Yelp’s Passport to South Pasadena

Since Yelp is all about discovering unique, local businesses, we thought we'd take it a step further and highlight an entire neighborhood full of charming mom and pop shops. Enter: Yelp's Passport to South Pasadena. From October 25-Nov. 2, yelpers were found exploring every inch of the tree-lined, quaint area and not a parking ticket was found thanks to South Pas's lax parking policies. What's that? Free parking? Yes, it can be found in Los Angeles!

We kicked things off at a South Pasadena weekly staple, the Farmers' Market. This metro-friendly, community-driven activity encourages residents and visitors to connect with one another over live music, pupusas, BBQ, fresh produce, and other fun, artisanal finds. Those that stopped by the Yelp booth and flashed their check-in received a complimentary Yelp tote. A convenient and cool way to store all those purchased goodies! Yelper be nimble, yelper be quick was the motto the following day at an Intro to Sewing class with Common Thread, where guests learned how to piece together their very own coffee cozy while sipping on CalNaturale wine. One-of-a-kind designs can now be seen keeping coffee mugs at the appropriate temperature all over LA! Those in the area were also invited to drop in to De Milo Designs for a sneak peek at an antique press demo and scoop up a complimentary sustainable tote, as well. On Saturday, the South Pas Chamber and local merchants hosted an Art Walk featuring food trucks, specials, live music, and of course, art at participating businesses all along Mission!

Sunday may be a day of rest, but some yelpers couldn't resist hooking up with SPACE for an Intro to Painting class where the still life subject was as sweet on the page as it was off… cupcakes! Yelpers channeled their inner artiste to create whimsical takes on a delicious classic. We beat the Monday blues with a Bfast for Dinner event at Mix 'n Munch. Cereal was adultified with cream liquers and gourmet grilled cheese samples graced passed trays, satisfying savory cravings. The Yelp Community was given a free day on Tuesday where they could visit the many South Pasadena businesses boasting check-in offers like Rejuvayou (complimentary facial peel), Buster's Coffee (complimentary coffee), Family Fair (free Pez dispenser and candy), and more! Before they went out trick or treating, little yelpers were given free gym access at Payke Gymnastics on Halloween. Another Farmers' Market came and went, but not without a special offer from Yelp and Common Thread. Anyone that stopped by the store received complimentary silk screening of a custom Yelp/Common Thread design!

Friday was jam-packed with two TGIF rides at The Cycle Annex, where riders were able to burn off the stress of the week and get amped up for the weekend! Kidd's Jewelry Heist opened their doors on Friday night to a handful of ladies (and some gents!) for a DIY Jewelry Making sesh. The creative types dove head first into the charm chamber to assemble their dainty accessories while getting inspiration from the CalNatural wine! In keeping with the Yelp Gets Physical hype from Friday's ride, we joined forces with Arroyo Seco Racquet Club, iTennis, and F.A.S.T. for a hard-core calorie burning afternoon of cardio workouts, circuit training, and golf swing analysis. After working up a serious sweat, guests were treated to a mingling hour with complimentary burgers from Vagabond Grillyard, munchies from Pretzel Crisps, and refreshments like Raw Cane Juice, ZICO, and Hubert's Lemonade. The cool down portion was made even cooler with the sounds of The Ferocious Detours jammin' in the background. We also helped raise money for non-profit, Let's Teach. And finally, we closed off the 10-day week of events with an Election-themed closing party at Firefly. Patriotic guests were treated to white and red sangria, as well as endless bites including pork sliders, chicken tacos, hush puppies, and more (see more pics on the Yelp Los Angeles Flickr page thanks to Unboxed Images)! The outdoor tent-like vibe was perfect for the late afternoon event, and was made more magical thanks to Barry "Big B" Brenner bringing some serious blues/jazz to the mix!

 
Thanks for all the businesses who participated in the promotion and to all the yelpers who helped spread the South Pas love from October 25-November 4!

Patriotic for South Pas,

Katie B

LA East Community Manager