(Attended 05/19/13 SU @ 4:30pm): Longtime resident, first time attendee...what took so long!?
I grew-up and lived in the shadows of the bucolic town of La Canada Flintridge, and this was the first time I've ever attended any event at the Lanterman Auditorium. I'm embarrassed to also acknowledge that although I was aware of this building I never gave it much thought as I've driven, jogged, and walked past it along Foothill Blvd. "hundreds" of times, played tennis at the nearby courts more times than I could remember, and attended my nieces' basketball games at the school across the street. Oblivious, much!?
Anyway, my oldest niece's Girl Scouts Gold (as well as Silver and Bronze) Award Ceremony took place here, and because I wasn't aware of it, I actually went to the local historical Lanterman House first; whoops! But my family and I made it on time and cheered her on each time her name was announced and when she walked across the stage when she received her award and other accolades. Truly another crowning moment in her life.
The facility was a full-service 812 seat auditorium available for various uses such as ceremonies (such as this event), filming, meetings, performances, rehearsals, and more. It was by no way state-of-the-art but made up for it in charm and that small-town sensibility. Rental rates varied and depended on type of usage, so click here for a fee schedule: https://docs.google.com/a/lcf.ca.gov/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=bGNmLmNhLmdvdnxjaXR5LW9mLWxhLWNhbmFkYS1mbGludHJpZGdlLXNpdGV8Z3g6Mjc3ZGExMzFlNmY1ZjVlNQ
Here were a few pictures I took:
View from the back row - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/lanterman-auditorium-la-cañada-flintridge?select=j5OSph_IsCKSIkbpWbyF-Q#j5OSph_IsCKSIkbpWbyF-Q
View from Row 8 Center - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/lanterman-auditorium-la-cañada-flintridge?select=j5OSph_IsCKSIkbpWbyF-Q#qC9BCmW5CX2ItDyRGf_sBg
For more pictures, click here: http://www.lcf.ca.gov/lanterman-auditorium
Service - At this particular event, the only service to be spoken of was from the parents and the younger girl scouts. Because this was an auditorium-for-rent, the facility's services would be provided by the city itself.
Parking - There was an on-site parking lot with minimal capacity. Otherwise, most people (as I) parked on the side street of Cornishon Ave. (no meters). Parking was also available along Foothill Blvd. (no meters) or across the street at the nearby school.
Atmosphere, décor, ambience - It was definitely an older facility and reminded me of my junior high school auditorium, with its same-level old creaky rickety wooden seats that had minimal cushioning left, an air of stuffiness with the whiff of dust, eggshell-colored walls, a surprisingly decent sound system and acoustics, simplistic lighting, and a roomy lobby that had glass showcases along the walls and ample room to display the Gold Award projects. With the exception of the lobby, there were no displays on the walls inside, and no TVs.
Attire - It depended on the event attended, but in this particular case, it was business casual so NO t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops.
Overall, I was psyched to have "found" the Lanterman Auditorium, after all these years and felt completely stupid at the same time. I looked forward to another event here hopefully in support of my youngest niece for the same achievement if not something else. I found decent value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (nothing was paid for but the rates seemed fair), and I liked the whole "Anytown, U.S.A" feel of the auditorium. Yes, I'm a sucker for nostalgia. And, I'm sure they accepted credit cards as payment, which included my card of choice...AMEX! 3.5 STARS read more