This is the third 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 34-minute train excursion brings the rider to the lively city of Pasadena, which has six stations. The North Allen Avenue station begins underground, and travels up to the center median of the 210 freeway.
A new public transit rail line system 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.
Starting Sept. 19, 2025, the Los Angeles Metro A Line added four new stations— Pomona, La Verne, San Dimas and Glendora—making the A Line the world’s longest light rail commuter line. The train traverses 60 miles from Pomona to downtown Long Beach and opens opportunities for locals to explore the culture and history of major cities along its route.
Allen Avenue in Pasadena is the home of multiple high-quality culturally and ethnically diverse businesses, restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, salons and boutiques. Old Sasoon Bakery, a popular Armenian bakery that specializes in authentic Middle Eastern cuisine, has served the community since 1986. The bakery offers a large assortment of savory goods at an affordable price.
Joseph Geragosian, owner of Old Sasoon Bakery, said he watched his father found the business and has kept its legacy strong since taking over. As the business approaches 40 years in June, Geragosian encourages locals and A Line users to give the bakery a try.
“Our most popular menu items are khachapuri, lahmajune, zahtar bread and manaiesh,” Geragosian said. “We recently expanded our sit-down area, and now offer a variety of breakfast items worth trying.”
Old Sasoon Bakery offers a variety of breakfast combinations for about $12, while flat bread and beorags (turnovers) average at $4. Flat bread wraps cost $8, and baklava assortments large enough to share are $15.
Altadena resident Jasmine Kach said she has been a regular customer of the bakery since she was 3 years old.
“I would definitely recommend this place to others because the food is delicious, and it’s family owned and run,” Kach said.
Across the street from Old Sasoon Bakery is another family-owned and operated business that provides speciality cleaning, restoration and repairs of delicate rugs. Since its establishment in 1924, Pasadena Oriental Rug has provided exceptional care for priceless rugs through hand cleaning and air drying.
Andy Gabrielyan, owner of Pasadena Oriental Rug, is the third owner and has been in charge for more than 30 years. He said most of his customers are Pasadena locals, with some coming from as far away as San Clemente and San Diego.
“This is a unique, one-of-a-kind business,” Gabrielyan said. “We clean rugs here and do major repairs on antique oriental rugs. We sell them too, and we also offer delivery.” The inside of his store has the appearance of a rug museum, with very expensive rugs on display and for purchase.
After the Palisades and Eaton fires burned through communities in 2025, Gabrielyan said his business has been busy repairing and naturally cleaning rugs that were affected by the fires.
Down the block, Sarkis Pastry is yet another family-owned Armenian bakery that serves traditional Middle Eastern sweets and pastries.
The bakery offers a multitude of specialty assortments of baklava, cookies and maamoul, all averaging around $15 per pound.
Maria Zayt has worked as a cashier at Sarkis Pastry for a year and a half. She said she has noticed many customers visiting from the Metro A Line with a particular dessert in mind.
“Baklava is definitely our most popular item,” Zayt said. “Many customers come in for our baklava burma, which is a specialty type of baklava that is rolled instead of layered.”
Regarding the ambiance of the area, Geragosian, Kach, Gabrielyan and Zayt all agree that Allen Avenue in Pasadena is a relaxed atmosphere with many unique family-owned businesses worth visiting.
During my trip to Allen Avenue, a lahmajune and zahtar bread with cheese from Old Sasoon Bakery fulfilled my lunch appetite, and baklava from Sarkis Pastry capped off my dessert cravings. While exploring Pasadena Oriental Rug, an 1880 oriental deer rug caught my attention for its artistic beauty. I found my various experiences in Pasadena to be nothing short of a deliciously memorable day.
Other notable businesses within walking distance of the Allen station are The Huntington, a botanical garden, art museum and library all in one; Chaaste Family Market, a small family-owned grocery store; and Pacific Floral and Event Designs, a floral design boutique.
Additional information regarding Old Sasoon Bakery essexlad.com/oldsasoon, Pasadena Oriental Rug pasadenaorientalrug.com and Sarkis Pastry sarkispastry.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 Allen station? Departure from the La Verne station to Allen takes approximately 34 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.
Rebecca Keeler, a senior communications major with a concentration in public relations and a music minor, is a staff writer for the Campus Times.
