Arlington Garden

Pasadena certainly doesn’t come up short when it comes to green space. But among all those parks and plazas, Arlington Garden is—surprisingly—the only public garden in the city. Walk among sycamores and succulents in this Mediterranean-inspired sanctuary and navigate a seven circuit labyrinth. Once a staging ground for the scrapped extension of the 710 freeway, it’s now a community space (for people and on-leash pets alike) filled with native Southern California flora. The water-conscious plantings here look well-maintained without feeling overly manicured; the result is a serene escape mere blocks from some of Pasadena’s busiest areas. Look out for meet-ups for environmentally-minded folks plus yoga classes and sales of the garden’s grown-on-site sweet orange marmalade.