- Washington Boulevard (Pasadena)
Washington Boulevard Is a major street in
Pasadena, California , and one of eight streets in Pasadena named after U.S. States. It is notable for being a major roadway that bypasses Pasadena's central districts.History
Almost all of Washington Boulevard was built in the early 20th Century, as a result of the Painter Hotel on Washington and Fair Oaks and the East Washington Streetcar line which ran on a 2.5 mile stretch of that road between Los Robles Avenue and Santa Anita Avenue. The original ends of the street were at Arroyo Boulevard and Altadena Drive, but an extension west to Linda Vista was built in the 1940s and an extension southeast to
Pasadena High School was built in the 1960s.Geography
West Washington
At its westernmost end, Washington Boulevard serves as a utilitarian connection between Linda Vista and the neighborhoods east of the Arroyo Seco (the nearest crossings are 3100 feet to the north and over a mile to the south). The Washington Boulevard Bridge is a low bridge which crosses the river at one of its narrowest and flattest points, cutting through the Brookside Golf Course. It ascends the canyon wall by way of a single, quarter-mile long incline, which ends at Arroyo Boulevard.
Central Washington
Between Arroyo Boulevard and Hill Avenue, the road is mostly residential, the only commercial and industrial zones being located at intersections with major north-south thoroughfares. This portion of the road is often criticized for its perceived state of
urban decay , as much of it is marked byhousing projects , the windowless backsides of office buildings,strip mall s, and boarded-up shops and movie theaters.East Washington
"see also
East Washington Village, Pasadena, California ."East of Hill Avenue, Washington Boulevard takes on a very different look. The road widens (originally to accomodate the streetcar line) and is lined with businesses, shopping centers, and postwar homes. This neighborhood has experienced major revitalization in the past decade as evidenced by several new retail buildings and new brick crosswalks.East of Altadena Drive, the road bends southward and becomes isolated, with some 1980s-era housing developments on one side and the
Eaton Wash on the other. Washington Boulevard officially ends onSierra Madre Boulevard in front of Pasadena High School, though the roadway continues southward as Sunnyslope Avenue.Trivia
In Pasadena, five streets are named after U.S. Presidents and eight are named after states. Washington Boulevard is named after the state because of its east-west orientation (all streets named for presidents are north-south).
Crossings navbox
structure=Crossings
place=Arroyo Seco
bridge=Washington Boulevard Bridge
bridge signs=
upstream=Interstate 210
upstream signs=
downstream=Seco Street Bridge
downstream signs=
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