Real confused..

[Neditate]

Interesting reading...
Most of my friends back then graduated from CU in the late 70s/early 80s and stayed for many years. They were from NY, NJ and MA.

[movingtomountains]

Originally Posted by Moonbeamer

I just moved to Denver after 15 years in Boulder, so I have lots of thoughts about this topic. I moved partly for job/career reasons, partly for financial reasons, and partly because it was simply time for something new.

Boulder has changed a lot. It's always been expensive, but it wasn't outrageously so until recently. Today, having a decent job and living frugally isn't sufficient to make it in Boulder. From my observations, there are four main groups of people in town these days:

1) students
2) baby boomers who bought homes years ago but could never afford those same homes today
3) people in the city's affordable housing program
4) the very wealthy, who can afford it*

*The vast majority of these wealthy folks, in my anecdotal observations, are not wealthy solely from their jobs but also from family money. It takes a combination.

The OP mentioned Boulder as being "funky." I think that this adjective is increasingly a stretch for Boulder. Most of the funkiness has withered away in recent years and/or left town. It's been replaced with upscale, well-scrubbed alternatives that are trendy but not "funky" and that are often rather bland once you take a closer look. I notice more funkiness down in Denver, while meanwhile Boulder increasingly caters to the tastes of the very wealthy.

Still, as some posters mentioned above, Boulder still seems to evoke a special aura. I'm not sure that this "Boulder dream" matches reality.

Moonbeamer (love that name), I agree with all of this. My most recent visit up to Boulder last spring was FAR less funky than all the times before. My husband had never been to Colorado before and he felt Boulder was "a nice place to retire to". I never saw it in that light until this last time. He didn't get/see/feel the magic I had gotten/seen/felt years before. I didn't either during that trip.

Also, I couldn't remember if I had ever noticed all the awful souvenir shops before. They were the only things I noticed last year! I guess I had thought I'd just outgrown the place and was kind of bummed to not feel anything there anymore but it's something else to hear that the reality is it just isn't what it was.

Originally Posted by MN_Ski

This has cluttered my Facebook for the past few years. Lots of people who visited just for pot. As someone who has visited a lot in the past few years, I always get comments on my check-ins about how they love it and want to move "Next Spring".

Oh, it's ALWAYS "next spring" hahaha.

Originally Posted by TCHP

For better of worse, Colorado has always presented itself well in the media. Whether it was a John Denver special or Mork and Mindy in the '70s, any number of concerts filmed at Red rocks in the '80s, Monday Night Football broadcasts through the '90s, or CU's party reputation at anytime, Colorado, and Boulder, has created an allure for its self that some people view like a beacon. Up until the last 15-20 years or so, following that allure was always a realistic possibility for most 20 somethings. That reputation hasn't changed despite the radical change in the cost of pursuing that dream.

Perfectly put, TCHP. Thanks for articulating it so well.

[Hipchik]

Originally Posted by movingtomountains

My most recent visit up to Boulder last spring was FAR less funky than all the times before.
Also, I couldn't remember if I had ever noticed all the awful souvenir shops before. They were the only things I noticed last year!

I blame some of the the loss of funkiness to the huge influx of Californians in the 90s around the time I moved.
I'm curious where you saw "all the awful souvenir shops"? That's what you noticed on your visit?
You didn't notice the new construction and how different the town looks when you drive in on 28th? How much more vibrant the east and west sides of the Pearl Street Mall have become?
I visit Boulder several times a year and there's always something new to discover... new bars, restaurants, shops. Not just downtown but all over town.
But souvenir shops? Nope.

[movingtomountains]

I didn't mean that it was literally the only thing I noticed, but yeah, they stood out to me strongly when they never have before. You're going to notice things have changed more when you know the area better and have lived there. I'm just someone who makes quick, couple-hour pit stops in Boulder now while visiting other parts of Colorado every year or two. So, yeah I guess that's what I noticed? Not sure why that's surprising when Pearl St is full of crap tourist gift shops...you haven't noticed this? I wouldn't have even hit Pearl St if my husband had been to Boulder/CO before...


I realized I should clarify, I am not a fan of ANY gift/souvenir type shops... I used awful in relation to how much I hate them, not that Boulder's were atypically awful compared to anywhere else haha. Sorry if I offended you with the description.

[Hipchik]

Not offended at all, just curious. I haven't noticed "crap tourist gift shops" on Pearl Street.

[Mac2279]

The entire front range has seen it's rental prices sky rocket over the past couple years, 2nd only to San Francisco in percentage increase. No matter how many people say they are moving to Boulder most end up on the outskirts not because of cost of living more accurately there isn't room.

I moved from East Coast 5yrs ago, moved into a efficiency apt in Downtown Denver a block away from the Baseball stadium, rent was right at $2k a month, now I did this to first experience Denver downtown, while understanding I'd only be living there maybe 6mths until I found a suitable place on the outskirts of the town. That same place now rents for almost $3K.

Typically when you get to a place that gets so much hubbub online and in the press, what tends to happen is you start to realize it's a lot of hype. Now I'd say 95% of people young, middle aged, and retirees, move here simply for the outdoors and the diversity of every community.

Many who come here from what I've read and seen don't stay in anyone town more than 5yrs, I'm currently in a ski town whose cost of living is totally absurd, and it's no different than the rest of the State people who relocate here for the abundance of outdoor activities ultimately realize it's simply not affordable, and that can be placed at the feet of stubborn locals wanting to milk all those transplants for what they can, and those 1%'s who have their 3rd/4th homes here paying what they want jacking up property taxes which make all property falsely inflated.

All the small mountain towns have housing shortages, and nowhere for their seasonal workers to live or even those relocating to their towns, this with the increase in housing/rental rates forces people to bounce around, and what I'd be willing to bet ultimately leaving the state for places that they can get more bang for their buck.

Ultimately it's a trend like anywhere else, we saw people by the thousands cross the country over the past decade to places like Virginia, DC, Charlotte, Atlanta following the job market and areas that are affordable to live, then coupled w/ a drastically increasing cost of living in those areas and not to mention the housing market collapse those who came left just as quickly spreading out all over the country.

Boulder is more representative now of what many places in the US are now, nothing really special just over crowded and over priced.

I'm reminded of a Motel 6 commercial from back in the day, when they spokesman says why should you pay more $$ for this (Then turns the light Out), why pay more when your going to or should be outside more.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Dreaming of Hawaii

Not everything in Boulder is outrageously expensive. My daughter-in-law and grandson live in an decent, affordable apartment on a limited income. It is in a safe neighborhood with good schools.

Boulder has more diversity than people seem to think.

Boulder demographics:
Non-hispanic White: 83%
Black: 0.9%
American Indian/Native American 0.4%
Asian 4.7%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.1%
Hispanic 8.7%
Boulder (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau

Originally Posted by Hipchik

I blame some of the the loss of funkiness to the huge influx of Californians in the 90s around the time I moved.
I'm curious where you saw "all the awful souvenir shops"? That's what you noticed on your visit?
You didn't notice the new construction and how different the town looks when you drive in on 28th? How much more vibrant the east and west sides of the Pearl Street Mall have become?
I visit Boulder several times a year and there's always something new to discover... new bars, restaurants, shops. Not just downtown but all over town.
But souvenir shops? Nope.

This was the best I could find for where were Colorado residents born:
42% Colorado
11% outside the US
7% other western states excluding California (6%)
6% other southern states excluding Texas (3%)
6% other midwestern states excluding Illinois (3%), Ohio, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa (2% each), Missouri 1%
3% other northeastern states excluding New York (3%) and Pennsylvania (1%)
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...born.html?_r=0

So, all western states-55%
All midwestern states-18%
All southern states-9%
All northeastern states-7%
Outside US-11%

Single state with the largest number of transplants-California 6%. Hardly a huge influx.