Boulder, CO Reviews

Moving to Boulder ? - 3/31/2013
Most people moving to Boulder don’t buy a house, they rent.

School is a good way to spend time in Boulder, consider CU, Front Range Community College, Naropa, Boulder College of Massage Therapy, Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts.

Some people move to Boulder and assume it will work out, only to discover a job is tough to find. Don't be afraid to consider towns around Boulder, they are less expensive, some people call them the L cities: Longmont, Lions, Louisville.

While looking for a job consider staying with a friend, the Hostel, even a Walmart parking lot. Most rental agreements in Boulder charge you around $300 if you break the lease AND expect you to pay the rent until the landlord can find another renter.

Not everyone can stay, there are not enough jobs for the numbers of people that want to live in the Boulder Read More

Growing Up in Paradise or Long Live the Republic o - 12/31/2012
Boulder is an anomaly. I grew up in the Republic of Boulder (as the State Legislature called it) and lived there from 1963-1980. Even then I felt like a stranger in a strange land. I didn't know what "normal" America was until I moved from Boulder to the Midwest in 1980. I literally went through culture shock at discovering that the rest of the country was nothing like Boulder. I have since lived in Ohio, Kansas, Indiana, N. Carolina, California, Texas, Georgia, Arizona, Germany, South Korea and Saudi Arabia. Confirmed. Boulder is an anomaly.

Boulder is ultra-liberal which for some give it great appeal. For others like myself it makes Boulder seem like an unsustainable fantasy land. I can see why it's rated as the smartest and healthiest city in America - it most likely is. And those are the things I like about Boulder. Yet underneath all the warm, fuzzy imported-from-California & New York yuppie glow, is a reality as cold and as harsh as the winter in Boulder Read More

It's easy to say nice things about Boulder. So, he - 7/18/2012
Proximity to nature, access to culture and fresh food, easy climate, well-read and creative people, and general safety all make for a very nice place to live ... if you can afford it. Buying a house, even a little one, is expensive. And if you are not white, you are in a very small minority. It's not hostile, not at all. People are very accepting. But it can get tiring to stick out all the time. Skinny, athletic, gumby people are also the norm. A lot of social activities (especially those that involve making new friends or dating) tend to center on hiking, rock climbing, and skiing/snow boarding. People are very into their health and personal growth. Not at all a bad thing, but it can get a bit narcissistic after a while. I almost never walk by a coffee shop without overhearing an idler's discussion of how their personal psychotherapy or relationships are going or how spiritually redeeming something in their life is. People love their food peculiarities here and expect all sorts of Read More

Boulder has NO MANNERS!!! - 3/3/2011
The people in Boulder are self-absorbed and have no accountability for their actions. They have absolutely no manners whatsoever. Men do not hold doors open for people, folks do not say excuse me or get out of your way in the grocery store. You cannot throw a rock in Boulder without hitting a Subaru Outback. My greatest joy every day is leaving this mannerless bubble and high-tailing it to my cabin in the mountains in an entirely different county. If you are a wannabe hippie with lots of money, then Boulder is the place for you. But if you a "normal" person with manners and a basic appreciation of humanity, then stay away! It will sour your good disposition!!! Boulder is NOT a normal town and is full of the rudest people I have ever come across. Boulder sucks!  Read More

Best weather but tough to afford - 6/9/2010
You just can't beat the Boulder weather! It allows outdoor activities year round and fitness is a lifestyle, not a craze.

Recently it seems the demographic in Boulder has been changing to be a "mini LA" as it is now known. Yuppies moving in, hippies moving out...partly because it is not a cheap place to live.

Whole Foods has a bigger rush hour than the streets and the bike lanes seem to be full 24/7.

Pros: fitness, weather, scenery, close to Denver, not much recession impact

Cons: expensive, slightly pretentious new demographic, very Caucasian Read More

Overrated Boulder - 12/28/2009
Positives: Beautiful scenery, really nice university, lots of things to do-especially outdoors. Weather is relatively good with tons of sunshine year round. Decent shopping with the usual stores. Health conscious, fit people.

Negatives: Summers are hot and weather is extreme at times. One day it's 80 degrees, the next day 30 and snowing! Town has gotton really congested with bad traffic. People are extremely left here. If you mind a bunch of tree huggers and hippies, you definitely won't like BOulder. Also, VERY costly area. Housing prices and taxes are ridiculous.

COnclusion: Not a bad place to visit or live for a short time. Don't recommend settling down here for extended Read More

Boulder for Real - 11/7/2009
I am a long term Boulderian, from the `90's, now living on the W.Coast.

Taking a gander at most of the negatives here, reveals how shallow these observations are. Cell-Drivers SUCK most everywhere, not just Boulder. Pollution is bad, most everywhere, but only during Boulder's winter. Properties are very expensive, yes, but also in MANY other worthwhile areas in the US. Yes, Boulder is `Lily White', but its economic segregation, NOT racial. It also boasts the hippest, brightest, and most beautiful people East of Santa Barbara.
Deal with it...

The quality of life there is the highest in the US, not just the altitude !
As a former homeowner, I can tell you that anybody who gets fed up with it, should move elsewhere, and count the days before they beg to come back. Yes, Boulder is 50 sq. miles surrounded on all sides by `reality', which is mercifully kept at bay. If you desire reality, just move to Denver !

I long to return, but Read More

Too Expensive to Stay - 2/25/2009
I've lived in Boulder for 10 years, and we're moving this summer. It's just gotten too expensive to stay. My husband makes a very good salary, but it's not enough.

Median home price is in the mid-600's. Renting a house? Expect to pay at least 2k a month. Preschool costs $500 to $600 a month. Soon only the rich and the students will be living in Boulder.

It's beautiful, and there's plenty of culture, but if you want a nice quality of life, you should make at least 100K a Read More

Lots to do, but crime seems to be on the upswing. - 2/9/2009
There's a lot to love about Boulder. Good weather (though I hate the chinooks), plenty of culture, plenty of good restaurants, and recreational opportunities galore.

But recently there have been a LOT of sexual assaults.
And the transient population is growing. Many of them are decent people down on their luck, but there are enough troublemakers mixed in to cause problems. I've been harrassed by some, even when I have my 3 year-old daughter with me. We've cut a number of trips to the creek short because of it. (Also, the public library has had to hire full-time Read More

mono-chromatic - 8/16/2008
It's chalk full of white people that think a little too highly of Read More