Yeah yeah
-
7/29/2016
A lot of truths and a lot of misconceptions from what I've read so far.
I came to Boulder two years ago from SW Florida.
Here are my pro's and cons:
Pro's:
- Literally the safest city I've ever lived in. I can walk, bike, or drive in any part of town without a second guess
- Fantastic place to raise a family (if you can!)
- Great coffee shops
- Accessibility to nature is beyond all others
- Around 35 min to nearest ski lift, 1-2 hours and you'll be at many more!
- Everyone's down to hike or do something fun and active
- Great activities to do for a college kid
- Mostly friendly people
- Pearl st. and the shopping is great
Con's:
- The traffic, although not Miami or LA, sucks! It's a smaller area with lots of traffic
- Somewhat pretentious vibe
- No cultural/racial diversity, which makes for a boring ass place at times
- Although you can hike anywhere, peace and quiet on the trail is hard to find, even on the snowiest day of the year there's still a huge amount of people 'dominating' the trail
- Everything is very expensive
- The most high demand housing market i've ever experienced; when I came here to look for a room to rent I literally had to ward off 10 other people with a stick and write a check on spot to secure the ROOM. The demand here is too high and more and more tech employees are flooding the streets daily (nothing against you hehe)
- Subpar bar and music scene, but you have other options (Denver, red rocks, etc)
- Entitled young rich yuppies
My two biggest issues with Boulder are:
1) The housing market is insane. It's way overpriced and you practically need to give someone a handjob just to get the place (thankfully i've never had to resort!)
and
2) Although, by many it is considered a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts, nobody just...chills here. People are primarily focused on the most extreme sports, and it's hard to simply walk on a hiking trail contemplating life's grand mysteries without some adrenaline junkie mountain biker or trail runner whizzing past you in nylon tights with fake logos all over them. Coming from beautiful spots on both coasts, I was slightly disturbed at the lack of true appreciation for nature. The trails in Boulder county are so beyond saturated that it's hard to enjoy oneself on some days, which is a real let down. The trails near Nederland are a little better, but most campsites in the summer are reserved several, several months in advance, and it can be crowded and hectic on the trails.
I don't dislike Boulder, but I definitely don't like it either!
I suggest a visit, and an extended one at that.
Nick | Lafayette, CO