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Claremont is a college town about 30 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles in Southern California. It is located in the eastern San Gabriel Valley.

Get in

By car

Exit from Highway 210 (Towne Ave), (Base Line Rd), or Highway 10 (Indian Hill Blvd).

By train

The Metrolink commuter rail [1] offers hourly service from downtown Los Angeles's Union Station. Union Station offers bus and train routes from many surrounding cities and the FlyAway Bus to LAX.

By plane

The nearby Ontario Airport (ONT) offers frequent connections to many major U.S. cities, as well as Mexico.

Claremont is also accessible from other airports in the greater Los Angeles area (BUR Burbank, LAX Los Angeles International Airport, and LGB Long Beach).

Get around

On foot

The best way to explore Claremont's charming downtown (called "The Village") is on foot and it is a reasonable walk from the local Metrolink station. However, getting around the rest of the town often requires a car.

Education

  • The Claremont Colleges, 150 E. Eight St. 5 undergraduate colleges (Pomona College, Claremont McKenna College, Scripps College, Harvey Mudd College, and Pitzer College) and 2 graduate institutions (Claremont Graduate University and Keck Graduate Institute) make up the Claremont Colleges consortium, serving over 6000 students. 
  • Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management The Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management, or more commonly, the Drucker School of Management, is a member of the Claremont Colleges, which is a unique consortium of 7 colleges based on the Oxford University model. The school is named in honor of Peter Drucker, the "Father of Modern Management," who taught management for the school for over 30 years after leaving New York University in 1971.
  • Claremont School of Theology (CST), 1325 North College Ave. A graduate school seminary offering Master of Art, Masters of Divinity, Doctorate of Ministry and Ph.D. degrees in religion and theology. 

See

The Village

Claremont's quaint downtown is an assortment of specialty shops and restaurants. Crowded with students from the nearby Claremont Colleges, the Village has a relaxed atmosphere.

Do

  • Look for City Hall (2nd Street at Harvard Avenue) and sit down to a game of outdoor chess at the boards built into the tables on the lawn.
  • Take a stroll through the five connected campuses of the Claremont Colleges.
  • Visit Memorial Park at Yale Avenue and 8th Street. Memorial Park offers free concerts and family movies during the summer.
  • Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens, 1500 N. College Ave., ☏ +1 909 625-8767, fax: +1 909 626-7670. Daily 8AM–5PM; Closed New Year’s Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The Gardens showcase native California plant life. Adults $8, Students and seniors (62+) $6, children aged 3-12 $4; under 3 Free. 
  • Claremont 5, 450 W 2nd St, ☏ +1 909-621-5500. 5 screen movie theatre located in the Village $7-10. 

Buy

Farmer's Market

  • Claremont's Farmer's Market, Indian Hill & Second St. Su 8AM-1PM. In the heart of the Village, local merchants offer fresh produce and unique crafts. 

The Village hosts a variety of independent shops. The local specialty seems to be unique ladies' clothing. Keep an eye out for antiques, chocolates, and creative gifts as well.

  • The Little Dress Shop, 214 W. 2nd St. Offers a charming collection of dresses and accessories. 
  • Boon Companion, 145 Harvard Ave. Formerly known as Claremont Toys, is a classic small-town toy shop—think building blocks, picture books, kiddie craft supples, and stuffed animals of all varieties. 

Eat

Like many college towns, Claremont has ample amounts of fast food and cheap eateries, as well as nicer, more upscale restaurants.

This page uses the following price ranges for a typical meal for one, including soft drink:
Budget $10 or less
Mid-range $10–20
Splurge $20 or more

Budget

  • 21 Choices, 817 West Foothill Blvd., ☏ +1 909-621-7175. 11AM-11PM. Offers a rotating selection of base frozen yogurts (be sure to sample each one before choosing!) that can be customized with candy mix-ins. 
  • Delhi Palace Express, 313 Yale Ave, ☏ +1 909-626-6030. Fast food Indian restaurant with a lunch and dinner all-you-can-eat buffet. Limited outdoor seating. Under $10. 
  • Some Crust Bakery, 119 Yale Ave, ☏ +1 909-621-9772, . 7AM-6PM M-Sa. 8AM-1PM Sun. Over-sized, decently priced, and mouth-wateringly delicious, the rotating cookie selection brings customers in hordes. The bakery's impressive cakes are on display in a rotating refrigerator rack in the main entryway. 
  • Full of Life, 333 West Bonita Ave, ☏ +1 909-624-3420. THE destination for Sunday brunch, the Full of Life village bakery offers a diverse menu of quality breakfast specialties, creative sandwiches, and lovely coffee drinks (try the Mexican Mocha!). 
  • Patty's Mexican Foods, 1332 N Towne Ave, ☏ +1 909-625-9160. Fast food Mexican with homemade tortillas. 

Mid-range

  • BC Cafe Kick Back Jack's, 701 S. Indian Hill Blvd. (Just off the I-10), ☏ +1 909-482-1414. Breakfast and lunch place similar to Denny's. Large portions and often crowded. 
  • Buca di Beppo, 505 West Foothill Blvd, ☏ +1 909-399-3287. M-Th: 11AM-10PM, F-Sa:11AM-11PM, Sun: 11AM-10PM. Eclectic decor and authentic cuisine, family style portions. $10-20. 
  • Aruffo's Italian Cuisine, 126 Yale Ave, ☏ +1 909-624-9624. Exquisite Italian cuisine in a convivial yet intimate atmosphere. The appetizer bread is a sure winner, and you can't go wrong with any dish. The chocolate creme brulee is a special treat for dessert. 
  • Viva Madrid, 225 Yale Ave, ☏ +1 909-624-5500. Tu-Su 5-11PM Closed Mon. An authentic Spanish tapas bar and restaurant with great food. It gets busy quickly so if you wish to check it out, go early. 
  • Dr. Grubb's, 353 Bonita Ave, ☏ +1 909-621-6200. Large portions and vegetarian friendly. You choose a protein, sauce and side and your meal is cooked fresh. Take out available. 
  • Mongolian Barbeque, 970 W Foothill Blvd, ☏ +1 909-624-4334. Offers take-out. You fill a bowl with veggies and meat and then give it to a cook to be cooked. 
  • Le Pain Quotidien, 175 North Indian Hill Blvd, ☏ +1 909-625-1609. Su-F 8AM-9PM, Sa 8AM-10PM. Outdoor seating available. Light and fresh bakery and coffee shop. 
  • Nogi Japanese Restaurant, 950 W Foothill Blvd, ☏ +1 909-626-1582. Located in a strip mall, the outside is unassuming. Considered better sushi than the nearby Sushi Cruise. 

Splurge

  • Wolfe's Market, 160 W Foothill Blvd, ☏ +1 909-626-1680. M-F 10AM-7PM, Sa 11AM-3PM. Located in a grocery store, this place offers catering and lunch. Generally considered overly expensive. 

Nearby Upland is home to Veggie Era, a truly unique cafe specializing in vegan cuisine. The newly expanded menu includes favorites (Orange Chick'n Less) as well as creative additions (Rock n Roll Sizzling Beef-less). While there, broaden your spiritual horizons with a glimpse into the philosophies of Supreme Master Ching Hai.

Drink

  • The Press, 129 Harvard Ave. Offers a yuppie-chic atmosphere and a progressive menu. Live indy music bands perform throughout the week. Look for vestiges of the building's former days as a newspaper printing press. $7+. 
  • The Back Abbey, 128 North Oberlin Ave., ☏ +1 909-625-2642. Extensive beer and wine list with sitting indoors and out, slightly pricey. Also known for their burgers. $6+. 

Sleep

  • Casa 425, 425 W. First St (Located in the Village expansion off of Indian Hill Blvd), ☏ +1 909-624-CASA (2272), fax: +1 909-626-0495, . A high end hotel with 28 rooms built around a small courtyard with a fire pit. $210+. 
  • Doubletree Hotel Claremont, 555 West Foothill Blvd (From the I-10, take Indian Hill Blvd north for 2 miles and turn left on Foothill Blvd.), ☏ +1 909-626-2411, fax: +1 909-624-0756. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 12PM. $140+. 

Go next

Victoria Gardens is a shop-a-holic's mecca. A mall on the scale of a small town, including a fabulous food court, a theater, and just about any nationwide chain store you can imagine.

For those with a shorter shoestring, Ontario Mills is the largest outlet mall in the greater L.A. area. It also includes two large cineplexes, and a huge number of restaurants.

A short drive north will bring you to the mountains for beautiful hiking. Skiing is available at Mount Baldy during the winter months.

Routes through Claremont
Pasadena ← La Verne ←  W  E  → Upland → San Bernardino
Santa Monica ← Pasadena ←  W  E  → Upland → Barstow



This city travel guide to Claremont is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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