Altadena balances the traditional and offbeat

Altadena, at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, was named to mean “above Pasadena,” but it could just as easily be a contraction for “alternative Pasadena.” During Prohibition, Pasadena practiced temperance while Altadena cultivated wine grapes. That same resistance to conformity continues today in this diverse community of 43,000.

Insider’s view

Altadena has a reputation for attracting independent-spirited people, from prolific western writer Zane Grey to bongo-playing Caltech physicist Richard P. Feynman, who was well-known for both his zest for life and his Nobel Prize in physics.

Altadena’s unconventional citizens include an artist who is building a never-ending wall from recycled materials and a conservationist who has created a controversially large compost pile. But you’re just as likely to live next door to a Disney or Jet Propulsion Lab executive, a teacher or a machine operator.

Drawing card

Like much of Pasadena, Altadena has historic homes, architectural variety and mature foliage. But Altadena is more relaxed, rustic and often more affordable than its incorporated neighbor to the south.

Wow factor

Altadena is bordered on three sides by nature: the San Gabriel Mountains to the north, the Arroyo Seco to the west and Eaton Canyon Park to the east.

The mountain views and easy access to hiking and biking trails, as well as lot sizes of one-third to one-half an acre and a scarcity of sidewalks, lend an away-from-it-all feel.

Good news, bad news

Since 1880, Altadena has repeatedly shot down attempts to incorporate or be swallowed up by Pasadena. Many of Altadena’s independent residents think that’s a good thing. A few, however, long for more city control, pointing to pockets of sloppy subdivisions and poorly executed add-ons as evidence of loose reins.

Hot spots

Pasadena has its bungalows, Angeleno Heights has its Victorians and Altadena has its English Tudors.

In northwest Altadena, Janes Village boasts more than 180 English Tudor cottages. The two- and three-bedroom homes, built in the 1920s, sell in the mid-$300,000 range, according to Tom Joyce of Tom Joyce Realty.

On the east side of town, more palatial English Tudors dominate Boulder Road. Before flood-control measures, boulders sometimes tumbled down the picturesque street. Those same rolling stones are used to landscape the front lawns of homes priced between the low $600,000s and the high $900,000s.

Report card

Altadena’s seven elementary schools and one middle school are part of the Pasadena Unified School District, where most standardized test scores fall below the 50th percentile nationwide. Many who can afford the tuition opt for private schools, but Eliot Middle School is seeing a gradual return of middle-income families from the neighborhood.

On the market

Homes in Altadena’s nine square miles range from manicured estates in the east to rustic mountain homes on the northern edge to more urban, higher-density housing on the western fringe.

Currently, 67 homes are on the market, ranging from a two-bedroom condominium for $150,000 to an estate on more than an acre for $1,795,000, according to Ken Balder of Coldwell Banker Realty.

Historical values

Median prices of all home sales:

Year...Median price

1990...$205,000

1995...$176,000

2000...$255,000

2001...$280,000

2002...$327,000*

*year to date

Sources: DataQuick Information Services; Michelle Zack, Altadena Historical Society; Ken Balder, Coldwell Banker; Tom Joyce, Tom Joyce Realty; www.janesvillage.org.