Everything Glendale

When I moved to L.A. from the U.K. three years ago, I imagined I'd be living in a brash city. Then I found Montrose and felt like I'd walked into a Frank Capra movie.

Nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains on the northern edge of Glendale, this small bedroom community is a bit of a rarity. Part of the City Of Glendale since 1913, it's home mostly to families and a few older citizens. In the early days, Angelenos, including many Hollywood movie stars, would ascend to Montrose's then-"country" heights for clean air and spa treatments.

Now, even though Glendale has reached out in every direction so there are no discernable boundaries, Montrose still offers an escape of sorts to a kind of small-town America where the main street was the hub of the community and you couldn't walk down it without seeing someone you knew.

That main street, Honolulu Avenue, has changed little in character, still featuring a variety of independent stores and restaurants, the only chains in the main strip being Coffee Bean and Subway.

So untouched since the 1950s and '60s are some store fronts that Montrose is often featured in movies and TV shows for its architecture and small-town feel.

The focal point of the week is the Sunday Harvest Market, for which a good part of Honolulu Avenue is closed off. A jazz band adds to the atmosphere as shoppers browse and stop off for brunch at popular haunts like The Black Cow and Montrose Bakery.

The market runs from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. every Sunday and features 70 to 80 stall holders selling fresh produce, mainly from the Santa Barbara and Santa Paula areas, plus original arts and crafts, books, bric-a-brac, and bakery items. There's a petting zoo and seasonal pony rides for the kids.

Montrose's annual Christmas parade attracts some 10,000 visitors from miles around. I took a friend and her family this year, and she was bowled over by the great community atmosphere and the size of the parade—it takes a good two hours for all the marching bands, floats, and vintage cars to get from one end of Honolulu Avenue to the next—pretty impressive for one little town.

Montrose is also well-known for its large number of restaurants, many with outdoor dining. There's everything from sushi to Mexican, Italian, American, and beyond.

But there's more than shopping and dining here. A stone's throw away in neighboring La Crescenta, the Deukmejian Wilderness Park has great trails and stunning views, plus a picnic area.

And in next door La Canada, Descanso Gardens is a beautifully landscaped 160 acres of public gardens to enjoy for just $7. It features a café and a tranquil Japanese tea garden.

Montrose is also only six miles south of the Angeles National Forest so everywhere you look, nature's on the doorstep.

One of my favorite views is driving up the Glendale Freeway and seeing Downtown L.A.'s skyscrapers in my rear view mirror. Then I look ahead to the welcoming foothills I'm driving towards and thank my lucky stars I discovered this gem of a town.