Oh There’s No Place like Stats for Christmas in Pasadena
120 S. Raymond
Pasadena, Ca. 91105
626 795 9308
For many Pasadena residents, Stats is a must do part of their Christmas tradition. Occupying almost a block, Stats, a decorative floral and crafts supply store, is a wonderland at Christmas time. Stats decorates for Halloween and Thanksgiving and crescendos to a climax for Christmas.
The store is decorated floor to ceiling with lights and Christmas trees. There are Santas, and sleighs and elves and reindeer. The heady odor of Christmas fills the air. The sights and sounds of Christmas astound the senses. There are nutcrackers and wreaths, garlands, decorations, ornaments, wrapping paper, ribbon and candles and silk and artificial flowers, candles and crafts. There is one room devoted totally to lighted Christmas trees. Started in 1962, Stats does not know the meaning of the word “restraint,” but it does know the meaning of joy and exuberance. It also knows the meaning of the word quality. You must not picture rooms filled with tawdry trinkets; these won’t be found at Stats. Still, there is something for every budget. Christmas trees for example start at $29 and go up to around $600 for a lighted 8-foot tree. All your Christmas decorating needs, inside and outside, can be met at Stats. If you can’t find it, it probably doesn’t exist.
You can buy your Christmas tree at Stats plus every imaginable thing to put on the tree. They carry Alaskan fir, Bristol fir, Canadian fir, True Noble fir, and Frasier fir. Artificial trees come in Spanish fir, Woodland fir, and Mountain pine. If you want a Santa, you can buy a small one for about $40 or a 33-inch standing one for $139. A 30 inch white angel can be had for $65. There are nutcrackers galore.
If you want to make some of your Christmas decorations, Stats is heaven for the craftsperson. Their knowledgeable staff can assist novice or expert. Stats also offers many crafts classes.
If you need a break just walk a few steps to Central Park and watch the white clad bocce ball players enjoying their lawn bowling and imagine that you are in Italy. You might pack a picnic lunch and eat in the park which full of big trees and picnic tables.
Very nearby are the Castle Green Apartments. Once a landmark luxury hotel, the Castle Green is now occupied by residents who own their own apartments but the lobby and public rooms are open and well worth a peek.
If you didn’t pack a lunch and you get hungry, you are in the four square block area of Pasadena’s historic Old Town and there are 70 restaurants within those four blocks. You can pay a small fortune for a gourmet meal or just get a burger or a taco but it’s all good. You can just about have your pick of what part of the world you want to taste from Italy to India to Thailand to Jamaica and all points in between.
It’s best to plan for at least a half a day because you will want to take your time at Stats and also take in some of Old Town.
