Living in Pasadena used to mean enjoying a 'harmony of nature and city', but these days it sounds a bit different. If you visit near the Art Center College of Design, there are still many trees and the air is good, but honestly, it doesn't feel as if there's as much 'breathing room' as before. They say a forest spreads out around the campus on the hill, but if you actually go there, half of it is a parking lot and the other half is under construction. Although students are said to prefer parks over cafes, some say that's because cafe spots are too expensive.

Pasadena has proudly held the title of 'Garden City' for a long time. Trees are visible between buildings, and sunlight beautifully settles on an old bench in the city. However, these days, that garden feels like it's wilting under the burden of maintenance costs. Arlington Garden near the Art Center used to be a truly quiet and emotional space, but nowadays it is crowded with people taking photos. It has become a space consumed more as an Instagram backdrop than a garden. The care that citizens have put into it is gradually fading in the winds of commercialization.

Brookside Park next to the Rose Bowl used to be a space where people read books under the shade of trees, rode bicycles, and felt a leisurely atmosphere, but these days it's different. On weekends, picnic crowds leave trash behind, and on weekdays, the number of homeless people has increased, causing the old 'quiet park' vibe to disappear. Rather than being a 'leisurely spot in the city', it feels like the last green space the city is holding onto.

Descanso Gardens is still beautiful. The oak forest paths, ponds, and flower paths remain, but the problem is the entrance fee. When you add in parking fees, a short walk can cost quite a bit. Moreover, with more people, it's hard to expect 'tranquility'. Students who used to sketch with their sketchbooks now have to squeeze in among tourists setting up camera tripods.

Of course, Pasadena's greenery is still like the city's lifeline. However, rather than the 'leisure of living with nature' as before, it is now closer to the 'reality of borrowing managed nature'. Even if there are many trees, there aren't enough benches to sit under their shade, and a quiet walk amidst the crowds every weekend has become a luxury. People in Pasadena still say, "Our city has more trees than walls", but the truth is that concrete shadows are now cast among those trees.

But what can you do? We live with the comfort that it's better than the dense urban core of Los Angeles. Living near the Art Center is closer to the reality of 'having to find a walking path near a parking lot' than the romance of nature and art coexisting. Still, sometimes, when I see the orange light filtering through the trees at sunset, I think, 'Yes, this is still Pasadena.'