A Postcard from Boulder, Colorado
Having lunch at 8000 feet, our view of the mountains is unobstructed. There's even a bit of snow here in August, a reminder that our vacation home gives access to fantastic skiing. But for now, we're off to hike the trails before heading to tonite's Shakespeare performance. This is the good life for sure.
About Boulder, Colorado
Perhaps the best testimonial for a second home location is when you say to yourself, "I could really live here" - Boulder is that kind of place. Just the approach to the city makes you want to stay. Driving from Denver, the red rocks of the Flat Iron Mountains look like a movie set, looming huge up out of the valley. The city has almost perfect feng shui, situated with the mountains literally at its back door. (Unfortunately, no water in front to give it a perfect 10 score!)
Within minutes of driving out of town along Boulder Creek, up Boulder Canyon, people are enjoying walking and biking trails. The river leads you up another 3000 feet to the peaks of the Colorado Rockies, with superb skiing, fishing, hiking and biking only 20 minutes from downtown Boulder.
Returning to town, you enjoy everything a "bourgeois bohemian" city can offers great bookstores, organic food stores, farmers markets, upscale restaurants and lots of sidewalk activity. Walking down the Pearl Street mall, street performers engage you on every corner with their tricks and songs. Step into an organic restaurant like the Sunflower for a gourmet organic meal complemented with organic wine. Culture is a given in Boulder, with first-class options constantly available.
The presence of the University of Colorado adds a quality of youth and intellect to complete the already perfect city. The familiar terrain has also attracted a number of highly qualified Tibetan teachers to establish retreats here. Naropa University is the only Buddhist-inspired liberal arts college in the US. The weather is sunny most of the year, even during snow season. As a great Coloradian John Denver sang, with "sunshine on your shoulder", you too can enjoy "Rocky Mountain High, Colorado". If you are looking for a second home, and eventual retirement in style, Boulder has it all.
Local History
With gold discovered nearby in 1858, Boulder was one of the many early mining towns in Colorado. The city was incorporated in 1871, with the railroad arriving soon after in 1873. The University opened in 1877, with its first graduating class of 6 people in 1882. Coal mines in 1887 increased the development of the area, and mining continued to be a major economic source until the middle of the 1900's.
An Average Lifestyle in Boulder, Colorado
Outdoors is the by-word for life in Boulder. Outdoor everything - mall, concerts, eating, hiking, biking, strolling, even outdoor cinema. Whatever you want to do outdoors, you can do it in Boulder. People are laid back, upscale and genuinely enthusiastic about nature and all that it offers. Even animals are loved with great dog parks within the city. A telling statistic about the good nature of people is the extraordinary low crime rate for a city this size, 30% lower than the national average.
Housing
As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Boulder indeed is great, and the prices reflect the value. Whether in town or up in the mountains, prices are steep.
Median Housing Costs: (census 2000) $304,700. All types of housing options exist, from mountain-side homes to urban condos and townhouses. Co-housing developments also exist. Two-bedroom rentals go for about $1055 and up, with a good rental market. Housing prices have been steadily rising:
Single Family Home Average Price: City of Boulder:
1999: 335,685
2000: 393,869
2001: 472,169
2002: 477,046
Condo/Townhouse Average price: City of Boulder
1999: 153,760
2000: 178,381
2001: 214,148
2002: 219,950
Things to Do in Boulder
Skiing
Mountain Biking
Hiking
Rock Climbing and mountaineering
Ballooning
Fishing
Golf - lots of it
River rafting and kayaking
Soaring/Hang gliding
Tennis
Swimming (public pools and reservoir)
Enjoy international dining
Cultural Activities in Boulder
Colorado Shakespeare Festival
International Folk Festival
Dance Festival
Jazz Dance
Film Festivals
Boulder Concert Band
Boulder Chorale
Boulder Theater
Chautauqua Summer Series
Colorado Music Festival
Art Galleries
Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Boulder History Museum
Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art
Near-By Excursions
Rocky Mountain National Park
Eldorado Canyon State Park
Golden Gate Canyon State Park
Drive the Peak-to-Peak from Nederlands to Estes Park
Indian Peaks Wilderness
Visit Denver
Visit The Great Stupa at Shambhala Mountain Retreat(50 miles)
Location
At the Foothills of the Rocky Mountains, in Boulder County, Colorado
Elevation: 5344
Size: 24.4 sq miles
Distance to other major cities
Denver, Colorado: 28.6
Fort Collins, Colorado: 35 miles
Getting To Boulder, Colorado
Fly to Denver International Airport, then 45 miles by bus or car to downtown.
Weather
Sunny ( over 300 sunny days) mild and dry
Annual Average Temperature: January: 32; July 71
Annual Average Snowfall: 158 inches in the mountains
Economics and Demographics
Population: (2002) 103,216 (Boulder County: 277,205)
Projected Population: 2010: 107,833
Median Age, 2000: 29.0 (probably affected by the large university population)
Median Household Income: $44,748
Principle Industries: Education, Professional, High Tech, Entrepreneurs
Higher Education
University of Colorado at Boulder
Naropa University
Rocky Mountain Center for Botanical Studies
Montessori Education Center of the Rockies