This is the ninth 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 45-minute train excursion brings the rider to the vibrant, lively community of South Pasadena. The station, located at the intersection of Mission Street and Meridian Avenue, is in the heart of the city’s commercial district.
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 South Pasadena station is within walking distance of multiple interesting culturally and ethnically diverse businesses, restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, salons and boutiques.
La Monarca Bakery, a Latino-owned popular bakery that specializes in Mexican cuisine, has served the community since 2006. Brenda Hernandez has worked as a cashier at La Monarca Bakery for two years. She said she has noticed many customers visiting from the Metro A Line.
“Frequently, customers who come in from the A Line request to hear our most popular items.” Hernandez said. “I usually suggest our sweet bread, tres leches cake and cold cream beverages as our most popular menu items.”
La Monarca Bakery offers a variety of lattes, cold brews, Americanos, mochas and cappuccinos for about $5. Cookies, slices of cake and assortments of sweet bread cost around $7. Breakfast burritos and biscuits average in price around $6.
Highland Park resident Rafael Pineda said he visits the bakery often, and typically orders a chocolate croissant paired with a cafe de olla.
“I would definitely recommend this place to others,” Pineda said. “They make really good sweet bread, along with everything else they serve, and it’s all for a reasonable price.”
Across the street from La Monarca Bakery, Simplee Boba is a popular bubble tea and dessert shop that specializes in using natural and organic ingredients in its drinks and treats. For the past five years, the family-owned boba shop has distinguished itself from competitors by offering a wide variety of menu items.
Richard Le, owner of Simplee Boba, has led the business from its start. He said he has not noticed many customers who visit from the A Line; nevertheless, he encourages Metro users to give the shop a try due to its proximity to the station.
“Our most popular drinks are our variety of milk tea bobas,” Le said. “This is a unique boba shop because we pride ourselves in using clean ingredients. I think that is something our customers should definitely be aware of.”
Simplee Boba offers selections of milk teas, creamy teas and ice cream for about $5. Smoothies, milkshakes, frappuccinos and slushies cost around $10. The shop also offers specialty acai bowls averaging in price around $13.
On Thursday afternoons, crowds gather just outside the A Line station for the award-winning South Pasadena Farmers Market. The attraction hosts a wide range of California farmers and agricultural vendors offering fresh produce, baked goods, flowers and more.
Bill’s Bees, a family-owned honey business based in the San Gabriel Mountains, has served as a beloved vendor at the farmers market for more than 10 years. The business is known for its dedicated care toward its honey bees, which results in 100% pure, fresh and local honey.
Scarlett Schafer works as a beekeeper and do-it-all intern at Bill’s Bees. She said the company produces and sells five types of honey: avocado, wildflower, sage, orange blossom and buckwheat.
“Along with producing high-quality honey, our business is all about educating the community on honey bee health,” Schafer said. “Work isn’t a chore for me because I love what I do and enjoy building meaningful relationships with customers.”
Bill’s Bees offers a variety of honey straws, lip balms, lotion bars, soaps and beeswax for under $10. Specialty beeswax candles range in price from $2 to $25, depending on the size and design. The business also supplies bee pollen, honeycomb and jars of honey, which average in price around $15.
Regarding the atmosphere of the area, Hernandez, Pineda, Le and Schafer all agree that South Pasadena is a welcoming community with many gems and wonderful family-owned businesses worth visiting.
During my trip to South Pasadena, a slice of tres leches cake from La Monarca Bakery satisfied my afternoon sweet tooth, and an iced thai milk tea boba from Simplee Boba gave me a much needed caffeine boost. While exploring Bill’s Bees at the farmers market, I purchased a beeswax peppermint lotion balm, wildflower honey in a glass jar and a small, adorable beeswax bear candle. I found my various experiences in South Pasadena to be nothing short of a deliciously memorable day.
Other notable businesses within walking distance of the South Pasadena station are Barristers Nursery, a garden center; Sopa Studios, an art gallery; and Jones Coffee Roasters, a specialty coffee shop.
Additional information regarding La Monarca Bakery lamonarcabakery.com/pages/our-story, Simplee Boba simpleeboba.com and Bill’s Bees billsbees.com 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 South Pasadena takes approximately 45 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.
