|
Boulder, Colorado
Just Another Day in Boulder, Colorado. Boulder has received accolades for it all. It has been rated one of the "50 Best Places to Live" by Men's Journal; it was dubbed one of the "Top 25 Art Cities" by American Style Magazine; it was named one of the "Top 20 Greenest Spots in the Country" by the Vegetarian Times; it was lauded as the "7th Best Running City" by Runners World Magazine—and these are all from 2005. What these rankings mean is that Boulder is an attractive city, recognized nationally for its aesthetic appeal and unique, bohemian ambiance. But best of all, the Boulder garners all the attention it has gotten on the polls.
A hilly city of slightly less than 100,000 people, located about 30 miles northwest of Denver, Boulder is dominated by the culture and activities of the University of Colorado. Many of the bars and pubs are crowded with twenty-something grad students, law students and professors in wire-rimmed glasses. Students, nature-lovers, and visitors from all over the world provide Boulder with a diversity that seconds only Denver.
Despite the medley of people, the city has a reputation for being a "hippy town." That, however, is no longer accurate. In modern Boulder, Rastafarians have been replaced with "Trust"-ifarians and Pearl Street, Boulder's shopping hub, is flanked with restaurant and retail clothing chains. The famous street mall has succeeded in maintaining its appeal. Performers keep adults and children amused for hours and the smell of patchouli still emanates from the independently owned venues, which there are many of. For even more pocketbook emptying, go to the "the Hill," a neighborhood located just off campus rife with coffee shops, salons and barber shops, an amalgam of eclectic retail stores, and music venues.
It is Boulder's outdoor activities that have put it on the map. The awe-inspiring Flatirons provide hiking and rock climbing for the outdoor-lovers who flock to the area. Each year, the BOLDERBoulder, a 10k run, draws 50,000 people from all over the world. Kinetics, another annual event, challenges teams to design sculptures to be raced across land and water, all set to live music at the Boulder Reservoir.
|
