The Crown City

Storied Lane Marketing Founder & Consultant Katelyn Barchowsky joins the podcast to discuss her transition from Pennsylvania to Pasadena, driven by a passion for guiding small businesses. Katelyn recounts her professional experiences across various marketing realms, culminating in the founding of Storied Lane Marketing, a firm deeply inspired by her grandmother's trailblazing legacy. Her journ...

Episode 61: Author and historian Michael Logan joins the show for a deep dive into the fascinating history of Pasadena’s Busch Gardens. Michael, the author of The Original Busch Gardens , shares how his move to Pasadena and passion for restoring Craftsman homes sparked a profound interest in the city’s rich cultural heritage. What began as a personal hobby of collecting postcards grew into an ambi...

Episode 60: Pawandeep Khinda and Santokh Singh Khinda , the dynamic father-daughter duo behind All India Cafe in Old Pasadena join the podcast to share their family’s story that has taken them from India to the bustling culinary scene of Pasadena, California. Listen as Santokh shares his rich history of growing up on a farm, gaining invaluable cooking experience in Germany, and blending Indian aut...

Episode 59: Melissa Lee , Principal in Charge of Urban Planning and Community Health at Public Works Partners , joins the podcast to share her unique perspective on urban planning, community health, and the evolving fabric of Pasadena. A fifth-generation Pasadenian, Melissa delves deep into her journey - from her family’s historic roots in Pasadena to her transformative experiences in urban planni...

Episode 58: Alhambra Mayor Sasha Renée Pérez joins the podcast for this special election episode. The Democratic candidate for California’s State Senate, District 25, Mayor Pérez discusses her journey growing up in Alhambra and her background in community activism and policy making.   Mayor Pérez shares stories of her family’s deep roots in the community and the pivotal moments that insp...

Betty and Rob Poquez of Bricks & Minifigs Pasadena join the podcast to share their fascinating journey from established careers in industrial-organizational psychology and media production to becoming proud owners of a one-of-a-kind LEGO store. Betty and Rob share the serendipitous way LEGO entered their lives during the pandemic, igniting a passion that led to creating a community hub for LEG...

Pasadena City Councilmember for District 1 Tyron Hampton joins the podcast for an engaging conversation about his experiences as a fifth-generation Pasadena resident, small business owner, and elected official.  Councilmember Hampton shares personal stories about his background, offering listeners a glimpse into his deep-rooted connections with the city. He recounts his upbringing, schooling,...

Award-winning author Naomi Hirahara joins the podcast to talk about her journey from growing up in the Pasadena area to her career as a reporter and mystery writer. Reflecting on her Japanese American heritage, she shares how her background and rich experiences have shaped her acclaimed works.  Naomi discusses her transition from reporting to fiction writing, providing keen insights into her...

Episode 54: President and CEO of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association Paul Little joins the podcast and dives deep into the unique history and mission of the Chamber, from its beginnings as the Board of Trade in 1888 to its modern-day role in supporting and growing the local economy. Paul shares invaluable insights into his multifaceted career, highlighting key moments from worki...

Episode 53: Actor, producer, writer, and much-loved content creator Malia Miglino , known affectionately as LA History Girl , shares fascinating tales from her life, weaving together stories from her eerie childhood home in Seattle to her brave move to Los Angeles at 18. She opens up about her journey from working in makeup on film sets to embracing her passion for history and content creation dur...

Episode 52: Historian and Author Roberta H. Martinez joins the podcast to shed light on the rich tapestry of Latino history, culture, and resilience. Raised in East Los Angeles, Roberta brings a personal perspective to understanding the Latino community’s roots and reach in Pasadena and beyond.  Through her own story and work, Martinez explores the multifaceted nature of Los Angeles' history,...

Episode 51: Pasadena Now's Managing Editor Andre Coleman, joins the podcast to share his journey growing up in Altadena and how Watergate inspired him to pursue a career in journalism.  During this engaging conversation, Andre discusses the current state of local news and his responsibility to the community as a trusted source of information. In addition to being a journalist and columnist, A...

Episode 50: Nature Boy Products Founder and Artisan Jacob Quetant joins the podcast to talk about how he turned his passion into a successful business that serves the health and wellness of his customers.  Jacob shares insights from growing up in Pasadena, describes his path to creating artisan beard care products, and talks about the legacy he wants to build as a creator and entrepreneur. Th...

Episode 49: Author and Publisher Pamela McColl joins the podcast for a special Holiday Episode to discuss her book Twas The Night - The Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem in celebration of the bicentennial of the iconic poem “Account of A Visit From St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore on December 23, 1823. During our conversation, Pamela discusses her journey in art and history and ho...

Episode 48: Piper + Enza’s Rita Ho-Bezzola joins the podcast to discuss the road she has taken from growing up in Taiwan and becoming a concert pianist to becoming the Founder and CEO of Piper + Enza.   During this engaging conversation, we talk about everything from the demands of family businesses to how going through Covid as a parent inspired Rita to launch Piper + Enza - a company built...

Episode 47: The Nextdoors’ Mika Larson and Russell Mark join the podcast to talk about the role music and the arts have played in their lives and how they have built a unique sound in East Pasadena.  As a duo, Mika and Russell have performed locally but also hosted shows in the Midwest, and in 2022, they released their debut album, Linda Vista - an ode to Americana music. We talk about their...

Episode 46: Merch Motel’s Barkev Msrlyan joins the podcast to discuss his journey from growing up in Pasadena to how his interest in design led him to launch Merch Motel, a retro-inspired brand built around historic places and vintage signs. With Merch Motel, Barkev has hosted events, produced one-of-a-kind collectibles, hosted his own podcast, and released wonderfully made videos.  For more...

Episode 45: Found Coffee’s Annie Choi joins the podcast to discuss creating a community at Found Coffee, the shop she opened in 2015 in Eagle Rock.  While coffee has always been a part of her life, Annie’s journey took her from La Crescenta to UC San Diego and then a career in post-production, where she worked on some pretty big shows but was unhappy. She took an unpaid internship at one of h...

Episode 44: Esotouric’s Kim Cooper and Richard Schave come on the podcast to talk about their journey as guides and preservationists dedicated to keeping the stories and places of old Los Angeles alive.  In a far-reaching conversation, we talk about the responsibility of storytelling, the return of their famous bus tours after COVID-19, and an ongoing preservation battle over the B’nai B’rith...

Episode 43: Exploring Pasadena’s Julia Long joins the podcast to share her story of growing up in Pasadena, her adventures traveling and working in museums as a curator, and how she returned to Southern California.  With a love of history, Julia founded Exploring Pasadena - a walking tour project focused on what makes our area so interesting and unique. This summer, she joined the Pasadena Mu...

Episode 38: Marla Frazee joins the podcast to talk about her journey growing up in the Los Angeles area and how illustrating her best friend’s book in the third grade started an illustrious career as an author and illustrator. For A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever and All the World , Marla has been recognized twice as a Caldecott honoree, a distinction for being one of the best children’s b...

Episode 37: Pablo Miralles joins the podcast to discuss growing up in Altadena and attending Pasadena’s iconic John Muir High School. After a college professor submitted a music video he filmed to a student film festival and he won, Pablo embarked on a career in filmmaking and storytelling. In 2008, Pablo founded Arroyo Seco Films to create films, TV, and digital media productions that entertain a...

Jason Lyon joins the show to discuss his life in public service and how he went from growing up in North Carolina and wanting to make documentary films to pursuing a law career in California. Since moving to Pasadena with his family, Jason has served on several critically important city commissions and boards, including the Historic Preservation and Planning Commissions and the Board of Zoning App...

Pat Amsbry joins the show to discuss his journey from advertising and owning a small business to why he is running for the PUSD Board for District 3. A product of public schools, Pat has an interesting history. His family could not lottery into PUSD to accommodate his son’s special needs, so they had to explore private school options. However, believing that our community should better support its...

Episode 34: Patrice Marshall McKenzie joins the show to talk about the role that Pasadena public schools had in her success, her journey in education policy, and why she is running for the PUSD Board for District 5. Believing that public education is a community benefit, Patrice has championed collaboration and policies to not only improve schools but other important operations like how contracts...