Margarita-induced musings about the People’s Republic of Boulder.
What were old dumpy-looking buildings are now new trendy buildings. What was a vibrant pedestrian mall is now a half-vacant strip of street vendors and tourists. What was an old, dumpy, indoor mall is now a new trendy mall with a mix of outdoor and indoor shops. One thing that doesn’t seem much different is the crowd at the bus station after 6pm on a Friday night – late commuters, homeless, loud college kids.
Boulder has changed quite a bit since I first moved to Colorado in 1998…but then again, so have I. Back then, we were living in Boulder while Greg was finishing grad school and now we live closer to Denver.
What I love about the city hasn’t changed much.
There is an emphasis on exercising outdoors, summer or winter. Every place I have worked in Boulder has had showers for employees. The medical products manufacturer had its own fitness room. Where I currently work allows for flexible lunches to go for a run or bike ride.
The diversity in restaurants is remarkable for a city its size – explore a little while and you can find Creole, Mexican, Irish, Italian, French, Indian, Nepalese, Thai, Vietnamese, Ethiopian, Moroccan – and usually more than one of each type I mentioned.
The academic feel with the main campus of the University of Colorado permeates through the rest of the city. It’s what Madison would be if it was shrunk to 1/3 of its size and placed next to the mountains. (Okay, okay, I will admit Boulder has less diversity in people.)
When I spend too much time in Boulder, I do get overwhelmed with what a co-worker calls the “Boulder Bubble” and what has been referred to “twelve square miles surrounded by reality.” As one website declares, “Boulder is a very pleasant place to live if, in the same spirit as your standard ‘nice little university town’ all over the country, a tad on the expensive side and a place that sometimes takes itself too seriously for its own good”.
So yeah, Boulder is a good place to work and a good place to play, but I’m not sure I’d live there again. Though maybe I need a little less reality in my life…
Posted on March 11, 2007, in Colorado. Bookmark the permalink. 5 Comments.
Ah. I used to work for a property management company in Boulder. It is very different there. But it has been probly 7 years since I’ve been there. I remember it though….There was this great sushi place off of the mall i used to go to, but parking was stupid.
MMSarah> Yeah. Parking is still stupid (downtown, anyways).
The best sushi I’ve ever had was at a place in Boulder. I can’t remember the name of it, though.
I also ate at Fez. Oh. My. God. Good, good food. Bastilla. Yummmmmmmmm.
I’ve been to Boulder/Denver twice and like it out there a lot. My biggest problem with the place (aside from the altitude headache I get) is that it’s so wide open that I feel as though I’m about to be picked off by passing birds of prey.
Julia> I’ve had Japango and Sushi Tora in Boulder. Both are quite good. Sushi Zanmai is right near the historic Hotel Boulderado, but I don’t think it’s nearly as good. It’s just flashy.
It took awhile for my body to adjust to the altitude. Now it’s strange when I go “home” or when I visit the east coast.
Boulder does indeed take itself too seriously. You can’t even be a pet owner there, only a pet guardian. MD