Amazingly, Pasadena is bordered by seven cities—La Canada Flintridge, South Pasadena, Arcadia, Sierra Madre, San Marino, Glendale, Los Angeles, and unincorporated Altadena.

In the city's upscale financial district, check out tree-lined South Lake Avenue. Its 10 blocks feature many of the top national retailers as well as one-of-a-kind shops, boutiques, and European restaurants.

Passionate about art and literature? Don't miss the Pasadena Playhouse District with its wealth of bookstores, antique stores, florists, and specialty shops. The area is anchored by the famed Pasadena Playhouse, California's official State Theater. The Playhouse helped launch the careers of Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman, and other stellar performers.

Another Hollywood favorite in the area: the Huntington Library, Art Collections, & Botanical Gardens. You've probably seen it in "Coming to America," "MacArthur," or "War and Remembrance." The 207-acre estate includes a gallery (once the home of the Huntington Family) that contains an extensive collection of 18th and 19th Century British and French paintings, including Gainsborough's "Blue Boy." The botanical gardens span 150 acres with 14,000 varieties of plants from around the world.

For art connoisseurs, the Norton Simon Museum is another must see. The museum's collection includes the masterpieces of artists such as Raphael, Botticelli, Rubens, Rembrandt, Goya, Renoir, Monet, Degas, van Gogh, and Picasso.