Thanks to Post Properties, Inc., Pasadena consumers who love to shop can now live above the shop. Living above the shop used to be a preferred lifestyle in America. Cities and towns were dotted with homes above retail establishments, where everything from a fresh loaf of bread to a new pair of shoes was just a short walk away.
Now most Americans don't live above the shop; they live to shop. But Paseo Colorado Apartment Homes — a mix of 387 apartment homes and more than 550,000 sq. ft. of retail space in the heart of downtown Pasadena — is bringing the “live above the shop” lifestyle back. This new urban village will feature a Gelson's super market, movie theaters, and upscale shopping and dining options galore, along with 387 apartments above the shops and restaurants.
Post Paseo Colorado Apartment Homes is the residential portion of Paseo Colorado. It will offer a unique lifestyle with unusual benefit to its residents. After all, where else can residents buy fresh food downstairs and simply walk upstairs to find a luxurious kitchen to cook it in?
The apartments are being developed by Post Properties, Inc., the preeminent developer and operator of upscale apartment communities in the United States. Post focuses on the creation of live-work-walk neighborhoods in major cities across the country. The company has been recognized locally, nationally and internationally for building better neighborhoods and the preservation of historic buildings. Post Paseo Colorado Apartment Homes is the company's latest remarkable development.
In the mold of classic European cities, Paseo Colorado residents will be just a few steps away from the world's finest retail stores, offices and public gathering spaces. The end result: a community where residents can live, dine, play and shop in a setting vastly different from anywhere else in Southern California.
While Paseo Colorado's architecture makes it look as if it has always been located in the heart of Pasadena, it is actually a new phenomenon for the city. Just two years ago, the site was home to a struggling retail mall, Plaza Pasadena. In fact, Paseo Colorado was born in an effort to “de-mall” Pasadena. The process began with the destruction of Plaza Pasadena in May 2000. The site of the suburban-style mall is now home to Paseo Colorado, which links Pasadena's civic and playhouse districts with the city's thriving entertainment and shopping district of Old Pasadena.
In addition to easy access to the retail shops of Paseo Colorado, residents will be a short walk from the Pasadena Playhouse, Old Pasadena and its shops, and Pasadena's historic city hall. In 2003, a mass transit line will open linking downtown Pasadena directly with downtown L.A., allowing easy commutes for residents who don't care to make the 30 minute trip downtown by car.
Residents can also enjoy views of the San Gabriel Mountains, historic city hall and downtown L.A. and an annual close-up of the spectacular Rose Bowl parade, which travels down Colorado Boulevard adjacent to the apartments.
Post's 387 apartment homes will feature a variety of finishes and styles. Many of the apartments will be lofts with oversized windows, high ceilings, custom lighting packages, select brick walls and polished concrete floors. The remaining homes will be upscale apartments with balconies, expansive windows, ceramic tile entry, kitchens and baths and custom lighting packages.
Post apartment homes have been recognized around the country for their blend of luxury, style and technology, and those at Post Paseo Colorado Apartment Homes will be no different. The apartments will also provide a unique opportunity for area residents to call downtown Pasadena home.
Residents will be able to enjoy eight individual courtyards and terraces with water features, works by local artists in common areas, a 1,400-sq.-ft. fitness center, a community room, outdoor fireplaces, outdoor cooking grills, and a hobby room to reserve for painting, planting, etc.
The open, airy feel of Paseo Colorado will set it apart from other shopping experiences in greater Los Angeles. But more importantly, it will bring back a distinct lifestyle that has been overlooked since the suburbanization of America began in earnest in the 1950s. Can living above the shop make it again? Post Properties believes it can.