I had a staff retreat for work here at University Club of Pasadena. This is a lovely venue. Parking…read morewas easy to find, but getting out was confusing so be sure to look down at the arrow signs. The venue is spacious and clean. Lots of rooms. Our room for the day was upstairs. AC was on, breakfast table with coffee/tea were ready for us when we arrived. The croissants were delicious! And the presentation of food was beautiful! Fruits were fresh and yummy. For lunch I had salmon and this dish has so much flavor. Lemonade and iced tea were prepared for us. Just when I thought we finished the day, we were surprised with cookie and vanilla ice cream. The cookie was warm, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Vanilla ice cream was hitting the spot. You can't fail this combination. The food really blew me away although I was there for work. Friendly and attentive staff. Love the decor and it has its charm!

We attended a fabulous wedding here at the University Club of Pasadena in late September. This…read morehistoric club founded in 1922 made for a beautiful venue in a great location. The couple was able to personalize with photos and memorabilia set up on shelves in the breezeway inset area which was a sweet touch. The wedding ceremony took place outdoors on the Garden Patio. It was a gorgeous but warm, very sunny day and the seating on the right side could have perhaps used a sail shade of some sort as it was blindingly bright and quite warm on that side! It's a small thing as the ceremony was short, but thought I'd mention for anyone considering the space at a time of year when that's a factor. After the ceremony, we walked into the adjacent 1922 Lounge for the cocktail hour. This was a wonderful space with an eye-catching bar area, lots of seating and high tops, as well as plenty of room to mingle. We loved the signature cocktails and the passed hors d'oeuvres were absolutely delicious and plentiful! Onto the reception in the huge "Main Dining Room" with vaulted wood beam ceilings, chandeliers and warm hardwood flooring. Everything was configured beautifully, food was again delicious and the venue staff was excellent. I loved that you could retreat to the garden patio or other areas within the club when you needed a quiet moment! So from a guest's point of view, the University Club of Pasadena was the perfect venue for a wedding or any event for that matter. Great location, facility, food and staff!

When I was invited to attend a meeting of a women's organization at the Women's City Club of…read morePasadena, the phrase "ladies who lunch" leapt to mind. So I was pleasantly surprised by the relaxed and inviting atmosphere that welcomed me at the Club and the complete absence of snootiness. The club is housed in the historical Blinn house, built in 1905, and beautifully preserved. It's located near the Fuller campus with a nice big parking lot. Breakfast was served during our meeting and featured a delicous popover, fresh fruit, excellent bacon and scrambled eggs. If you're looking for a venue for your event, the Women's City Club would be a wonderful option.

Wonderful place! I had donated Artwork in the past and drew some portraits at one of their…read moreprestigious events! The place is fabulous!

I love it. I'm so Grateful to have found such a Warm and Supportive group to Grow with…read more Thank you!

When I was promoted to an executive position, I was terrified. Not the responsibility or the…read moreworkload, but the need to speak in public on a regular basis. Public speaking frightened me to no end! Crown City Toastmasters Club changed all that for me. The chance to practice, the guidance of the Toastmaster manuals, and most importantly the advice I received from the warm, friendly people in the club made me a far better public speaker. Thanks, Crown City.

My law firm recently had our holiday party at the Jonathan Club. For regular schmucks like myself,…read morethe Jonathan Club is a private members only club with two locations - Santa Monica and downtown Los Angeles. Membership prices are too rich for my blood, so this was most likely the only chance I would ever come here as you have to know a member. Naturally, lawyers have money to spend so our firm has some members. The DTLA location has very nice if dated grounds. Our party was on the rooftop so we got some good views of downtown as we chowed down and drank the afternoon away. Their bar on the second floor was where the real party was at. All the servers had good pours and were friendly. If you get the chance to visit the Jonathan Club, don't hesitate to jump at the chance!

Old world charm at its best! This club is a nice piece of Los Angeles city history. It's elegant…read moreand graceful. It is an exclusive club so you have to be a member or invited by members to use the club. The facilities are a bit old, or be nicely maintained. They've updated the rooms and bathrooms nicely so no worries for modern comfort. I think their facilities, for example, nice banquet, halls, and rooms, would be great for private events. However, for their price point, I think there are many modern hotels in this area, for example, the Intercontinental, that would be better value for your money.

This was the last stop in a night where Conrad and I stepped out to LA to have a good time. So by…read morethe time I got there I was tipsy. I was not falling down the stairs, nor was I slurring my words, nor was I misaligning my pool shots, but I was definetely feeling the good inside my blood. I note this, not to highlight my cool factor as if I was a frat bro in a Florida party school, but more to describe how my experience was fogged by my consumption. This place was definetely a hot spot to hit, but I just will not be able to descrbie everything with speicifc detail, more, broad strokes of a good time. The place is reached by going down a flight of stairs, which feels like one is going to catch the J line in New York. I think I felt this more because of the Spring St sign- a famous stop in NY, NY. As soon, I got there, the goal was to continue the good time and this place allowed that at a reasonable price. They had these can drinks that I really responded and they were only 7 dollars. Ok, I know that saying something is only 7 dollars in this economy can seem out of touch. But a drink in LA most of the time will run you at least 12 to 16 dollars, and I think it is mostly on the 16 side. So finding a 7 dollar drink in a hot spot is refreshing. It was a Suncruiser- a vodka spirit based drink- that was part of their specials for their night. maybe is more expensive on other nights when it is not on special? After the drink Conrand and I stepped into their floor. It was the first time we were there and it is basically a basement game room on whatever it is that Bane takes to make himself go from puny human to muscle-on-muscle-on-muscle villain. There is a lot of pool tables maybe like 5, and I saw ping pong, and other table games. Additionally, instead of a speaker or a recorder- the one's that spin old timey records- there was a band. I took a short video of the band but I could not tell you if this band was good or bad or their name or their style of music. I was partly present, and I just heard the music, I did not appreciate the performers. It happens. So Conrad and I play all the time together. And I saw a guy playing by himself. We quickly introduced oursevles and then we played pool. Here is the thing that I am happy to write about this place. Unline a regular bar with a pool table, where every one knows your name, this place had the opportunity to meet new people. And I enjoyed playing with this guy. He was a new challenge. He had fresh stories. And he offered a view of the world I enjoyed. So this place offers the opportunity to meet new people over a game of pool. If pool is your thing than this place will make you happy an if pool is your way of meeting new folks then this place will make you happy and give you opportunities to find the folks you imagine you need in your life. In the final analysis, I want to go here again, and experience the place more broadly. Not sure if I will write a new Yelp, because even though I bared bone this one, it still gives the primary messages I want to. And to the guy who I played with thanks for having a good time with me, even if it was short. And sometimes, short, can be just enough.

Band AMAZING Drinks Good…read morePo boy 2/10 I was given my poboy on stale/hard bread. As a cook, how did you not take enough pride into what you're serving people to not notice? After picking thru it because I was hungry, I spoke to an manager and he just seemed as if I was not being honest, so I pulled the broken bread pieces out to show him; and he didn't offer anything in return. I won't be back.

What an amazing gem of a place. The Adventure's Club has been hosting talks for more than 100…read moreyears. The clubhouse is welcoming, filled with history and an incredible place to visit. Check the club website for the schedule of talks and make a reservation (not expensive) !!

For good or bad, The Adventurers Club is an LA institution. Founded in 1922 as a private gentlemans…read moreclub for the "exchange and dissemination of knowledge between those who have had adventures off the beaten path." It feels like stepping into a time machine, like going into one of those forgotten old libraries in the movies where the hero goes to visit a crotchety old academic for historical context. There are stuffed animals and ephemeral from 100 years of exploration by its former members, including Buddy Ebsen, John Anson Ford, Sterling Hayden, and Dick Kelty of Kelty backpack fame. They have a weekly dinner and discussion open to the general public, and while the dinner isn't much to speak of, the proceeds goes to keeping the club afloat, so is a well worth the cost just for the experience of visiting at least once.

I've always heard about Lindygroove for years but never went until this week when I had a bunch of…read morefriends to meet up with. The Pasadena Masonic Temple is located in Old Town, across the Civic Auditorium off the (east) Euclid side abs there are parking structures all around. The cheapest structure is off of Cordova Street with $2 with validation. I was lucky enough to get street parking off of Los Robles. Entry is $8 cash and you have a bit of a choice of starters classes either in the main ballroom or off to the side rooms where signs are prominently displayed. There's no cost room, bags and jackets are strewn about the perimeter of the ballrooms and seem fine. Everyone there is in a great mood and ready to dance! The music is great, people of all ages, although predominantly 30s-40s, many of which are dressed vintage style for the event. If you check out the website it Facebook page, you'll have an idea what to wear! Also, if there is a birthday party for example, tables can be reserved (you bring your own treats)! Otherwise, put your hand out and ask someone to dance! That's the point. All in all good fun and recommend it for a fun night out on Thursdays!

I had never heard of Lindygroove until my friend asked me to join one of the Lindyhop classes last…read moremonth - and it was, well, interesting. Pros - Classes are informal and very casual. If you miss a class, no one will care. - Teachers are great at their craft. They are nice people, wonderful dancers, and clearly explain the steps - Classes are affordable and you sign up a month at a time - The dance floor opens up after class ends and you can hang out/dance afterward Cons - Parking can be hit or miss depending on the time you arrive - No one wears masks, despite how close your faces get. From bad breath to body odor, to sticky hands, you experience it all. The main reason I chose not to continue is that I take the "follower" role and followers mostly just get led. I don't think followers learn as much as long as they have a good rhythm and a gentle understanding of the moves - which makes these classes not very worth it for me. It could be considered a fun, social activity - but I think "leads" gain much more from each class. This is neither a pro nor a con, but the style of the class allows individuals to rotate partners pretty much every 2-3 minutes, so you end up getting to dance with everyone in the class. The types of people you meet range from great to worst dancers, super young to super elderly, and very polite to straight-up rude.

This past Friday I attended the Dining in the Dark at the City Club and had so much fun. I was…read moresigned up via Renaissance club and so I was seated with members from the club and we ended up fast friends laughing joyfully as we ate blindly. First, there is parking at the building but it's easy to miss because of traffic but it's a quick enterance and then down a steep tight hill into the lot. Valet is there but I found a self parking spot. For the event our parking was validated which made the parking only $8 which was a relief since parking around the area can be quite pricey! Inside the room all the tables are intimately set up according to how many people were on the reservation, and the room is surrounded by windows where you can see the amazing LA view. I love that according to what you're going to eat you get a color coded candle. Meat is red candle, Fish is blue, and vegetarian is green. When it is time to go dark they announce and you blind fold yourself with a blindfold that you get to keep at the end! There are 3 courses and I will not ruin it by telling you what I ate so you can be surprised. After each course the chef comes in and he tells you what the food was. I honestly expected that because my sight was gone that I would be hyper aware but somehow I guessed wrong about some of the ingredients! It was such a cool experience and the dessert was so good I wanted more. Dining in the dark was such a wonderful experience. If you need date ideas this would be a really great date idea! After the dinner was over, I explored the 51sr floor a little before heading to the elevator and it's really beautiful up there. There are some rooms with a TV and table and chairs and all the windows. In the waiting area there are even binoculars to use. Such a cool experience I would definitely do it again!

Beautiful views from the top of this building! I've typically come here for finance events and…read moreconferences so my perspective is purely from a meetings and workshop POV. Staff is friendly and helpful and the catering is pretty good. I enjoy seeing DTLA from this vantage point as there aren't too many other buildings out there that have similar views. Only thing is that this is valet only. So hopefully you're being hosted for parking because it's pricey!

Attended the wedding of a friend I've known since the 4th grade. Off the 2 FWY right before the…read moreroad continues onto the Angeles National Forest, the place is in a quiet part of town with hilly roads and golfers standing around admiring their clubs and birdies. The first level of parking was reserved for members, while the next few levels were available to visitors. Golf carts were provided as a means of traveling to the wedding processional, but we found out it was merely a few steps over from the clubhouse. It was another scorcher of a day, though luckily the spot where the bride and groom walked down the aisle had a row of trees to lessen the intensity of the sunlight and gave way to a gentle breeze. Afterwards, we went inside to schmooze and have a few drinks at the bar before gathering in the banquet hall. The party carried on into the night with dancing, catching up with old friends and making new ones, though occasionally we would just walk out onto the balcony to admire the view. A fine establishment to make memories.

I planned and organized a banquet style event here for my non profit and it was such a breeze…read moreworking with Joy! Super friendly and accommodating. We loved the mid century modern architecture of the club house, and the stunning views of the San Gabriel mountains and DTLA from the wrap around deck around the LCF Room. It was great how everything we needed was included in a package, including linens, food, AV equipment, etc. They had a Mediterranean lunch buffet that was perfect if you have many people with different types of allergies and dietary restrictions in your guest list. Thank you for having us, and would definitely recommend for any type of formal event!

I just completed the five day Grammar Review course taught by the lovely and patient Emma. The…read moreclass was great as was she. We reviewed the major tenses and chatted in French about many things. Emma was patient and thorough and waited for my brain to switch from English to French. We rarely spoke English. I also attended the Bastille Day luncheon and the Happy Hour at the Raymond. Attendees at both events were warm and inviting. It was easy to practice French no matter what your level in such congenial company. A professional place , friendly atmosphere, and a real desire to help you learn the language, that's Alliance. As a side note I've taken class all over Los Angeles and nothing comes close.

Excellent school. Lovely teachers, small classes, and people are very friendly and kind. I took a…read morebeginners accelerated course 2 days a week for 3 hours a day for a month. Our teacher was lovely and very patient. I learned a lot and will be taking more classes with Alliance Francaise.