Fun Facts About Our Cities
As we gear up for our sixth year, we want to celebrate the cities we call home with some interesting facts about each of them.
The Cheeseburger Legend
Rumored to have been created in 1924 by a 16 year old at his father’s restaurant, The Rite Spot, in Pasadena.
However, the name “cheeseburger” was trademarked in 1935 in Denver CO.
So… where did the cheeseburger really originate? Pasadena, Denver, or somewhere in between? One thing we know is, it probably wasn’t in Burbank.
Holidays in our cities
Every New Year is marked with the famous Rose Parade in Pasadena. Ever since it began, organizers have promised never to hold the parade on a Sunday in exchange with a pact with God that it not rain out the parade. In it’s 130 years, the parade has yet to be rained out!
Later in the year, where can you find one of the largest St. Patricks day parades? I bet you did not know that Denver has one of the largest parades in the country! Celebrate Irish culture and the start of Spring.
We are all about supporting local artisans and we would consider Norton's Winter Wonderland in Burbank as one of them! This fabulous Christmas display has been going on for more than 50 years. There are more than a dozen handmade displays including a ferris wheel, see-saw, train, angels, and carousel within.
Historic Locations
Pasadena Ice House is the oldest comedy club in the US. It’s also home to the first ever Trader Joe’s (with the world’s tiniest parking lot), and Vroman’, the longest independent bookstore which has been open for over 120 years.
The oldest remaining Bob’s Big Boy is in Burbank and was officially declared a historic landmark in 1993.
Meanwhile, Denver is home to the unsinkable Molly Brown’s house! The activist and philanthropist who survived the historical sinking of the Titanic.
On the big screen
Home to three major motion picture studios, Burbank could be named the movie capital of the world. It is also home to Walt Disney Animation studios who released the first fully animated film, 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs!
Pasadena plays home to many on the big screen: The Gamble House = Doc Brown’s house in Back to the Future, Pasadena City Hall = HQ for Parks and Rec, Pasadena Central Library = The Law Library in Legally Blonde, and many more!
We can’t count Denver out though- Die Hard 2 was filmed at the old Stapleton Airport, and the stadium in Blades of Glory is the Pepsi Center. Yippee-ki-yay!
Animals
What’s with the squawking? Wild parrots fill Pasadena and urban legend has it that the exotic flock began with birds that escaped a burning pet store, or were released from Busch Gardens when it closed.
You wouldn’t expect horseback riding to be so popular in the middle of the city, but Burbank is home to a large equestrian park and provides over 50 miles of trails!
Denver is the city of dogs. No, really! It was reported that Denver has more dogs than children. There were about 158,000 dogs in Denver, and only 140,000 children according to the last U.S Census.