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Living in Southern California

Pasadena, meaning "Crown of the Valley," lies along the northern edge of the Los Angeles basin in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountians. A community of 128,000, Pasadena occupies a comparatively quiet corner of lively and marvelously diverse southern California. It is the home of both the Tournament of Roses and the Rose Bowl, and as such is the focus of nationwide interest each New Year's Day. The climate in Pasadena, classified as semiarid to tropical, is moderate. The average mean temperature for January is 56 F, and for July, it is 75 F. At the extremes, temperatures do occasionally reach the low 100s, at which time the humidity is invariably very low, and now and then snow can be seen on the San Gabriel Mountains. Rain is infrequent and falls mostly during the winter months. Smoggy days are most likely to occur from August through October. Caltech is situated in the center of Pasadena's residential area, only minutes from service and shopping centers and 10 miles from the Los Angeles Civic Center. Bus transportation is available, and a vast network of freeways links Pasadena with other parts of southern California. Rents and rental policies vary widely in the community; Caltech's Housing Office assists students who wish to live off-campus. For those moments when a graduate student needs a break from intensive study and research, there is a wide range of opportunities for recreation and relaxation in and near Pasadena. On campus there are numerous musical and dramatic events throughout the year. Pasadena is a mecca for anyone enthusiastic about the arts. Plays, concerts, dance programs, and other examples of the performing arts are found throughout the Los Angeles area (more L.A). Cultural offerings range from Ween to Bach, from Shakespeare to street theater, and from Andy Warhol to Rodin. The Music Center, home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, offers a wide variety of fine entertainment. Special summer attractions are the Hollywood Bowl, an immense outdoor amphitheater for classical, jazz, and world music lovers; the Universal Amplitheater, which features pop music; and the Greek Theatre, with everything from mariachis to Roxy Music to Barry White. For art enthusiasts, there are the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the Norton R. Simon Museum and the Huntington Library and Art Gallery in Pasadena, as well as numerous private galleries. Parks, botanical gardens, museums, and numerous tourist attractions are found within an hour's drive from campus. For those people interested in athletics, major and minor professional sports are played by a variety of teams, and individual sports, ranging from tennis to hang gliding, have extensive followings. The San Gabriel Mountains provide hiking terrain in Pasadena's backyard, and winter skiing is available within a drive of an hour or two. The fascinating Mojave Desert offers unusual rock formations, Joshua trees, and tiny desert plants. In spring the desert is transformed by a fleeting but brilliant profusion of wildflowers. Sandy beaches and numerous harbors are available for devotees of sun and sea. Pasadena is also a good jumping-off point for short trips to Mexico, San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and the Sierra Nevada, with its 14,000-foot high peaks and secluded mountain meadows and valleys. top