $786,000 $775,000

2 3 1 2

1869 1438 720 1637

1925 1951 1928 1929

11-26-14 $ 11-21-14 11-04-14 11-14-14 $ 11-24-14 11-14-14 12-02-14 11-20-14 11-21-14 11-14-14

2,100,000 $1,550,000 $1,465,000 1,240,000 $1,160,000 $1,150,000 $915,000 3 $856,000 $835,000 $768,000

4 5 4 3 2 3

2664 2890 2140 1960 1541 1953 1531 1770 2170 1584

1887 1923 1937 1909 1950 1908 1926 2006 1986 2005

3 3 3

$871,000 1

13/2013

1/30/1990

$1,850,000 0 6/23/2006

$1,340,000 $525,000 1 $1,205,000

03/28/2007 0/01/1998 07/02/2009 07/30/2007

$455,000 0 3/09/1998

$861,000 0

7/05/2005 07/20/2005 3/13/2012

$695,000

06/15/2004

$780,000

10/30/2006

$870,000 1 2/19/2013 $700,000 08/2 9/2008

$183,000 0 9/06/1985 $750,000 08/23/2013 $297,000 0 6/23/1995 $290,500 08/2 1/2000 $740,000 0 6/07/2011 $799,000 0 8/03/2007 $86,000 0 6/22/1976 $750,000 05/14/2004 $227,000 03/ 02/1992 $2,470,000 0

7/16/2007

$1,700,000 1 1/09/2006 $670,000 06/ 08/2001 $523,000 05/20/1998

$635,000 11/15/2012 $429,000 0 5/30/2013

$400,000 08/2 0/1993 $446,500 05/22/1998 $380,000 0 8/27/2002 $603,000 0 9/20/2002 $630,000 05/14/2009 $680,000 06/3 0/2005 $650,000 01/27/2012 01.15 ARROYO | 21

ARROYO HOME & DESIGN SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

HOME GYMS HELP KEEP YOUR RESOLUTIONS EACH JANUARY, A STRANGE PHENOMENON EMERGES AT YOUR LOCAL GYM.

Home gyms can keep the workout fires burning and are less expensive than you might expect

BY BRUCE HARING

cise more, what better way to blast away the pounds accumulated at holiday parties than to head to the local gym and sign up for a package? After all, at

THE WAIT TO GET ON KEY PIECES OF EQUIPMENT SEEMS TO GET A LITTLE LON-

least one hour of exercise a day is what doctors recommend as a way to create a healthier you.

GER. CLASSES THAT ONCE AFFORDED AMPLE ELBOW ROOM NOW ARE SPACED

Of course, some people are turned off by the influx of noobs to their local club. Veteran fitness enthusiasts want to get in, get out, and get rolling on their

LIKE A TOKYO SUBWAY. AND THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF LARGE, HUFFING

program without navigating the crowds.

PEOPLE IN BRAND-NEW SWEATS SUDDENLY APPEARING IN THE SPACE.

exorbitant fees required by these palaces of public sweat, which ask for upfront

And if you are one of the new arrivals, you’ll probably look askance at the It’s called the New Year’s Resolutions aftermath by exercise professionals, a

signage fees and long-term commitments. The deals sound good in the fresh

wave of people who are newly committed to living up to the promises they made

blush of the new year, but may sour as March turns into April and the burdens of

at the end of the year and show up bright and shiny-eyed at the gym in January.

home, school, family and life in general start to suck the urge to go to the gym

Since the most common New Year’s resolutions are to lose weight and exer-

from your soul.

–continued on page 24

22 | ARROYO | 01.15

01.15 | ARROYO | 23

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 22

Fear not! You don’t have to put up with the madding crowds. You can put the time and money toward creating your own home gym, as many have already done. IBISWorld Research said in an October, 2014 report that gym and exercise equipment manufacturing is a $2 billion per year industry that has grown significantly over the last five years and should continue to climb through 2019 (of course, the health and fitness clubs are a $27 billion industry, IBISWorld notes. So somebody must like to get out of the house).

YOU DON’T NEED EVERYTHING How much should you spend on your home gym? Don’t expect it to be cheap if you’re going for the brand names that have traditionally dominated the exercise machine field. After all, the manufacturers are selling you a product that will likely last as long as most family automobiles, if not longer. Which means that they need to get paid up-front and wait out the depreciation period.

If machine prices give you sticker shock, let’s not forget the God of Home Gyms, the late Jack LaLanne. One of the first daytime television personalities of the 1950s, he used to tout fitness at home using only a wooden chair, deep breathing and healthy eating, aiming at the women of the era. It worked for Jack – he lived to the ripe old age of 97, and was vigorous to the very end.

Beyond the wooden chair, though, it’s a good idea to have some sort of cardiovascular machines and free weights or weight machines in your home gym. You can start with the basics, like a good treadmill, and then work your way up to a bicycle, a stair climber, perhaps a rowing machine. Don’t buy everything at once, even if you have the budget. Today’s home gym is often tomorrow’s laundry hanger, so unless you like spending money for unused equipment, work up to the full-on offerings of your local gym rather than trying to emulate them all at once.

Before you buy anything, take a look at the area that you’re going to be working out in. Are the ceilings high enough to accommodate the type of machine you’re putting in? Are there other items in the room that will interfere with your freedom of movement? Is the room warm enough and well lit so that you don’t feel like you’re consigning yourself to the dungeon? Finally, make sure there are electrical outlets that can accommodate any plug-ins that you might need.

If you’re on a budget, then focus on a good bench rather than any one piece of cardiovascular equipment. Instead of an electronic treadmill, you can always go for a run or brisk walk if you need to get warmed up. Then you can attack strengthening other parts of the body using the equipment you can afford.

24 | ARROYO | 01.15

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

Most fitness experts recommend getting a few free weights as a core item for your home gym. From dumbbells to curl bars, these help you incorporate strength and conditioning training into your routine. These tools are extremely flexible and allow you to devise an almost limitless number of exercises. Hexshaped dumbbells with black rubber coating are extremely durable.

Get three to five sets of them in a variety of weights you can handle. You may also consider getting a medicine ball, which is great for core movements to toughen those abdominal muscles and provides some fun if you can toss it with a partner. Make sure it’s soft enough and light enough that you can handle it without strain.

A pull-up bar is a great way get some upper body strength into your exercise routine. Just be sure that whatever you fasten it to can withstand the force you’ll be exerting. Nailing it to a piece of wood over the door requires the wood, the door frame and the bar to all support your body weight and torque. If your room can’t accommodate the height of the bar, you may consider getting some resistance bands, which will allow you to pull away and achieve similar results.

Often overlooked, a jump rope is a great addition to any fitness routine. This may be done indoors or outdoors, and it’s a fantastic cardio exercise that’s not as simple as you might think. You can buy a wire rope for durability, or consider a weighted rope if you want to increase the benefits of your swing time. Try to build up speed and timing as your goal.

If you have a home with really high ceilings, you might consider a small trampoline. These help build up leg muscles and endurance, plus are fun for the whole family when properly supervised.

Remember, if your budget starts to climb beyond your means, look at what’s on hand – you can use the house stairs and go up and down them; you can lift the bigger rocks in your backyard; there’s a wide-open road around most homes and apartments; and certainly, there’s a lot of used equipment on the market from those who have either given up on their exercise plans or joined a gym for the social aspects of getting out of the house.

Of course, keep in mind that January is just a few short months from May and June. By then, the noobs at the gym will have thinned, and if your ambition has been revved up by the wonders of your home gym, you may feel the urge to take advantage of the amenities at your local health and fitness club. After all, while working out at home is convenient, there are times when leaving the house helps your mental fitness as well as your physical state. So get the best of both worlds – it’ll create less of an excuse to skip your workout. Motivation is the best piece of equipment you can own. AMH&D 01.15 | ARROYO | 25

26 | ARROYO | 01.15

The Fitness-Tracking Craze Fitbits and other popular tracking devices are getting people to move more and thrive.

BY KATHLEEN KELLEHER rin Foleyy King was in Italy two years ago for a girlfriend’s girl friend’s 50th birthday birthd day when whe hen n another anot an oth her her celebrant shared the news that she had lost 30 pounds. In need of a liver transplant, she said the weight loss was medically necessary. Naturally, the group wanted to know how she did it. She did it by walking, she said, motivated and nudged along by a simple fitness-tracking device.

“I was completely inspired by her,” said Foley King, a Santa Monica landscape architect who went on to lose 15 pounds using a device. “I bought [a Fitbit] online two years ago. It changed my life. It was that extra added thing, that kick in the pants to do it.“Wearable activity-tracking devices started showing up in gyms in the early 2000s and have since flooded the market, which was offering 266 different types, 118 of them specifically for fitness tracking, by last fall, according to a recent Wired report. And more than 20 more fitness-tracking devices were set to debut before the year’s end. Popular with the “worried well” and “self-quantifiers” who compile body data, fitness and health devices are designed to track movement and the lack of it, quantifying and feeding it back to the wearer in a stream of vibrations, messages and data aimed at igniting the drive to keep moving — literally — toward a healthier, happier you.

Some devices have sleep trackers or inactivity alerts (they vibrate when you have been sitting too long), and at least one, a coffee app that shows how caffeine consumption is impacting sleep. Nearly every technology company has jumped in, and there are numerous fitness apps, many of them free. Most existing wearable fitness devices like Fitbit Flex, Jawbone Up

E

24 and taband d Nike Nik ike Fuelband, Fuel elband, the most popular models, can also be synced with smartphones, sm lets and websites. Many tracking devices can also be updated with the latest tracking options.

It’s no wonder every tech company is creating its own iteration of the devices, which range in price from $50 to $250. (The Apple iWatch, slated to debut in early 2015, will be priced at $349.50.) U.S. sales of activity trackers for the first 10 months of 2014 reached $340 million, said Ben Arnold, a consumer technology industry analyst for New York’s NPD Group, adding that sales were projected to hit $500 million by year’s end. Research firm ABI predicted that 42 million wearable fitness devices would be shipped to consumers for 2014, a 10 million increase over 2013. Shipments of wearable medical-tracking devices — used by Americans with chronic health conditions like diabetes and heart disease — were expected to reach 22 million for 2014, ABI reported.

The simple goal prescribed by most fitness devices is 10,000 steps a day (about 4.5 miles or an hour of walking), a number recommended by the American Medical Association. For Foley King and others, the device’s prompts and numbers motivate by providing encouragement or admonishment — depending on how one perceives the disembodied voice declaring you have only 1,000 more steps to go to meet your goal. This is not universally effective. One-third of consumers lost interest in their wearable fitness devices just over a year post-purchase and stopped wearing them altogether, according to a recent survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, a large consulting firm.

–continued on page 28

01.15 ARROYO | 27

“The one thing we do know is that self-monitoring is one of the best ways to change behavior,” said Donna Spruijt-Metz, assistant professor of preventive medicine research at USC’s Keck School of Medicine. “We also know that people lose interest in their devices very quickly, so we have to make better devices.”

Likewise, Eagle Rock resident Blue Trimarchi finds his device flawed but says the benefits outweigh the aggravation. He is on his second Jawbone Up 24 (the company sent him a new one) after the first device would not sync up with his iPhone. “It drove me crazy,” said Trimarchi, owner of Art Works Fine Arts Publishing in Highland Park.

“The technology is not there yet. The last couple of weeks I have been having the syncing problem again and so finally it is back on.”

Syncing is essential for the device to send alerts. When sitting too long, for example, the wrist-worn device vibrates and sends messages to your smartphone or tablet, urging you to get moving and displaying the data gathered about your movement, or lack thereof.

Trimarchi said he uses the Jawbone Up 24 for general “body awareness” to track steps, sleep and active time. He thought he was sleeping eight hours a night but discovered it was closer to seven. He does a lot of hiking, but without an altimeter, the device does not account for power steps. Still, he realized that without it there is no way to know how many steps he’s actually taking. “I realized right away that what I thought was going on and what was actually going on was different,” he said, adding that the nudges and congratulations are motivating. “You feel like you are being watched, and you don’t want to be disappointed at the end of the day.”

–continued on page 30

28 | ARROYO | 01.15

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Tony Birch, Fitbit Accessories Collection

–continued from page 27

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Tony Birch, Fitbit Accessories Collection

TOP TRACKERS

Three of the most popular fitness-tracking devices come from Fitbit, Nike and Jawbone. Most are made from rubber or plastic in a range of color choices. The exception is a metal tracker, called Shine, by Misfit Wearables. All fitness-tracking devices are easy to research on the Internet, and it is worth the effort to make sure the one you are purchasing meets your needs and expectations.

JAWBONE UP24

JAWBONE UP24 FITBIT FLEX

FITBIT FLEX The thumb-drive–size Fitbit Flex can be dropped in a pocket, clipped to a bra strap or worn on a rubber bracelet. (Though it is described as water-resistant, be sure to check your pockets for it before washing your workout gear.) The Flex has five status LED lights on a thin band, and each light represents 20 percent of a goal, expressed in steps, calories or distance.

The band vibrates when goals are met. You can tap the band to check on your progress mid-workout.

At night, it tracks sleep quality and wakes you in the morning with vibration. Flex automatically syncs your stats with your smartphone, PC or computer, logging steps, calories burned or floors climbed (it has an altimeter). There are four Fitbit models currently available, including Fitbit Flex. Two new Fitbit activity wristbands — ChargeHR and Surge — are soon to be released. Both will include continuous readings of heart rate and calories burned, along with a number of other features.

Visit fi tbit.com/fl ex.

Price: $99.99 Works with: iOS Android, and PC (wireless syncing, Bluetooth-enabled) Battery Life: Five days Tracks: steps, flights of stairs climbed, activity time, distance and length and depth of sleep. Accurate sleep-tracking requires tapping Fitbit Flex before bed to start sleep mode and after waking up to end sleep mode. Fitbit Flex’s accelerometer assesses sleep by tracking movement — showing how many times you get up in the middle of the night, for example. So an insomniac who lies perfectly will still look like a sound sleeper on her Fitbit Flex.

The water-resistant Jawbone Up24 is an activity and sleep-tracker shaped like a bracelet. It tracks steps, active time, inactive time and sleep. It has an “idle alert” in the form of a gentle vibration when you have been sitting too long. It will also send you a message on your smartphone, tablet or computer, prodding you to move. Up24 comes with Smart Coach, a feature that analyzes your activity to offer customized insights and tips to help you meet your goals. The sleep tracker records sleep duration and quality and offers tips on how to get the best sleep.

A gentle alarm wakes you on demand. Jawbone also has an Up Coffee app into which users can input caffeine intake to see its impact on their sleep quality. Jawbone also makes the Up Move tracker (Up24’s predecessor) and an Up3 tracker (which has a heart-rate sensor).

selves to others in their age group. The bracelet has 20 color LED lights (from red to green) to show progress, and 100 white LED lights that indicate NikeFuel tracking results in calories burned, activity duration and actual time and steps taken.

Visit nike.com/fuelband.

Price: $99 Works with: iOS, Android (Bluetooth enabled) Battery Life: Four-plus days Tracks: steps, yoga, cyclocross, swimming, climbing, boxing and many more.

—K.K. NIKE FUELBAND SE

Visit jawbone.com/up24.

Price: $129.99 Works with: iOS, Android (wireless syncing works with Bluetooth) Battery life: one week plus Tracks: steps, activity and sleep

NIKE FUELBAND SE The Fuelband is a water-resistant bracelet that tracks steps and activity with an accelerometer. By pairing it with the Nike+ Sessions smartphone app, you can track various workouts (there are 22 listed, ranging from to cyclocross to vinyasa yoga). Activity is measured and counted as Fuelpoints. The Fuelband also tracks sleep using the Nike+ Sessions app, gives feedback and reminds wearers to move every hour.

Friends can compete by comparing Fuelpoints on the Nike+ website; wearers can also compare them-

01.15 ARROYO | 29

engaged. Katie Russell Pinkelman discovered she could challenge her neighbor to a little friendly competition using a Fitbit app. They exercised independently — her neighbor runs and Pinkelman walks — but were linked by their smartphones or tablets during their personal five-day challenge. “I would have days where I would see her steps and I would feel like I have got to catch up,” says Russell Pinkelman, who lives in Chicago and tallies about 12,000 steps a day. “Thre e months ago, my Fitbit did not have the same value. Now it connects me to my friend. The key is keeping it fresh. ” Somehow simply tracking activity seems to encourage people to keep doing it. The potential implications for positive outcomes for more serious health issues are significant. Health professionals at Mayo Clinic found that activity trackers encouraged patients to move following heart surgery, and those who took the most steps every day were more likely to leave the hospital earlier. Post-surgery trackers were also more likely to go home than end up in a nursing facility.

The woman whose weight loss inspired Foley King on that trip to Italy did get her liver transplant and is reportedly doing very well. For Foley King, the voice that comes out of her Fitbit cheering, “Go Erin, you can do it!” wins out over the inner voice telling her to go lie down. So though there seems to be no perfect fitness tracker yet — meaning, stay tuned because new options and devices are on deck — for many people, imperfect trackers are working well enough to motivate them to get up and move.

And that, in itself, is something. ||||

–continued from page 28

Personal fitness trainer Ron Le has used the Polar Heart Rate Monitor to track his ticker during weight-lifting, to ensure he was exerting himself enough to gain the most from his workouts. Likewise, he used the heart monitor to see if his resting heart rate had lowered, another benchmark of improved health and fitness. “Fitness devices help people change their behavior because they are very visual,” says Pasadena-based Le. “If someone has a weight-loss goal and they know they have to burn 400 calories at the gym five times a week, they will be more likely to try to reach that goal when they can literally see how far they are.”

How accurate are the devices? That’s difficult to pin down. They all have a sensor, an accelerometer that can track forward, up-and-down or side-to-side movement, but they do not track exertion. The devices rely on their own proprietary algorithms to measure energy expenditure for given activities. But for high-resistance, low-movement exercise like weight-lifting, Pilates or, say, working with a kettle ball, the trackers’ sensors will not work. Basis and BodyMedia are two tracking devices that do measure bike-riding. Misfit Shine tracks swimming. Some trackers’ websites give numbers or energy measurements for specific activities that can be logged into an activity profi le. Intense workouts that last an hour at most are only a small part of daily activity, the thinking goes, leaving many remaining hours for you to reach your activity goal.

Devoted user Teresa Galloway, who bought Fitbits for her son and daughter, has used one for more than three years. The Sony Studios executive said the feedback is motivating and makes exercise less boring. “I find myself only wanting to use the elliptical and treadmill at the gym because it logs in the steps,” says Galloway. “The most interesting thing is, if I don’t put it on, then I don’t want to do the work because it is not being recorded. I have to shake myself and say, don’t be so stupid.”

When Galloway and her husband dine with friends across town, she walks there and gets a ride home. Similarly, she will do errands on foot rather than drive. Thou gh she is linked to her son, daughter and friend, all of whom have Fitbits too, she does not compare numbers very often.

Social competition is an element that makers of fitness devices hope will keep users 30 | ARROYO | 01.15

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708 East Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91101

(626) 478-0261

www.planetbeachpasadena.com

01.15 | ARROYO | 31

A D VER T I SI N G SUP P L EMEN T

BUSINESS PROFILE

BUSINESS PROFILEE

Dr. James Lin Jr., has seen and treated thousands of patients suffering from venous disease.

This month we take a closer look at Vascular Institute of Pasadena which helps people eliminate varicose veins.

The medical director, Dr. James Lin Jr., has been at the forefront of venous disease and treatment since his residency days at UCLA. He has seen and treated thousands of patients suffering from venous disease since 2006.

What is venous disease and what symptoms do people have?

There are obvious visible signs such as large bulging veins in the leg or skin darkening near the ankle.

There are also more subtle symptoms such as leg cramps, leg swelling, and generalized discomfort after standing or working all day.

Ok, well if someone suspects they have venous disease what treatments are available?

The great news is that there are many treatment options for venous disease. Using a laser we can completely eliminate a problem varicose vein with minimal pain or down time in about an hour. Other treatment options are available especially for spider veins and smaller varicose veins, which I would be happy to discuss with any patients who are interested.

Does insurance pay for the procedure?

This procedure is covered by nearly all insurance plans from Medicare to private insurance which saves our patients money.

32 | ARROYO | 01.15

A D VER TISIN SIN G SUPPLEM EN T

How can we get more information on venous disease or the procedure itself?

If anybody has specific questions about venous disease or the procedure, feel free to call our office at 626-593-9393 to make an appointment. Our office is conveniently located in Pasadena at 139 S. Los Robles Ave. near Green St. We are the brand new bottom floor unit in an old brick building.

Vascular Institute of Pasadena 139 S. Los Robles Ave, Pasadena CA 91101

626 593-9393

www.vipvein.org www.drjameslin.com www.venacure-evlt.com

Dr. Tina is a traditional naturopath and nutritionist.

At Vibrant Living Wellness Center she treats the cause of your problem not the symptoms. She uses a unique testing method to identify sensitivites and nutritional deficiencies to bring about optimum health naturally.

She uses Nutrition Response Testing, a non-invasive system that analyzes the body to determine the underlying cause to non-optimum health. Using this system she precisely identifi es your body’s specifi c barriers to optimum health and then intelligently tackles each barrier until health is restored. The procedure is simple, with the body providing all of the information and feedback needed.

She helps your body bring about healing…exactly as nature intended. The body responds to the procedure reliably and consistently even in cases where everything else has failed.

Tina began her studies in naturopathy after becoming sick herself. She was misdiagnosed and spent a considerable amount of time on medication she did not need. The medication began to erode her health.

With each passing month she felt worse. After more than 2 years of feeling awful she began her own research. She came to the conclusion that her body did not have what it needed to perform optimally and heal itself. She made permanent changes to

her diet along with whole food supplementation so that her body could do what it does best, heal itself.

After receiving her Doctor of Naturopathy degree, Dr. Tina went on to receive certification in plant based nutrition from Cornell University and is an Advanced Clinical Nutrition graduate of Ulan Nutritional Systems.

Through her experience with her current and past clients, Dr. Tina truly feels that most symptoms are preventable and or reversible.

She wants you to know there is hope and she can help. Check out her website at www.vibrantlivingwc.com to see what her clients have to say about their health improvements.

144 W Sierra Madre Blvd, Sierra Madre CA 91024

626 470-7711

www.vibrantlivingwc.com

01.15 | ARROYO | 33

34 | ARROYO | 01.15

The Huntington’s New Welcome Mat PHOTOS AN ILLUSTRATIONS: Courtesy of The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens

The San Marino cultural institution unveils its new $68 million Education and Visitor Center this month.

BY SCARLET CHENG he Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino will open phase one of its new Education and Visitor Center on Jan. 14, a year and nine months after breaking ground. It’s been a massive $68 million undertaking — demolishing the old ticketing area and nearby Friends’ Hall, moving tons of earth to recontour land that used to be parking lot and open space, replanting adult trees, adding a new garden and, of course, building the new entry complex for visitors heading to the museum and grounds.

Overseeing the center’s planning and building is Laurie Sowd, the Huntington’s vice president for operations. She’s an energetic woman who regularly dons her hard hat to check progress at the site. As we begin our tour, she points out that the changes are apparent the moment one drives through the gates, with cars now directed through a path lined with palm trees. “That palm drive entrance really sets the tone right away,” she says. “You feel like you’re on someone’s estate.”

The elegant ambience is created partly by California-Mediterranean landscaping using trees and plants indigenous to or long popular in Southern California. They include palm trees, pepper trees and even orange trees — a small grove of Washington navel trees will grace the front of the new admission complex. As we pass the ticketing area, we come

T

upon a courtyard surrounded by simple columns (echoing those adorning the Huntington Mansion) and four mature podocarpus conifers, which have been moved from an older section of the estate around the Huntington Mausoleum. (Henry and Arabella are buried on the grounds, in a beautiful Neo-Classical building reminiscent of a Greek temple, designed by noted American architect John Russell Pope.) “These are contemporary buildings,” says Sowd, “but they draw elements from the history [of the Huntington].”

–continued on page 36 01.15 ARROYO | 35

–continued from page 35

Around the courtyard will be a coffee shop serving various coffees, teas, gelatos and light snacks, and the new expanded gift shop — at 5,000 square feet, it’s twice the size of the old one — will have a skylight. Oakland-based Miroglio Architecture + Design is creating the look for sections offering stationery, garden decorations and supplies, books, jewelry and other gift items. “We wanted the store to have its own character, but architecturally relate to the rest of the project,” Sowd says.

The new center, she explains, accomplishes several important goals: “to provide wonderful spaces for our rich educational programs for all ages — lectures, classes, symposia; to improve visitor amenities like food service, the retail store and orientation; and to enrich the experience of all our guests by establishing a more immediate connection with the estate and its history through the entry sequence and a series of new gardens.”

Phase one includes the ticket counters, coffee shop, gift shop and open-air plaza.

In April, the rest of the center will open with the completion of multipurpose rooms, a covered garden court, an auditorium seating 400, a boardroom, a large cafeteria and an orientation center. This center will explain the history of the estate and the lives of Henry and Arabella through photographs, videos and text, as well as provide visitors a guide to what’s happening on the grounds and in the museums. That facility, as well as 36 | ARROYO | 01.15

other parts of the visitor center, is free to all, with or without a ticket.

In the new configuration, visitors enjoy a clear path from the entrance down to the gardens, a view previously blocked by the ticketing facilities. As one enters the grounds, the stately Beaux Arts house, former home to the Huntingtons and now the Huntington Art Gallery, will be to the distant right. The gallery displays one of the country’s finest collections of 18th- and 19th-century British and French art, and houses two famous

Mini Barrel Chair BELOW AND AT RIGHT: Items in the Huntington Store

Jade Necklace

Kovecses Ikebana

Ceramic Seedpod Bowl

paintings everyone goes to see, Thomas Gainsborough’s Blue Boy and Thomas Lawrence’s Pinkie. There are also plenty of other reasons to go to the Huntington, of course — the extensive gardens of various kinds (the Desert Garden, Rose Garden, Japanese Garden and Chinese Garden, among them), plus the library and two other galleries: the Boone Gallery and the Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art. The latter boasts such works as Mary Cassatt’s Breakfast in Bed and Edward Hopper’s The Long Leg, as well as noted contemporary work such as Andy Warhol’s Brillo Box. To design the new center, the Huntington tapped the San Francisco--based fi rm of Architecture Resources Group, the historic-building specialists who had so successfully executed the mansion’s renovation for its 2008 reopening. (They also maintain an office in Pasadena.) “The overarching objective we received from the board was that they wanted to preserve the quality of the estate,” says architect Stephen Farneth, ARG’s founder and principal in charge of the Huntington project. “We had a lot of conversations about what is an estate and how to preserve that.” A typical estate has a main

building surrounded by smaller ones that serve specific functions.

“We wanted to keep the scale, not have anything else larger than the library and the house,” he continues. “We wanted them connected with loggias, garden courtyards, trellisses and some sort of outdoor structure.” The team also wanted a layout that was easy Morris Strawberry Thief Red Bag to see at a glance; visitors will funnel into one entry area to buy tickets and continue on to a courtyard immediately beyond where they can rest or meet people.

“Something we thought a lot about is what the buildings would look like,” says Farneth. “We wanted them to be very simple, with classical proportions, and keep the materials simple as well, with a simple palette.” The buildings have creamy white exteriors, clay-tile roofs and copper gutters and downspouts. In keeping with the Huntington’s traditional-but-airy Wisteria Pedestal Lamp style, the interiors have wooden paneling and trims, mostly of light oak, and natural daylight and a view of the gardens from every room. Of course, there will also be new gardens leading the way to the old ones, among the 6½ acres (out of 207 acres total) designed by the San Francisco--based landscape architectural firm Office of Cheryl Barton.

In all phases of the project, architecture and landscaping have gone hand in hand.

“One of the most unique things about this project is that we designed the buildings and landscape in a completely integrated manner, and we’re building them in an integrated manner,” says Sowd. “We’re doing a lot of things to make the landscape successful.” The podocarpus trees in the visitors’ courtyard, for example, were planted taking into account the soil density and drainage required for their roots. Even before that, she says, as they began to contour the terrain, “We scraped off the good planting soil and stockpiled it.” |||| The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens is located at 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino. Hours are noon to 4:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday through Friday, and 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends. Admission costs $20 for adults on weekdays ($23 on weekends), $15 for seniors over 64 ($18), $12 for students ($13) and $8 for youth ages 5 to 11 every day. Children under 5 and members are admitted free. Call (626) 4052100 or visit huntington.org.

01.15 ARROYO | 37

taste

—ADVERTISINGS UPPLEMENT—

select flavors from our area's best restaurants

ALL INDIA CAFE

more than size, a testy treat that really

39 S. Fair Oaks Ave. 626-440-0309 • http://allindiacafe.com

panying tamarind chutney.

comes to life splashed with the accomAt Singh’s suggestion, I tried my first

It’s been a fixture in Old Town Pasadena for almost

Sev Puri, another of the 15 appetizers

as long as this neighborhood has been a destination for

available here. The home-style wafer

shoppers and tourists. If you seek authentic Indian cuisine

topped with onions, potato, chutneys

in the 626 area code, you want All India Café.

and crisp noodles is a party for your

The restaurant’s name explains its mission: dishes and

mouth.

appetizers that genuinely represent the diverse tastes from

“Home-style cooking” is a phrase

the breadth of India’s vast regions.

Singh uses to explain All India’s fare.

Santokh Singh opened All India in 1996, taking a cir-

By my experience, that’s not an empty

cuitous path to Pasadena. Born in Punjab, where Singh

promise. And, if you’re looking for

started learning his trade. Then five years in Frankfurt,

value, explore their lunch specials:

Germany, where he was a chef in an Italian restaurant, a tenure that influences

popular Masala, Kabab, Tandoori and Curry options served with naan, aloo

some of the spices he stirs into All India’s sauces.

mattar, a daily dal, salad and basmati rice, each meal priced at less than

I usually seek bolder Indian fare, but on my most recent visit to All India, I tried the Chicken Tikka Masala because it’s the restaurant’s top seller. It’s tender, cooked just right and full of flavor.

Among the six naans available here, I went with the fairly traditional garlic naan, tasty plain, even better dipped in a mint and cilantro sauce or another mixed from pumpkin, garlic and tomato.

All India serves one of the largest Samosas I’ve ever seen, but it delivers

38 | ARROYO | 01.15

$10.

Cuisine: Like the name says, the menu explores ALL of India, far more options than most Indian restaurants offer, including 15 vegetarian entrees. Great value among its 14 lunch specials.

Vibe: Comfortable and casual. Old Pasadena meets India as the north wall’s exposed brick meshes well with the array of mood-setting lamps, rugs and artifacts. Wait staff happily explains the menu.

– Geoff Mayfield

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

I Am Not a Female Chef

The proof of the pudding is in the eating, not the pudding-maker's gender.

BY LESLIE BILDERBACK ver the holidays, the White House announced the appointment of Chef Susie Morrison as its new executive pastry chef. Yay for Susie. Except that headlines across the blogosphere read, “White House Appoints Its First Ever Female Executive Pastry Chef.” I have recently noticed a rash of similar pronouncements — “female” or “woman” plopped in front of a job title — and it irks me every time. Now that this sex-defining trend has entered my own profession, I feel obliged to comment.

When I hear “female chef ” (or any profession — feel free to substitute yours), what I hear is, “Look who is capable of doing what big boys do! A woman! Can you believe it?

That’s really cute! Good for her!” But I don’t really hear condescension. There is no animosity. It seems to be a genuine, though naïve, belief that it is unusual for this to happen.

Comments like these might even be made with a celebratory intention, which I am inclined to believe when the byline is female. (Female writers? So cute!) But I hold a firm belief that this type of “we won the fight” pronouncement is only slowing — perhaps even reversing — progress. Simply put, it is not at all unusual for women to be chefs, and certainly not pastry chefs.

Why are we acting like it is?

Throughout my career I have worked mostly for women, and I came up in the Bay Area surrounded by the likes of Cindy Pawlcyn (Mustards Grill), Barbara Tropp (China Moon), Judy Rodgers (Zuni Café) and, of course, Alice Waters. And while it is true that in the 1980s my instructors in culinary school were all European men, my gender was never an issue. I understand that my experience is certainly not universal, but I do know that when it comes to hiring kitchen workers, the only thing that matters is whether or not a person can do the work. The presence of boobs is irrelevant.

The fact that chefdom is still being touted as “a man’s world” is odd to me. Some of the most influential figures in culinary arts have been — and are — women. Yes, there are the obvious figures, like Julia Child and Alice Waters. But there are thousands whom you may never have heard of. In Song Dynasty China, female chefs were in such high demand that they warranted their own gender-specific culinary school. The best-known, Song San Niang, famously ran her kitchen using a colored flag system. She gave instructions from a dais by holding up flags that corresponded to the various uniform colors of her crew. Talk about culinary showmanship! In France, Eugenie Brazier earned six Michelin stars (three each of the highest honor for two different restaurants) in 1933, and she mentored Paul Bocuse (who later took credit for the techniques he learned from her — a classic jerky move.)

Her thunder was stolen again in 1998, when Alain Ducasse claimed to be the first chef

O

ever to receive six stars. (Another jerky move.) Marguerite Bise received three stars in 1951 for her restaurant L’Auberge du Père Bise, in the eastern Rhône-Alpes, where she plucked crayfish out of streams and gratinéed them to perfection.

Today’s battalion of media-savvy ladies sharing their culinary expertise with the world are hardly anomalies. Those you know — Chicago Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard, Iron Chef Cat Cora, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef ’s Anne Burrell — follow in the giant footsteps of some you may not know. Madeleine Kamman, the chef and restaurateur who openly criticized Julia for not being either, still managed to maintain a strong television presence from 1984 through 1991 and received the James Beard Award for one of her many books.

Ruth Reichl was a chef in Berkeley before she wrote and edited for the LA Times, The New York Times and Gourmet. And Lidia Matticchio Bastianich ran a number of successful Italian restaurants before earning multiple Emmy nominations for her television shows. There is the Queen of Creole, Leah Chase; Ciao Italia’s Mary Ann Esposito; Massachusetts chef, PBS host and author Joyce Chen (whose career earned her a spot on a postage stamp); and the Too Hot Tamales (L.A.’s Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger), to name just a handful.

As I sit here writing, wrestling with which women to mention and which to leave out, I realize that I could spend the next year writing about female chefs and still not get to them all. Which is my point — there are a lot of us. So many, that it’s not a big deal.

There are even a number of women already cooking in the White House, including the executive chef, Cristeta Comerford. The fact that it is being made into a big deal at this point in history is, I fear, going to be detrimental to our kitchen sons and daughters. By drawing attention to our gender, we are diverting attention from our talent. Little girls and boys are going to think female chefs are unusual, which will push back real equality for another generation.

There are both power and danger in historical lessons. I remember a time when few women held jobs outside the home, and those who did had to wear skirts and stockings to work. My kids don’t know that world. (They don’t even know what stockings are. Or slips. Or girdles.) I see progress, but they don’t. They live in a world where there is no reason they can’t be whatever they dream of being. So when the idea of a woman as a novelty is introduced, they think, “Wait a minute. Is that unusual? Maybe there are limits to my future.” That’s not an impression I want young people to have. The whole idea of “girl power” assumes that power is gained where before there was none. But that hasn't been true for a while.

–continued on page 40 01.15 | ARROYO | 39

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS –continued from page 39

Don’t think for a minute that I am under the misguided belief that women and men are the same — whoa, no! We are absolutely different. But our differences do not mean that we cannot do the same job. And I acknowledge that there are women chefs who, unlike me, had to struggle against a male-dominated work environment. It might very well have been traumatic, and I feel for those ladies. And yes, I have been marginalized, talked down to and taken less seriously by my male counterparts. In response, I told those guys to shove it, and I went somewhere else. But guess what? Women have been mean to me too. I have been treated the same way men and women all over the world are treated by bad bosses.

Maybe I am misguided, delusional or obtuse, but I try to make my own circumstances.

I never let others’ doubts of my abilities prevent me from doing the best job I can, and it certainly hasn’t defined my career. The success or failure of my career has nothing to do with my sex. Trust me. My femaleness is the least interesting thing about me.

Cooking is an odd profession. In its best form it is embraced, not for fame or riches, but for love of the craft. Few modern chefs are forced into the profession because they have limited choices. The choice is one we make openly, and the path we take willingly.

And as such, every chef I know has great horror stories about sexist, racist, homophobic, drug-addicted, sex-addicted, pilfering, arrogant co-workers. And knife wounds. We commiserate, laugh about the jerks, feel superior, then chalk it up to life in the world.

That’s just how I cope.

If we continue to focus on things like gender, race or sexual orientation, we aren’t focusing on cooking. And when we take our eye off the ball, I fear we’ll lose the yardage already gained. So let’s continue to congratulate the new chef, Susie Morrison. But let's focus on her ability to orchestrate a huge staff in the construction of nationally significant gingerbread houses. Not her ovaries.

Leslie Bilderback, a certified master baker, chef and author of Mug Cakes: 100 Speedy Microwave Treats to Satisfy your Sweet Tooth (St. Martin’s Press), lives in South Pasadena and teaches her techniques online at culinarymasterclass.com.

100 Percent Female Stuff Quiche

The real reason real men don’t eat quiche is because it’s brought to you by female animals.

INGREDIENTS 1 9-inch precooked pie shell 1 cup grated Swiss cheese (from lady cows in Switzerland) ½ cup cooked bacon, crumbled (from lady pigs — sometimes) ½ cup onions, sautéed and cooled 5 eggs (from lady hens) 1 cup milk (from lady cows) 1 cup sour cream (lady cows again) ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg 1 tablespoon dried thyme METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Mix the cheese, bacon and onions, and spread them evenly on the bottom of the precooked pie shell.

2. In a large bowl, whisk togetherthe eggs, milk, sour cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg and thyme. Pour this mixture slowly into the shell, letting the custard seep down between the filling ingredients.

3. Bake until the filling is set and the top is slightly golden, about 40 minutes. Serve warm or cold. To women or men.

40 | ARROYO | 01.15

taste KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

—ADVERTISINGS UPPLEMENT—

select flavors from our area's best restaurants

TRATTORIA NEAPOLIS 336 S. Lake Ave. • Pasadena 626-792-3000 • http://trattorianeapolis.com Full bar

spot-on dose of sweetness.

We sampled two entrees, Fish Cacciatore and Prime New York Steak, complimented by tasty sides of baby broccolini and creamy polenta. Smiles all around. The cacciatore, made

Nestled in a quaint but busy shopping

this night with seared cod, was light but satisfy-

district, it’s possible to miss Trattoria Neapolis

ing with its mix of peppers, tomato and roasted

when you drive by, but once you discover

potato. The steak was perfect on its own, even

its stylish ambiance and winning menu, you

tastier when dipped in one of nine available

won’t forget this Italian delight.

sauces, including balsamic BBQ or Barolo wine.

We only live a couple miles away, but didn’t discover Neapolis until a friend had

A Chocolate Semifreddo—a sweet assembly of ganache, Nutella crunch, frozen yogurt and

us meet him there four months after its 2012 debut. It became an immediate

banana—and Neapolis’ excellent coffee perfectly capped a scrumptious

favorite.

and satisfying experience that began with test drives from the bar’s extensive

From previous visits, we already knew about Neapolis’ fine pastas, just-right

offerings. Sandra was tickled with her Easton, cucumber-infused vodka with

fi sh options and light, yummy pizzas, so to get a broader scope of his revamped

lime and mint, while I enjoyed sipping my Negroni, Plymouth gin with sweet

menu, recently installed chef Clinton McCann assembled a taste menu for

vermouth and Campari. We’ll certainly return.

my wife and me. We were wowed at every turn, starting with Crab Arancini, a

Cuisine: Italian steakhouse. Several steaks, pastas and pizzas, the last

sumptuous summit of taste and texture with blue crab augmented by sweet

mentioned can be an appetizer or light entree. Multiple fi sh options. Lunch and

basil, ricotta and a mustard remoulade.

Happy Hour on weekdays; weekend brunch. Full bar.

I’m a fan of Neapolis’ Roasted Beet salad, but we tried the Caprese. The

Vibe: Converted real estate office offers warm yet stylish ambiance. Friendly

heirloom tomatoes were sublime, complimented by basil and creamy burrata

place; owner Perry Vidalakis often greets diners. Fun and comfortable bar;

cheese, but the truly stunning ingredient was the balsamic fig vinaigrette, a

wide array of specialty cocktails and great wine list.

– Geoff Mayfield

01.15 | ARROYO | 41

A SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER

THE LIST

An Annual Tradition

It’d Be Crumby to Miss Cookie Confab

Jan. 1 — The eyes of the world are on

Jan. 25 — Those

Pasadena as the

with a sweet tooth

2015 Rose Parade wends its way down

can get their fill of

Colorado Boulevard, starting at 8 a.m. on

all things cookie during the L.A. Cookie

Orange Grove Boulevard and continu-

Con and Sweets Show at the Pasadena

ing 5½ miles east to the corner of Sierra

Convention Center. The event, from

Madre and Washington boulevards.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m., features hundreds of

This year’s rose queen is Madison Elaine

exhibitors touting the best baking prod-

Triplett. The grand marshal is Louis Zam-

ucts and tools, plus samples of pastries,

perini, former Olympian and World War II

sweets and snacks. Charity-baking and

prisoner of war, and the theme is “Inspir-

cookie-eating contests, celebrity chef

ing Stories.”

and author appearances, pastry-deco-

Visit tournamentofroses.com.

rating classes and other events are also included. A family lounge with live en-

Post-Parade Viewing Jan. 1, 2 and 3 — Get an up-close look at the floats after the parade at the corner of Sierra Madre and Washington boulevards. Viewing times are 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday, and 9 a.m.

tertainment, face painting, crafts and

NORTON SIMON HOSTS MANET MASTERPIECE

giveaways make this a family-friendly event. Tickets cost $21.

The Pasadena Convention Center is located at 300 E. Green St., Pasadena.

Visit lacookiecon.com.

Les Miz Visits Glendale

to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday (senior

Jan. 30 and 31 —

citizens and disabled guests can also

Ongoing through March 2 — The Norton Simon Museum hosts the special installa-

The worldwide hit

come from 7 to 9 a.m.). Tickets cost

tion of Édouard Manet’s The Railway, the 1873 work that is a highlight of the National

musical Les Misé-

$10, available in advance through

Gallery of Art’s 19th-century collection. The piece features a young woman looking

Sharp Seating or at the venue.

out at viewers with cautious acceptance and a small puppy dozing in her lap, both

Glendale’s Alex Theatre for two nights.

Pasadena Park-and-Ride shuttles

surrounded by ferocious urban comings and goings.

Theatre Royale’s production of Victor

leave from Pasadena City College,

The Norton Simon Museum is located at 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call

Hugo’s epic story set in 19th-century

1570 E. Colorado Blvd.; the Rose Bowl

(626) 449-6840 or visit nortonsimon.org.

France is one of heartbreak, passion

Stadium, 1001 Rose Bowl Dr.; and the

and the resilient human spirit. Hit songs

Community Education Center, 3035 E. Foothill Blvd. Round-trip tickets cost $3, free for children 5 and younger.

Visit sharpseating.com.

Glendale Phil Birthday Concert

rables comes to

include “I Dreamed a Dream,” “Bring

Parson’s Nose Presents Shakespeare Classic Jan. 17 and 18 — Parson’s Nose The-

Call (626) 403-7667 or visit parsons-

Him Home,” “One Day More” and “On

nose.com.

My Own.” Showtimes are 8 p.m. both nights. Tickets cost $65 to $85.

Violinist, Vivaldi with Chamber Orchestra

Jan. 10 — The Glen-

ater presents Shakespeare’s The Barber

Jan. 24 — The Los

dale Philharmonic

of Seville as one of its Reader’s Theater

Angeles Chamber

Orchestra celebrates

productions, designed to introduce un-

Orchestra kicks off the

its fifth anniversary

The Alex Theatre is located at 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. Call (818) 2432539 or visit alextheatre.org.

Forecast: Funny

familiar plays that focus on language

new year with a concert featuring master-

Jan 30 and 31

with a Positive Motions concert at the First

and character. The Barber of Seville is

ful violinist and Dallas Symphony Assistant

— KNBC-TV Chan-

Baptist Church of Glendale. The 7 p.m.

the story of an elderly physician who

Conductor Karina Canellakis. The 8 p.m.

nel 4 weatherman

performance features works by Mozart,

schemes to wed his ward, the beautiful

performance at Glendale’s Alex Theatre

Haydn, Copland, Honneger and Scott

Rosina, to gain her fortune. The plan

includes Vivaldi’s “La Tempesta di Mare”

moonlights as a comedian, takes the

Joplin. Rich Capparela serves as emcee,

stumbles when handsome Count

violin concerto, Finnish composer Peteris

stage at Burbank’s Flappers Comedy

while Ruslan Biryukov is featured cellist

Almaviva and his mischievous servant

Vasks’ “Lonely Angel,” John Adams’ “Shaker

Club at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

and Frank Fetta conducts. Tickets cost

Figaro enter the picture. Showtimes are

Loops” and Schubert’s Symphony No. 5.

Tickets cost $20.

$15 to $170.

7 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday.

The concert repeats at 7 p.m. Sunday at

Flappers Comedy Club and Restau-

UCLA’s Royce Hall. Ticket prices start at $25.

rant is located at 102 E. Magnolia St.,

Fritz Coleman, who

The First Baptist Church of Glendale is

Tickets have a pay-what-you-will price

located at 209 N. Louise St., Glendale.

range of $5 to $25.

The Alex Theatre is located at 216 N.

Burbank. Call (818) 845-9721 or visit

Call (323) 663-3601 or visit glendale-

Lineage Performing Arts Center is lo-

Brand Blvd., Glendale. Call (213) 622-

flapperscomedy.com.

phil.com.

cated at 89 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena.

7001 or visit laco.org.

42 | ARROYO | 01.15

–continued on page 45

01.15 | ARROYO | 43

44 | ARROYO | 01.15

THE LIST –continued from page 42

ROCK LEGENDS STILL GOING STRONG Jan. 10 — Three Dog Night is still going strong after more than 40 years, and fans can catch the classic band at the Arcadia Performing Arts Center on Saturday.

The group is famous for “Mama Told Me (Not to Come),” “Joy to the World,” “One,” “Liar,” “Celebrate,” “Shambala” and others among its 21 Top 40 hits. The lineup includes founding members Cory Wells and Danny Hutton on lead vocals and original bandmates Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards) and Michael Allsup (guitar); newer members are Paul Kingery (bass and vocals) and Pat Bautz (drums). The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $39.50 to $109.50.

The Arcadia Performing Arts Center is located at 188 Campus Dr., Arcadia. Call (626) 821-1781 or visit arcadiapaf.org.

Alice in Scandal-land

Call (626) 683-6883 or visit bostoncourt.com.

Jan. 31 — The Miss-

Museums FreeFor-All

ing Pages of Lewis Carroll opens at 8 p.m. at the Boston

Jan. 31 — SoCal

Court Performing Arts Center’s Theatre @

Museums presents

Boston Court. The play revolves around

Museums Free-For-

the author’s life journal, which detailed

All as more than 20

his close friendship with Alice Liddell,

museums open their doors gratis during

the 11-year-old who inspired Alice in

regular hours. Pasadena participants

Wonderland. After Carroll’s death, it was

include Armory Center for the Arts

discovered that several pages of the

and the Pasadena Museum of

journal had been torn out. The play ex-

California Art.

plores what they might have contained.

Visit socalmuseums.org.

It continues at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through March 1. Tickets cost $34, $29

Western Masters Round-up at Autry

for seniors.

Jan. 31 — The Autry

Boston Court Performing Arts Center is

National Center of

located at 70 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena.

the American West –continued on page 46 01.15 | ARROYO | 45

THE LIST –continued from page 45

EARLY BRAHMS AT AMBASSADOR Jan. 17 — The Pasadena Symphony Classics Season continues at Pasadena’s Ambassador Auditorium with “McGegan’s Brahms,” featuring conductor Nicholas McGegan exploring Brahms’ early work. Selections include the Romantic composer’s Symphony No. 2, Davies’ “An Orkney Wedding, With Sunrise” and Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos. Featured soloists are mother-and-daughter pianists Mihyang and Esther Keel. Tickets start at $35. Concert times are 2 and 8 p.m.

The Ambassador Auditorium is located at 131 S. St. John Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 793-7172 or visit pasadenasymphony-pops.org.

American West Fine Art Exhibition and

Back-to-Back Bach

Sale today through March 8. Opening

Jan. 31 and Feb.

day features a 10:30 a.m. presentation

1 — The Los Angeles

by sculptor Walter T. Matia, a barbecue

Master Chorale,

hosts its 18th annual Masters of the

46 | ARROYO | 01.15

buffet and artist awards ceremony start-

Musica Angelica

ing at noon, and a panel discussion with

Baroque Orchestra and the Los An-

collectors and gallerists at 2 p.m. The

geles Children’s Chorus give back-

museum closes at 4 p.m., then reopens

to-back performances of portions of

at 5:30 p.m. for a cocktail reception and

Bach’s Passion According to St. Mat-

sale until 9 p.m. Tickets are required for

thew at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The

opening-day events and cost $270 ($195

300-year-old musical interpretation of

for members). After that, the exhibition is

the Biblical passion story, considered

included in the regular Autry admission

an icon of Western sacred music, has

price of $10 for adults, $6 for students

touched audiences worldwide with

and seniors and $4 for children 3 to 12;

its message of humanity. Master Cho-

free for members and children younger

rale Artistic Director Grant Gershon

than 3. Visit the website for tickets and a

conducts. The curtain rises at 2 p.m.

full schedule.

Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets

The Autry National Center of the Ameri-

cost $29 to $129.

can West is located at 4700 Western

Walt Disney Concert Hall is located at

Heritage Way in Griffith Park. Call (323)

111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. Call

495-4375 or visit theautry.org/masters.

(213) 972-7282 or visit lamc.org.

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