Then & Now: Pasadena

Can you guess when this photo of Old Pasadena was taken? The movie marquee is a big hint. The population at the time was only 82,000, about half of what it is today, thanks in part to the Rose Parade.

Today it's a hot spot for shopping and eating. Not so in the 1970s. Back then, seedy stores, pawn shops and "working ladies" gave the area a sketchy reputation. What a difference a couple decades makes!

Our thanks to the Automobile Club of Southern California Archives for sharing this photo. Use the slider below to compare then and now.