Ah. Well, I've never lived in Altadena, though I have friends there. There are some real nice pockets.. .and some less so. A lot has changed since the 80's in the foothill communities. (I'm not in Pasadena anymore either, but still close enough that I didn't bother to change my handle.) Personally, I love being 5 minutes from hiking in the mountains, 45 minutes from the beach, an hour from skiing. My commute is an 11 mile motorcycle drive over a scenic mountain pass. San Diego is also great, and only a couple hours drive. We just went down there last Saturday and hung out with friends. Ever been to Asti's in the Gaslamp? The kids liked the food, which is always a plus!