Arroyoland's Next Hot 'Hoods
Where will home buyers be flocking to a decade or more from now? Not necessarily where you think.
By Brigham Yen 06/01/2011
What will make hot neighborhoods hot 10 or even 20 years from now? Possibly not what you expect, if you’re relying on current maps. For many decades now, Angelenos have thought nothing of hopping into their cars to get anywhere they need to go, spurring the growth of urban sprawl.
But today’s rising gas prices are threatening to make car travel — and life far away from buzzing city centers — a luxury.
But fear not. Arroyoland has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to attractive transportation options. The Gold Line and Metrolink have connections to downtown Los Angeles and beyond. And with 2008’s passage of Measure R authorizing a half-cent sales-tax increase to fund key rail lines, continued expansion of the county’s rail network is on the agenda. As each new line is completed, more and more neighborhoods will be accessible by rail, elevating our countywide network to a critical mass. That will make living near rail stations the next hottest real estate trend — one that may be here to stay.
Here are five Arroyoland neighborhoods I predict will gain momentum as the rail network matures:
1) Downtown Arcadia
Arcadia’s historic downtown has great potential to become an even more walkable neighborhood. The quaint area includes 1st Street and Huntington Drive, both lined with shops and boutiques as well as restaurants and other amenities. The Gold Line Foothill Extension to Azusa is slated to begin construction this summer and finish in late 2014, with a station to be located in downtown Arcadia at 1st and Santa Clara streets. Bordering Pasadena to the east, downtown Arcadia will offer future dwellers quick access to Pasadena’s cultural, educational and entertainment venues, as well as residence in a terrific community with a great school district. That will all make homes near Arcadia’s Gold Line station extremely attractive.
2) Allen Station, Pasadena
You want to have your cake and eat it too? You can live in a single-family home and still have access to mass transit near the Gold Line’s Allen Station in Pasadena. The neighborhoods surrounding the Allen Station abound with single-family homes that appeal to buyers who want privacy and space. Those homes will become even more attractive as the county’s rail network grows and tomorrow’s buyers see the value in being able to get around without a car.
3) Fillmore Station, Pasadena
The City of Pasadena’s updated general plan (which will be officially adopted next year) includes the possibility of additional mixed-use housing along Raymond Avenue (also known as the “Innovation Corridor”). Being less than a 20-minute train ride from downtown L.A. and mere minutes from Old Pasadena, the area around the Fillmore Station could become one of the most appealing places for urban dwellers if the city encourages higher-density development along the corridor.
4) Old Pasadena
This one seems obvious, but Pasadena’s historic downtown will become an even hotter place to live as more housing options are built in the next decade. As more people realize that there are a lot of folks who actually live in Old Pasadena and that it’s not just frequented by shoppers, we may see more neighborhood amenities such as dry cleaners, drug stores and markets. Add to that the ideal urban nexus of two Gold Line stations (Del Mar and Memorial Park) and, not surprisingly, you have the makings of the city’s hottest area in the coming decade.
5) Downtown South Pasadena
Anyone who has been to South Pasadena’s historic downtown is immediately charmed by it. Why? Because it’s quaint, boasting a small-town character and family-friendly atmosphere, yet it comes with some of the best urban conveniences around, such as the Gold Line station, which has virtually become a South Pasadena icon since its completion in 2003. The city lies between Old Pasadena and the downtown L.A. metropolis, yet it has its own thing going on. It’s already very desirable to buyers, but the rising demand to live near rail stations will only enhance its allure.
DIGG | del.icio.us | REDDIT
Other Stories by Brigham Yen
Related Articles
Comments
Let's not forget a key factor that will make these neighborhoods desirable: proximity to the up-and-coming Downtown Los Angeles.
DTLA has experience a great revival over the last half-decade, and every indication is that it will continue. Thus, the center of gravity in Los Angeles County is shifting from the Westside to DTLA. Pasadena and Arcadia, which are the closest desirable neighborhoods just "down the road" from DTLA will become even more desirable.
Similarly, I predict that Highland Park and other Eastside neighborhoods, which are not currently highly desirable, but which have good bones, will start to experience a renaissance. Silver Lake and Echo Park are already experiencing this (but are constrained by the lack of nearby rail transit).
posted by jonathan on 6/06/11 @ 02:30 p.m.
Brigham - high density development in most any area in LA will decrease the quality of life for most Angelinos. The reason: almost every new resident in these mixed use/ high density developments will own and use cars. Sure, they may not drive as much as other people, but they will still use their cars for a significant portion of their travels.
Adding more cars to our local area (even if these cars have lower VMT than average) is still an increase in local miles traveled. This increases traffic, congestion, pollution, and reduces quality of life.
There are just too many places in Pasadena and surrounding areas that people want to go that are not *easily* accessible by transit. More people == more miles driven... there is just no way around this fact in LA.
We need to focus on developing "destinations" around transit instead of increasing population density.
Trust me, I'm very pro-transit and alternative modes of transport. I bike commute nearly everyday.. I take the Gold Line from my place in East Pas to Old Town, South Pas, Little Tokyo, etc quite often..
but I am very against high density development, because the realities of the situation is that it simply will make our lives worse with traffic and pollution.