Lake Avenue (Pasadena) facts for kids
Lake Avenue is a main road that runs north and south through the cities of Pasadena and Altadena in Los Angeles County, California. This road was built in the mid-1800s. It got its name from a lake that used to be at its southern end. This lake was known by different names like Mission Lake or Wilson Lake.
Today, the area where the lake once was is a park called Lacy Park in San Marino. The park no longer has water. Lake Avenue is about 5.06 miles (8.14 kilometers) long.
Getting Around Lake Avenue
Lake Avenue is an important route for public transportation. Two bus lines, Metro Local line 662 and Pasadena Transit line 20, use parts of Lake Avenue. There is also a Metro A Line train station called Lake Station. This station is located under Interstate 210 at Lake Avenue.
Long ago, in 1888, streetcar tracks were built in the middle of Lake Avenue. These streetcars were operated by a company called Pacific Electric. They ran famous "Red Cars" along the street. This streetcar service stopped in January 1941.
Lake Avenue in Altadena
The northern end of Lake Avenue is right at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains in Altadena. It leads directly into Las Flores Canyon. One of the first people to live in Las Flores Canyon was the Forsyth family. Their ranch was later sold to Mr. Cobb in 1919. He had a very interesting estate there.
Las Flores Canyon was also known for small, short-lived gold mining operations. In 1967, the Cobb Estate was given to the United States Forest Service. It became a special area for growing trees, called an Arboretum. The gates on Lake Avenue mark the entrance to this estate. A long, paved driveway leads to where the manor house used to be.
Near the Cobb Estate gates, you can find the start of the Sam Merrill Trail. This trail also goes into the canyon from Lake Avenue. Because of this, locals often say "top of Lake" to mean the neighborhoods at the very northern end of the road.
When the Red Car streetcars ran in Altadena (from 1902 to 1941), Lake Avenue was part of what was called the "short line" or "Oak Knoll line." Lake Avenue smoothly turns into Oak Knoll Avenue. The Pacific Electric Red Cars would come up from a switch on the Huntington Drive line. The "short line" was a quicker way to get to Lake and Mariposa in Altadena. It was faster than the longer route up Fair Oaks Avenue.
In 1914, a special track was built from the short line across Mendocino Street to Allen Street. This track helped people get to the new Country Club Parks development and the Altadena Country Club and Golf Course.
Lake Avenue in Pasadena
Lake Avenue was first called Lake Vineyard Avenue. This name came from a ranch that was located on the land where the street was built. Lake Avenue is in the center of Pasadena. It acts as the east-west dividing line for the city. Fair Oaks Avenue and Colorado Boulevard mark the postal center of town.
In Pasadena, Lake Avenue is home to many businesses. There are not many homes directly on Lake Avenue, though some older ones still exist. A well-known area is the South Lake Avenue Business District. This district runs south from Green Street to California Boulevard, covering about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers).
The shops on the east side of South Lake Avenue are special. You can reach them from the main street or from Shoppers' Lane. Shoppers' Lane is a half-mile long alleyway that runs next to Lake Avenue. A large Macy's department store is also located on Lake Avenue. It was built in the early 1940s in a modern style.
