Best places in/near Boulder for college grad (Longmont, Lafayette: apartments, rentals)

[sidburn]

I am a soon-to-be college graduate planning to move to Boulder for a job. What are some neighborhoods/apartments/condos/etc. in Boulder that would be a good place to live? I'm looking for somewhere that would have people my age, things to do within walking distance (restaurants, bars, other nightlife, etc.) and reasonable prices (at least for Boulder). Also, would some of the nearby towns like Louisville fit the bill in that regard?

[POhdNcrzy]

What is your degree? What sort of job did you land in Boulder?

I think you need to visit Boulder or at least read up on it a little bit before you post open-ended questions here (although these questions might be appropriate if you were asking about NYC or Chicago, LA etc.).

ARE YOU AWARE YOU CAN WALK ACROSS BOULDER IN ANY DIRECTION IN LESS THAN 35 MINUTES??

There are only two small areas with nightlife (Pearl St, Da Hill, plus a tiny bit around central 28th St). It's a college town. All the neighborhoods are wonderful places to live if you can afford it, even some of the trailer park neighborhoods. Geez luieez....

Some of the surrounding "L's" are liveable. Lafayette, Longmont, Louisville, Lyons, (L)Niwot, (L)Erie, (L)Firestone, et. al.

Those places are NOT Boulder, though. Boulder is a very unique town. IMHO, no, they won't "fit the bill" if you are wanting to be in Boulder for what Boulder has to offer. You can live without a car in Boulder (although it'll still be somewhat challenging to do so), much much harder to do that in the "L's".

[chilaili]

Do you have the job already lined up? Also, what do you consider "reasonable prices"? Can you give us a dollar range? Are you looking for rentals or to buy? All the activities you're looking for would be in downtown Boulder but that's not what I would consider reasonable under any circumstance.

[DressageRider]

I'd probably stick to Boulder rather than looking at towns on the outskirts (Louisville, etc.), especially if you are interested in nightlife.

Most places in Boulder are good places to live -- by that I mean there aren't really dodgy neighborhoods to avoid. When I rented in Boulder I lived in a 2-bedroom apartment on Canyon near 21st that was $850. That seemed like a great deal to me and I could walk to Pearl Street in 5-10 minutes. I could also walk up to the hill, though it was a bit more of a hike. There is also a good bus system to get you around Boulder.

Look near Pearl or near the Hill. You'll find something.

[mark747]

Downtown Boulder is the best. Expect to pay 1500-2000 a month for a rental there. But you can probably ditch your car if that helps you afford the rent more.

I'd avoid the hill.

Canyon has lots of apartments and they are close to downtown, but they are run down and are occupied by students-low quality.

Holiday can be nice as far as being new, but north boulder and in a dodgy neighborhood-homeless shelter, strip club, industrial.