This is the sixth story in a new series exploring the sights, tastes and culture of stops along the newly extended L.A. Metro A Line.
Rebecca Keeler
Special to the Campus Times
When departing from the La Verne station, a short, five-minute train excursion brings the rider to the small, western-style city of San Dimas. The station, located east of San Dimas Avenue, is just a few feet from the Pacific Railroad Society Museum, and in the heart of downtown San Dimas.
Since Sept. 19, 2025, the newly extended Los Angeles Metro A Line that launches from the city of La Verne has made traveling west to the Pasadena area, then going south to Long Beach, a whole lot easier, quicker and more convenient.
The San Dimas station is also within walking distance of multiple interesting culturally and ethnically diverse businesses, restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, salons and boutiques. The San Dimas Historical Society has its museum, archives and gift shop on the second floor of the historic Walker House, which sits on the corner of North San Dimas and East Bonita Avenue. The San Dimas Historical Society, a nonprofit organization with the mission of preserving and sharing the history of San Dimas, has served the community for more than 60 years.
Sue Davis, archivist for the SDHS, has held her position for 20 years. She said she gives many tours of the Walker House on a weekly basis and enjoys sharing the rich history of the historic building with the public.
“The Walker House was originally completed in 1887 as the San Dimas Hotel in the same year the Santa Fe Railroad connected east and west,” Davis said. “At a cost of $20,000, the hotel never had a paying guest, so the building and 40 acres of land were sold to James and Sue Walker in 1889 for $25,000.” From 1889 to 1978, six generations of the Walker family lived in the house.
After the city of San Dimas purchased the Walker House in 2000. The building later underwent an extensive $8 million renovation to preserve its original Victorian architecture and to meet modern safety code standards. As of 2026, the Walker House is occupied by the San Dimas Historical Society gift shop and museum and Vincenzo’s Terrazza Italian restaurant. The Walker House hosts specialty events by reservation.
Around the corner from the Walker House, Old Towne Antiques is a small female-owned and operated business that has served the San Dimas community for 34 years. The shop specializes in fine furniture and jewelry and provides a wide-array of remarkable vintage pieces available for purchase.
Cyndia Williams, owner of Old Towne Antiques, has led the business from its start. She takes pride in securing a permanent home for the shop by choosing to own the building outright instead of paying monthly rent.
“I am thankful to have complete control over my small business,” Williams said. “More than ever, I’ve noticed people coming in who are wanting help looking for unique items, and I’m happy to be here for them.”
As an ambassador for the San Dimas Chamber of Commerce, Williams said most of the shop’s inventory is split between her own antique collections, community connections and six dealers who rent spaces from her.
Down the block, a one-of-a-kind family-owned business is a premier location for home improvement necessities. Since 1935, San Dimas Ace Hardware has served the city independently under the Ace Hardware Corporation brand, and creates a welcoming family environment for customers.
Maxine Freda, a sales associate at San Dimas Ace Hardware, has worked at the shop for eight months. She said she has noticed many customers from the Metro A Line and the shop’s distinct merchandise brings them in.
“Every weekend, we provide bags of free ready-to-eat popcorn for customers,” Freda said. “The smell alone draws people into the shop.” In addition to free popcorn and home appliance necessities, San Dimas Ace Hardware supplies frozen peach pies from The Pie Company, assortments of ice cream and old-fashioned candy, and fresh jam from local artisans.
Across Bonita Avenue, Roady’s Family Restaurant, a family-owned classic American diner, has served breakfast, lunch and dinner to the community for more than 70 years.
Hali Padron, a waitress at Roady’s Family Restaurant, has worked at the eatery for two years. She describes the restaurant as having an intimate and friendly setting with delicious food worth trying.
“Chicken-fried steak is definitely our most popular breakfast item,” Padron said. “Our cheeseburgers are a favored dish for lunch, and our most popular dinner item is our ground beef steak with mushroom sauce.”
Roady’s family restaurant offers a variety of chicken and waffles, steak and eggs, french toast and pancakes, averaging at $13. Burgers, sandwiches, salads and spaghetti cost around $11. Dinner items, including chicken-fried steak, fried shrimp, grilled pork chops and top sirloin steak are about $18.
Regarding the atmosphere of the area, Davis, Williams, Freda and Padron all agree that downtown San Dimas is a close-knit community with many unique businesses and attractions worth visiting.
During my trip to San Dimas, historic pre-renovation photos of the Walker House, dating back to the late 1800s, caught my attention because of their Victorian charm. Vintage floral oil paintings from Old Towne Antiques and peach pies from San Dimas Ace Hardware stood out as unique items. To conclude my trip, a clubhouse sandwich from Roady’s Family Restaurant fulfilled my lunch appetite. I found my various experiences in San Dimas to be nothing short of a memorably exciting day.
Other notable businesses within walking distance of the San Dimas station are San Dimas Grain, a historic pet and feed shop; A & N Collectibles, a hobby store; and Sweet Savory Cafe & Bakery, a sandwich shop.
Additional information regarding the Walker House sandimashistorical.org/history, Old Towne Antiques oldtowneantiques.com, San Dimas Ace Hardware acehardware.com and Roady’s Family Restaurant allmenus.com/ca/san-dimas/672145-roadys-restaurant/menu is visible on their websites.
Rebecca Keeler can be reached at rebecca.keeler@laverne.edu.
Metro A Line: Before You Board
For rider convenience, below are answers to frequently asked questions about the Metro A Line departing from the La Verne station:
- How often does the A Line operate? Roughly every seven minutes.
- What are the hours of operation for the A Line? 4 a.m. to midnight on weekdays. 4 a.m. to 1 a.m. on weekends.
- Where does the A Line go? 48 stops spanning nearly 60 miles from Pomona to downtown Long Beach.
- How much does the A Line cost? $1.75 regular fare. 75 cents for seniors ages 62+ and for customers with disabilities. Prices are for a one-way trip and include two hours of free transfers when paying with a $2 reusable TAP card.
- How long does it take the A Line to get to the San Dimas station? Departure from the La Verne station to San Dimas takes approximately five minutes.
- Is there a monitored metro alert system? There is a regularly updated L.A. Metro rider alert account on the social media platform X. The account can be found under the username @metrolaalerts.
The L.A. metro rail schedule is subject to change due to delays. Visit the L.A. Metro website for more information.
Rebecca Keeler, a senior communications major with a concentration in public relations and a music minor, is a staff writer for the Campus Times.
