Why Alhambra
Alhambra is a city covering 7.6 square miles in the western San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California. Situated roughly eight miles east of downtown Los Angeles, the urban municipality is surrounded by neighboring communities including South Pasadena, San Marino, San Gabriel, Monterey Park, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of El Sereno and Monterey Hills.
Incorporated in 1903, the city was named after Washington Irving's book Tales of the Alhambra. Promoted historically as a city of homes, Alhambra features twenty-six designated historic single-family neighborhoods, such as the Bean Tract, Midwick Tract, Airport Tract, and Emery Park. The residential landscape includes diverse architectural styles, ranging from Craftsman, bungalow, and Arts and Crafts to Spanish Mediterranean, Spanish Colonial Revival, and Italian Beaux-Arts. Notable historic points of interest include the 1926 Pyrenees Castle, the historic Story house operated by the Alhambra Historical Society, and long-standing educational institutions like Ramona Convent Secondary School and Alhambra High School.
The city's commercial life is primarily concentrated along two main corridors. Main Street hosts a thriving business district featuring retail shops, entertainment venues, an auto row, and a dedicated restaurant row situated between Atlantic Boulevard and Garfield Avenue. Meanwhile, Valley Boulevard serves as an active Asian commercial district filled with Chinese supermarkets, restaurants, medical offices, and banks. Key sights along Valley Boulevard include the former historic Garfield Theatre—now repurposed into a vibrant shopping center—and the historic sign marking the original 1951 location of The Hat. Other local landmarks include Fosselman's Ice Cream and the Wing Lung Bank building, known for its large glass tile mural.
Cultural events in Alhambra include an annual Lunar New Year festival held along Valley Boulevard. The city is also home to higher education facilities, including campuses for Platt College, Alliant International University, and the University of Southern California Health Sciences. Travelers can reach Alhambra via the San Bernardino Freeway (I-10) along its southern edge or the Long Beach Freeway (I-710) terminus at Valley Boulevard. Public transportation across the city's major thoroughfares is serviced by Los Angeles County Metro and Alhambra Community Transit.
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